Barbecue to Celebrate the Farmers Taking on the State of NC and Winning - No Hazardous Waste Dump in These Parts

Mack loaned his big deluxe barbecue cooker for the 18th year celebration of the farmers keeping the hazardous waste dump out of Rowan and Iredell counties.


The farm guys planned the party and cooked up some fabulous smoked barbecue pork shoulders.



This is a very traditional Southern barbecue meal with smoked pork, slaw, and beans.



The big barbecue party was held at a local farm and was relaxed and informal.


Papa Clyde and Jones were honored for their work in keeping the hazardous waste dump out of the middle of farm country.


Back in 1990, the state (NC) decided they'd plop a hazardous waste dump along the Rowan and Iredell county lines in North Carolina. This did not sit well with the farmers in the area. They didn't want to lose their land and lifestyle and sure didn't want a hazardous waste dump right there where the kids would be growing up and where everyone would be getting possibly tainted milk. Really now . . . who knows what that hazardous waste does to an area and to the food supply.

The hazardous waste dump was supposed to be a done deal, but the state officials underestimated the locals. The state guys thought they were dealing with country bumpkins and that they could roll right in with their big machines and put in a big dumping ground.

Country folks banded together and determined that the government wasn't running right over them and taking their land. They signed petitions, called the government, talked to the media and literally joined hands for a human chain to stop the development.

This show of solidarity was quite serious.

One sign read:

Guns are loaded.
Clocks are tickin'.
Pick this site.
And, see who's chicken.

And, the area farmers weren't kidding.

After a few months, the state gave up and left.

This was all 18 years ago. Those involved in stopping the hazardous waste dump from being plopped in the edge of the county out on our farmland still get together to celebrate the victory and to make sure their kids know about this part of our history.

Today, there was a barbecue to honor Papa Clyde of Iredell County and Jones of Rowan County. Both men were "generals" in this fight against the state and helped organize the protests. Today they were given plaques for these efforts.

One farmer said, "We did things that the State didn't think we could do. This community come together 100%. Maybe we ought to go to Washington and get them all straightened out."

The response to that was a resounding, "A-men."

County Fair Food - How to Find the Good Grub

My son is really trying hard to get this barbecue burger down the hatch.


Here, you can see the burger problem. This grilled burger is a hockey puck. It's not hot either, so the cheese didn't even melt.



I had my eye on the Ragin Cajun Bayou Grill booth at the Rowan County Fair.



The Ragin Cajun Cook was putting the shrimp on fresh to order, and that does make a huge difference.



My grilled shrimp and rice dinner was fabulous. I did ask for "easy on the cheese," so expect more cheese generally.


There is an art to getting a yummy meal at a county fair. There are some hits and some misses. It pays to walk around, keep your eyes open, and ask some questions.

In previous years, we always got our dinner at the Optimist booth at the Rowan County Fair. My (now retired) boss is an Optimist (in more ways than this), and the food was always great. Sadly, the group is now smaller and the guys are older, and they gave the county fair food booth up after many years.

I love county fairs, so I already knew how to find the good stuff. One way is to stick with what you know like the Optimists and the money going local. The other is to do a little research. Perhaps you are thinking that it's a drag to have to really think about what you're going to eat at the fair. If you get a bad meal, you may think again.

County fairs are a mixed bag. You have some of the traditional carnival vendors that travel with the show as well locals who have spaces with the money going back to the community. Everyone needs to turn a profit, so it's great when all the food is terrific and everyone comes out OK at the end of the night.

The food booths are usually grouped, and I will walk around and take a quick look. There are always a few foods that catch my eye, and then I have to narrow it down. I'd love to eat it all, but that gets expensive, and my jeans won't handle that kind of pig out.

I will look at the cooking process at the booths I'm interested in. I will look at the food carried out by those buying. I will even ask someone at a table if the food is good. I have no shame when it comes to food. I want good food - period.

This year at the Rowan County Fair they had a new booth - the Ragin Cajun Bayou Grill. This is more like fry grilling which is fine. They were just getting the food up and going when we arrived. I especially love shrimp, and they had it. The Ragin Cajun guy said shrimp went on last, so it would be fresh and not rubbery. I hear that. If you cook shrimp too long or let it sit, then it is not very good. Even though I had not seen a plate come off and could not ask anyone if the food was good, I had a good feeling on this one. I waited.

My son is not that keen on new foods, unless it's something I cook. He decided to go for a burger. Unfortunately, he could not see the burgers cooking (that was in the back), and he is not the type to watch and then ask folks if what they bought was good. He ended up with one of those gross hockey puck burgers. It was thin. It was cooked too far ahead. It wasn't even hot enough to melt the cheese. This was a $6 mistake. He was a good sport and got it down, but I sent him back to the chicken and dumpling booth where they were making good food. He was, as you can imagine, stuffed by the end of the meal. But, he did get something tasty and certainly not the burger.

My Mom also got one of the icky grilled burgers. She is not one to be critical, but she said that the cheeseburger sure made my grilled burgers look good. I really hated that she got soaked on a bad county fair dinner.

The kid and my Mom waited while I checked back with the Cajun guy. He was cooking up a storm, but it just takes a while. He gave me a taste of the steak when I checked back. Yum. That was good. I figured I made the right decision to wait. I think he was surprised that I didn't just go for something quick and ready. No. I'll wait if it's worth it.

