1 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:08,639 Speaker 1: Welcome to This Country Life. I'm your host, Brent Reeves 2 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:12,719 Speaker 1: from coon hunting to trot lining and just general country living. 3 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:14,720 Speaker 1: I want you to stay a while as I share 4 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:19,240 Speaker 1: my experiences in life lessons. This Country Life is presented 5 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:23,239 Speaker 1: by Case Knives on Meat Eaters Podcast Network, bringing you 6 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:28,280 Speaker 1: the best outdoor podcast the airways had off. All right, friends, 7 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: grab a chair or drop that tailgate. I've got some 8 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 1: stories to share. Spotlights, pink tomatoes, and bold corrections. I 9 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 1: come from what some refer to as the Land of 10 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 1: tall Pines and pink tomatoes. It's a reference to the 11 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: logging and farming industry that part of Arkansas was known for. 12 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 1: It was a great place to grow up, and I'm 13 00:00:56,760 --> 00:00:58,680 Speaker 1: going to tell you a little about the pink tomato 14 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: portion of it. But first I'm going to tell you 15 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 1: a story. It was a simple mission, catch them where 16 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 1: they weren't allowed to be. We knew the adversary, we 17 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: knew where they operated, we knew how they operated. Careful 18 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: observation had revealed their numbers, along with how they infielded 19 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:31,560 Speaker 1: xfield from the area of operations into hours. They made 20 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:34,480 Speaker 1: no attempt at concealing the trails they used or even 21 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 1: bothered to wipe out their tracks, and that's where we 22 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:41,400 Speaker 1: had the advantage. We knew how they would come and 23 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,920 Speaker 1: go and when they were most likely to do it. 24 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 1: Their advantage was speed and their ability to operate in 25 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 1: low light. They were masters of nighttime operations. Their night 26 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 1: vision was generations above our own, and while the mission 27 00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:04,040 Speaker 1: was simple, it was anything but easily accomplished. Also, they 28 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 1: didn't have vehicles we did. That would prove to be 29 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:11,200 Speaker 1: our greatest asset in closing in on our adversary and 30 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:15,639 Speaker 1: our biggest liability by not knowing the terrain as well 31 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 1: as we should have. The scattering reports we had about 32 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 1: the lay of the lamb had been falsified, and it 33 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 1: wound up costing us a third of our strength. It 34 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:28,040 Speaker 1: was around twenty three hundred dollars when we moved out. 35 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 1: It was early fall of nineteen seventy nine. My brother 36 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:38,639 Speaker 1: Tim climbed into the driver's seat of his nineteen sixty 37 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:43,080 Speaker 1: nine Ford truck. Sammy West, our lifelong family friend who 38 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 1: Tim had grown up with, and I climbed into the 39 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 1: bed and stood up next to the cab facing forward. 40 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 2: He was holding the spotlight. 41 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 1: I was holding the rope. There were deer in the 42 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:59,160 Speaker 1: pea patch, and we were fixing the last old one. 43 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:08,920 Speaker 1: That was our mission. As in any good story, you 44 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:11,600 Speaker 1: have to lay a foundation of where the story takes place, 45 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 1: and this one was on our farm where we grew up. 46 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:18,280 Speaker 1: Tim was married and lived just down the road. I 47 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 1: was in junior high school. Our middle brother, Chuck was 48 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:25,680 Speaker 1: in college, still living at home, and he wasn't there 49 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 1: that night, but he would play an important role in 50 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: the outcome of events. The summer before, he'd grown a 51 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 1: patch of watermelons and had sold him for extra money. 