North Alabama Electric Coop

Blog

  • Making Spirits Bright

    ​​Shop With a Hero Lets Children Pick Gifts

    ​​The joy of Christmas means different things to different people. Some relish time-honored family traditions of sharing special meals, bundling up, and piling in the car to ride around looking at Christmas light displays, going to parades, or decorating with special family heirlooms.

    ​​Giving and receiving gifts is also a major part of the holiday season, but not everyone has the means to participate. Taking that to heart, some local first responders have dedicated part of their holiday season to making Christmas memorable for children who otherwise might not have anything under the tree.

    ​​Shop with a Hero, sponsored by the Hollywood Police Department, is an annual event during which local first responders volunteer to take children shopping to choose gifts for Christmas. Local Department of Human Resources agents help identify children best suited for the program.

    ​​Former HPD Chief Jason Hepler began the initiative in 2016 after years of working with another popular charity and realizing this area of Jackson County was underrepresented. “We noticed that everything we took in was going to Huntsville and people from our area wouldn’t get selected. So, we decided to do something that would directly benefit the children in our area,” he says.

    ​​Hepler says many factors drove him to start the program, but the main one was that it was a way to connect with the community and encourage outreach between citizens and law enforcement.

    ​​“Trust in law enforcement hasn’t been great, and we wanted to reconnect with the community on another level,” he says. “Seeing kids’ eyes light up when they get those gifts really solidified that this is necessary and needs to continue.”

    ​​Travis Stevens has served with the HPD since 2022 and became the department’s chief in June. He is looking forward to this month’s event and to making Shop with a Hero the best it can be for the children each year.

    ​​“The sky is the limit as to what we do with it,” Stevens says. “Shop with a Hero is important, and it’s here to stay.”

    ​​Giving, Receiving

    ​​As the holiday season approaches, the department begins raising funds to make Christmas a little more jolly for local children. “Money is received entirely through donations from businesses and individuals,” Stevens says. 1 of the top fundraisers is the booth at the Hollywood Fall Festival, where the top seller is Stevens’ homemade chicken and dumplings — from his grandmother’s recipe — with a side of fried cornbread.

    ​​On a night close to Christmas, after they’ve gathered the donations, volunteers usually take about 20 kids shopping at Walmart. This year, that number has grown to 27, which is the most they’ve had. Each child is designated a “shopping buddy” first responder for the evening.

    ​​“The budget for each child depends on the amount of donations we get,” Stevens says. In the past, each child has been able to spend around $250.“Essentially, we let the kids pick out whatever they want until they reach the budget. They usually choose clothes and toys.”

    ​​Shop with a Hero is about more than giving gifts, he says, it’s about fostering connections and building community.

    ​​“I had an officer who was paired up with a 4-year-old who was so excited,” Stevens says. “The child talked nonstop the entire time and asked questions and was really engaged with the whole thing. Afterward, their mother said she couldn’t believe the child spoke so much, because they rarely talk to anyone. I think they knew that we were doing something nice for them, so they felt comfortable.”

    ​​HPD sponsors Shop with a Hero and fundraises for it, but they also recruit first responders from other agencies as the number of children grows each year. “The need grows each year, and each year it’s gonna grow that much more, and we need good people to step up to help,” Stevens says.

    ​​To help the program as a volunteer or donor, call (256) 594-7136 or (256) 259-1295.

  • Gill Selected as Christmas Parade Grand Marshal

    ​​Steve Gill believes there’s no place like home, and he’s so happy to be back in Bridgeport.

    Steve Gill

    The feeling is clearly mutual — he was chosen as the grand marshal of the 2023 Citizens United for a Better Bridgeport Christmas Parade.

    “I am truly honored to be selected for this role,” he says.

    Gill, a 1981 graduate of Bridgeport High School, moved away shortly after graduation but returned to his hometown 3 years ago to care for his ailing father. He is the son of the late Homer and Brenda Gill. He has 1 brother, Shane Gill, and his faithful sidekick, a black Great Dane named Nick, a puppy weighing in at 115 pounds.

    When he moved back home to care for his dad, Gill began making wreaths and designing floral arrangements. He launched a business, Steve’s Twisted & Knotted, making wreaths with items foraged from the forest. His designs often feature grapevines and driftwood, and he prides himself in making unique arrangements for clients. He is also an event planner, and he loves helping with community happenings whenever he can.

