The Byron Herbert Reece Society

On June 13th, lucky visitors to the Byron Herbert Reece Farm & Heritage Center had a chance to sample more than a dozen different cornbread recipes prepared by some great mountain cooks.  The cornbread was accompanied by other favorites – soup beans, green onions, butter, loganberry tea, and buttermilk punch.

Diners were able to eat next to the creek or in the pavilion decorated with spectacular examples of creatively crafted planters for summer, plus plants and garden books available for sale to help create garden masterpieces at home.   Master Gardner, Shirley Cole, demonstrated how to create them using “thrillers, spillers, and fillers.”  Six lucky visitors took home one of Shirley’s beautiful planters as a door prize for the event.

After the garden demonstration and cornbread tasting, Women of Heart provided a beautiful concert of native Cherokee stories and music.  It was a magical day!  Check out the photos below.

Make plans now to visit and share a day with your family and friends at the Reece Farm at one of our special events.

Thank you Ms. Carlson. We hope to see you again soon!

I have had the delight and privilege of visiting several of the Land Grant universities and have seen quite a few educational displays attempting to connect today’s suburban residents to their agricultural roots.  The artists and educators connected with the Reece Farm have done an exceptional job in illustrating the life that was common to almost all rural folks in the first half of the last century.  The displays are approachable, understandable and present a fair balance of the challenges of rural life and how those challenges were met day in and day out with hard work.  School and adult groups will benefit for many years to come.  Today, spinning, weaving, crochet and knitting skills are relegated to the “Arts and Crafts” category, but in those days, these winter and lamplight skills were taught early and considered a responsibility as well as artistic expression.  Thank you for recognizing this aspect of that era.  Mr. Reece’s personal items also lend insight to his quiet and too short life.

 How fitting that his words are inscribed in the pillars arranged on the farm’s grounds, within the sound of Wolf Creek and the shadow of Georgia’s beloved mountains. Please give my regards to the planners and architects of such a welcoming and peaceful site.

Becky Carlson

The weather, the annual reports, the camaraderie, the food, the organ music, the keynote speaker – all combined favorably to make the 11^th meeting of the Reece Society an occasion for rejoicing and remembering.

Especially was this true of the speaker.  Terry Reece’s presentation informed and entertained in a manner that brought sheer delight to the 100 plus audience.  With stories about his relationship with his uncle and reflections about the times in which Byron Reece lived, along with recitations of Reece poems and musical support, Terry introduced his hearers to dimensions of the writer’s personality and character that only someone who knew Reece could reveal.

Following another delicious luncheon provided by Sodexo of Young Harris College, a number of attendees visited the Welcome Center gift shop and museum and made their way through the exhibits area.  Friendships old and new were kindled through lively conversation and personal sharing.

All in all, it was a grand day of celebration, leading many present to declare this annual meeting to be the best we have had thus far.

Next year’s annual meeting will be held on Saturday, May 30^th.  Reserve this date on your calendar and plan to participate.

The winners of the Bettie Sellers Poetry Contest were announced at the Annual Meeting of the membership of the Byron Herbert Reece Society on May 31, 2014. They are:

WINNER: “Wheelchair on the Beach” – Eric Nelson, Statesboro, GA

NOTABLES: “A Privy on the Appalachian Trail” – Christopher Martin, Acworth, GA

“Bacopa” – Anna Scotti, Burbank, CA

“The Dance Instructor” – Ronnie Hess, Madison, WI

“After the Last Visitor Leaves” – KB Ballentine, Signal Mountain, TN

The winning poems are posted here.

Gift ideas

Gift ideas

Gift ideas

It’s gifting season – birthdays, weddings, a belated Mother’s Day….The Gift Shop at the Reece Farm is full of great ideas. Come visit!