Homegrown

By Jessica Zak 

In the American South today, living near a grocery store is a necessity. In fact, the people of the United States may all agree that a Wal-Mart is needed in almost every town. Fathers make a special trip on the way home from work just to pick up milk, but a short fifty years ago Angela Sherry remembers life to be very different.

 In 1961 Angela was born in a small Virginia town. She was warmly received by her parents, grandparents, and great grandparents; they all lived on the same 300 acres of farmland. From the time she was born, Angela woke up to the smell of homemade bread every morning. Her grandmother was awake before the sun rose making five loaves of bread to feed the family every day. However, before this task was even started, the men would milk the cows at five a.m. Because Angela’s family owned a dairy farm, they didn’t have to physically milk every single cow they owned, but the cows did have to be hooked up to machines that fed and milked each one. Angela reflected on the time saying, “I remember running through the ‘barns’ where the cows were milked. They were milked twice a day, and Daddy used to refer to the milking as ‘five to five’ because those were the times they got milked.”

In this country home there was no such thing as store-bought food. “We would eat wildlife before we went to a store,” Angela said referring to the squirrels, turtles, and frogs that she once consumed. Some typical food her family had for “supper” was cornbread, beans, creamed tomatoes, and corn meal mush. Their protein consisted of deer and rabbit that her father and grandfather caught the week before. Angela remembered “…grandma picking a wild onion called a ‘ramp.’ She would cook it and it smelled so bad.”

In the downtime of the day Angela didn’t have many material things to play with. She and her brother played on the land. Sometimes they got “whooped” by their grandmother for running through her garden, which was half an acre. However, Angela did own one Barbie doll that she received on her sixth birthday. She also grew up without a color television or a microwave. In addition, the farmhouse had no shower and no heat. As a result, when it got cold on winter nights, Angela’s mom would put water bottles filled with hot water at the foot of the bed she and her brother shared. There was nothing her family had that they didn’t work for. 

Although I would prefer a home-cooked meal over anything store-bought, Angela feels differently. She said that when she finally did eat commercially prepared bread, she never went back to homemade loaves. She would rather have quality time with her family than spend time baking. Although her family spent most of their time working, she still feels a close bond. She considers her family to be very united in faith and in each other. “There is no stronger bond than that of tight kin,” said Angela after I asked her how she felt about the unity of her family. Times were hard and family was close, almost as close as your local Wal-Mart.

 Work Cited 

Sherry, Angela. Personal interview. 11 Sept. 2012.




Note: Jessica Zak, who is from Cameron, NC, is pursuing an associate's in fine arts degree at Sandhills Community College.

The Most Uncommon, Un-southern, “Southern” Area

by Sarah Bowman

Are all the towns in the South similar? As my grandmother, “Ahmoo,” and I discussed her experiences as a Southerner, we compared the Sandhills to other “typical” southern areas. The “outside changes” here have made the Sandhills a most uncommon, un-southern, “Southern” area.

It comes full circle between generations; for example, Ahmoo and I walked the same path to school, only many decades apart. If not for a northern influence of the Sandhills area, we may not have been able to share that neat experience. Our family has been in the Sandhills since the eighteenth century, and according to Ahmoo, “Not much had changed in those 200 years. I suppose before this wave of change, the majority would agree that the area was indeed an established, typical town of the South, by and large an agricultural area, and during that time, most surrounding areas in North Carolina were just that.”

However, Ahmoo told me that when the “money culture” from up North came to the Sandhills, the locals began to notice just as many similarities as differences. The two intellectual communities were similar. “Everybody had a Bible, a Shakespeare, and some other classic.” Because the area had a large population of writers and poets, publishers and press from up North frequently visited the Sandhills. She also told me, “I knew this because my mother’s cousin was a publisher of The Sandhills Citizen,” which was one of many local papers.

The new resort and the local farmers had other common interests such as card games as well as hunting with their horses and dogs. One example of a benefit gained was transportation; the railroad now had the ability to support both the local shipping of produce and transporting of tourists to and fro. The outsiders brought new foods, religions, and entertainment. My Ahmoo said, “There was either home entertainment or church entertainment. Suddenly, we could go have fun in public at the theater or whatever.” With similarities come differences. In this case, it was imaginably difficult to make such significant adjustments.


“With the establishment of Fort Bragg in 1918 came a lot of displacement in the agricultural industry, and it brought many different cultures from all over America.” Following the Great Depression, people went to work in textile mills, which changed the culture from agricultural to industrial. As for politics, the South was essentially Democratic with few members of the Republican Party. “There was not usually a primary local Republican candidate at all until the outside influence brought in the Republicans.”