    Gill’s 1st Christmas back in Bridgeport was a special 1. He knew COVID-19 restrictions would limit large holiday events, so he and his father came up with a plan to spread some Christmas joy. After coming across some baskets while out shopping, Steve knew just what he would do — fill them with items and deliver them to people in the community.

    “We had such a good time,” he says. “Dad and I would put on silly hats, and we even put reindeer antlers on the dogs,” he says. The duo made and delivered 35 baskets filled with fruit cookies, Christmas tea towels and other items they thought the recipients would enjoy.

    Even though Homer died last October, Gill says he is carrying on their tradition this year with the help of a friend.

    Gill is an active member of the Bridgeport Lions Club, the Bridgeport Local Leadership Team of the Tennessee River Alliance, and volunteers for the Veterans Association. He was instrumental in organizing the BHS alumni reunion in 2022. He is known throughout the community as someone who can be depended on to pitch in and help whenever needed.

    “I love my hometown and I want to be part of our growing community,” he says. “I’ve been all over the U.S., and it’s nothing like being in your hometown and seeing people you know while out running errands and just living life. I just love being back.”

    The parade will be held on December 2 in downtown Bridgeport.

  • Hunting Safety

    ​​Enjoy the outdoors responsibly this fall

    As the temperatures start to fall and the leaves begin to change colors, it can only mean 1 thing — hunting season is near.

    No matter what type of game you’re after, hunting near electrical equipment and power lines can be dangerous. This hunting season, be sure to prioritize everyone’s safety by keeping these suggestions in mind:

    Don’t Shoot At Lines Or Insulators

    Shooting at electrical equipment can cause major damage to the system and can also endanger the hunter. There is never a good reason to shoot at a power line.

    Survey Your Surroundings

    Before you decide where you want to hunt, check out the area for overhead lines. Stay safe by always assuming power lines are energized and remember that some lines may be hidden by limbs or vines. Maintain a safe distance from utility poles, substations and other equipment.

    Stand Alone

    Keep safety the 1st priority and don’t attach deer stands to utility poles. Never place decoys on power lines or utility equipment.

    If You See Something, Say Something

    If you or anyone in your group notices downed lines or any other damaged electrical equipment, report your findings to South Alabama Electric Cooperative immediately.

    Practice Hunting Safety

    While being safe around power lines while hunting is important, so is practicing hunting safety in general. Be sure to prioritize firearm safety. Wear blaze orange and be aware of others hunting around you to prevent accidents. Also, familiarize yourself with local hunting regulations including seasons, bag limits and safety requirements.

  • Business is Blooming!

    ​​Local Florist’s Passion For Beauty Spans a Lifetime

    Women standing by flowersTheresa Green has spent most of her life making the world a more beautiful place. The owner of The BouqYard, a full-service wedding florist, has been working in the industry since she was 18 years old.
    Theresa remembers spending time in her grandmother’s garden as a young girl, cutting flowers and making bouquets and arrangements for the kitchen table.
    “I’ve always had a love for flowers,” she says.

    Branching Out

    Growing up in the small town of Flintville, Tennessee, Theresa always knew she would move somewhere else when she was old enough. When she turned 18, she moved to Huntsville and began calling around looking for work. She got a job at Creative Flowers, answering the phone and taking orders. Eventually, the floral designers let her play around with arrangements and gave her the opportunity to spread her creative wings.
    “They gave me so much freedom to develop my own style, and I guess they realized, ‘Hey, she’s not that bad,’” Theresa reminisces with a laugh.
    Over time, she began learning how to manage the shop and helped with the ordering of flowers. After 4 years, Theresa moved on to another shop, Gordon’s, where she met her husband, Mitch.
    Mitch was “her plant guy,” she says. He delivered plants to shops for Joy’s Jungle, his family’s wholesale plant business. “I was young and didn’t have time for guys,” she says. But, Mitch and Theresa soon began dating and after they married, they purchased Gordon’s.
    “After several years of operating Gordon’s we decided we wanted to devote more time to raising a family,” Theresa says. The Greens were working 7 days a week, managing the shop and keeping up with orders and events. They knew maintaining that lifestyle would be difficult with a growing family.
    Theresa began taking on weddings and her success grew by word of mouth. “Mothers would call me wanting me to do their daughter’s weddings and things kind of snowballed from there,” she says.
    The BouqYard has been in business for over 30 years, serving couples and making their wedding days memorable and beautiful events. Theresa describes her style as a garden style and she is all about “bringing the outside in.” She incorporates varieties of plants not traditionally used in floral arrangements.
    “People will often tell me they have never seen some of the things I use before and that’s because it’s usually growing wild,” she says.
    Theresa loves to use flowers from local growers whenever possible and also grows a lot of her flowers herself.
    She and Mitch moved The BouqYard into the building in Grant that was Joy’s Jungle. Mitch’s parents, Ken and Joy Green, loved to grow vegetables and sunflowers. “Ken would notice flowers I liked to use in my designs and he would plant it so I could use it,” Theresa says.
    Since Ken and Joy have both passed away, Mitch and Theresa have carried on working the land, planting a variety of flowers to use in floral designs like hydrangeas, Jackson vine and lepidium.
    Theresa says her favorite flower is any type of hydrangea, which she grows a lot of. “I love fresh flowers and always loved having them in the house,” she says. She says the most popular wedding flowers are hydrangeas for spring and summer and dahlias in the fall.
    “I am the kind of person who sees something growing on the side of the road, stops and cuts some, tests it in arrangements and if it works, I tell my husband to find it so we can grow it on the farm in Grant,” she says.

