Used to be a Farm, now It's a Damn Zoo

Chapter 12

Llama

To be a regional attraction a market needs attractions, Carol continues to believe in quality foods. The Parker Homestead has become a success even if it isn’t the Parker homestead. Madison and Karen each come to love the zoo or maybe the attractions.

We got the Real Thang

Join the Celebration

That’s the Real Thang -

Hot Sauce Universe – Real Thang

Used to be a Farm, now it's a damn zoo

““Let’s go over to what most people call Parker’s these days. I’m going to stop and point out the Hayes place.”

“It’s a different farm?”

“No Madison, it was my grandmother’s family farm. It has been part of the Parker family for a hundred years. No one ever calls a place by the current owner. It is always the ‘Old Smith Place’ or whatever. The family called it the Hayes Place, so I do too. I always refer to the Hayes Pond, even though everyone else calls it Parker Lake.”

“There’s a lake, do you fish?”

“I wouldn’t want to catch a fish; I prefer to leave them alone.”

“Did these orchards used to be corn and soybeans?”

“I approached Max and Dad rather carefully for the first field. It was only three acres. It was more a nuisance to farm than a profit. I convinced them to convert to an orchard. We had trouble with deer, but after a couple of years it was producing revenues, which was always questionable when in row crop. “

“What harms orchards besides deer?”

“Frost is always a threat. There are various insects and diseases. I try to balance chemical control with natural approaches. New genetics can help. We sometimes can have chemical drift from a neighboring farm. It is a big investment and the returns are slow, but over time I have converted all the odd shaped fields to orchards and vegetables."

“Are there still cows? I remember seeing cows when I was a kid.”

“We still have cows in a pasture. Two of the larger fields we rotate between, oats, hay, and sweet corn. We actually have a market for small bales of hay and straw at Parker’s Pioneer Homestead. Ruth thinks we should obtain an old mill and do steel cut oats, since that is popular, now. I’ve asked her, what would her horses eat, if we sold oats to humans?” Aunt Carol backed the pickup onto the road, and we headed down to Parker Pioneer Homestead.

Madison asked, “Wasn’t where I sketched the barn the Parker Pioneer Homestead?”

“Yes, it was. Our main attraction was the Davidson Homestead. The family lived reclusively and had been here since the first settlers. They hadn’t changed much, then the last heir died. The real farm families were eager to buy it and bulldoze the old buildings and trees. It was quaint. Parker Produce and Fruit decided to buy it and make it our main on the farm market center. We were incorporated then, which came with purchasing a canning and freezing plant. Those expansions had paid off and we were in a position to buy the Davidson place. It has a historic preservation feel and is actually closer to the main highway.”

“You have a canning and freezing operation?”

“Yes Madison, it is a major part of the business. I started canning jam and making freezer jam at home. I used the summer kitchen for canning just as Grace did. It got me through the Winter and Spring. Health department regulations are strict when you sell to the public. I was using the freezer storage at the local butcher plant when they wanted to sell it. They closed the grade school in Franklin. It had a health department approved kitchen. It was a good start on meeting the commercial food safety standards and getting our brand into a few good restaurants and a grocery chain. Eventually we outgrew our Franklin locations and now have facilities in New Harmony. We still have operations in Franklin, part of a more personalized Farm-to-Table service with direct online connections.”

“Now the Parker Homestead is not actually the Parker Homestead?”

“I have to deal with a board of sorts now. We are not a public company, but we do meet incorporation regulations. I was against calling it Parker’s Pioneer Homestead, but the others felt it would be too confusing not to promote the name we were already known by. History gives way to legend, I guess. Are you familiar with Liberty Valance? "

Madison and I both answered with lost expressions.

“It was an old Western movie, the main programming for late night or Saturday afternoon when I was growing up back in the dark ages. Its most famous line is ‘When the legend becomes fact, print the legend’”

“I like that line; I really haven’t seen many Westerns. We streamed ‘True Grit’ which was OK until they the pony died. Didn’t you have horses when I was here on our visits?”

“Karen yes and no, they were Ruth Donaldson’s. After they bought a house with a small pasture, she has them over there and sometimes at the Homestead. The big draft horses, the Shires, became a trademark of Parker Produce. We have teams at the Homestead. Ruth got those started, as well. Horses require too much care and I was too busy weeding to have a personal horse. People love gardens, but not the weeding.” Aunt Carol pulled into a drive to an orchard and stopped.

