Keep up with the garden and the gun
Southern Manufacturing Award
The revolutionary rice-based gin, stylish Texas-style floor lamps, rare hand-carved pigeon bait, and more winners demonstrate the amazing ingenuity, energy and purity of the top southern manufacturers and creatives Skills
Edited by Elizabeth Hutchison Hicklin, photography by Fredrik Broden, illustration by Lara Tomlin
$75 Mississippi Artisan Gin; Wonderbirdspirits.com
Pride, purpose, yes, Mississippi’s magnolia blossom promotes a special new type of rice gin
"I always liked food and beverages when I was a kid," Chand Harlow said, so when the 32-year-old Mississippi returned home after working in finance in New York, he started thinking about starting a business in the industry himself. The restaurant is not attractive to him. (See: "Finance.") But he worked with a pioneering craft brewery in the city during his time in New York, which also planted the seeds. In 2017, he collaborated with two interested friends Rob Forster and Thomas Alexander, and they began to discuss opening a winery and what they might do.
whiskey? Considering the country's love for the brown spirit, this makes sense. But whiskey must be aged for several years to earn income-again, this is not a completely attractive arrangement for those with an economics education. Harlow, Foster and Alexander chose gin. Harlow, who is already a gin fan, noticed that many new whiskey distilleries first produced vodka and gin, neither of which required aging. "They make gin for cash flow," he said, "but they didn't do a good job." The three partners decided that they would also succeed—but not after the fact.
Rob Forster plows the song to release heat.
They found a 20-acre ranch in Taylor, about 15 minutes outside of Oxford, and built the Wonderbird distillery in 2018 and began researching recipes. Although many manufacturers buy their base spirits elsewhere and then add plant ingredients to develop their gin, Wonderbird chose to become a real grain-to-glass distillery, making distilled spirits from scratch: they want what is in the bottle East and West represent Mississippi.
A bottle of numbered Wonderbird No. 61 gin.
They conducted experiments. They use corn to make wine, which is good, but it makes no difference. Then they established a connection with two Brooks farms, a family-run rice farm that grows varieties that are respected by local chefs. The family sent them 50-pound bags for them to try-wild rice, black rice, red rice, basmati rice and jasmine rice. Some people made interesting bases for gin, but friends fell in love with jasmine rice.
Chand Harlow, Thomas Alexander and Forster, owners of Wonderbird.
The trio developed a fermentation process inspired by sake using their internally cultivated koji, which is a mold that converts starch into sugar, and then yeast into alcohol. They simplified the sake process, which may take more than three weeks, into a more effective one-week method, including running the sake or "rice beer" through the distiller twice to achieve an alcohol content of about 93%—this is better than A neutral spirit usually used for gin. "We gave up a few points because we like the taste of rice and the light floral fragrance," Harlow said. He believes that Wonderbird is the only American gin that starts with rice and is one of the few American gins outside. Japan did that.
Harlow said he and his partners also appreciate the creative freedom provided by gin. The art of gin lies in the selection and distillation of plants. As they developed their products, they tasted juniper and coriander from all over the world. They tried various lemon peels, both dried and fresh, and finally chose fresh Meyer lemon peels because of their high brightness. They hired a feeder to help them find local ingredients such as loblolly pine needles and red clover in their property, and distill each plant separately to achieve the best performance (many gin manufacturers mix plant ingredients And distilled once), accumulated about thirty blending options of the "library", ten of which entered their flagship spirit.
The first gin came out in the spring of 2019, when the pandemic disrupted their travel and promotion plans. They were confined to the winery and continued to repair. Attracted by the delicate aroma of the Mississippi magnolia flower, they used the magnolia flower to create their first experimental gin. They combined its essence with juniper, coriander, black pepper and cinchona (a South American containing quinine). Bark). "Our goal is to make an elegant martini gin," Harlow said. Debuted at the end of last year, their ethereal Magnolia Experimental Gin is full of subtle and surprising flavors, of course, but you can also sip it alone. Those who tried it seemed to agree: the first release contained only 800 bottles, and it quickly sold out. Another version was released this fall. our suggestion? Buy if you find it.