    Keeping an Eye on the Bottom Line

    “Typical florist flowers” like carnations, daisies and mums are losing popularity with modern brides, Theresa says. Of course, premium flowers can cost much more than people realize, so The BouqYard began offering BouqYard DIRECT for more budget-conscious clients.

    “We understand everyone has a budget, so this is like getting the Vera Wang gown at a much cheaper price,” Theresa says. Through BouqYard DIRECT, brides receive premium flowers like hydrangeas, ranunculus and peonies at a lower cost because Theresa and her team design all of the floral elements ahead of time and deliver them on the day of the event.

    “Because I don’t have to be present, or have staff there, it’s taking off and brides are loving it because they still get that ‘wow factor,’ but it’s still affordable,” she says.

    The best part about Theresa’s job, she says, is the feeling she gets when she presents the bride with her bouquet for the first time. “She hugs me and says I took her vision and made exactly what she wanted and that feels wonderful,” she says. The day after a wedding, Theresa will usually receive a text or email from the bride, thanking her for being part of their day.

    “How can you not feel good about that? I love what I do, I don’t know what I would do if I wasn’t playing with flowers,” she says.

  • Stitch by Stitch

    ​​Retreat center offers solitude for creative minds

    ​​At the base of Gunters Mountain, in Kennamer Cove, sits a hub for creative minds seeking refuge from the chaos of everyday life.

    ​​The Calico Cove is a retreat center available for rent by groups of crafters who want to get away with other like-minded folks to focus on working on whatever craft they choose. For many, being surrounded by nature helps get creative juices flowing, and that’s the mission of The Calico Cove.

    ​​The Justice family owned hunting property in Kennamer Cove when they learned a cottage on an adjacent lot was available. “It was so beautiful,” Jodie Justice says. “God gave us the idea to have a retreat center, and we knew it would be the perfect place for it.”

    ​​Kennamer Cove is located between Grant and Woodville. The property’s location off the main road feels very secluded and peaceful. “You feel like you’re far away from civilization, but you’re really not,” she says.

    ​​The family purchased the property in 2020, and, like for so many others that year, things were challenging. “Everything was up in the air and the pandemic began, but we had faith it would all be alright,” Justice says. The family remodeled the cottage during that time and was able to officially open The Calico Cove in February 2021.

    ​​Justice says her husband, Lance, was instrumental in making The Calico Cove what it is today. “He is my No. 1 investor and the driving force behind making this dream happen for us,” she says.

    ​​Their daughters, Carolina and Cassidy, also help with the operations for the retreat center.

    ​​“Things started a little slow for us, but in 2022 we were able to participate in the Heritage Quilters of Huntsville quilt show and people were ready to start coming to retreats again,” Justice says. Booking has been steady ever since, and she feels like The Calico Cove is really meeting a need in the crafting community.

    ​​The Justices chose the name The Calico Cove because the word calico is used to describe printed fabrics. Jodie Justice already has an Etsy shop — Calico Dry Goods — where she sells fabric and notions, so she decided that would be a fitting name for the cottage. The Calico Cove was created to be a serene space, with a simple, calming color palette. “I just wanted it to be an escape,” she says.

    ​​There is a large workspace for crafters and quilters, outfitted with tables and chairs. Common areas include a living room area, a dining room, and a full kitchen. There is one large bedroom for guests to sleep in. “It’s perfect for small, intimate retreats,” she says.

