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The Arizona Republic, Phoenix, ArizonaSan Simon Farm Grows Sage, BasilBy DORIS STURGISWILLCOX—Meet the farmers who put the zing in the Thanksgiving poultry stuffing.C. S. Graves and sons, Carl aftd Dean of San Simon, are the only growers of commercial sage in the United States.Some sage is imported from Yugoslavia, it’s native land, but the*footnote of her own . , basil is also a delicious seasoning inSan Simon farmers have largely cornered the U.S. market In their successful operation which they began ten years ago.A perennial, the blue - grey leaved shrub is harvested in late spring and late autumn. The crop is marketed in July for the Thanksgiving trade. The average annual yield per acre is 500 pounds. The sage cuttings are baled in 300 pound lots for shipment.Farmers in the San Simon district since 1944. the Graves have parlayed $45 investM in a half pound of sage seed, into a $100,000 concern.'‘WHILE $45 was a little expensive for a half pound of seed, we actually bought a sage growing franchise along with it,” the elder Graves laughs, recalling the tall talking he had to do to get it. His neighbor had obtained the seeds from Yugoslavia with an idea of planting them himself.A former engineer with the Case Threshing Company in Amarillo, Tex., Graves has designed and patented all the special machinery used in the harvesting of the sage and the catch crop” of basil.These include the winnowing machine, which separates the leaves from the stalks, and the elevator-like seed extractor. Graves designed seven different cutters before he perfected the present high speed sickle they now use to bring in the harvest. He also designed a baler.“We have learned by trial and error,” says Carl. “We killed 22 acres of sage one year by cutting it too close.Carl majored in soil chemistry at the University of Arizona but says there was no sage advice available at the UofA for sage farmers. They started with a five-acre planting, presently have 30 acres with plans to increase it to 50.In addition, they have 25 acres of basil, with which they supply the entire U.S. market.“BASIL CAN be used in any dish where tomatoes are included,” says Carl. “In fact, basil is to tomatoes what salt is to steak.”His mother adds an originalChallenges Appear In Benson PathUfiCUIMr.TnN /AT\ Vnirps indoughnuts or cookies.”The basil business was started with a ten-cent package of seed.It is native of France and Italy. Both sage ahd basil are members of the mint family of plants. The elevation of 3600 feet in the San Simon Valley seem- to offer a near perfect climate for the crops.As a catch crop” the basil is harvested during the summer months when the business of sage farming is at a standstill. Unlike the sage, which is baled, basil leaves are shipped in 50 to 75 pound sacks.After cutting in the fields, both crops are placed on large wire drying racks to cure. Drying sheds are winged out from the 58 by 80-foot steel barn where the machinery is housed and the finished product stored. There are 1,000 drying racks but more will be needed. The Graves are planning on building two additional 50 by 100-foot steel buildings this winter.The sage farming business is a saga of determination to succeed for the Graves. The elder Graves 1 came to the San Simon Valley in ■ 1944 as a result of an arthritic condition. He bought the farm which his two sons mainly operated in partnership with the lateJohn Schad who sold out his in- j terest in 1950. While Graves still i suffers from arthritis he maintains i a fairly active interest in the en* : terprise, 1DURING THE past ten years ] the Graves family have had their , share of tragedy. Because of fire they suffered the loss of 35 tons , of sage and four tons of basil both ] of which had been drying in the shed. On other occasions they havebeen hailed out and Buffered flood damage by the rampaging San Simon river which has since been dyked. jProving that perseverence can i be rewarding, they rebuilt and the i three families, which now include three daughters-in-law, have built their own home on the original land site.Besides being the seasoning for the Thanksgiving bird, sage (in it’s leaf form) is an effective hair rinse.Just make tea from the leaves. As a rinse it leaves your hair soft1 and glossy, says the elder Mrs. 1 Graves.A heady bit of information for cooks. They can wash that bird | right out of their hair, come the , day after Thanksgiving. ' (Sage bit of advice. . .
Newspaper Details
Phoenix Arizona Republic
Phoenix, Arizona, US
Sun, Nov 23, 1958
Page 23
Full Page
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USA 10 Dec 2018
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