Cold Brew Roanoke, Virginia | 12 USD 30 USD; 24 USD 58 USD; roanokecoffee.com
The brothers Steffon and Quincy Randolph grew up in Richmond, but were attracted by the promising prospects of Roanoke to the west. Steffon, who has a background in coffee roasting, started hosting a series of coffee pop-up shops in his newly adopted hometown; Quincy joined him after working for a while in Chicago, where he was the chef of the Michelin-starred Blackbird restaurant. In 2019, the brothers launched a brick-and-mortar cafe called RND (short for Roasters-Coffee Lounge next door), and launched a canned version of their popular nitro cold brew coffee last spring. It is powerful and rich, and it directly pulls the seriousness and completes the coffee. The brothers plan to launch more canned coffee beverages and build it into a regional brand. But first, "We want to use it to win your trust," Quincy said of the original version. mission completed.
Hard Lemonade Austin, Texas | US$10-18; Lucky Spring.com
Luck Springs is named after a secret swimming hole on the outskirts of Austin. Does it really exist? Who wants to know? This is the thing about secret swimming holes-they are secret. However, Texas producer Austin Eastciders has been widely praised for its dry cider since it opened in 2013, but its latest joint venture has now failed. The series was launched in April. The redesigned hard lemonade comes in four flavors, including this great Half & Half, a lemonade mixed with black tea. Dave Rule, the company’s vice president of marketing, pointed out that it was made in the old fashioned way-with cane sugar and real juice-with only 100 calories per can, making it "more suitable for you" rather than a sweeter option for adults Carbonated drinks. Reward: It drops very steadily and relieves heat with almost relentless efficiency. As Rule said, "It's as refreshing as taking a bath."
Single Estate Straight Bourbon Whisky Mauertown, Virginia | $50; filibusterbourbon.com
Ten years ago, the Dilawri family immigrated from India to Washington, DC, where they opened a liquor store. As fans of Scotch whisky, they want to know why few American whiskey manufacturers follow the Scottish tradition of aging in barrels that used to hold sherry or wine, so they began to try to use raw whiskey purchased from well-known distilleries. After being satisfied with the results, they went on to establish their own winery in the Shenandoah Valley called Filibuster. Since its launch in 2016, they have used this method to produce bourbon, rye and gin. However, they aged their single estate pure bourbon in new American oak barrels, giving it the characteristic vanilla flavor, the pungency of rye (rather than the fullness of wheat whiskey) and the proof range of spirits from 115 to 122. Filibuster uses all the local grains from a long-time farmer in Virginia to complete a series of cycles: “His grandfather started farming by borrowing money from a bootlegger,” said Sid Dilawri, who runs the winery with his brother and father. Filibuster bottled this bourbon directly from the barrel, ready to be used in glasses, ice cubes and fireplaces.
Tiffanie Barriere is now an independent bartender and bartender after serving as the beverage director of the beloved Atlanta Airport restaurant One Flew South for 7 years. When judging and evaluating the range from whiskey to kombucha, she relies on her expertise as a drinking coach. "The diversity of these products represents the future of the South," Barriere said. Where is the winner? "Wonderbird Spirits offers courses on the history of gin and bottle distillation. I want it in my home now."
Black acacia honey Louisburg, West Virginia | US$13-16; abchoney.org
Stunning forest honey from Pioneer Bee Farm benefits the landscape and the community
The West Virginia non-profit organization Appalachian Sources debuted in 2016 to help restore ecosystems damaged by coal mining on the top of the mountain. When replanting hundreds of thousands of trees in the scarred landscape, the organization was told that introducing pollinators to speed up reforestation might help, which sparked discussions with professional beekeepers. "We later learned that we don't really need beekeepers," said Kate Asquith, the organization's director of projects and outreach. "There are already many local pollinators."