    ​​Guests can sit and enjoy the views from the front porch, which offers stunning sunsets that reflect the brilliant colors of the pond on the property.

    ​​“It’s like a grown-up version of summer camp or an adult sleepover,” Justice says.

    ​​​​Stitched with Love

    ​​Justice‘s love for quilting began with a magazine. She and a friend were looking at an article and decided they would like to try it out as a hobby. She was newly married, looking for a new hobby, and quilting intrigued her and seemed like a perfect fit. That hobby has turned into a 23-year-long journey.

    ​​When Justice began her first quilt, she didn’t even have a sewing machine. She would meticulously hand-cut and hand-piece all of the elements for the quilt.

    ​​“It was a mess,” she says with a laugh.

    ​​While many people would have given up after a short time, Justice was determined to see the project through. Her first full quilt took her about three or four years to complete, and she even did the actual quilting by hand, too.

    ​​“I’m just the kind of person who has to finish what I start,” she says.

    ​​That first quilt was a row quilt that alternated rows of star blocks and rows of applique vines and flowers in pink, red, yellow and blue. “It was not a beginner quilt,” she says.

    ​​Her perseverance paid off, as she began to learn more about the art of quilting. “I knew the finished product would be worth it,” she says.

    ​​During the first few years, along with the main quilt she began, Justice also made several baby quilts, which are much smaller. Over the years, she received guidance from people in her life, but her mother sewed a bit, so she had an idea of basic sewing. “This was before YouTube was really popular, and I didn’t have a lot of online resources,” she says.

    ​​With so many different types of patterns to choose from, it can be overwhelming for new quilters to choose. Justice’s favorite pattern is any variation of a star pattern. “I really love all the different beautiful fabrics. I love patterns and repeating patterns. With quilting, you can pick from endless beautiful fabrics, put the pieces together, and make art,” she says.

    ​​Time-Honored Tradition

    ​​In earlier times, some considered quilts artwork and they were displayed in homes to showcase the maker’s handiwork. For others, quilting was born out of a necessity to provide cover for cold nights. Many people in Appalachia recall members of their family, immediate and extended, collectively working on a quilt around a large frame suspended from the ceiling.

    ​​No matter the circumstance, quilting is tightly woven into our heritage, encouraging community and camaraderie. Justice helps encourage those relationships by providing a creative space where crafters can focus on their art.

    ​​“I think they just love to come here and not have any other responsibilities they have to focus on,” she says. “When they’re here, they don’t have to worry about anything else. They just get to concentrate on making their projects and bonding with their friends.”

    ​​Quilting is not the only craft welcome at The Calico Cove. While the majority of visitors do quilt, many bring scrapbooking supplies and various other projects.

    ​​“Quilting is therapeutic. It’s good just to get your mind focused on something besides what’s going on in the world,” Justice says.

  • Farm to Table

    Sanders Farm keeps traditions alive

    Charcuterie boardMornings come early for Kasey Sanders — they always have. He grew up on his family’s farm in the shadow of the rolling Appalachian foothills in the Paint Rock Valley, oftentimes getting up before the sun to tend to the cattle.

    Being a cattleman is in his blood. Kasey inherited both his love for the land and a deep connection to cattle from his parents, Robin and William Earl Sanders.

    But farming isn’t Kasey’s only job. He’s been filling hungry bellies with tasty home-cooked meals for years. Growing up, he would often cook for his siblings while his mother, a military wife, worked. While he’s feeding more mouths these days with his catering, his belief in the importance of a good meal hasn’t wavered.

    Where there’s smoke, there’s barbecue

    Kasey says his love for smoking meat came as he got older. “My buddy and I always had big Fourth of July get-togethers,” he says. They would smoke whole hogs, pork butts, ribs and more.

    Eventually, he started entering competitions and even building his own grills. “Everyone wanted us to cook,” Kasey says. “We won some awards, but not a whole lot. It’s really just about the camaraderie.”

    As years passed, Kasey and his wife, Jennifer, decided to open a restaurant. They owned and operated KC’s BBQ in Scottsboro for almost 10 years. Everything they offered was homemade from the barbecue sauces to the award-winning banana pudding. But, like most businesses over the last few years, the surge of COVID-19 changed things.

    “The restaurant was good to us, but after a while, we decided to take a step back,” Kasey says.

