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| Ernest looking at his muscadine bushes Photo Credit: Antoinette Harrell |
Ernest Frazier, Sr., recalls the days he worked in the field with his father. He started out by watching the smaller children under a tree, before he was called to work in the fields with everyone else at the age of about six. He has planted and harvesting every kind of produce you would want to eat.
He walked around the garden with Eddie Ponds, the owner of the Drum Newspaper in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, talking about how hard the weather has been on his crops this year. With all the rain this summer, his crops didn't do as well as it normally would. Ernest planted strawberries, peanuts, sugarcane, and sweet potatoes this year. He said the ground was to wet too work in the garden as usual. His sweet potatoes are ready for harvest, but the ground was to wet to get in there with his tractor. He said this was one of the worst season he had seen in a long time due to the excessive amount of rain we have been getting everyday in Tangipahoa Parish.
I had to ask Ernest if he went by the Farmer's Almanac? "His response was yes!" I tested it out one day, he said. I planted two rolls, one according to the Farmer's Almanac, and the other roll the day before. The roll I planted according to the Farmer's Almanac did great. The roll I planted the day before didn't yield any produce.
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| Eddie Ponds with The Drum Newspaper and Ernest looking at the calendar |
The original Farmer's Almanac founded in 1792. The Old Farmer's Almanac is a reference book that contains weather forecast, tide tables, planting charts, astronomical data, recipes and articles on a number of topics.
I asked Ernest what did the early farmers do if they couldn't read the Almanac, he said they went by the moon. The moon told them when to plant, when to harvest, and when to preserve and store for longer shelf life. "They knew when to plant the seeds," said Ernest. The old people were wise, I can't tell it like they could. "I still go by my calendar," he said.
Ernest father had a smokehouse and packing house for his produce behind his home. He talked about the legacy of farming that his father passed down to him. He pointed out that there aren't that African American men who are still planting. I know several African American men who are still planting; Charles Holmes, Ernest Wheat, Sr., and a man I call Mr. Herman.
His father Willie C. Frazier was known through out the community as Mr. W.C. Frazier. Ernest mother was named Lizzie Coleman Frazier. Ernest married Jo-Ann Lewis Frazier and they gave birth to two sons. They are the grandparents of four grandsons. Although none of his sons are following in his footsteps, he feel that it's important to pass the knowledge of agriculture to other who may want to plant and grow their own food. "There is nothing like the taste of fresh produce," said Ernest. Although he do purchase what he do not grow from some local farmers and the local supermarket for produce.
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| Ernest standing in front of his father home |
Ernest went inside of his pick-up truck and came back with a calendar and Farmer' Almanac to show us. He said he prefer the calendar over the Almanac. He find that it is easier to use. He went on to say that he think that we are in for some major changes with the weather that will affect the produce, fishing and hunting of wildlife. He is the only one of his parents offsprings to carry the tradition of planting on. Ernest do not sale any of his produce, he shares it with his family and friends. Just like his father, sharing is part of that legacy that was taught to him by his father.