Nevertheless, it turns out that training locals to beekeeping has other benefits—mainly allowing landowners to earn meaningful additional income—and the Appalachian beekeeping collective was born. "The purpose of the program is to make people more than just hobby beekeepers," Asquith said. Since 2017, the number of beekeepers has increased to more than 100, and beehives are distributed in 17 counties in West Virginia and 5 counties in southwestern Virginia. The cooperative provides beehives, bees and mentors free of charge. At the end of the season, beekeepers sell their honey to non-profit organizations, which in turn provide it to the public.
But this honey may be different from other honeys you have tasted: more unique and richer. "This is largely a forest-based honey," Asquith explained, as opposed to the more common wildflower honey. The characteristics of the flagship Appalachian honey and tulip poplar and sour wood varieties vary according to the flowering time of each tree. Our favorite? Black locust, with a touch of vanilla and a touch of mint. As this year’s food judge Andrew Zimmern pointed out, it is not so much tea honey as it is a special honey that you would be happy to coat a thick layer on your biscuits.
Buttermilk pancake and waffle mix evergreen, South Carolina | $6; altmanfarm.com
Will Altman started farming outside of Florence, South Carolina about ten years ago. His idea was pork and beef raised on the ranch. Four years ago, he switched to growing cereals. "I want a product that won't run away," he said. His transformation is not without obstacles. "The first year the hurricane destroyed the entire crop, the second year was a drought, and the third year we had a flood," Altman said. Fortunately, his luck has improved. His stone-ground grits and corn flour quickly attracted attention, and he began to expand his planting and grinding operations to "make quick and easy-to-use mixtures," he said. His products include: extraordinary pancakes and waffle mixes made with Henry Moore's yellow corn. The heirloom variety—a southern staple for a century and a half—enhanced fluffy pancakes and waffles with crisp edges, with a slight nutty flavor and subtle crunchy texture.
Baltimore, Maryland Hot Sauce | $33 for a trio; h3irloom.com
In early 2020, David Thomas left Ida B's Table, an acclaimed modern soul gourmet restaurant opened in Baltimore with his wife and business partner Tonya. The couple then set off for a gastronomic tour of West Africa. They visited Senegambia, met with chefs, tasted local cuisine, and expanded their tastes. When Thomas returned home, he began to make sauces according to their favorite taste. "I want to bring back something that is meaningful not only to who we are, but also to the people we serve," he said. Through their culinary education and catering company H3irloom Food Group, which they co-operate with Maesner Group partners Linda and Floyd Taliaferro IV, Thomases launched three sauces last summer, including Sosu, their wonderfully spicy and complex "West African -Inspired Peppa sauce.” Although Africa may have inspired it, Thomas uses local ingredients as much as possible. "Everything we do," he said, "we all want to tell a story."
Country Ham Chapel Hill, North Carolina | $20 per pack; Ladyedisonpork.com
You might think that Mrs. Edison’s particularly fancy country ham was a ham that went to Europe for a semester and learned some new words without losing his accent. The miracle of slicing comes from the efforts of Sam Sukhov, the owner of the Pig at Chapel Hill’s Whole Pig Grill. Sukhov’s secret: A traditional pig breed (a blend of Berkshire, Chester White, and Duroc) is raised by an independent farmers’ cooperative that has a shared commitment to tradition. Most meat that is not delivered to Pig will be smoked by people in the Goodnight Brothers smokehouse, which has been an institution in North Carolina since 1948. "Some people say that Mrs. Edison is not country ham because it is not salty enough," Sukhov said. "Salt exists, but it is not aggressive." The ham is not smoked either. But the delicate, delicate meat and its rich umami will keep your taste buds dancing.