“I can open the gate.”-as I hopped out. She pulled through, then I shut it and got back in the cab.

“I see you still remember some lessons from your stays. We’ll come across the farm bridge and up to the Homestead to avoid the congestion. Late morning on a Saturday it gets rather crowded.” Aunt Carol stopped at a gate to the public area. “We will walk from here. Madison if you are going to take photos, I’ll carry your sketch pad over to the office. I wanted to start Karen’s tour over there. You can come find us when you are ready for it, if that fits your plan.”

“Yes, it does, that will be great. This is a busy place. I’ll come over eventually.”

“At least when you are hungry, I don’t want you to pass out from lack of food.”

We walked into the office, “I want you to meet Mr. Navarro. He is the man who promises me we will make more money from this spectacle. He may be unaware that ‘Bread and Circuses’ was a boondoggle to keep the masses happy, not make money for the shareholders.”

Mr. Navarro came over to shake hands, “Pete, this my great niece Karen Parker.”

“Carol, didn’t you see all the people out here today. We’re ahead of projections on revenues.”

“We came over the bridge through the orchard to avoid the people. This is my last big risk. It does seem to be working out, as you assured me it would. I’m an old hag, now. I don’t want to die in poverty eating cat food.”

He shook both our hands one with his left and the other with his right, “Karen your aunt is one of the most beautiful women I know. Hardly an old hag, besides we are making money, but if disaster hits, maybe she’ll enjoy cat food.”

“I agree my aunt does not look like an old hag, but I doubt she’ll like to eat cat food. The food at her house has always been amazing.”

“Yes, it is. I love sharing a meal with her. Carol, Karen must look just like you did at her age. I don’t see much change.”

“Pete you are my truth teller, not my flatterer. “

“I think you need not worry about beauty as you age, Karen. Carol’s white hair is just a platinum blonde, now. I can assure you even if the Homestead Pavilion failed, Carol will be comfortable in retirement. Ms. Parker has spent a life worrying over the details and deadlines, an unbreakable habit, now.”

“Pete is correct, not that I am willing to concede or stop worrying. Could we go in the conference room? I would like to have you lay out the organization of Parker Produce and Fruit. Karen is doing a paper for college. If you have time?”

“Come on everything is going OK, it is tonight I’m more worried about. The first concert of the season and apparently this group is more of a draw than I knew. Everyone will come in shuttles from the church and school parking lots. Have a seat Karen. Carol are you going to sit or pace?”

“I’ll sit”

Karen took out her notebook and Pete began. “Parker Produce and Fruit started with your aunt working her tail off. Starting the farm market over by her house and going to farmer’s markets in the area. Her market was growing, and new trees were coming into peak production, when she learned the locker in town was closing. She purchased the operation for the freezing capacity. This also spread revenue throughout the year and helped offset the seasonal nature. A year later she purchased the closed grade school and it became the canning center. Did you have to pay a dollar for the grade school?”

“Well a $100 and all the transfer costs, but it was basically free.”

“The health department approved kitchen was a good start. Ms. Parker put Ruth Donaldson in charge of overseeing production at these two plants. Ruth was an excellent choice; she is a stickler for quality. This was the beginning of Parker Pantry Products. Eventually we added facilities more designed for our purposes. Parker Pantry Products has partnering arrangements with other orchards and food preparations operations. Alex Greene has been the manager of Parker Pantry Products for twelve years now. It is an independent business in many ways. We are a supplier and Ms. Parker’s corporation has controlling ownership. We now use the school and locker exclusively for products sold here at the Homestead or the Farm-to–Table effort. Both facilities have had major upgrades from the original operation. We market here and to restaurants. We do not usually go to farmers markets, but we do have a program for school groups to sell our products as a fundraiser. The greenhouses here have added to our seasons lapping the frost dates. Another major division is the online sale of our products. It’s your father who was largely responsible for getting us into web-based sales. We were early adapters. Carol has often credited her geeky nephew."

"Dad is a Geek, but knows his stuff."

