'Second Load' by Temple Reece
When I was growing up, we had cows, tobacco fields, and big gardens. We grew green beans to sell some years, grew strawberries for our family, and raised tobacco plants to sell, among other crops. Needless to say, we worked hard as a family,” said Johnson County artist and farmer Temple Reece.“Everyone went to the fields much of the time, even the babies. They would play in cardboard boxes in the shade with me and my sisters taking turns checking on them. We ate bologna and saltine crackers sometimes in the fields and that was a welcome treat.”
Reece remembers putting up hay the old fashioned way.“I rode the hay rake and climbed on the trailer to stomp down the hay that my dad and grandpas pitchforked in.” She recalls milking cows and her mom and grandma making butter, buttermilkand homemade cottage cheese. They ground corn and made cornmeal; grew cane for molasses; killed a hog every year and canned almost everything they ate.“We were not only hard working but self-sufficient in many ways,” says Reece.
The importance and history of farming in Johnson County cannot be overstated, and it’s a beautiful story to hear. From the first settlers in the 1700s, who crossed the Appalachian mountains looking for affordable land to the growing of green beans in the 1940s, '50s and '60s; a crop that became so important that Johnson County became known as the Green Bean Capital of the World, farming has long been an important part of our heritage.
To recognize and honor our area’s agrarian heritage the Johnson County Center for the Arts and the Johnson County Farmers Market are partnering for an August community art show titled,“Heart of the Land; A Celebration of Farming.”The show is open to any local artist to submit a piece related to the theme.
“It is so important that we as Johnson Countians support our local food producers for many reasons,” said leather artist, beekeeper and Johnson County Soil Conservation agent Jason Hughes.“Buying local helps conserve our farmland and the variety of livestock and crops grown in our county. It provides food security and stability in our current unpredictable times, and lastly, it helps preserve our food heritage of heirloom seeds while giving us fresher and better tasting food.”
Farmers are now focusing on raising smaller and more specialized crops and livestock. Harking back to the motivation of the original settlers to Johnson County, modern day homesteaders have found the county’s climate and land a perfect match.
Butler area artist and homesteader Jen Keller Skarsaune points to the comments of American novelist and farmer, Wendell Berry who said“We have the world to live in on the condition that we will take good care of it. And to take good care of it, we have to know it. And to know it and be willing to take care of it, we have to love it.”
“Homesteading is our way of building a relationship with our land and caring for it,” said Skarsaune.“That is why my husband and I homestead, as well as to know where our food comes from.”
“The Farmer’s Market in Johnson County is one of the best I’ve seen,” said Reece.“When I was there recently, my grandson gobbled up a delicious treat and my granddaughter bought a flower for her Mom. Everything from homemade cakes, to fresh foods to flowers and even art is part of the experience every week. It is great for people to have a venue to share their harvests and talents and a welcome opportunity for those enjoying the fruits of the farmers' and artisans’labor.”
Art work must be delivered to the Johnson County Center for the Arts’Gallery on Main by Friday, July 25 at 5 p.m. Pieces must be framed or gallery wrapped. Art work must be family friendly, and the Johnson County Center for the Arts will retain 20% of any sales.
The“Heart of the Land; A Celebration of Farming” show opening is Friday, August 1 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Johnson County Center for the Arts’Gallery on Main at 129 W. Main St, Mountain City, TN. Musician Logan Vincent will perform and there will be light refreshments.