Andrew Zimmern, TV personality and writer chef, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Andrew Zimmern has four James Beard Awards, an Emmy Award and several books. He also respected southern food very much, and when judging this category, Zimmern found many things to appreciate, including country ham and waffle mix. The winning honey is not only amazingly delicious, but also has a powerful story: "Look at what it says about our natural world, our pollinators, returning funds to the community, and the community itself," he said. "What could be more southern than the idea of the community?"
Austin Lights, Texas | $2,470; Humphries
A floor lamp inspired by the mountains of Texas
John Humphreys grew up in El Campo, Texas and wanted to be a pilot. In high school, his teacher tried to tell him that he was a poet. It turns out that the career path he embarked on-designing and constructing buildings, furniture and spaces inspired by the Lone Star State-combined his mechanical and artistic talents. He founded Humphreys Studio with a chair of the same name adapted from a South African camp chair in the 1800s. Then, in 2017, his friend and tinker Skye Witherspoon proposed to him the idea of reimagining the chair design as a floor lamp. "We use the same bolts and the same wood," Humphries said. "It has the same strong presence."
The approximately 6-foot-tall Skye lamp is fixed by a concrete base and features a half-moon lampshade made of American canvas, but the real star is its pillar and cantilever, made of honey-colored pecan salvaged from a family factory in Han Near Freys' Austin Studio. "We use all wood recovered from naturally dead trees," he said. "I'm fascinated by pecans — I do everything with it." For Humphreys, the clean lines of wood help achieve the aesthetic he pursues: rustic and modern, and effortlessly cool. This light fits seamlessly into any room: next to the bookshelf in the mahogany study, above the rocking chair in an eclectic hut in Tennessee, or a glass of bourbon on the home’s airy Texas ranch.
Dog Bed South Pine, North Carolina | $255-355; Hunterhandmadeus.com
In Mary Knudson's house, her two Westies, Windsor and Willow, have always been treated as family members, so naturally, Knudson, a lifelong seamstress, provides as much support and comfort as possible when making bedding. "When I move to North Carolina, my new neighbor will ask me to make curtains, pillows and duvets," she said. "As a little thanks to their business, I started to use extra fabrics and made a dog bed for them that coordinated with the room." Soon, this was all that anyone asked her for. With the help of veterinarian friends and dog trainers, through trial and error, Knudsen landed on a two-layer core made of orthopedic and memory foam, and can choose to add an additional layer of blue cooling foam to help the puppies stay comfortable Summer is hot. Interchangeable covers made of indoor and outdoor fabrics from textile companies Sunbrella and Bella-Dura are customizable, durable, and-not to be underestimated-machine washable.
Chef's Knives Bay Minette, Alabama | 200-400 USD; chathamknives.bigcartel.com
Although he spent a lot of time forging his knives with hammers and anvils, Mike Chatham has become accustomed to thinking that he was found in an attic. "I understand," he said. “The heat treatment and fixing methods in the forging process are the same as 200 years ago.” His historical methods include purchasing high-carbon steel from the wheel bearings of sawmills or old Peterbilt tractors, sometimes for a century. The raw materials come from the cherry trees of his Mississippi manor, Jack Daniel's whiskey barrel or the local white-tailed deer antlers. He then hand-forged the recovered steel into an ultra-sharp blade, and then fixed it to a handle with an ideal weight. "I started making knives because I couldn't find anything that could keep as sharp as I wanted," Chatham said. "But recently I asked a client if she liked her knife. She told me that she had it on her magnet board. She just likes to look at it because it is so beautiful."
Johns Island, South Carolina | Fabric starts at $118; emilydawstextiles.com
When Emily Daws started designing a new fabric collection, inspiration and intention were the primary considerations. Not only did she draw inspiration from the waterside walks near her home and studio in Charleston, but she also envisioned the final destination of this fabric: layered curtains in a seaside living room, and folded into Roman blinds over sunny windows. , Or make a bed with a pillow. "My background is sewing," Daws said, "so I understand how fabrics match each other." For example, her latest collection of Waterways includes the Salt Marsh pattern, which is a simple, sinuous S shape that mimics her neighborhood. Brook. She also makes smaller-scale patterns, such as river mouths. "This is a kind of interpretation of oyster shell terrazzo, which reads like a texture," she said. Daws outlines each new pattern by hand, then digitally converts it into the final repeating configuration, and then prints it on Belgian linen in her signature soft blue, gray, green, and other neutral colors in the yard .
