SOUTHERN MAKERS

Raising goats and making cheese got the attention of this family when they had to make life changes.  Written by Susan Marquez / Photography by Stephen Ironside As schoolteachers in California, Scott and Tessa McCormick never dreamed they would one day own a goat farm in Elkins, a small community in northwestern Arkansas. Yet, that’s […]

Overalls, Dungarees, Work Shirts, and More:  The Iconic Brand that is L.C. King Written by Marianne Leek / Photography by Briana Fillers For 110 years, L.C. King Manufacturing has made durable workwear and streetwear of unmatched quality and craftsmanship, and for the past 25 years Jack King, the great-grandson of Landon Clayton King, has been

Near Birmingham, Alabama, a mother-daughter farmstead looks to new products as a way to revitalize the small, Southern farm. Written by Trudy Haywood Saunders / Photography by Alexandra Stone When most women in their early twenties finish college, farming is not usually the career path they have in mind, but to Alexandra Stone of Stone

Written by Susan Marquez / Photography by Hunter Norris With long curly locks spilling out from the western-style hat atop her head, Mary Landrum Pyron is a perfect mixture of old-world manners and modern sensibilities. She wears a heavy canvas work apron over a simple cotton dress. There is no doubt Mary Landrum is at

Alabama Artist Andrew Lee Loves the Bond He Creates With Clients Written by Jennnifer Kornegay / Photography courtesy Craig Godwin of Godwin Photography No matter what specific works flow from their heart, soul and hands, makers are bound together by a few shared traits: passion, innovation, and creation. But so many never truly pursue the

Rockbridge Guitar Company co-founder and luthier, Brian Calhoun, sits at a 2013 Thanksgiving party suffering an unanticipated gauntlet of boardgames with friends and their preteen children. He slaps bubbles, rolls dice, moves pieces along rote cardboard routes—all the while feigning enthusiasm, biting his tongue. But the frustration is mounting.   “This was supposed to be

Barbecue is the quintessential essence of all things Southern.    Bonnie Bratton is an outdoor girl at heart.  “I’m happiest when I am working in my greens patch on my farm in Shady Grove, TN, hosting friends and family or relaxing with my dog Huckleberry.” She sure wasn’t planning on being the sole proprietor of

During a kindergarten visit to a living history museum in Staunton, Virginia, Jed Curtis first fell in love – he was entranced by the blacksmith. This passion was destined to grow alongside him. Even now, he dreams of fire and sparks and shapes that emerge from the flames.   As a kid,” Curtis says, “you

“My Grandmother was the major inspiration for my business,” explains Ashley Schoenith. “I grew up with all things made-from-scratch – it’s all I knew.  I was always cooking and baking with her and my mom.”   Schoenith was looking for a way to spend more time with her Grandmother, who was a wonderful seamstress; they

Never did Lauri Jo Bennett think that the love of canning would lead to a successful business. She spent many hours in the kitchen with her husband’s grandmother, Nita, canning the fruits and vegetables from the farming community where they lived. After his grandmother passed, Lauri Jo and  Mike moved back to her hometown of

Sole-searching one sandal at a time

An appreciation for butter

Back when their guitar-making business was still in its infancy, when they couldn’t afford to turn down even the most bizarre orders, Mark Dalton and Jeff Huss got a call from two guys who identified themselves as members of the LRORRSCS.   The Loyal Rectified Order of Ridge Runners and Skunk Callers Society,” says Huss,

Katherine Hanks McAlister and Stephanie Anne Martin originally met as neighbors in Chattanooga, TN and spent most of their time together rock climbing and attending weekly pottery classes. It was at those pottery classes where they recognized their love and talent for ceramics could be a forever-hobby or they could work to create something more permanent

As they so often say, necessity is the mother of invention; and that was certainly true for Jared Thatcher as he tossed aside knife after knife when they’d dulled into uselessness during the course of fabricating a deer back in 2012. Breaking down a doe is a challenge in itself, but when your knife is actually

Serenaded by song waiters.

Reclaimed cypress pulled from the swamps.

Creations from reclaimed iron objects.

Unique and locally sourced gifts from NC.

Sustainable farming practices in Tennessee.

Creating fine leather goods in Virginia.

Pottery made with great thought and love.

Table wine of the South

High quality spirits distilled in Americus, GA.

Polo shirts grown and produced locally in SC.