LOCAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE EDITION MARCH 2010 COUNT ME IN! BUILDING SAND CASTLES SEEDSSEEDS ofof CHANGECHANGE FARMER FINDS NICHE March 2010 VOLUME 67 NUMBER 9 FEATURES 6 Count Me In! By Staci Semrad 2010 census data will determine how more than $400 billion per year in federal funding is distrib- uted to local and state governments. 10 Seeds of Change FARMER FINDS NICHE Story and Photos by Jody Horton Part two in our three-part series about Texas farm families 16 Sand Dollars By Eileen Mattei Photos by Brad Doherty Sand Castle Days on South Padre Island and Texas SandFest in Port 10 Aransas lure champion sand sculp- tors from across the United States. FAVORITES Footnotes by Clay Coppedge Moses Rose 31 Recipe Roundup A Guide to Cooking Greener 32 Focus on Texas Backyard Gardens 43 Around Texas Local Events Listings 44 31Hit the Road by Camille Wheeler El Camino del Rio 46 31 32 46 16 TEXAS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Darren Schauer, Chair, Gonzales; Kendall Montgomery, Vice Chair, Olney; Rick Haile, Secretary-Treasurer, McGregor; Steve Louder, Hereford; Billy Marricle, Bellville; Mark Stubbs, Greenville; Larry Warren, San Augustine PRESIDENT/CEO: Mike Williams, Austin Texas Co-op Power is published by your STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS ADVISORY COMMITTEE: Bill Harbin, Chair, Floydada; Gary Nietsche, La Grange; electric cooperative to enhance the qual- Roy Griffin, Edna; Bryan Lightfoot, Bartlett; Melody Pinnell, Crockett; Anne Vaden, Corinth; William “Buff” Whitten, Eldorado ity of life of its member-customers in an COMMUNICATIONS STAFF: Martin Bevins, Sales Director; Carol Moczygemba, Executive Editor; Kaye Northcott, Editor; Charles Boisseau, Associate Editor; Suzi Sands, Art Director; Karen Nejtek, Production Manager; Ashley Clary, Field Editor; Andy educational and entertaining format. Doughty, Production Designer; Sandra Forston, Communications Assistant; Kevin Hargis, Food Editor; Camille Wheeler, Staff Writer; Rachel Frey, Intern COVER PHOTO Cliff Bingham with an organic peanut plant from his farm by Jody Horton March 2010 TEXAS CO-OP POWER 3 cherry cobbler. This was in the late ’50s letters and early ’60s when my sister and I were entering our teen years, and we thought those SOLD ON TEXAS guys were so handsome. I was CO-OP POWER especially smitten by one, We are fairly new residents in POWERTALK Kermit Smith. I have often Austin County. We love your thought of those days, of magazine. Guests in our home Kermit and of where he is always pick it up and peruse it. cold spell. issues resulting in her mov- today. Thanks for the trip Now we leave copies in the Thanks to great service, ing into my home for daily down memory lane. guest room for their reading my electricity cut on again living assistance. Along with JANE WADDELL ROSAMOND enjoyment. Texas Monthly could at 1:50 p.m. Then the phone my mom came her forwarded Bandera and Nueces learn something from you! rang. It was Bryan calling mail. Much to my surprise, electric cooperatives TERRI SMITH to make sure I was back in I discovered your magazine San Bernard Electric Cooperative power. in her mail. The recipes are MOVIE IN WORKS It was funny that on wonderful. I have tried sev- The article and cover photo on LINEMAN TO THE RESCUE December 28 I got an ad from eral of them with each one the Mighty Mites were wonder- On December 24 at 11:30 a.m., another electric company being outstanding. They have ful. The story is currently in the my power went off. This was wanting me to change serv- renewed my joy of cooking process of being made into a right in the middle of what the ice. All I could think was again. movie (see www.12mighty weatherman called a 50-year NEVER, NEVER would I want I would like to make one orphans.com), and we are snowstorm. I called lineman another electric service. request of your publishers: posting the latest news that Bryan McKee because the PATRICK SMITH It would be wonderful for the we can announce there. Stay J-A-C Electric Cooperative J-A-C Electric Cooperative recipe pages to be printed on tuned for the rest of the story. office was closed for Christmas, one side only. This would ANN MORTON and his number was listed as RECIPES REQUEST allow your readers to cut out Director of Communications, on call. I explained my problem Recently, my mom experi- the recipes for proper filing 12 Productions and tried to get ready for a enced some severe health and future use. LU DANIEL STAY AWAY FROM Sam Houston Electric CONTROVERSY Cooperative I, and many folks I’ve spoken to, are extremely disappointed Editor’s note: We try not to that you would publish such INQUIRING print recipes on the reverse a one-sided article in the side of a page, but if there December 2009 issue on the