Furthermore, the Sandhills was greatly influenced by northern outsiders, as well as money. Prior to the “invasion,” “The Sandhills was used to a classic way of life; priorities were to go to the feed store, the drug store, and the bank — a farmer’s life.” That soon changed to a more relaxed lifestyle entailing golfing and horseback riding. The area was manipulated to say the least. While it is still considered a southern town, it varies from what we typically know as “Southern.” “In comparison to other small southern towns, Sarah, the Sandhills has character unlike most others; this area is more of a vacation location with seldom, old, southern charm. If this is the ‘Southern’ one is used to, then it may not be outrageous to consider it just as equally southern.”

In doing this assignment, Ahmoo and I made fantastic connections to our pasts, and we learned that our two very different generations ultimately came a full circle. Perhaps, had it not been for the outside changes made to the Sandhills, she may not be living two doors down from the house she grew up in, which is next door to the house my dad built when I was a baby on his grandfather’s land. Although we might lack certain values or morals, she and I have many things in common, possibly an effect caused by the environment we grew up in, an old, originally southern town that was almost entirely revamped by outside entities. We shared lots of wonderful stories, and I learned how incomparable the Sandhills was to most usual towns of the South, and Ahmoo had a chance to revisit her past growing up in the most uncommon, un-southern, “Southern” town.

Works Cited

Bowman, Gay. Personal interview.13 Sep. 2012.



Note: Sarah Bowman, who is from Robbins, NC, is pursuing an associate's in arts degree at Sandhills Community College.

A Yankee’s Perspective of the South

By Zachary Derrah

Students of history notice the massive changes that occur between two generations. Headline grabbing events shape the generation experiencing it, and future ones categorize it. The new generation assume that times have changed; therefore, the people and way of doing things must have too.

My father who was career military became stationed in the South in the mid-'60s and later in the mid-'70s. His experiences in the South were strikingly similar to mine when I was stationed in the South around 2007. His first experience was going to Airborne School at Ft. Benning, Georgia, in 1964. Being raised in Maine and keeping up with the news, he expected a racial power keg where military cohesion would be difficult to maintain. The opposite was true. Black and white soldiers worked together to accomplish tasks and even maintained friendships.

One point that my parents wanted to make was while they witnessed the “colored only” doors and bathrooms, most of the racism they experienced was from their own family. Even to the point that they were shunned because they supported integration. My dad said, “We weren’t blind to the problems in the country but we never saw them first hand, aside from the signs. The Army just didn’t have those issues in my experience.”

It has been said that there are no atheists in a foxhole. In my experience I would also add that there is no skin color on patrol. Differences did exist, not on racial lines but regional lines. Speaking with my dad, we both agreed that soldiers from the South tended to be friendlier, self-sufficient, and composed in their emotions. Northern soldiers were exclusive in their clicks, more reliant on others for tasks that were outside of their job description, and hotheaded.

Dad was more isolated due to work and, therefore, restricted to base. Mom had more experiences “outside of the fence” and was able to see Southern culture in less of a controlled environment. The first aspect that impressed her was the concept of the Southern gentleman. When I ask what stood out the most she stated, “I never heard a Southerner swear in front of me. This was refreshing from your father’s family where every other word was one.” My dad’s family was native to Maine, and years of the shipyard vernacular tended to cross over into family conversation.

My mom and dad tended to only have other soldiers or Army wives as friends and the military became a culture unto itself. Regardless they both appreciated the friendly attitude that strangers on the street would have towards them. Dad even commented, “Everyone was so much warmer. We’ve lived next door to the Gagnes [neighbors in Maine] for twenty years, and I’ve never been to their house! That is the main difference from down there.”

Nearing the end of my conversation my dad told me, “I’m glad you stayed down there. It’s a good place to raise your family. I could tell you about the food differences but what matters is that you have an actual community to raise your boys in. That is something that you and me never had.”  So forty-three years later I had my own experiences in the South. Despite the generational differences and the historic events that occurred between now and then, the experiences were similar. I too have witnessed the cultural differences. From the self-sufficient southerner, the friendly stranger, the tight community, the racism, and etiquette the South is a different world to a Yankee.

Works Cited

Derrah, Carolyn. Personal interview. 11 Sept. 2012.

Derrah, Donald. Personal interview. 11 Sept. 2012.