Keith Smythe Meacham Co-founder, Reed Smythe & Company, Nashville, Tennessee
Keith Smythe Meacham and the late Garden & Gun special editor Julia Reed co-founded Reed Smythe & Company to produce home and garden products in collaboration with southern craftsmen. As a judge of the Ministry of the Interior, Micham said, “It’s great to see all kinds of talents and creativity working in the South.” She explained that the winning lamp “has high and low quality, allowing it to be harmonious in an ultra-modern space. It lives in a land, but it also makes it feel at home between antique furniture and tattered chintz."
Notebook Washington, DC | 24-34 USD; designated company
This series of notebooks and planners celebrate the joy of handwriting
"When you finish a notebook, you have this sense of accomplishment," said Suann Song, founder and CEO of Appointed, a Washington, DC-based company that produces high-end everyday paper products. "There may be graffiti and coffee spilled. All life is something you can't replicate in the Notes app on your phone."
As a lifelong "paper nerd", Song remembers that when she was a child, she was intoxicated when she saw the quality of Japanese and Korean stationery for the first time in the Asian market. Later, when she was a graphic designer in her twenties and thirties, she hoped she had simple, simple, Elegant, American-made products are at your fingertips. "In 2014, I said to my husband,'If I don't do this idea now, I will never do it.'" She went on to create the prototype of her iconic product-Appointed Notebook, with a cotton blend cover, yellow Copper binding and smooth text weight recycled paper, with lining, grid or blank; in addition, you can also choose a cover letter combination. When she launched a Kickstarter campaign in 2015, she not only received the funds to start production, but also cultivated a group of fanatical and loyal paper book fans in the process.
This fall, Song expanded Appointed's office to a 10,000-square-foot flagship store in front of the Notebook Bar, where visitors can fill in letterpress cards with their favorite notebook cover colors, lining styles and monograms. "Their selection will go into production immediately. After 15 minutes, they will have a custom notebook, hand-bound and packaged outside the large glass wall, where they can see and smell all the paper."
Woodware Asheville, North Carolina | 30-250 USD; Spoon Net
Ten years ago, Anneliesse Gormley moved from her hometown of Lexington, Kentucky to Asheville, ready to blaze her own path if she could figure out where to start. "I want to try everything, whether it's playing a banjo, becoming a runner, or becoming a bourbon expert," she said. Then her grandmother came with a box of heirlooms with a wooden spoon in it. The family can be traced back to their Native American ancestors. "I realized that functional things can be so beautiful," Gormley said. "I bought a small hook knife and tried to carve. This is the first hat I wore that fits perfectly." Gormley is now working with the timber and salvage network in western North Carolina to look for cherries, walnuts and maple. She carved it into casual and elegant mixing spoons, serving sets and coffee spoons. "Working with materials that may be thrown away has become the joy of my life," she said.
Desktop Calendar Savannah, Georgia | $26; Dear Lemon.com
When a young Georgian man wanted to win the heart of Ksenia Phillips, he drew her a note with some stick figures on it. She is a Russian-born artist who studied graphic design in Atlanta. She uses watercolor paintings of radishes and carrots, whose roots are intertwined into a heart shape. The couple eventually got married, and during their daughter’s baby shower, Phillips received a gentle etiquette course on Southern art from her mother-in-law about thank-you letters—an education that led to the birth of her cheerful line Darling Lemon Stationery. Now, Phillips makes note cards based on her hand-painted scenes of hummingbirds, flowers, blue crabs and butterflies at her home on Skidaway Island. Recently, she designed a fascinating botanical desk calendar as an ode to her favorite indoor plants, including figs that she has been caring for since Atlanta times. Elegant organic shapes bloom on luxurious thick paper, and then slide into custom arched supports made by Savannah's Shibui-Ceramics.