    During their time owning KC’s BBQ, the Sanderses did a lot of event catering. Even though they no longer own the restaurant, they still have plans to continue catering special events. “We really want to continue doing these events and form long-term relationships with people in our community,” Jennifer says.

    The couple’s catering menu options include so much more than just pork barbecue. “We can do just about anything,” Kasey says.

    They offer steaks, fried fish and fried chicken fingers, which are usually cooked on-site, along with turkey, chicken and, of course, barbecue. A popular crowd favorite is the loaded baked potato and nacho bars.

    Farming for the future

    Kasey always had responsibilities around the farm when he was growing up and those responsibilities haven’t changed much over the years. In the mornings during the winter months, the cows had to be fed and watered. During the summer, working in the garden was one of the first chores on the agenda, followed by breaking the beans in the kitchen with his mother.

    “It’s a lot of hard work. There is never a dull moment on the farm,” he says. “There’s always a fence to be repaired, cattle to feed or something else that needs to be fixed.”

    About 150 head of cattle, which the Sanderses raise for beef, live on the farm.

    Even though their restaurant days are behind them, the couple looks forward to the future and what they have to offer the community. They are still in the early stages of planning but have a vision of a storefront at their farm where people can come purchase beef, pork and farm-fresh eggs. “We have a lot of ideas and possibilities in the works,” Jennifer says.

    At Sanders Farm, the work is still a family affair which includes Kasey and Jennifer’s children, Bailee Usrey, Morgan Sanders and Eli Sanders.

    Eli, who is 16 years old, says that farming is a lot of hard work, but it’s a way of life for him. “It’s just a lifestyle for me. I’ve been riding with my dad in the combine since before I could walk,” he says.

    While Eli’s responsibilities include checking the cattle, a big part of his job is cutting and bailing the hay. Cutting hay consists of long, hot and dusty days but Eli says he will always farm, even though he is considering a career as a diesel mechanic.

    “I’ll always farm. It’s just part of me,” he says.

  • Woodworking Wonders

    Keith Daniel’s craftsmanship honors his heritage

    Keith Daniel next to man by forestIt all started with a dresser.

    Keith Daniel was lending a hand to his brother-in-law, George Denmark, helping him build an addition to his home, when he noticed Denmark had also built dressers for each of his three sons’ bedrooms. Daniel was so impressed by the craftsmanship, he decided to build a dresser for his own son.

    “It’s really primitive, but there’s just something special about handmade furniture. It’s so much stronger and longer-lasting than what you can purchase in stores now,” Daniel says.

    One of his grandsons still uses that dresser — a testament to its durability.

    “I learned a lot from George and also from neighbors,” Daniel says. “I’ve never taken any classes. I do love YouTube. There’s a lot of good information out there and a lot of really knowledgeable people.”

    In the years since building that first dresser, Daniel has discovered a love for making furniture and woodworking. His home in Woodville is situated near Cathedral Caverns. Immersing himself in nature helps keep him connected and brings inspiration for his woodworking pieces. His favorite wood to build furniture with is red cedar, which he finds on his property and processes at his sawmill.

    “It’s hard to find red cedar furniture at Home Depot or places like that, so I decided to build my own sawmill,” he says. Having his own sawmill means he can keep costs down, because he doesn’t have to purchase lumber.

    Why Red Cedar?

    Daniel’s love of working with red cedar goes beyond being able to source it on his property. “It’s a beautiful wood. A lot of people gravitate toward it because of the smell. It’s resistant to rotting, so it’s good for outdoor furniture and bugs don’t like it,” he says. “Above all, it’s just a really beautiful wood.”

    Over the years, he’s built hundreds of children’s rocking chairs and a lot of outdoor furniture and porch swings. But one of the most interesting pieces he’s made is a canoe.

    Well, he’s actually made two canoes over the years, but the one he made of red cedar gets the most attention. He got the idea after stopping at a grocery store one day where he saw a man towing a sailboat made of red cedar. The stars truly aligned as Daniel was drawn to the red cedar. “I thought it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen,” he says.

    He began researching how to make a canoe. The one he made is 10 feet long and weighs about 27 pounds. The top rail and seat frames are made from red oak, but the body of the canoe is made of red cedar strips, which are about three-quarters of an inch wide and one-quarter of an inch thick. The canoe is covered on the inside and outside with a fiberglass cloth and coated with marine epoxy. Daniel estimates he put about 300 hours into making his canoe.