52 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 1: They were good, and I helped him pick some and 53 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: haul them to town to sell. He paid me in 54 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 1: watermelon hearts. You know the good part. I'd work for 55 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 1: that now. Well that in case pocket knives, But that's 56 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 1: not important. What is important is that after the watermelons 57 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 1: were done, he was supposed to take a tractor over 58 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 1: there and disc up the hills and run a section 59 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:00,400 Speaker 1: hard over it to smooth out the dirt. He said 60 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:03,120 Speaker 1: he did it, and the field had grown up since 61 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 1: he'd retired from the watermelon business the year before. It 62 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 1: looked like every other acre over there that didn't have 63 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: peas and tomatoes growing in it weeds that stood about 64 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:13,720 Speaker 1: waist high. 65 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:17,360 Speaker 2: That's all you saw. Well. 66 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 1: That night we eased across the pond livey, headed toward 67 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:22,560 Speaker 1: the pea patch with our lights off. The moon was 68 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 1: bright enough for Tim to see without him, and when 69 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:28,719 Speaker 1: we got close enough to the pea patch, Samy shined 70 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 1: that spotlight, and we were looking at a field full 71 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 1: of white tailed deer staring back at us, their mouths 72 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:38,000 Speaker 1: chewing on peas, and their bellies getting fuller with each bite. 73 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:41,039 Speaker 1: Tim mashed the foot feed and the race was on. 74 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 1: Ten to fifteen deer took off in every direction out 75 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:46,480 Speaker 1: of that pea patch, and they made their way across 76 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:49,799 Speaker 1: that waste high weeds of the field that hadn't been planted. 77 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 1: The one we were closest to was burning and churning 78 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 1: towards the gap in the fence that separated the pea 79 00:04:56,200 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 1: patch from. 80 00:04:57,120 --> 00:04:58,000 Speaker 2: The Tamato field. 81 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 1: Most of the other deer just jumped the fence, but 82 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:04,600 Speaker 1: this one, this one understood the assignment and was beee 83 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:07,000 Speaker 1: lining it toward the gap, breaking through the weeds like 84 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:09,680 Speaker 1: a crab boat and the barre and sea going through ice. 85 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: Tim closed the gap when he saw Sammy's light zero 86 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 1: in on that. 87 00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 2: Fine special Anom dol dough. Now I moved around to 88 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:19,440 Speaker 2: Sammy's right. 89 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:21,800 Speaker 1: Now I leaned against the cab to steady myself as 90 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:24,680 Speaker 1: we plowed through the weeds, and I ready my rope 91 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:28,200 Speaker 1: as we got closer. The deer was now within the 92 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:31,360 Speaker 1: easy roping distance off the right front bumper. We were 93 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 1: doing every bit of twenty five miles an hour, and 94 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:35,559 Speaker 1: it was going to be two turns above my head 95 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:37,680 Speaker 1: and on the third one I was going to have 96 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:39,120 Speaker 1: that deer rope faster. 97 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 2: Than Roy Cooper could have done it. 98 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:45,720 Speaker 1: Here we go, rope ready, one turn, two turns, and 99 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, the truck started bucking up and 100 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:51,560 Speaker 1: down bott the lend. The spotlight went out. It got 101 00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:56,000 Speaker 1: dark quick. Tim hadn't bothered to turn the headlights on 102 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: a truck. It wouldn't have done any good anyway. The 103 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:02,040 Speaker 1: weeds were taller than the light. I grabbed onto the 104 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 1: cab and I looked over at Sammy, but Sammy was gone, 105 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 1: so was the light. I started beating on the cab 106 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:10,279 Speaker 1: of the truck and yelling for Tim to stop. 107 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 2: Stop, stop, a process. 108 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:16,719 Speaker 1: He'd already initiated upon being bounced around in the cab 109 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:19,919 Speaker 1: this truck like a bean in a coffee can. The 110 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 1: truck came to an abrupt stop, and Tim jumped out 111 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:25,279 Speaker 1: and looking back at us, well where us had been 112 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:29,000 Speaker 1: that had been reduced to looking at me, and I hollered, 113 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:31,760 Speaker 1: Sammy's gone. Tim said, where'd he go? I said, I 114 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:38,120 Speaker 1: don't know, but he took the light with him. Tim yelled, Sammy, Sammy. 