Making Sorghum Syrup at the Baily Farm in Nevada County

The Bailey family made Sorghum syrup at the Bailey family farm on Nevada County Road 124 Saturday (10-28). It was a fifth-generational event with the youngest generation around learning the ropes and participating in the process.

For the interview, Wanda Bailey Chapman was brought out as the oldest member of the family. Her father had started the mill she thought in 1911, a year after her parents got married.

Sorghum was made two months out of the year and the Baileys had a reputation for the best syrup around. They also had a grist mill where corn was ground and chops were made. Except for during syrup making season, corn was ground every Saturday.

The syrup was hauled to Little Rock and Northern Arkansas. During World War 2 with the sugar shortage the Army approached Mrs. Chapman’s father for some syrup and bought him out. He sold 1,000 gallons to them at $2 a gallon.

Mr. Bailey always had syrup for his neighbors. Whoever brought the cane also brought firewood and he would receive every fifth gallon of syrup made himself.

Other than syrup the family had an orchard, growing apples, peaches, a few pears, grapes, figs and pecans. The family has fresh fruit just about all year long. Mr. Bailey believed in getting everything provided for the family.

Sugar cane had been tried on the farm but it doesn’t do well here and survive the winters. When asked how the leaves are stripped the answer was “one at a time”. Sugar cane is also harder to remove the leaves – potentially cutting those who remove them.

The grist mill is back together so the farm will be able to produce stone ground corn again.

One of the people at the event was Ron Pamplin (from New Orleans) who is the first cousin to the farm owner.

Wendell Bailey said each member of the family has their desired passion and this is his. He said he had done the brick work for the mill and that it was a combined family effort to bring the production there. This type of activity developed the family and the purpose is is to maintain connections with the family. He said the community needed to be involved because community is family.