Unisex Fragrances Charlotte, North Carolina | USD 24-114; julesandvetiver.com
"My father was a chemist, but I was not good at chemistry when I was growing up-I never knew it could be applied in this way," said Charlotte perfumer Katrina Sellers. Three years ago, she quit the company's marketing job and founded her own perfume company Jules & Vetiver, with the goal of producing perfumes with ethical ingredients—mixed with no confidential and vague marketing slogans. "All of my fragrances are unisex, all of their ingredients are listed, and the names are very simple-there is no Rugged Man Saddle or Vanilla Sugar Kitten," she said. Take Hemingway's H813 as an example: "I did this with the fewest things, much like his writing style: tobacco for pipes, lime for mojito." The seller also provides top notes, middle notes and base notes. Set, so anyone can design their own scent, and Jules & Vetiver will mix it and ship it directly to his or her home.
Jonathan Morris Entrepreneur, hotelier and TV presenter, Fort Worth, Texas
"You can feel the core of these products," said Jonathan Morris, the Texas entrepreneur behind the Fort Worth Barbershop, Hotel Dryce, and the Magnolia Network show Self Employed. After judging this year’s crafts category, Morris started using Appointed’s one of the planners himself: “It is now part of my daily life. I firmly believe in the power of writing down ideas. This is a project that grows with you throughout the year. The product."
Jewelry Charleston, South Carolina | 95-195 USD; Salted Fish Net
With the help of nature, new jewelry collections take off
From Bill Murray and Don Cheadle to Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Cam Newton, everyone is a fan of Brackish's iconic feather layered bow tie. In the ten years since Ben Ross and Jeff Plotner co-founded the brand, many women, including Blake Lively and Lena Waithe, have worn the brand’s eye-catching ties with composure (the tie originated as a handmade gift from Ross’s best man) But the pair always imagined a wider collection of feather jewelry, inspired by the women in their lives. "Because this series will reflect our grandmothers, mothers, sisters, cousins, nieces-we really want to do it right," Rose said. It took them three years to repair the prototype before they were satisfied that the original cuff and earring series met Brackish's quality and style standards. "All the credit goes to our craftsmen," Plotner said.
Two years after its launch, the jewelry collection now includes more than fifty day and night designs. Like the company's original bow tie, this series showcases the brilliant natural colors and patterns of sustainably sourced pheasant, peacock, partridge, quail, and guinea fowl feathers. It also introduces bright hand-dyed goose feathers, allowing craftsmen to play with colors. Trend and seasonal operation. "Nature has shown us the way," Ross said. "We have always been loyal to this, but we are constantly trying to evolve." Salted Fish Net
Timepiece Richmond, Virginia | $225-235; handlewatches.com
Jay Carpenter, who calls himself a classic watch lover, admits that even he owns an Apple Watch. "They let our generation wear things on their wrists again-and notice other kinds of watches for the first time," he said. The renewed interest in analog timepieces inspired Carpenter, and he was willing to bet that he was not the only one who was tired of the constant e-mails and buzzing on his wrist. As an athlete, he envisioned a modern chronograph with modern performance at a reasonable price. When he couldn't find it, he started to make it and launched the Handley watch in early 2020. Handley's 15 unisex styles are assembled in Richmond, each is waterproof, and equipped with sapphire crystal face, surgical grade stainless steel, Japanese and Swiss quartz movement and lightweight waterproof silicone strap.