By the time my shrimp and rice was ready with "light on the cheese," Mom and my kid were done with the burgers. The kid was enjoying the chicken and dumplings which were top notch. I tried a bite. Someone knows how to do them right. I had my Mom take some of my shrimp and rice, so she got some good food too.

You can get a great meal at a county fair. You can also get a disaster. That's why I look around and pay attention. I wouldn't complain about an awful burger when it's a local group with the money going to charity. On the other hand, I would not serve dry and cold burgers either. I'd do the burgers right or not at all - no matter where the money was going. That's why I scope things out. It really doesn't take much time. It's nice to chat with other folks - both those cooking and eating. In the end, I get a great county fair meal and no ick burgers with cold cheese.

Small Town Rowan County Fair - A Yearly Family Tradition

Rowan County Fair - Salisbury NC


I never win on these county fair games, so I just take pictures now (-:


I've outgrown the rides too. My stomach can't handle the spins. But, it's still fun to see the lights and hear the screams.



Our county is agricultural, and the farmers always bring cows and other animals.


The exhibits are fun at the county fair. Farmers bring in crops. There are canned goods, art, flowers and even hand made clothing.

If you've never been to a county fair, you should check one out. They really are a lot of fun. There are carnival rides and games but also lots of contests and exhibits. You can also find some great food at county fairs ranging from the traditional carnival food fare like funnel cakes (elephant ears) to local organizations make local favorites like chicken and dumplings.

When I was a kid and in 4-H, I always entered things in the county fair. It was fun to win ribbons and a little cash for cookies, crafts and canned goods. I was always scared of the canner, so I never did many canned goods. When the canner would start blowing off steam, I'd run and hide. I still want to do that, so I don't can. I always think it is going to blow up and cover me with hot green beans.

Local school kids get free tickets around here. Our school night was always Tuesday. For some reason, it always poured the rain on Tuesday. This year the tickets were were Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, and we actually hit a sunny evening. I kind of missed getting soaked and plodding through the mud. Well, just a little anyway.

County fair food is always so yummy. Most of it is not healthy, but it's just one night of the year. I like to try out new foods at the fair and especially any new barbecue booths. I also love to get elephant ears right before we leave. It is a tradition in our family to arrive home covered in powdered sugar and to have to wash and vacuum the car the next day.

I used to play the games, but I was never too lucky. My boys seem to have my luck, so they learned (after a few years) that it's simply hard to win anything much. One year I did win a goldfish. I named the goldfish Lucky, so I guess I can't really say I never won anything. It was kind of hard to juggle Lucky and get her home, but she did fine and lived a couple of years.

Now that there are so many big amusement parks like Carowinds down the road, the county fairs seem to be a little smaller. Perhaps it's just that I'm bigger. In any case, I really like the small town feel and seeing people I know and not just a lot of strangers waiting in lines and looking bored. The county fair is kind of like one big local party. This year I saw my dentist and his little girl as well as a lady from work and some neighbors. I even made some new friends - like the guy with the traveling barbecue stand. Every year is different but always fun.

There are big state fairs. Those are fun too. But, I think it's hard to beat a little county fair. Everything is pretty informal, and it does not take hours and hours and loads of walking and waiting. It's just a good time and a few hours to forget about everything you ought to be doing.

Jerry's Hillbilly Deluxe Barbecue - Ya'll Gonna Love This Food with Attitude

Jerry's Hillbilly Deluxe Barbecue Stand at the Rowan County NC County Fair


Ya Think This Feller Eating Ribs Might be Willie Nelson?

I was down at the Rowan County Fair last night and met another barbecue master by the name of Jerry. Jerry is a traveling BBQ man. He hooks up his cooker and spreads the barbeque love across the state and beyond.

Jerry's traveling BBQ show is called Jerry's Hillbilly Deluxe. In addition to his big que cooker, Jerry also had his pull behind stand and even his tent out back. That's what I call eatin' and sleepin' barbecue.

Jerry was smoking up some brisket and ribs. He also does big burgers, hot dogs, chicken, turkey legs . . . well . . . most anything you'd want smoked. He can hook you up with fries, cheese sticks and even "nanner puddin'" and strawberry shortcake. I don't hardly think this is a health food menu, but we're talking some darn good downhome Southern food.

While I was chatting with Jerry I thought I'd get me a picture of some guy standing there eating ribs. He was eating faster than I could get my camera out, so you don't see much more than bones. Gives you an idea about how good these ribs taste though.

When I asked the guy if I could snap a photo, he said "sure" and that he knew why I wanted his picture. I said, "Cause you're eating ribs?" He said, "Naw. I figured you wanted my picture, cause I look like Willie Nelson." I allowed as how he did look like old Willie (one of my favorite outlaw country singers of all time) and that I'd have an even better photo than I'd thought seeing as how I could claim I'd snapped Willie (or close).

Jerry and I exchanged business cards as he was up to his elbows in sauce and stuff. I told him that I don't grill for business but do for fun and write about outdoor cooking. He said he'd check out my Grill Girl web page. I said I'd give his a look too. He said he'd had some tech problems. Tell me about that. Whew. Web pages can be a bear, and he doesn't have access to his. Has to pay a tech for every little change. Bummer.

If you get a hankering for a big barbecue blow out and are in North Carolina or close, shoot Jerry a message on his Jerrys Hillbilly Deluxe web page or call him at 336-413-8681. Tell him Grill Girl sent ya and maybe you'll get some extra "nanners" in that pudding.