Note: Zach Derrah, who is from Sanford, NC, is pursuing as associate's in arts degree at Sandhills Community College

N.C. Turkey Festival and Hometown Pride

by Joyce Bullard

Welcome to Raeford, Hoke County, North Carolina, home of the North Carolina Turkey Festival where the tea is sweet and the folks are friendly. Located in southern North Carolina, the county was established in 1911 and named after Brigadier General Robert F. Hoke who served in the Confederate war. Farming and millwork are the most popular trades, but the town is famous for its turkeys. Turkey farms, turkey plants, and the one and only turkey festival.

It was at the turkey festival where I became close friends with Judy Melton Pittman. She has served on the Turkey Festival Board for 25 years. I first met Judy in the early 1990’s when she was the Hoke County Tax Administrator. Judy watched the county grow and encountered the trials and tribulations of growing up in a small southern rural community where everybody knows everybody and stated, “It’s not what you know; it’s who you know.” Southern people have southern pride.

Judy was born at home on April 9, 1945 in an old tobacco barn that was connected to their house. In poor southern communities it was very common to be born at home as the closest hospital was 25 miles away in the city of Fayetteville. Her father worked in construction and moved from job to job. Her mother ran the household which was also common in this southern town. It was hard work and they lived paycheck to paycheck. In 1964 Judy married Jimmy Pittman who like a lot of men from this area, being so close to Ft. Bragg, joined the military while Judy and her daughter, Melissa, stayed with her parents. This arrangement was common when men went to fight for their country.

In 1983 the county held the first Hob Knob Festival, which is now known as the Turkey Festival. In the early days, it was held in the high school gym with around 2,000 visitors. Judy began working as a volunteer and would later serve as president for three terms. There were twenty-one special events, including a horse show, softball, volleyball and flying model airplanes. I ask her what kept the turkey festival going all these years. She looked at me with a smile, and said, “The food, of course -- it’s not a festival without fried collard sandwiches, lemonade, and deep fried pickles.” In its twenty-eighth year the festival has grown to over 60,000 visitors.

Judy recalls her childhood and remembers with laughter the time her grandma and grandpa first got electricity. Her grandmother kept trying to blow out the light bulb. Her grandfather was the biggest bootlegger in Hoke County. Being in a small community he would get information that he was about to be raided and would hide all the liquor before the police showed up. Judy remembers when the first black student attended her school. On weekends Judy and Jimmy would go to the drive-in movie, have popcorn, drink, and then go out for ice cream and would only spend fifty cents. Judy rolled her eyes, and said, “Fifty cents won’t buy you a pack of gum these days.”

Growing up in the South and raised on southern traditions, Judy remembers with a smile the changes the county as seen through the years. You can still find good home-style mom and pop restaurants where you can have collards, fatback, and chitin’s or take a walk down Main Street and feel the traditional small town wonders. You see churches on every corner and farmers still working their fields. But as peaceful as it is, this southern town comes alive in September as the North Carolina Turkey Festival brings joy, laughter, and tradition to its townsfolk and the thousands of visitors who come through.

Work Cited

Pittman, Judy. Personal interview. 3 Feb. 2012.


Note: Joyce Bullard, who is from Raeford, NC, is pursuing the digital media curriculum at Sandhills Community College.

The Acadian-Cajun Connection

by Norman Leger

On a sunny spring day at Fort Bragg, NC, I walked over to the supply office to procure new parts for the radio I was recently forcefully assigned. I met Private First Class Boudreaux, and for the first time in 2 years of southern residence, someone pronounced my name correctly. I stared in shock, and I asked him how he knew how to say my name. His response -- that lots of people in Louisiana are named Leger -- carried me on a search through my family’s history to understand why.

As early as 1605 the first Acadians came to North America. Though it is now Canada, no distinction was made at the time. Food was plentiful and friendships were made between the natives and the maritime (Acadian) French settlers. For over 80 years Acadians enjoyed a relatively quiet life in the new world. During the French and Indian War, over 11,000 Acadians were removed from their land and forced south. A large number of these Acadians started a new life in Louisiana -- they are known as the Cajuns. William Bethea, my neighbor and friend who grew up in the heart of Cajun country, helped me to understand the cultural similarities and differences between the separated families of Acadians and Cajuns.

Many factors of Acadian culture stood the test of time and remain integral parts of Cajun culture. From William’s testimony I learned that the Catholic Church remains the epicenter of Cajun culture. In fact, the jurisdictions (known in most states as counties) of Louisiana are called parishes due to the strong Catholic influence. Attending mass (church) on Sunday when I was young was required. I also attended Catholic school until the sixth grade. Until the early 1900s, Cajun children spoke a variation of Acadian French. However, the Compulsory Education Act forced Cajun children to attend school and learn to speak English. For example, my grandfather was taught English in grade school. Prior to school, Acadian French was the only spoken language in his home. In Cajun culture, family elders are revered and respected. The same is true with my family. My grandfather’s word was law. No decisions were made in my family without concern for how he felt.

