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PAGE 6A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. MARCH 25. 2021
How leafy greens set me on fire
Jasper Farmers Market opens April 10
photos/ Jennifer Paire
Mustard greens growing at a north Georgia farm. Greens come in all variety offlavors
including fiery.
Ball Ground Festival & Plant
Sale coming in June
By Jennifer Paire
Progress Contributor
It is hard to write these
words as I love, love, love
fresh salad greens. This past
winter has been a great one
for the beautiful cruciferous
kale, a leafy cabbage I look
forward to the most every
year. Its strong leaves can be
a combination of green, pur
ple and red and it has a satis
fying crunch and bitter taste
that morphs into mild and
yummy. What is not to love?
A fiery encounter with an
other green transformed my
admiration to respect this
year. When I picked up my
kale order from the local pro
duce farm I did something
uncivilized but typical for me
in the privacy of my car: I
took a handful right out of the
bag and started chomping
away.
I was just beginning to
savor that crunch when my
nasal cavities caught fire and
I almost drove into a ditch
with dizziness. I flashed back
to that time I had a wad of
wasabi stuck in the back of
my throat. Unable to see as
the heat surged through the
top of my head I gasped for
air, said a prayer and overcor
rected my steering, skidding
past the ditch. I made it home
in record time and drank right
from my kitchen sink. Classy.
When the imaginary
smoke settled, I looked at this
kale again and decided it
must be a new variety. I tried
smaller bites thinking I could
slow the bum into something
Kale me anytime — An
other of the wonderous
greens available in early
spring.
more like a sauteed jalapeno.
Not wanting to give in too
easily, I continued to nibble
on the atomic green with
similar results.
A day later I reached out
to Farmer Tim to explain his
kale, which is always mag
nificent, was firing me up in
ways I didn’t think possible.
He could tell I was red-faced,
even though we were talking
on the phone, and gently ex
plained that I must have got
ten hold of a bag of mustard
greens, not kale. I swear I
leam something new every
time I go to his farm.
I guess my first sign
should have been the bright
chartreuse of the leaves,
which were frilly along the
edges - beautiful to me.
Growing up on greens
cooked every way imagina
ble, I guess I thought I knew
them.
Bless Farmer Tim, he did
not even laugh at me. He ex
plained greens have gotten
downright complicated and I
should not feel bad. The
salad patches our grandpar
ents grew had a mix of
turnip, collard, kale and mus
tard greens - seeds tossed and
tilled into the patch. Greens
used to mean all the greens
all together.
He said he grew seven dif
ferent varieties of kale this
past winter, greens from
rutabagas and purple top
turnips, collards, mustard
greens and probably more
than could be included here.
These are all planted neatly
in rows so he knows exactly
what he has.
“I could just go on and on
with this kale business,” said
Farmer Tim. “ Nobody
hardly knows the difference.
Everybody thinks the kale is
what you buy at the store.”
A few things I learned from
this farm trip:
All greens are not the
same and the connection be
tween mustard greens and
wasabi is scientific.
The pungent chemical
allyl isothiocynate causes the
nasal burning in wasabi and
is also found in mustard and
horseradish.
While real wasabi is made
from the root of the Wasabia
japonica plant, much of what
is served in the United States
is a combination of mustard,
horseradish and cornstarch.
“Can wasabi kill you?” is one
of the popular wasabi ques
tions on Google.
My mustard greens did
not go to waste. Tim’s beau
tiful farmer wife, Nichelle,
suggested several ways to
cook them. I layered them
into my sandwiches, between
the bread, mustard, mayo,
cheese and chicken. They
could not kick my palette
quite as hard and they were
still delicious.
I hold my local farm
harmless, and the truth is no
animals or humans were in
jured. Even if my pride was a
little singed I am thankful
Farmer Tim and Nichelle
were the ones to teach me all
I need to know about staying
safe with mustard greens.
For greens and all sorts
of other spring vegetables,
get ready for opening day
at the Jasper Farmers Mar
ket on Saturday, April 10th
in Lee Newton Park.
[Jennifer Paire is an oc
casional contributor and
supporter of the Pickens
County Coin Club.]
The Ball Ground Festival
and Plant Sale celebrating
Ball Ground Garden Club’s
70th anniversary will be held
June 12 from 10 a.m - 4 p.m.
There will be a large sup
ply of plants, gardening pre
sentations, guided tours of
the botanical garden, a bake
sale and raffles. There will be
20 local vendors with food,
drinks and shopping as well
as numerous local non-profit
groups on hand.
The event will be held at
215 Valley Street next to Ball
Ground City Hall.
For more information visit
www.ballgroundgarden-
club/upcoming-events or
contact support@ball-
groundgardenclub.com for
questions.
Counseling
Individual, Couples and Family Therapy
with Adults, Teens and Children
Robin W. Dunn M.S.
Licensed Professional Counselor
Over 30 years experience helping people live better
770-548-1966 • 505 Cove Rd. • Suite 3 • Jasper
www.robinwdunnlpc.com
Tips to help you prepare for a storm
During the peak of storm season, our greatest concern is for the safety of everyone
who will be affected by a storm. State Farm encourages all residents in the pro
jected path of any storm to protect themselves and their property. State Farm sug
gests the following preparation tips.
Before:
• Safe Room! If you’re at home, pick a place in the home where family members
can gather. One basic rule is AVOID WINDOWS. The safest spot in the home is
the interior part of a basement. If there is no basement, go to an inside room, without
windows, on the lowest floor. This could be a center hallway, bathroom, or closet.