MINDS are three pages of recipes, Rio Grande border fence this is not always possible. (“Borderline: When It Comes to the Texas/Mexico Wall, No MIGHTY CUTE MITES One’s Sitting on the Fence”). The watermelon that Reading the story about the OUR government has chosen farmer Shelby Mighty Mites football team to erect the border fence for Johnson hoisted on by Jim Dent in the December OUR protection, both physical the cover of the 2009 issue (“The Mighty and economic. Although some January 2010 issue Mites: The Orphans Who disagree with parts or even all weighed 135 pounds. Could”) brought back many of it, it isn’t the mission of OUR The guys who hang fine childhood memories. I magazine to blatantly attack or out at a feed store in grew up in the Poly area of downgrade every aspect of this Bartlett Electric Fort Worth, and my father, effort. Cooperative territory John Waddell, worked at the AL SCHWERMAN were especially inter- Masonic Orphans Home for a Pedernales Electric Cooperative ested in its weight. while. On many Sundays, my We suspect there dad would go over to the was some wagering home and pick up some of We want to hear from our readers. Send going on. the boys, many of whom letters to: Editor, Texas Co-op Power, 1122 —Kaye Northcott, played football, and bring Colorado, 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701, or e-mail us at [email protected]. Please in- Editor them over to our house for clude the name of your town and electric co- a meal. My mother usually op. Letters may be edited for clarity and length and will be printed as space allows. Read addi- made fried chicken and tional letters at www.texascooppower.com. 4 TEXAS CO-OP POWER March 2010 HAPPENINGS Let it blow, let it blow, let it blow March 7 at the ZILKER PARK KITE FESTIVAL in Austin. With spring just a strong breeze away, spirits will soar as high as the thousands of kites filling the sky. Contest categories include highest angle (flying directly overhead), steadiest flying, strongest pulling, most unusual, and smallest and largest kites. Anyone flying a home- made kite may compete. Admission is free, and leashed dogs are welcome. For more information, call (512) 448-5483 or go to www.zilker kitefestival.com. THE AGGRESSIVE AGARITA Agarita is preceded only by mistletoe in the annual blooming cycle of bee plants in Texas. Its flowers are also unusual in having The encyclopedic Handbook of stamens with touch-sensitive Texas, published by the Texas bases, which, when triggered, State Historical Association, strike the nectar-seeking bee on now runs to six volumes. But JOSEPH A. MARCUS/LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER the head, covering it with pollen. topics from Texas history to —Matt Warnock Turner, Remarkable culture are easily searchable Plants of Texas: Uncommon online. Just go to www.tsha Accounts of Our Common Natives, online.org/handbook/online. University of Texas Press, 2009 Texas Co-op Power (USPS 540-560) is pub- lished monthly by Texas Electric Cooperatives Calories to Kilowatts (TEC). Periodical Postage Paid at Austin, TX and at additional offices. TEC is the statewide association representing 74 electric coopera- Texas State University in San Marcos lays claim Texas State officials hope the project will tives. Texas Co-op Power’s website is www to having the “largest human power plant in the encourage students to become more energy effi- .texascooppower.com. Call (512) 454-0311 or e-mail [email protected]. world.” The university has retrofitted 30 ellipti- cient. A university news release states, “We Subscription price is $3.84 per year for individ- cal machines in the student recreation center to want the Texas State community to gain a better ual members of subscribing cooperatives. If you are not a member of a subscribing cooperative, convert human exercise into electricity that is understanding of how much energy it takes to you can purchase an annual subscription at the nonmember rate of $7.50. Individual copies and fed to the campus’ power grid. The technology power simple devices we use on a regular basis.” back issues are available for $3 each. sold by ReRev, a Florida-based company, cap- POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Texas Co-op Power (USPS 540-560), 1122 Colorado, tures the kinetic energy of aerobic exercise, 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701. Please enclose label from this copy of Texas Co-op Power converts it to direct current and then into showing old address and key numbers. alternating current, the kind used in ADVERTISING: Advertisers interested in buying display ad space in Texas Co-op Power and/or businesses and homes. in our 30 sister publications in other states, According to the company, a typical contact Martin Bevins at (512) 486-6249.