115 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:40,320 Speaker 1: We heard a faint voice from the middle of the 116 00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:45,560 Speaker 1: field behind us say I'm over here. I jumped down 117 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:48,760 Speaker 1: this truck and we made our way through the weeds, 118 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:52,160 Speaker 1: only to meet Sammy walking towards us, still holding onto 119 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:55,040 Speaker 1: the spotlight with the wires that had been ripped from 120 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 1: the battery posts. Tim said, what happened? Sammy said, Brent 121 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 1: pushed me out of the truck. I said, no, I didn't. 122 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:04,839 Speaker 1: I was fixing the rope that deer when the truck 123 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 1: started bouncing and the light went out. I looked around 124 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:14,320 Speaker 1: and you was gone. That's when we knew. That's when 125 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 1: we figured it out. That's when Tim, Sammy and I 126 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 1: started a trio, of course, and disparaged monologues about our 127 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 1: brother Chuck for not disking and leveling that watermelon patch. 128 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:34,360 Speaker 1: Like he said he did. Truth be told, he probably 129 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 1: he probably saved us all from getting our butts kicked 130 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:40,760 Speaker 1: by a roped whitetailed dough. I don't know what we'd 131 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:43,680 Speaker 1: have done had I actually roped it, but Sammy was 132 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:49,200 Speaker 1: uninjured and I never got another chance to rope. Chuck 133 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 1: never leveled that watermelon patch either, And that's just how 134 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:54,280 Speaker 1: that happened. 135 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:03,320 Speaker 2: Gardens. 136 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 1: Nothing spread hate and discontent quicker than your parents saying 137 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:10,200 Speaker 1: it'll be good to have you out of school to 138 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 1: help with the garden this summer garden. Ain't got time 139 00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 1: for no garden. Well about all those tomatoes growing in 140 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:19,600 Speaker 1: that big field across the pond. That ain't enough gardening 141 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:23,960 Speaker 1: for y'all. With the love of humanity. There's frogs to gigging, 142 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:27,239 Speaker 1: fish to catch, swimming holes that jump in, and camp 143 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 1: outs with my friends. I ain't got no time for 144 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:34,520 Speaker 1: no garden. On top of the kabellion acres the tomatoes 145 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:38,160 Speaker 1: we already had growing, and i'd be struggling in half 146 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 1: the summer anyway. Actually, the most we ever had was 147 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 1: about five acres, but it seemed like a kabellion. Turns 148 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:49,440 Speaker 1: out I did have the time after all. But I 149 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:52,480 Speaker 1: didn't like it. My friends that lived in town didn't 150 00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:55,320 Speaker 1: have to suffer through all this nonsense. They were all 151 00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 1: racked up in the air conditioning, watching Bob Barker and 152 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:00,800 Speaker 1: waiting on the YMCA pool open up so they could 153 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 1: all meet up and swim in that chlorinated clear water 154 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:07,120 Speaker 1: urinal me. I was stuck in the middle of our farm, 155 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 1: praying for rain to a cloudless sky and sticking tomato 156 00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:15,600 Speaker 1: sticks in the ground and wishing I was dead. Don't 157 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:19,080 Speaker 1: get me wrong, I love tomatoes, and the tomatoes that 158 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:22,120 Speaker 1: were developed specifically for the soil where I'm from and 159 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:27,080 Speaker 1: grown in my hometown are second to none. Some of 160 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:29,040 Speaker 1: you may have just rolled your eyeballs out of the 161 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:31,160 Speaker 1: back of your head and jerked a creak in your 162 00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:33,560 Speaker 1: neck looking at the radio when I made that claim, 163 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:38,480 Speaker 1: Like last summer, when I received all kinds of watermelon feedback. 