"Now our latest division is the Homestead Attractions Center or Pavilion. The concert venue was a major construction project designed to comfortably host a sizable number of people, especially for this region of the country. This is the piece that worries your aunt the most. It is our newest venture and the riskiest. We already had a hugely popular attraction with the pioneer village exhibit, petting zoo, and horse drawn rides. Sales here have been very good. We are becoming a regional attraction."

"I was impressed to see you have the Orange Buffoons here. They are very popular, they played at our college."

"We have a special Walnut Ridge connection. One of the band members used to work for us. Parker Produce and Fruit is several interconnecting rings tied together. I started here bringing in and managing workers. Ms. Parker offered me a full-time job over twenty years ago. I manage the operation here and prepare all the financial reports for each of our activities. I also am a small share owner and get a few votes. Carol has the big foot she is the primary share holder along with your father, Ruth Donaldson, Lizzie Williams, and Carol’s sons. It is still definitely the Parker farm. “

Karen had made diagrams along with notes. Pointing to the diagram she asked, “Each of these entities operates as a separate business?”

Pete said, “yes we track each as a separate profit and loss center, but we do know we’re all interconnected. The IRS does not view each of them separately, we’re considered one family corporation and that is an accurate description.”

There was a knock at the door, “Hey Dad can we crash your meeting?”

“Yes, come in what is it?”

“This is Madison the Parkers’ guest, and this is Lee he is part of the group tonight. Lee says his folks remembered getting apples and cider at the old market.”

Carol Parker stood, “Thank you for appearing here tonight and kicking off our season. I have been told you are in a band whose popularity is on the rise.”

“We had a good tour, and this is the final stop. I am from Walnut Ridge since they had come back to the University where the band formed, they were near. I joined them as a tryout I wasn’t a student, just a local kid with a guitar. They did it as a homecoming for me. We hope to have a great relaxed time out here in the country.”

“Welcome home, not so many remember the old fruit market anymore”

“Yes, Ms. Parker your cider is great, I love it out here.”

“We used to be a real fruit and produce farm before we became a damn zoo.”

“Hey dad, Is it alright to give a press pass to Madison we only have a couple of requests from the local papers? Lee said she could take photos and do sketches. Madison is doing a report with Karen Parker for college. Madison is a fan. Otherwise, it will be way in the back.”

Pete said, “I think it would alright, is it, alright Ms. Parker?”

“Yes, she is too cute to say no to.”

Lee grinned, “Thank you, Ms. Parker it is nice to be back. I used to work for Ruth at the freezer plant when I was in high school. I remember seeing you a few times. Is Karen your daughter?”

“No Lee, my great niece.”

“I have to go meet the equipment truck and guide them; they think we’re in the boondocks. Karen sure looks like you anyway. Nice to be working for the Parker’s again so to speak. It won’t be as cold as when I worked at the freezer plant”

“Thank you, for remembering us, Lee.”

“Can’t wait to see your sketches Madison, see you tonight then”-the lead guitar for the Orange Buffoons waved and left.

“Dad, I need to get back, but everything is smooth so far.”

“Now I am nervous, and to think a band named the Orange Buffoons is such a big deal, I am going to walk around with you.”

“Thank you so much, Mr. Navarro for all the detailed explanation of Parker Produce. You are managing a real empire.”

“Well Karen, it only seems that large when everything starts falling apart, which can happen at any time, nice to have met you.”

As the Navarro’s left Madison came over and started playfully beating on Karen, “You knew the Orange Buffoons were here didn’t you. You never said a word and Lee he is like the world’s greatest guitarist.”

“Yes, it was on the website. I told you we would be able to hear a good band.”

“You never said it was the Buffoons, they were so good in January.”

“I thought we would get to listen in the back or something, I didn’t know you’d have the opportunity to be a little groupie.”

“Hey, I wasn’t being a groupie. I was taking photos. I was asking Leon Navarro about the concert after seeing the posters and Lee came up about the truck. He was so nice. Lee allowed me to take photos as we walked around getting directions. He didn’t even make fun of my boots. He asked if Leon could get me a press pass.”

“I doubt Lee even noticed her boots, do you think he did, Aunt Carol?”

Aunt Carol silently, nodded no. “OK kids let’s get some lunch. It should be less crowded now. Karen will get to see some of the zoo and then I think we should get home and allow Madison to lose the ugly boots. I am sure Lee might see how cute she is without them.”






Note Photo Liz West