Some aspects of Cajun culture did change. These changes can be seen through food and music. Large amounts of spices are added to Cajun meals along with regionally grown meats and vegetables. William invited me to eat some gumbo he made. When he handed me a bowl, all I could focus on was the green chunks of foreign substance at the surface. The green stuff turned out to be okra. After overcoming the visual shock of the dish, I found it quite delicious. The styles of dishes served in Louisiana hold a stark contrast to the dishes served in Acadian Canada where most meals are very bland. With music, the introduction of the accordion excelled Cajun music into its own form. By placing the accordion as the central instrument, zydeco (Cajun) music separated from its northern Acadian roots.

Much of the Acadian-Cajun cultural background stood fast when confronted with separation and time. The items that did change seem to be associated with the Cajun’s new surroundings after the Great Expulsion. The culture insights of William Bethea, my friend, and his childhood surrounded by Cajun culture have helped me learn more about the rich cultural heritage of the American South.

Work Cited

Bethea, William. Personal interview. 6 Feb. 2012.

Note: Norman Leger is pursuing an associate in scirence degree at Sandhills Community College. Although he lives now in Raeford, NC, he grew up in Massachusetts with cultural influences of Acadian French ancestors.

A Time to Remember

by Moneé Bratcher

“Mother was the most important aspect of my life. As far back as I can remember from the first day I was born, my mother was always the center of my life. At the early age of three I noticed that my mother was a loving, caring, and a hard working woman. She loved my father, sisters, brothers, and I,” said my 56-year-old grandmother, Mama as I called her, as she looked me in the eyes reminiscing about her past.

“Moneé, I was taught at a young age to be independent,” said Mama. Either you become independent or you might get lost in the daily family-school shuffle. There were a total of seven children in her family, five girls and two boys. My grandmother was the third child of five and because there was a huge gap between four older siblings and her, she had to learn quickly in order to keep up with them. This might have been her first lesson in becoming independent and developing her personality.

“I remember my mother, my older siblings, and I had to get up early in the fall mornings to catch a truck to go pick cotton in Scotland County. It was cold and rainy on the back of the truck to the cotton farm and we had to use quilts to stay warm,” said Mama. My grandmother said that once they arrived at the cotton field they had to check in at the Masters barn and gather sacks to pick the cotton. The cotton industry was significant in the South during the 1950s because it was large part of the agriculture system.

“As a five-year-old I didn’t think that cotton picking was important. I considered it hard work for my family. We did not receive much money for our daily work on the fields; we were only paid 25 cents per 100 pounds of cotton. Backbreaking work and no money,” said my grandmother in frustration. Today that cotton plantation has become a productive well known winery, Livingston Winery.

From my grandmother’s perspective cotton picking taught her that getting an education is the key to a better life and a way out of the South. However, getting an education in the segregated South was not easy. For example, my grandmother had to attend a segregated school, she received second-hand books from the white schools, and rode one school bus that for all K-12 students. In the late 1960s the southern schools began to integrate in the South. My grandmother integrated at Pine Forest High School with hundreds of other black and white students.

I asked my grandmother if integrating with white students made her feel uncomfortable or was it a challenge. She stated that she didn’t feel uncomfortable, but she knew that it was going to be a challenge to make good grades. “A challenge that I faced in the classrooms of Pine Forest was that a white teacher called on all of the white kids and refused to call on me. I knew that I had the right answer, Moneé, that was the first time I felt the sting of a prejudiced white teacher,” said Mama. Mama, how did you feel when the white students called you “Nigger”? “It didn’t make me feel good because no one wants to be called out of their name, but I didn’t let it destroy me because my mother taught me never to be afraid and to be my own person, and to speak what I feel and think.”

“Throughout my living experiences in the South of my 56 years, I have learned to live and be happy and take life seriously, realistically, and logically. At the end of the day I felt like I have accomplished what I have set out to due. With my educational experience I can now be a customer at the winery on that cotton plantation — and not a cotton picker.”

Work Cited

Ingram, Juanita. Personal interview. 2 Feb. 2012.

Note: Moneé Bratcher, who is from Raeford, NC, is pursuing an associate in arts degree at Sandhills Community College as a SandHoke Early College High School student.