grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

Pictured: Delta Cotton

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P i c t u r e d: Delta Cotton

Cotton-picking time in the Delta is my favorite. This week when I haven’t been holed up working on my book edits (yay!), I’ve been driving from the bootheel of Missouri and along the Great River Road searching out magazine and blog post stories. The highways and byways of the Delta are roaring with trucks hauling soybeans and grain. The gins are ginning at capacity. I can often be found poking around in fields or parked on the side of the road taking pictures. So far, the farmers work around me. ? ??

A few Delta cotton pics. (The smoke in the first two pictures is from the adjacent soybean field—burning stalks after harvest.)

cotton picker

 

round bale cotton

 

Adams Cotton Gin

 

old cotton picking sack

 

in the cotton field

 

1910 cotton picking basket

 

Delta cotton!

  1. John Deere picker, Mississippi County, Ar.
  2. Round bale, Mississippi County, Ar.
  3. Adams Cotton Gin, Leachville, Ar.
  4. Old cotton picking sack, Mississippi County Museum, Osceola, Ar.
  5. Momma, my sister and me.
  6. 1910 cotton picking basket, Mississippi County Museum, Osceola, Ar.
  7. Beautiful boll, Dunklin County, Mo.

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

[tweetthis]In them old cotton fields back home… @ArFB @JohnDeere #farming #Delta #Arkansas[/tweetthis]

Musical Pairing:
Creedence Clearwater Revival, Cotton Fields Back Home

Dear October,

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Dear October,

Dear October,

Oh! I rejoice in your spirit, your essence. The memories of things past. The warmth of good things to come. The flavors and colors and aromas you bring, like a friend whose stories never get old, whose laugh is always familiar no matter how much time has passed between visits.Continue Reading

The best Spicy Pulled Pork in all the land. And football.

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Spicy Pulled Pork - the best in all the land.

Yesterday I made a spicy pulled pork based on Ree Drummond’s (The Pioneer Woman’s) recipe. I give her all the credit. I haven’t changed any of her ingredients because there’s no reason to tamper with the best pulled pork recipe in all the land. The only thing I do differently is I don’t use a food processor. Instead, I dice the onion and hand mix all the ingredients. I like to have pieces of onion in the mix. Plus, I don’t own a food processor. Crazy, I know.

Here’s a LINK to The Pioneer Woman’s recipe. Go check it out. She has beautiful pictures and step-by-step instructions.

Now on to football. John and I will be at the Razorback game today. And wooo pig, the weather should be nice. (The first game was hot!) Will the Hogs remember to show up? Please, yes. They play Texas Tech—love those old Southwest Conference rivalries. I’ll be secretly scouting the Red Raiders for next week’s Baylor Bear game. (So Briles, call me.)Continue Reading

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

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