164 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:42,319 Speaker 1: When I talked about watermelons, you didn't mention this town, 165 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:45,959 Speaker 1: or that town, or this type of watermelon, And they 166 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:46,440 Speaker 1: were right. 167 00:09:46,559 --> 00:09:47,080 Speaker 2: I didn't. 168 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 1: I was merely talking about the places I knew of 169 00:09:51,120 --> 00:09:55,080 Speaker 1: that proclaimed themselves to be the watermelon capitals of the world. 170 00:09:56,400 --> 00:09:58,760 Speaker 1: There can be several that hold that title, you got 171 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:02,640 Speaker 1: the biggest watermelons in the world, you got the place 172 00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:05,720 Speaker 1: with the most produced watermelons in the world, et cetera, 173 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:08,920 Speaker 1: et cetera. But when it comes to tomatoes, there's only 174 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:12,800 Speaker 1: one tomato and only one place, and that's the variety 175 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:18,360 Speaker 1: grown in Bradley County, Arkansas, and aptly named the Bradley Tomato. 176 00:10:21,679 --> 00:10:25,840 Speaker 1: This deliciously mildly acidic fruit or vegetable depending on which 177 00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:29,000 Speaker 1: camp you're in, stands alone at the pinnacle of the 178 00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:32,200 Speaker 1: Tomato Hall of Fame due to taste alone, period, there 179 00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:36,840 Speaker 1: are none better, save your emails, calls, letters, and bomb threads. 180 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:39,920 Speaker 1: I will not budge from this position of how far 181 00:10:40,120 --> 00:10:43,640 Speaker 1: hit and shoulders above all other varieties of tomatoes there are. 182 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:46,920 Speaker 1: And believe it or not, there are more than ten 183 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:53,000 Speaker 1: thousand different varieties available today to grow. Ten thousand plus. 184 00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:56,480 Speaker 1: That's more than twice the amount of people who live 185 00:10:56,520 --> 00:11:00,240 Speaker 1: in Warren, Arkansas, the county seat the place where some 186 00:11:00,280 --> 00:11:03,720 Speaker 1: of the most dedicated and frustrated educators of all time 187 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:08,520 Speaker 1: attempted to learn me stuff, and home to the Pink 188 00:11:08,559 --> 00:11:12,920 Speaker 1: Tomato Festival, a hometown event that's been going on annually. 189 00:11:12,559 --> 00:11:14,680 Speaker 2: For the last sixty eight years. 190 00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:17,439 Speaker 1: It's always held on the second Friday of June and 191 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:20,280 Speaker 1: the last all weekend with events and entertainment for the 192 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:26,560 Speaker 1: whole family, music, art and crafts, games, lots of great 193 00:11:26,559 --> 00:11:31,760 Speaker 1: food in one event that don't have anymore and and 194 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:34,960 Speaker 1: haven't had for quite some time. But it was quite 195 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:37,360 Speaker 1: popular back when I was the mere slip of a 196 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:41,360 Speaker 1: lad I am today, and that was the tobacco spitting contest. 197 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:46,240 Speaker 1: You heard me right, If that ain't good, if that 198 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:49,320 Speaker 1: ain't good enough for you, It was open to all ages. 199 00:11:50,440 --> 00:11:53,360 Speaker 1: I remember seeing my pals in the sixth grade competing, 200 00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:56,439 Speaker 1: but I was terrified someone would tell my mama, so 201 00:11:56,559 --> 00:12:01,679 Speaker 1: I abstained from competition, never fully realizing my potential is 202 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:05,160 Speaker 1: a tobacco spitting athlete. They had a big sheet of 203 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 1: plastic about three feet wide and rolled out on the 204 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:10,240 Speaker 1: courthouse lawn that was printed like a big tape measure. 205 00:12:12,960 --> 00:12:15,880 Speaker 1: Contestants would get a big cheer of tobacco or dipper snuff, 206 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:19,200 Speaker 1: and once they built up a sufficient reservoir tobacco juice, 207 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:24,480 Speaker 1: they'd let her fly and whomever spat the farthest one. 208 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:28,080 Speaker 1: I don't remember what the trophy was, but I do 209 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:32,680 Speaker 1: remember them giving out free samples to anybody that wanted them. 210 00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:35,880 Speaker 1: Good Lord, those were different times, and times changed, and 211 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:39,120 Speaker 1: this time they changed for the better. You won't see 212 00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:42,440 Speaker 1: that contest there anymore, but you will see a lot 213 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:44,280 Speaker 1: of good stuff there, and you should check it out 214 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:47,560 Speaker 1: if you have the opportunity. But back to the Bradley 215 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:51,160 Speaker 1: tomato for just a second. In nineteen sixty one, at 216 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:54,280 Speaker 1: the University of Arkansas, doctor Joe mcfaerir and, at the 217 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:57,600 