Pajamas Miami, Florida | US$300-600; Campocollection.com
“I’m passionate about pajamas,” said Cinthia Boni Cordioli, the Brazilian-born and Miami-based founder of Campo Collection, a luxury and sustainable pajama collection. "In Brazil, people wear pajamas; they wear pajamas. You will never sleep in a T-shirt." With decades of experience-Cordioli worked for Marc Jacobs and Giorgio Armani, as well as small start-ups and other companies in Brazil- Campo Collection avoids seasons and trends to minimize waste, instead choosing timeless, beautifully crafted clothing. "If you invest in a piece of the Campo Collection, it will not be out of date," Cordioli said. "It is designed to be something you can own for a long time." The brand's minimalist nightgowns, robes, gowns and pajama sets (men, women and children) are also chemical-free, and are made of natural fibers such as organic cotton by a local tailoring team Small batch production. They are also versatile enough to be worn outside the bedroom-to the beach, on a boat, or even out to eat.
Womenswear Atlanta, Georgia | US$200-485; meganhuntz.com
Studying the patterns of the clothes carefully with my mother, the fashion designer Megan Huntz (Megan Huntz) learned a lot about craftsmanship. "Before I was about thirteen years old, my mother made all the special occasion dresses for me," she said. But in ten years in Italy, Huntz obtained a master's degree in fashion design, which allowed her to learn fashion. "There is a phrase or proverb in Italy,'fare la bella figura', which literally means'make a good figure', but what it really means is to make a good display-put together and dress appropriately," Hunts said She cited her time in that country as the inspiration for her eponymous series of chic, well-tailored dresses and pieces. The collection is centered on sustainability and sewn in Atlanta, where low-impact materials such as linen and silk have become classic wardrobe staples, with a multi-generational appeal: pleated pants, shirt dresses, button shirts and shirts .
Founder of Rae Liu and David Liu, Leather Science, Dallas, Texas
Brothers and sisters of Rae and David Liu left the careers of Alexander Wang and Google, respectively, to take the helm of Leatherology, an affordable, customizable luxury leather goods brand headquartered in Dallas. Rae explained that as the judges of Style, they are looking for "quality craftsmanship with a powerful sound and background story." The winner achieved these points. "Bitter water has this tactile element," David said. "Although each piece feels unique, they form a cohesive series."
Dove Decoy Havre de Grace, Maryland | US$120; charlesjobesdecoys.com
A Chesapeake Bay carver recreated the art of hand-carving bait-just as his father taught him
When hunting pigeons in the 1970s and 1980s, Charles Jobes and his father would erect an 8-foot-tall cross column in a cornfield in Maryland and place three hand-carved woods on makeshift trees. Make pigeon bait. Jobs said: "In addition to shooting ducks and geese, pigeon hunting is my second favorite thing to do." He must complete three tasks at the same time: his father is Captain Harry R. Jobes, he is a legendary Chesa Pique Bay duck decoy carver, worked for the more famous R. Madison Mitchell (who also happens to be the godfather of Jobes).
Today, in his own decoy shop in Harvard De Grace, Maryland, Jobs carves geese, swans and ducks for collectors and hunters, but the mourning dove that requires hand-carving "really brings me back in time," he said . "My father carved them into hundreds. I use his pattern and I try not to change anything."
The pigeon bait is made of western red cedar and occasional white pine. It is smaller than most of his other works and easier to turn on the lathe, but this painting is the hardest part. "It's not like painting a black and white canvas back," he said, wearing his brisk Chesapeake Bay brogues. "You first put down the body color, aqua blue, then the peach color of the breast. Then the burnt tan feathers and the dot painting on the breast. I like to paint pigeons because the more you paint, the more it looks Good." A hand-made head and a beak made from the tip of a tenpence nail complete the trick.
