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Even
though he was born in Mississippi, Dale Brasher, Junior says Winfield,
Alabama, seems like it has always been home to him.
"Mama
(Martha Brasher) was from Mississippi, but we moved to Winfield in 1966
when Dad (Dale Brasher, Senior) took a job at Winfield High School. He
was a football coach then, and went on to become principle, then
superintendent for the school system. He’s retired from education now,
but he and I are still partners on the farm, and at age 75 he’s still
very active in the physical work that a farm requires," says Dale
Jr.
Dale
Jr. is a forester by profession, but he says his family farm is more
than a hobby.
"We
do enjoy farming, but we always try to make it profitable. We have two
registered Black Angus bulls and about 60 head of brood cows. We only
keep the best heifers each year, and I really feel like we’ve been
able to produce better cows every year. Our goal is to have 100 brood
cows in three years," he says.
In
addition to beef cattle, the Brashers also grow hay, peanuts, and some
produce.
"We
try to use organics as much as possible, and we don’t use any
herbicides, which is pretty out of the ordinary in this day and time.
And we couldn’t get by without the Farmers Co-op. We use both the
Fayette Co-op and the Marion County Co-op, and they provide goods and
services we couldn’t get anywhere else. The store employees are all
helpful, and AFC’s Nutritionist Jimmy Hughes has answered a lot of
questions for me," Dale says.
Both
of his sons, Dale III and Matthew, have always helped their dad and
granddad on the farm, and he adds that family friend Doug Reece has been
a long-time asset of their farm.
"The
boys are always ready to help when hay season rolls around, and they
work on fences, chop firewood, and help work cows throughout the year.
Dad and Doug both came up plowing with a mule, and they know first-hand
the kind of work and dedication farming takes," Dale says.
Dale’s
daughter Wendy is a teacher and his wife Kitty is a school counselor.
"Right
now Kitty’s working on her third degree. She’s the brains behind
this operation, and I’m thankful our kids all got their Mama’s brain
power. I’m proud of all of them," says Dale.
Dale
enjoys cooking and credits simple, quality ingredients as his secret to
culinary excellence.
"We
still have a small town butcher, and hand-cut meat is important. Using
kosher salt has also improved the final outcome of several of my
recipes, and the secret to marinating is to turn the meat frequently to
keep the flavor consistent throughout. I also love the Hoover sauce. It’s
made by Hoover Lee of Louise, Mississippi, and he sells the sauce in
quart jars or gallon jugs," he says.
In
addition to his own recipes, Dale shares some favorites that have been
passed along to him.
"Robert
Lee Box’s recipe for white sauce was given to me by his nephew’s
wife, Kay Carlo. And Mona Lawrence who gave me her eggplant recipe is a
retired French teacher and a wonderful lady," says Dale.
Kellie
Henderson is a freelance writer from Troy.
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Mona’s
Eggplant
