Deal Family Making Sorghum Again?
The Deal family has started it up again. I spoke with Eric Deal about their sorghum farm. We talked about the family history of growing sorghum and why they started it up again. Eric also talked about the process in actually making the sorghum and their plans.
Sean: What is sorghum and how is it different from molasses?
Eric: When I was raised, it was all the same. Everything was sorghum molasses around here. They say there's a difference now if you talk to some of the people from the agricultural centers, but as far as I know, it's still sorghum molasses around here.
S: I know you have some family history growing sorghum. Tell me about that.
E: My great grandfather, my grandfather, my father, then myself, my wife and my mother, we did it for three years after my father passed away. We quit in 1983.
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S: How long did your dad make sorghum?
E: He did it all of his life. It had been in the family for over 125 years when we stopped in '83.
S: So why are you starting it up now?
E: My sons! They think it would be a really cool thing to start back making sorghum. And so we went and bought another mill, a pan, and we went and planted some sorghum. We're going to try it this year and see how it goes and see if there is still a market for it around here.
S: Is it a lot of hard work?
E: A lot (laughs).
S: How long does it take to make the sorghum?
E: Well we planted around the 20th of May this year. It should be ready. . .usually the last week of August, the first week of September. It's running a little behind this year. It's probably going to more like the middle of September before any of it will be ready to be made, before it will be ready to get out of the field.
S: How do you process it?
E: You plant it, and once it's ready to work you knock the leaves off of it, cut the tops off it, cut the cane and bring it to the mill. You run it through the mill or press. A lot of people call it a press. Then you squeeze the juice out of it with the press and cook the juice down into sorghum. Then strain it in a large stand and then put it in buckets. Then eat it or sell it, or both.
S: How much sorghum do you think you are going to have this year?
E: Oh, probably over a hundred gallons, maybe two hundred.
S: Really?
E: Yeah, that's not a lot.
S: Are you planning to sell it?
E: Yeah, if it turns out good and we don't have any problems. Yeah, we'll sell it.
S: How much are you going to sell a jar for?
E: It's looking like it'll be around $9.00 a quart. It's high compared to what it was in 1983. We sold it for $6.50 I believe for half a gallon.
S: Yeah, but times have changed.
E: Yeah, things are expensive now.
S: Do you have any future plans for your sorghum farm?
E: If this year goes well and there are enough people that want to buy it, and we don't have any serious problems making it, then next year we will make a little bit more. See how that goes.
Deal Family Contact Information
Website: http://www.freewebs.com/fourdfarm/index.htm
Donna Deal's Email: bluffmomma@bellsouth.net
Phone Number: (615)456-5713
