Mentor Book Club

UPCOMING APPEARANCE

On Monday, August 6, I’ll talk about my novel Dust On the Bible at the Mentor Book Club, which meets at 4:00 PM at the Elloree United Methodist Church, located at 501 W. Barkley Street in Elloree, SC. 

Dust On the Bible recalls a vanished way of life—the small farm where family members worked together to produce crops. We’ll talk about changes in farming since the time of the novel (1944) as well as how I came to write about a rural family during WWII.

Since I want to give away a couple of books, I’ve been working on a quiz for the audience. The questions are about farming in the States today.

1. Which state has the most egg production?

2. Produces the most sheep and lambs?

3. The most turkeys?

3. Which state is the leading producer of honey?

5. Of pumpkins?

6. Maple syrup?

7. Sweet Potatoes? (This state has been the leading producer since 1971.)

8. What state produces the most Christmas trees?

9. The most peaches?

10. The most rice? 

The answers, in no particular order, are: Minnesota, Vermont, Oregon, California, Illinois, Arkansas, Indiana, North Dakota, North Carolina, and Wyoming. Can you figure out which state is the answer for which question?

South Carolina doesn’t make the list as top producer in any of the categories, though we are noted for peaches, peanuts, watermelons, and cantaloupes. I’ve been keeping sliced cantaloupe in my refrigerator for weeks, an easy and quick snack. About the worst time of the year is when cantaloupes disappear from the bins at the grocery store. It means that fall's coming (goodbye shorts and sandals. Hello jeans and sneakers).

My thanks to Linda Burdette who initiated my invitation and to the Mentor Book Club for hosting me.

Information for questions taken from “The United Crops of America” on Monsanto’s web site.