Speaker 1: age of forty four, developed the Bradley tomato plant to 218 00:12:57,640 --> 00:13:02,280 Speaker 1: grow specifically in the soil and the humid climate found 219 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:06,360 Speaker 1: in Bradley County in June. All my life I heard 220 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:09,040 Speaker 1: folks talk about how cool it was that that specific 221 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:13,200 Speaker 1: tomato plant that produced the epitome of the tea in 222 00:13:13,400 --> 00:13:18,760 Speaker 1: BLT was developed and named after Bradley County. And now 223 00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:22,880 Speaker 1: for fifty eight years, I've heard nothing different. Bradley tomato 224 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:26,760 Speaker 1: developed by the University of Arkansas for Bradley County in 225 00:13:26,880 --> 00:13:30,120 Speaker 1: the story. Then I did a little research for some 226 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:33,680 Speaker 1: background on doctor mcfarren, who passed away thirteen years ago 227 00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:38,240 Speaker 1: in twenty eleven. He had an identical twin brother named Jack. 228 00:13:39,200 --> 00:13:41,640 Speaker 1: He was a decorated veteran of World War Two and 229 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:45,120 Speaker 1: also served in Korea. His mama's name was Alis and 230 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:52,160 Speaker 1: his father's name was Bradley. What a coincidence. Maybe his 231 00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:54,480 Speaker 1: dad changed it to Bradley after he had a bite 232 00:13:54,520 --> 00:13:57,000 Speaker 1: of one and experienced just how good they are. 233 00:13:58,400 --> 00:13:59,920 Speaker 2: But that line of thinking is. 234 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:05,400 Speaker 1: Really because I'd be known as fried squirrel gritz reeves. Anyway, 235 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:08,240 Speaker 1: the tomatoes are good, and towards the end of May 236 00:14:08,320 --> 00:14:11,640 Speaker 1: every year, my social media is festooned with folks from 237 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:15,439 Speaker 1: my hometown talking about who's got Bradley's and the out 238 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:17,520 Speaker 1: of town folks are wanting to know when someone is 239 00:14:17,559 --> 00:14:20,480 Speaker 1: headed north with a load. Now, you can get a 240 00:14:20,560 --> 00:14:23,680 Speaker 1: blt in just about any place that serves hot food, 241 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:26,680 Speaker 1: bacon lets, tomato, and bread. It's as simple as that, 242 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:29,240 Speaker 1: and there are as many ways to fix one as 243 00:14:29,240 --> 00:14:31,960 Speaker 1: you can think of. You can put cheese or onion 244 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:34,680 Speaker 1: and potato chips, this kind of bread, that kind of bread. 245 00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:38,760 Speaker 1: There's no limit to what you can do. But until 246 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:43,160 Speaker 1: you've had one in the combination, any combination with a 247 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:47,160 Speaker 1: Bradley tomato, you'll never really know the festival of flavor 248 00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:52,560 Speaker 1: your taste buds will experience. It's like fried chicken. I 249 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:54,880 Speaker 1: love fried chicken, and I don't care if it comes 250 00:14:54,880 --> 00:14:58,920 Speaker 1: from KFC, churches, Pope Eyes, cracker barrel, your house, or 251 00:14:58,960 --> 00:14:59,640 Speaker 1: the hospital. 252 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:01,800 Speaker 2: I love it. 253 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:05,080 Speaker 1: It's all good, but nothing will ever come close to 254 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:10,320 Speaker 1: your grandma's fried chicken. The Bradley tomato is your grandma's 255 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:16,640 Speaker 1: fried chicken compared to everything else calling itself a tomato. Now, 256 00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:18,800 Speaker 1: there were a few perks to grow in tomatoes. When 257 00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:21,200 Speaker 1: the tomato market opened the area of farmers would haul 258 00:15:21,240 --> 00:15:23,040 Speaker 1: the tomatoes to town for auction. 259 00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:23,760 Speaker 2: At the fairgrounds. 260 00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:28,120 Speaker 1: Produced buyers from out of state had seasonal offices there, 261 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:30,800 Speaker 1: and the farmers would line up early to get inside 262 00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 1: when the gate opened. Then pickup trucks, cattle trailers, and 263 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:36,840 Speaker 1: bob trucks would back up to a long covered concrete 264 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:40,720 Speaker 1: slab about the length of commercial chicken house. Each truck 265 00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:44,440 Speaker 1: was backed into an individual parking spot. With them a 266 00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:46,880 Speaker 1: big wooden table where each grower would set out a 267 00:15:46,920 --> 00:15:49,160 Speaker 1: sample of his tomatoes for the buyers to bid on. 268 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:52,360 Speaker 1: As they falled, an auctioneer around from table to table. 269 00:15:54,640 --> 00:15:58,440 Speaker 1: The only air moving in that blistering asphalt melting heat 270 00:15:58,560 --> 00:16:01,440 Speaker 1: was the big industrial fans mounted in the rafters that 271 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:03,360 Speaker 1: blew the hot air from one end of the tomatoes 272 00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:05,520 Speaker 1: shed to the other, but at least it was moving. 