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While
the other plants must be reseeded every year, and usually fertilized
heavily, clover doesn’t need much fertilizer because it produces its
own nitrogen so it usually just needs some potash and some lime. And
that initial seeding usually lasts from three to five years.
Whether
you want to switch to the newer ideas, or plant the food plots the way
you’ve done it "for years," Duke said the Ashville Co-op is
the place to shop: from the seeds, to quality duck calls, to Carhartt
clothing and Wolverine boots.
Chris
isn’t just a budding expert on growing all sorts of plants for
hunting, he’s busy "growing" the Ashville store as well!
This
year was the second year in a row St. Clair County was indicated to be
the fastest growing county in Alabama, based on population estimates
prepared by the U.S. Census Bureau, with its population increasing 8% in
the past two years.
"We’re
working hard to keep up with that growth and all the changes that go
with it," Duke remarked.
In
the four years Duke has been Ashville’s manager, he’s overseen the
building of a 40 x 60 foot warehouse, an increase of 2,000 to 3,000 new
products in the showroom and innovative new ideas like the food plot
equipment trailer.
"We’re
fortunate in our area to still have several of the larger farms,"
Duke stated. "But there are also a lot of backyard gardeners and
folks with just a few head of cattle or a few horses. Then there are the
landscapers and the contractors getting the new homes and subdivisions
ready. We want to serve them all.
"But
our biggest increase in emphasis has probably been toward the hunters.
Hunting is a big industry, big business here. I think hunting is a proud
tradition as well.
"I’ve
been a hunter ever since I could walk. My granddaddy, Bud Duke, used to
take me with him when I was just six or seven years old. I was too young
to even hold a gun, but I could get up early and go with him."
Chris
and his wife Sandra have daughter Shelby, 13, and son Triston, 4.
"Triston
will put on his camouflage and go sit on the porch and wait for
deer," Duke said of the family hunting tradition he’s continuing.
Duke
said the abundance of wild turkeys in the area make turkey hunting
"to me more exciting then hunting deer. You have to call them, you
hear them gobble. It’s just a unique experience."
But
the idea doesn’t stop with just the food plot trailer. The Ashville
Co-op’s warehouse manager Johnny Barksdale came up with the idea of
renting the same ATV equipment to back yard gardeners who might just
want to plow a small plot in their back yard.
Even
that goes one step further. If all goes well, Duke hopes by next spring
to provide an even more complete package.
If
you can’t, or simply don’t want to, prepare and plant your foot plot
OR your backyard garden, they hope to be able to do everything you need
from testing the soil, preparing the soil, planting the seed, upkeep and
fertilization.
"Whether
you want to rent the equipment and do it yourself; or have us come out
and prepare the plot and then you plant; or whether you want us to do
the whole thing, we’re hoping we start the entire process by next
spring," Duke explained.
"We
hopefully will be able to do the whole package or just part of it."
While
those plans are still being made, the ATV trailer and all its equipment
are ready for use right now. You just need to call the Ashville Co-op at
(205) 594-7042 or come by their store in Ashville right on U.S. 231 to
set up a rental date.
And
come to think of it, you might want to just stop by anyway and see just
what other news ideas Duke and his four employees are "growing this
week!"
Suzy
Lowry Geno is a freelance writer from Blount County. |