    “I’d call it a wintertime project. It’s definitely something to work on in the garage,” he says.

    Now, Daniel’s red cedar boat is the one that turns heads when people drive by. “If I’ve got the canoe in the back of my truck, people want to look at it. If I’m out on the river, they’ll paddle up to my boat to take a look,” he says.

    Making Music

    While Daniel loves making furniture, one of his favorite things to make is Native American flutes. He is a member of the United Cherokee AniYunWiYa Nation. As a member of the tribe, he feels drawn to making Native American crafts and honing those skills to share with future generations.

    Daniel and an old friend and neighbor, Bull Slocumb, enjoy making the flutes together. “Bull will come over in the mornings and we build stuff together. One day we decided to make a Cherokee-style whistle out of river cane. That didn’t turn out well, so we decided to make a flute,” Daniel says.

    The duo began researching how to make flutes, and they consulted another flute maker in their tribe, Blue Bear. Now, they sell their flutes at powwows. Each flute takes at least a week to make, and the instruments are very popular among attendees.

    Daniel says that even though he isn’t a musician, he loves when people approach him wanting to learn about a Native American craft.

    “I have heard some people play over the years and it brings tears to my ears. It makes me proud as the maker to hear someone who can play it and make it sound so beautiful,” he says.

  • Smart Energy

    Lower usage at key times can save you money

    These days, we all rely on electricity to power our daily lives. But did you know that when you use power can have just as much impact on North Alabama Electric Cooperative’s system as how much you use?

    That’s because greater demand for electricity at once puts more strain on our electric grid. As our reliance on electric technology continues to grow, so does the demand we put on our system.

    Fortunately, making an effort to use less electricity when demand is at its highest can help your cooperative maintain reliable service and even save you money. Read on to learn more.

    What is demand?

    The demand on an electric system refers to how much energy is consumed during a given period of time. The more homes and businesses powered by NAEC at the same time, the higher demand is at that moment.

    You can picture this in terms of a standard 100-watt lightbulb. Turning on one light for 10 hours or 10 lights for one hour results in the same overall consumption of 1,000 watts. But the demand will be higher when 10 lights are on at once because that energy is being consumed over a much shorter period of time.

    What is peak?

    Peak demand is the time when electric usage is at its highest across the grid. During the winter months, peak demand is typically in the morning while everyone heats up their homes after a cold night. In the summer, peak demand shifts to the afternoon as members cool off their homes after baking in the sun all day.

    Why does demand matter?

    While our system is not always at that peak level of demand, we must always have the infrastructure and energy supply in place to handle the busiest times of year. This ensures we are able to provide reliable service year-round without rolling blackouts or outages whenever demand spikes.

    That preparation also has an impact on the money we invest in equipment like poles, lines, transformers and substations, as well as the prices we pay to purchase power.

    What can I do?

    By working together to lower demand we can keep power costs stable for everyone. Lowering NAEC’s peak demand reduces the electricity needed from our wholesale power provider, leading to savings in the form of capital credits and lower rates.

    The best way to do your part is by avoiding energy-intensive tasks such as showering or washing clothes or dishes during periods of peak demand. Heating and cooling costs are also major drivers of demand. Using a programmable thermostat to manage the temperature or simply raising the thermostat a couple of degrees when it’s hot and lowering it when it’s cold can make a big difference while saving you money.

    Even these small changes to our everyday habits can have a major impact on the system. Together, we can help our cooperative deliver safe and reliable power at an affordable price for everyone.

  • For the Love of Lavender

    Lavender in the Cove offers unique experience

    Jackie and Len ColvinWhat began as a vacation for Jackie and Len Colvin to New Mexico to browse through and purchase beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces of Native American turquoise jewelry quickly turned into an infatuation with another color— lavender.

    “That’s when the seed was planted in Jackie’s mind,” Len says.

    For the Colvins, cultivating lavender and spreading the word about the benefits of this bloom has become a new passion and way of life. Their farm, Lavender in the Cove, officially began in 2022.

    In 2014, the Colvins went on vacation to Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico. The couple ended up visiting a lavender farm and fell in love.

    Jackie, especially, was instantly hooked.

    “It was definitely a destination we weren’t planning on discovering,” Jackie says.

    When they returned home to King Cove from the trip, the couple decided they would like to have a lavender farm when they retire. They experimented with some different types of lavender plants for a while to figure out what they like and what will thrive best in the area.