273 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:09,080 Speaker 1: Not being one of the first to feel the many 274 00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:12,640 Speaker 1: slots meant you had to wait in a shadeless line 275 00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:15,640 Speaker 1: until one of the slots opened up. It made for 276 00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:19,000 Speaker 1: a long, hot day, but it beat the tomato fields 277 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:22,480 Speaker 1: by long shot. Also, a lot of my friends would 278 00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:24,920 Speaker 1: be there. Some of them had farms and grew tomatoes too, 279 00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:27,640 Speaker 1: and some worked up at the packing shed. A lot 280 00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:30,120 Speaker 1: of the girls whose family didn't raise tomatoes that I 281 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:33,560 Speaker 1: went to school with would get summer jobs packing tomatoes 282 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:37,240 Speaker 1: up there. That place was full of pretty gals, and 283 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:40,800 Speaker 1: me and my cohorts frequently patrolling that location while we 284 00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:44,560 Speaker 1: waited our turn to sell tomatoes. That was just a coincidence. 285 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:49,360 Speaker 1: But folks worked hard raising tomatoes. There wasn't any easy 286 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:52,280 Speaker 1: thing about it. From driving steaks tied up to plants 287 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:55,160 Speaker 1: so they wouldn't fall over, to running the irrigation pipe, 288 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:59,360 Speaker 1: spraying for bugs, actually picking them. It was hot, back 289 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:02,000 Speaker 1: bending works work that would have you in bed early 290 00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:04,639 Speaker 1: at night and asleep before your head hit the pillow, 291 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:07,520 Speaker 1: just to get up the next morning before daylight and 292 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:10,960 Speaker 1: do it all over again. There's not many of my 293 00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:13,840 Speaker 1: friends that don't have war stories about the tomato fields 294 00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:16,800 Speaker 1: of our youth. But you could always get a job 295 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:19,680 Speaker 1: in the summer, and at least it wasn't houling hay ooh, 296 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:23,560 Speaker 1: hauling hay. I maybe having a flashback just thinking about it. 297 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 1: Tomatoes were sold by the lug. That's a box to 298 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:30,399 Speaker 1: all you folks not raised in tomato country, and the 299 00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:34,000 Speaker 1: lug averages about thirty pounds A fella could get a 300 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:37,840 Speaker 1: pretty good workout handling tomatoes because just like hey, you 301 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:40,880 Speaker 1: had to handle it more than once. Had to pick them, 302 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:44,000 Speaker 1: load them up, box them up, and load them at 303 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:46,119 Speaker 1: the farm, unload them at the tomato shed. After the 304 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:50,120 Speaker 1: soul buyers bit against each other and the highest bitter 305 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:53,040 Speaker 1: bought the whole load of what was represented on the table. 306 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:56,920 Speaker 1: It was hot, it was stressful, and some families were 307 00:17:56,920 --> 00:18:00,359 Speaker 1: depending on what the tomato crop brought as they substantial 308 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:04,480 Speaker 1: portion of their yearly income. I remember once when the 309 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:07,239 Speaker 1: market was down or on occasion, it was rumored that 310 00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:10,720 Speaker 1: the buyers had conspired together to keep the prices load 311 00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:15,080 Speaker 1: to increase their profit. Now I don't know if that 312 00:18:15,240 --> 00:18:18,040 Speaker 1: happened or not, but the farmer wasn't being paid enough 313 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:21,119 Speaker 1: to cover the cost of the expense of planting, growing, harvesting, 314 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 1: and what the buyer offered was an absolute insult to 315 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:27,320 Speaker 1: the folks that had labored day after day to bring 316 00:18:27,359 --> 00:18:31,840 Speaker 1: the best produce to market. After all, the grocery store 317 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:34,720 Speaker 1: prices hadn't fallen in relation to what the farmer was 318 00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:38,520 Speaker 1: being paid, nor had the cost of producing them. And 319 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:41,199 Speaker 1: I saw it explode one day as we waited our 320 00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:43,679 Speaker 1: turn to sell, and seeing the ones before us getting 321 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:46,760 Speaker 1: pennies on the dollar for their invested labor. In one 322 00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:52,520 