In the News - August
2008
Homespun advice from a veteran county agent
The ad read: 'Antique pea-sheller'
BENTONVILLE, Ark. - Hidden deep in the classifieds was an ad: "Antique
Pea-Sheller." No price or description was listed, only a phone number. Uncle
Clyde, down on a visit from Holts Summit, Mo., caught the ad. An old farm boy
from Clay County, he began to reminisce about how every family once grew
southern peas and every kid hated the boring task of shelling.
Southern peas owe much of their popularity to the ability to produce well
under low-to-moderate fertility conditions. Basically, any family and any field
could produce southern peas, thereby insuring a supply of a food high in protein
and carbohydrates. In addition, the pea vines were used to feed livestock.
History indicates that, like okra, melons, collard greens and other select
vegetables, southern peas originated in Africa. They owe their presence in the
United States, more specifically the South, to the social and cultural ties of
African-Americans. Low fertility requirements and ease of growing ensured the
spread of peas from the Delta to the mountainous regions of the South.
Necessity is the mother of invention, and with many farm families growing
southern peas, a variety of shelling methods were developed. Just for fun, try a
Web search for "antique pea-sheller," etc., and be prepared to enjoy some
southern history.
To bring you up-to-date, Dr. Teddy Morelock, a plant breeder with the
University of Arkansas Department of Horticulture, heads the largest southern
pea breeding program in the U.S. About 5,000 genetic lines of southern peas are
evaluated each summer. Dr. Morelock works closely with Allen Canning Company in
Siloam Springs to develop southern peas that can be easily machine harvested.
Back to the classifieds - from his front-porch chair Grandpa began to smile
and suggested that Uncle Clyde read the ad again. Noting the phone prefix being
the same as Grandpa's, Uncle Clyde suggested, "If you know these folks, I'd like
to go look at this pea-sheller. I wonder how big it is."
"Oh, she'll weigh about 90 pounds," Grandpa replied. "She?" was Uncle Clyde's
startled reply. "Yeah," Grandpa answered. "That antique pea-sheller is a nice
elderly lady who lives down the road. She runs that ad every fall, and it sure
gets attention. I think she shells peas to supplement her Social Security
check!" Til' next week!
For information about raising southern peas, contact your county extension
agent. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of
Agriculture.
August
29, 2008
By: Robert Seay
Benton County Extension Agent Staff Chair
Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu
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