    One thing led to another and they both retired from their jobs in 2021. Jackie worked as a judicial assistant at the Jackson County Courthouse, and Len was the manager of safety operations at the Tennessee Valley Authority.

    “I’m an old farm guy at heart anyway,” Len says. He was intrigued by the challenge of farming something not commonly found around here.

    The Colvins dove right in to learning as much as they could about lavender and visited other farms to see how they operate. They even attended the Lavender Academy at a farm in Virginia.
    “We learned so much, and we were so eager to get started once we got home,” Jackie says.

    Returning home with several plants and knowledge about lavender benefits and products, they put about four varieties of lavender in the ground that year, totaling about 130 plants. When spring came, they planted 300 more.

    “To our surprise, we came back from a trip and the lavender we had planted in the fall was just beautiful, so we thought we would host an open house to introduce Lavender in the Cove to the community,” Jackie says.

    Their children spread the word about the event on social media, and about 250 people showed up over the weekend. People picked their own lavender and enjoyed the day. When the Colvins encountered people who had traveled from Georgia and Tennessee to check out their farm, they realized they have something special.
    “To be honest, it’s really blown up and taken off. We are truly amazed at the response,” Jackie says.

    Why Lavender?

    Lavender is a unique plant that offers many benefits. It’s widely used for aromatherapy because of the calming affect it has on people. It has components that relieve anxiety, communicating with our nervous systems and brains to promote relaxation.
    “You can be in the field with 20 people, but you’re in your own world. There just aren’t enough words to describe how wonderful lavender is,” Jackie says.

    Since discovering all of the benefits of lavender, the Colvins have explored offering different products to visitors.
    The products range from eye pillows infused with lavender, aromatherapy lotion bars, soaps, no-rinse hand wash, room spray, bug spray, pet spray, beard oil and more.

    During their journey of learning about lavender, Jackie has begun including it in baked goods and lemonade.
    “I wasn’t aware of the culinary aspect until I went to the Lavender Academy, but it’s really growing,” she says.
    Scones, fudge, breads and shortbread cookies are among some of the edible products Jackie makes. She hopes to add varieties of culinary lavender to the farm to offer more products in the future.

    Lavender plants have a short bloom cycle, which normally means they peak around the middle of June. While the peak blooms only last about two weeks, they usually continue to produce through July. The U-pick event will most likely happen during the peak bloom.

    “After the peak is when we will harvest any of the remaining buds and dry them to use for bundles,” Len says.

    In September, the plants will be pruned and shaped so they can take on new growth for the next year. While lavender does need certain pH soil conditions to thrive, once the plants are in the ground, they are relatively low-maintenance.

    Stumbling across a lavender farm in New Mexico certainly wasn’t part of their original plan, but the Colvins are happy to bloom where they are planted.

    “Up here where we live, we have a tremendous group of neighbors and support,” Jackie says. Whether asking for feedback on new products or spreading the word about events, they are thankful for their community.

    “We’re going to let it grow as long as it’s going to grow and put it in God’s hands,” Len says.

  • Maggie Valley Berry Patch

    Maggie Valley Berry Patch and Gardens grows community

    Baskets of ripe strawberriesMargaret Cox had no idea the purchase of what was once her grandfather’s farm more than 20 years ago would lead to a flourishing berry farm near Grant.

    Now she couldn’t imagine doing anything else. When Margaret and her husband, David, retired and moved to Grant from Arkansas, they began thinking of ways they could turn the land into something that could benefit the community. They planted blackberries and strawberries and after a season of growing both, the couple realized strawberries were going to be the main product of Maggie Valley Berry Patch and Gardens.

    “We realized there wasn’t as much of a market for blackberries, so after we realized the demand for strawberries was high, we felt like we could make that work,” Margaret says.

    The couple sought guidance from David’s cousin, a successful strawberry grower in Arkansas. After his advice and encouragement, the Coxes are entering their 13th season for strawberries at Maggie Valley Berry Patch and Gardens.

    Now, people come from near and far to purchase the sweet, luscious berries. Margaret says it’s hard to keep up with how many gallons of berries they sell, but they put about 70,000-90,000 plants in the ground each year.

    Early Birds Get the Berries

    While many begin their traditional workday at 9 a.m., that’s not how the schedule works on the berry farm. “We work 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. instead of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,” Margaret says. The crew of six pickers begins the day by harvesting the berries, cleaning them and preparing them to sell.