Speaker 1: of the purported buyer conspiracy times. My mama was worrying stress, 323 00:18:52,640 --> 00:18:54,960 Speaker 1: knowing the bad news that was coming when I was sold. 324 00:18:55,560 --> 00:18:59,600 Speaker 1: But this one farmer, he made a statement. He pulled 325 00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:02,160 Speaker 1: his truck co working the shed and dump the whole 326 00:19:02,440 --> 00:19:06,040 Speaker 1: load in the middle of the fairgrounds. Regardless of how 327 00:19:06,080 --> 00:19:09,320 Speaker 1: you feel about it, right or wrong or indifferent, he'd 328 00:19:09,359 --> 00:19:12,800 Speaker 1: made a stand. He'd rather throw them away than be 329 00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:16,840 Speaker 1: insulted with what they were offering. Several others followed, not 330 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:19,159 Speaker 1: but nothing, there's too but refusing to sell them to 331 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:23,280 Speaker 1: those buyers at that price, and they seld them themselves 332 00:19:23,320 --> 00:19:27,080 Speaker 1: as best as they could. That's a prime example of 333 00:19:27,119 --> 00:19:30,240 Speaker 1: our inherent freedom to protest and take a stand against 334 00:19:30,240 --> 00:19:33,600 Speaker 1: something that you feeled is wrong. And I doubt it 335 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:37,800 Speaker 1: solved anything other than letting off some steam. But don't 336 00:19:37,840 --> 00:19:40,960 Speaker 1: be afraid to make a Bowld correction. That was instruction 337 00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:45,120 Speaker 1: given to me in ait at Fortsaille, Oklahoma, in nineteen 338 00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:48,879 Speaker 1: eighty seven by an instructor in reference to adjusting artillery 339 00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:53,320 Speaker 1: fire onto the target. Don't be afraid to make a 340 00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:57,120 Speaker 1: Bowld correction. I've never forgotten that, and I've used it 341 00:19:57,160 --> 00:20:01,080 Speaker 1: as advice for my life. I've had more than one 342 00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:03,440 Speaker 1: bold correction in my life to make, and I'm thankful 343 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:05,520 Speaker 1: I did, and I'm ever. 344 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:06,760 Speaker 2: Vigilant for the next one. 345 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:10,720 Speaker 1: If you take one thing away from this episode today, 346 00:20:10,720 --> 00:20:12,800 Speaker 1: where I went down more rabbit holes than one of 347 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:18,200 Speaker 1: George Pennington's champion beagles, let it be that one. Make 348 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:22,000 Speaker 1: a bold correction when necessary, stand up for yourself, fix 349 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:25,199 Speaker 1: yourself when you need to fix it, don't be scared 350 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:31,399 Speaker 1: to do it. I'm so glad you allowed me the 351 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:33,840 Speaker 1: time to run around between years this week, and I 352 00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:35,960 Speaker 1: hope I didn't step on anything important. 353 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:37,199 Speaker 2: You know. 354 00:20:37,240 --> 00:20:40,680 Speaker 1: I get several messages from folks about supporting the show 355 00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:42,879 Speaker 1: and what we're doing, and the best way to do 356 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:45,199 Speaker 1: that is by checking out the sponsors. You hear us 357 00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:48,119 Speaker 1: reading ads for it really does make a difference and 358 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:52,000 Speaker 1: has a direct impact thanks to y'all it reached out 359 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:55,919 Speaker 1: about it. Also, y'all scooed on over and subscribe to 360 00:20:55,960 --> 00:21:00,439 Speaker 1: the new Media to Podcast Network channel on YouTube. From 361 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:02,840 Speaker 1: the meat Eater channel, you'll be able to hear all 362 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:05,720 Speaker 1: your favorite podcasts and see all the ones that are 363 00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 1: being filmed. We just started filming the Bear Grease Render episodes, 364 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:13,920 Speaker 1: which is pretty cool. Now this country life isn't slated 365 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:15,879 Speaker 1: for filming and who wants to watch me stare at 366 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 1: a microphone while struggling to read the stuff I wrote 367 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:23,200 Speaker 1: doing take after take. But we've got some other stuff 368 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:25,359 Speaker 1: we're working on that will be included that I hope 369 00:21:25,359 --> 00:21:28,120 Speaker 1: you'll enjoy, and on that channel is where you'll see 370 00:21:28,119 --> 00:21:32,479 Speaker 1: it eventually. One more thing, This heat is rough on 371 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:35,400 Speaker 1: folks and pets. Try to make some time to check 372 00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:37,359 Speaker 1: on them, any and all of them that might be 373 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:40,439 Speaker 1: affected by these high temperatures. Take them a drink of 374 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:44,480 Speaker 1: water and some tomatoes. Bradley's if you have the means 375 00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:48,760 Speaker 1: until next week. This is Brent Reid signing off. 376 00:21:49,600 --> 00:22:07,160 Speaker 2: Y'all be careful.