• Create a home inventory: Make a list of your possessions and their estimated
value
After:
• If you have damage, contact your insurance agent/company immediately. State
Farm customers can call 1-800-SF-CLAIM, their agent or report their claim online
atwww.statefarm.com
• Stay away from downed power lines.
Clean-Up:
• Examine the area for hazards, including electrical lines, and gas leak smells.
• Document everything - To assist with the insurance claim process, be sure to doc
ument items you throw out. Save your receipts, photograph the items and by making
a room-by-room inventory of missing or damaged goods. Include manufacturers’
names, dates and places of purchase and prices, if possible.
• Do not throw out any expensive items, such as large televisions and furniture,
until authorized by your claim representative
• Find a qualified license contractor - be careful of home restoration scams.
Tips brought to you by:
StateFarm
Alan Home, Jr., Agent
95 Whitfield Drive, Suite F
Jasper, GA 30143
Bus: 706-692-2888
www.alanhorneinsurance.com
MARIA SIMS GROUP - "YOUR HOMETOWN
REALTORS", RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY
Canton, GA (March 22, 2021) - ERA® Real Estate, a leading global real estate fran
chisor, announced that the Maria Sims Group of ERA Sunrise Realty won the brand’s
prestigious Jim Jackson Memorial Award for 1st IN SERVICE® - Team and Top All
Around Team within the ERA brand nationally.
Maria Sims started her real estate career in 2008. In spite of her first year coinciding
with the beginning of one of the worst recessions in US history, Sims excelled as a real
estate sales associate and was subsequently named "Rookie of The Year" within the
ERA brand nationally. Since her start, Sims has continued to grow and serve the needs
of real estate clients all across north Georgia, and her team now consists of nine dedi
cated professionals. In 2020 alone, The Maria Sims Group proudly assisted over 175
clients to achieve the dream of home ownership, recording an overall customer satis
faction rate of more than 99%.
“Congratulations to the Maria Sims Group on this wonderful accomplishment for the
second year in a row,” said David Moody, Broker of ERA Sunrise Realty. “Maria and
her team represent ERA Sunrise Realty's long legacy of exceeding client expectations.
They compete in our highly competitive north Georgia/Atlanta market, and the reviews
they’ve received from their clients ranked them as one of the best in the business. Their
effort epitomizes what these two awards represent - making service to their customers
a top priority.”
When asked how she felt about the awards, Sims responded, "I am still in shock to
have received - Top All Around Team and Top in Customer Service 2 YEARS running!
This past year posed challenges that were really tough for everyone. The ladies who
form the Maria Sims Group are the real MVP's! Our team is so devoted to our clients
and serving the community that they actually make it look easy. Thank you to all of my
ERA family for believing in us and always supporting all our needs. It's truly an honor to
work for such a wonderful company and brand. We are honored to be your hometown
realtors. We are nothing without our clients, family and friends!"
ERA SUNRISE REALTY THREE-PEATS AS
WINNER OF THE JIM JACKSON MEMORIAL
AWARD FOR 1st IN SERVICE
Canton, GA March 22, 2021 - ERA® Real Estate, a global franchising leader within
the Realogy family of brands, announced that ERA Sunrise Realty, based in Canton, GA.,
has won the brand's prestigious Jim Jackson Memorial Award for 1st IN SERVICE®
among companies with 500 or more transactions for the third year in a row.
The Jim Jackson Memorial Award for 1 st IN SERVICE is named in honor of the late
ERA co-founder and former president. It is presented annually to the company that upholds
Jackson's legacy of superior customer service and sales productivity. The award is divided
into two categories based on transaction volume: Category One (500 or more) and Category
Two (100-499 transactions).
ERA Sunrise Realty was founded in 1987 and joined the ERA brand in 1995. Led by
Broker/Owner and CEO David Moody, the company has more than 150 agents working
in offices in Athens, Duluth, Augusta, Milton, Marietta and Canton, GA.
Last year, the firm was again one of the most productive in the ERA brand, with ap
proximately 1,200 transaction sides equating to nearly S315M in sales volume. It also
recorded a satisfaction rating from its clients of more than 99%.
“At ERA Real Estate, we pride ourselves on making the needs of our clients a top pri
ority every single day,” said Sherry Chris, President and CEO of ERA Real Estate. “David
and his team at ERA Sunrise Realty continue to go above and beyond for all of their clients.
Winning this award is a tremendous achievement. Winning this prestigious award three
times in a row is nothing short of astounding, distinguishing ERA Sunrise Realty in the
Team ERA network and in the real estate industry.”
"The desire our agents hold toward delivering exceptional customer service to those
clients that choose to work with us is unmatched. I was raised on the principle of the
Golden Rule and it has become a staple of our beliefs and culture at ERA Sunrise Realty.
Thank you to all the clients that place their trust in us each and every day!"
To leam more about ERA Sunrise Realty, visit www.erasunriserealty.com
About ERA Real Estate At ERA Real Estate, we don’t adapt
to change, we create it. We believe that our core business
values of collaboration, innovation, diversity and growth are
needed now more than ever. As a global leader in the resi
dential real estate industry for more than 40 years, ERA was
the first real estate franchise to expand internationally, the
first to post listings online, and is the only national company
that offers the Sellers Security® Plan (SSP) program. The
ERA SPP program allows affiliated agents to give sellers of
qualified homes the peace of mind to know that their home
will sell, and for what price.
The ERA Real Estate network includes more than 35,000
independent sales associates and approximately 2,300 of
fices throughout the United States and 35 other countries
and territories. ERA Franchise Systems LLC
(www.ERA.com) which operates the ERA Real Estate sys
tem, is a subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE:
RLGY), a global provider of real estate services. ERA Real
Estate information is available at www.era.com/explore.