    Margaret works primarily at the berry shed, the structure on the property where the berries are sold. The Coxes also sell berries from the back of their pickup at locations in Scottsboro and Guntersville. But, the local demand is so high, most of the berries don’t make it off the farm.

    “We stay busy getting the strawberries cleaned and getting the weeds out,” Margaret says. “There’s just a lot of things we do on a regular basis to get the berries ready.”

    David coordinates everything from the logistics of selling berries off-site to monitoring the fields after hours to check for disease and insects. “My husband is a perfectionist and is very diligent about what he does,” Margaret says. “He is always out spot checking things to prevent problems with the crop. He works at it so hard and if he’s going to do something, he’s going to do it right.”

    David makes sure the berries are picked at just the right time, ensuring the fruit from Maggie Valley Berry Patch and Gardens is perfectly ripe. The strawberries are handled carefully and stored in a cool location to ensure they aren’t exposed to the sun for too long. That’s why the farm doesn’t offer a pick-your-own option for strawberries, although customers are welcome to pick blueberries, which are hardier.

    Determining how long berries will be available, like most farming endeavors, depends on the weather. Different variables like excess rain or heat can cause the season to end early.

    Strawberry season usually runs from mid-April through May and sometimes into June. “You can never really depend on June, though,” Margaret says.

    Blueberries usually begin producing fruit in mid-June and run well into August. “Last year proved us wrong and our season was short,” she says. “We had a late freeze that wiped out a portion of our season. Blueberries aren’t as fragile as strawberries, but we lost about one-third of our crop.”

    While berries are the main item that draws customers to the farm, visitors can expect a few new offerings this year. “We are expecting some onions to be available in April and we are testing out which flowers will grow, but we are hoping for some zinnias this year,” Margaret says.

    The Coxes plan on venturing out to grow some corn and other vegetables, like peppers and tomatoes, too.

    The farm’s Facebook page has a large following and is one of the ways the couple spreads the news about happenings on their property. Margaret says they started it about 10 years ago just to have an easy way to get the word out when berries are ready. “Our community isn’t exactly on the side of the interstate, so I thought, ‘How in the world will people know to come out this way?’” she says.

    While social media and other advertising avenues are wonderful tools to spread the word, Margaret says the best advertisement for business is always word of mouth from a happy customer. “If we have a satisfied customer, and they tell neighbors or their family, then we get more customers from that contact,” she says.

    Maggie Valley Berry Patch and Gardens has welcomed visitors from different parts of the country, but the moment David and Margaret realized word really had spread was when a couple from eastern Kentucky pulled up to the farm.

    “It was late afternoon and this couple with their small granddaughter backed their car in and popped the trunk,” she says. They had tried the strawberries while visiting family in Alabama. They loved them so much, they talked about how good they were to friends back home, so they took orders and made the trip to bring some back for everyone. “We loaded at least 30 gallons of berries into that vehicle,” Margaret says.

    On another occasion, some people riding bicycles stopped by the berry shed. “We could immediately tell they weren’t from around here,” Margaret says. They were a retired couple from Nova Scotia who were touring the United States. When they realized they were near a strawberry farm, they decided to stop by because they, too, were strawberry farmers at one time. “It turns out we do things very similarly in Nova Scotia and Marshall County,” she says.

    The farm also sees a lot of local regulars, including a crowd from Chattanooga. Many of these customers have been coming since the beginning and they are now considered friends. “We know all about their families and we ask about their grandbabies,” Margaret says. “We’ve cultivated quite a few friendships through this.”

    This year, the Coxes plan to host the fourth Strawberry Daze the first Saturday in May. Local businesses are invited to set up booths to sell their merchandise and there’s music, food trucks, entertainment and, of course, strawberries.

    The festival is also a scholarship fundraiser honoring two local men, Daniel Helton and Greg Fuell, both graduates of Kate Duncan Smith DAR School. In memory of both men, the scholarships are awarded to graduating DAR seniors. “They were both just really good guys,” Margaret says. “We take this as an opportunity to raise money in their honor and to make people aware of those scholarship funds.”

    While the berry business is good, the couple believes supporting small local businesses is essential. “Our country was built on local business and knowing the people you buy things from. Small businesses built this country and we like to be part of that. We are losing that connection with people we do business with,” Margaret says.

    The Coxes hope to keep that connection alive by continuing to serve the community and loving the people in it. “It’s hard work, but as long as we’re able to do it, we will,” Margaret says.