Flats Boat Cape Canaveral, Florida | USD 59,000-85,000; willyflatsboats.com
The grandfather of the modern technology pole dinghy is still an important competitor on the ground-and a serious brainstorm. "I told the client to plan for this," Mike Williams, owner of Willy Roberts Boats, said with a smile. "When they stop to refuel, they need an extra half an hour, because people always want to talk about dinghy. When you pull the car on the interstate, people will honked their horns, zoomed in to your side, and flashed OK. Logo. It’s crazy, but it’s happening all the time.” It’s easy to understand. The late Willie Roberts designed and built one of the first flat-bottomed boats in Islamorada in 1959-some say the earliest. The company builds its versions based on Roberts' original molds, one at a time, and using modern composite materials and technology, they can include large swaths of gleaming wood. (Generate depends on your budget.) The Classic 20 can handle larger chopping waves like a bay boat, but can be designed to float 6 inches thin on the water.
Paring knife Leland, North Carolina | US$200-350; nicholasnicholsknives.com
Nicholas Nichols' paring knife uses a 3¾ inch blade made of Nitro-V steel and a sharp tip, which is perfect for cleaning pigeons, quails and ducks. "It's a laser," Nichols said, whose resume includes formal cooking training and the historical TV series "Fire Forge". For the knife handle, Nichols used the recycled teak deck on the USS North Carolina, the decorated World War II warship docked just a mile from his home. He actually obtained a lot of legendary wood: he processed materials from the University of Alabama Bryant-Denny Stadium, the now demolished Atlanta Fulton County Stadium, and the University of Georgia Olemis Sports Center. Virginia and even Baylor University won the 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Final Four. He also used church benches, wedding pavilions and precious farm trees to make handles. "The kitchen knife is the most commonly used knife you will own," he said, "so why not have a knife that is meaningful to you?"
Fly Rod Swansboro, North Carolina | $695; mauserflyfishing.com
John Mauser has been an aquarium enthusiast for 16 years at the North Carolina Aquarium on Pinehill Coast. He has been a fishing guide for ten years and a fishing rod maker for six years. This man knew fish from the inside out, and his fishing rod showed this. These are bars produced in small batches, manufactured with a proprietary bar taper. Except for the Portuguese cork handles, each part is made in the United States, and Mauser and a few close friends manually assemble, wrap, install and complete each rod in a small Swansboro. Nowadays, there are many super-specializations in fly rod design, but Mauser and the company are producing fishing rods that people use to fish. The fishing rod shown in the picture is a Waterman 590 5 weight with usable combat docking and full well grip, "bridges the gap between a standard 4-weight trout fishing rod and a larger streamer fishing rod," he said. "This is a versatile hybrid. You can use it to throw Woolly Buggers at mountain trout, popcorn at sea bream, or clousers at spotted trout in the Chesapeake Bay." Mauser Fly Rod is divided into Three series, from 3 to 12 weight; Waterman is the top product.
T. Edward Nickens Garden & Gun contributing editor and author, Raleigh, North Carolina
The avid athlete and 11 outdoor activity judge T. Edward Nickens has published many outdoor guides and books, the most recent one is a collection of essays "The Last Wild Road". In this year's category, "I was shocked by the peculiarities of the locations reflected by these objects," he said. "In many cases, this is a complete expression of the manufacturer's birthplace." Among the winners, the Knicks paid tribute to "a man who has worked with his hands since he was a child. Layers of paint have brought these pigeons back to life."
Original Muck Boot Company launched a series of super practical styles to create lifelong outdoor boots
Inside the White House. Socialite. Best-selling author. Pioneer anchor. A passionate love with Willie Morris. Barbara Howar of North Carolina did it all, living a life most of us can only imagine, and then finally put our fingers in the spotlight. We have found a great-but largely overlooked-southern heroine
The vast number of paintings by the unknown Louisiana artist led the author on a journey that lasted several years to fill in the details of her unconventional life-and understand why her work attracted him and would not let go
Mainly the area of foragers, most of the largest edible fruits in the south have been forgotten. A quiet and obsessed Quaker from West Virginia made it his life's mission to change this situation
Even Kelly Fields will bring out a box of Jiffy from time to time. This is how she turns what she buys into her own
G&G contributors, editors and Southern book lovers share new and used books to be read this year-and some upcoming books are already in reservation
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