A Delta Story: Harvest Broom Making and Storytelling

Here's another in the Delta Story series as was written for the FALL ISSUE OF COUNTRY RUSTIC MAGAZINE in 2018. 

Story and Photography by Dru Duncan

 

"The days grow shorter. The trees are changing from their summer green to rich crimson, russet, amber and gold. The fields are white with cotton. Wheat and rice are so golden that they glow as the morning sun rises. The crispness in the air makes it undeniable. Fall has arrived.

 

I love the activity harvest time brings to our old company store, where each year friends and family gather for a day filled with the folk traditions of broom making and storytelling. The sweet smell of field straw, dried grasses, and cornhusks fills the air, as we diligently work to make brooms and whisks from the mounds of natural materials harvested from the ditch banks and end rows. Turkey wing and hawk tail whisks, pot scrubbers and cake testers, clothes whisk and brush brooms fill our list. The rhythmic clunk, clunk of the twine board on the century old store floor mixes with our continuous tales of days gone by but not forgotten. Sitting close to the wood burning stove to keep the chill off, once again we hear the story of my pioneer grandmother who cleaned the floors of their dogtrot log house with a stiff broom, lye soap, and water. Those floors were bleached almost white from the scrubbing. Or, I share my own childhood memory of making small bundles of leftover broom straw, securing them with rubber bands. They were used for silking ears of corn every Fourth of July. There was no celebration or homemade ice cream on that day until every #3 washtub of corn was shucked, silked, and packed in the freezer. And, I'll never forget being awakened very early on a fall morning for a day of foraging along the Mississippi River. We filled our buckets with wild pecans and walnuts, crabapples and berries. Then we loaded the truck with branches of birch and dogwood to fashion thrifty yard brooms for grandmother's flower beds and vegetable garden. . ."

Want to read more? Go to 2018 FALL ISSUE OF COUNTRY RUSTIC

There are E-Magazines that you can download and read all the stories.

LIFE IS GOOD. . .Sweep It Up

 

Harvest Broom Making and Storytelling at the Company Store

 

 

" . . . .I love the activity harvest time brings to our old company store, where each year friends and family gather for a day filled with the folk traditions of broom making and storytelling. The sweet smell of field straw, dried grasses, and cornhusks fills the air, as we diligently work to make brooms and whisks from the mounds of natural materials harvested from the ditch banks and end rows. Turkey wing and hawk tail whisks, pot scrubbers and cake testers, clothes whisk and brush brooms fill our list. . ."

 The 2018 Fall Issue of Country Rustic is out. . .and can be found for the first time on news stands across the country. . .We are all so proud of it. . .I suppose you can tell who is in the photos. . .Yes. . .That's John. . .He was so enthusiastic about the article I wrote about making brooms that he volunteered for a photo shoot. . .Of course, it didn't take much arm twisting. . .He loves to dress in costume and interpret the folk crafts. . .And. . .I love writing about them. . .Not only do I tell about our broom making each fall, I can't resist a couple of good stories about yard sweeping and its connection to the Delta. . .

Unfortunately, I can't share the whole article with you, but you can order copies at: 

COUNTRY RUSTIC MAGAZINE 

or you can pick up a copy at many news stands. . .

I'll also be sharing parts of my Summer article with you soon. . .It's a story of the old post office, dedicated to Mrs. Brownlee, who was Dell's postmaster for many years. . .

Our Mississippi County Delta is gaining national recognition because of these stories and features. . .In October, there will be a photo shoot at our Country Farm Home which will be featured in the 2019 Fall Issue. . .bringing even more interest to our little community. . .Hope you will enjoy the upcoming events along with us. . .

A Weekend of Broom Making

It's always a treat to share our knowledge about a traditional craft. . .so we jumped at the chance to spend two days at the Parking Archeological State Park, teaching one hundred Home Schoolers and their parents how to make a SIMPLE WHISK BROOM. . .We were part of several stations set up across the park that they visited during Home School Days. . .This year students learned about corn. . .making hominy. . .grinding corn. . .cooking kettle corn. . .making a corn shuck doll. . .and several other activities. . .

True, our whisk brooms weren't actually made of corn. . .although the straw is called Broomcorn. . .It is actually from the sorghum family. . .We fudged a little. . .In times past, though, many brooms WERE made of corn shucks, so we had photos of those for them to view. . .

Photo by Mel Harvey

  It was a perfect Fall weekend for Broom Making at the old Sawmill Schoolhouse, located in the park. . .In fact, the weather was so nice that we moved everyone outdoors to enjoy some of the last of our warm days. . .John gave each group of about 25 a little history about brooms and broom making. . .as Mel (Park Interpreter) and I kept him straight on his facts. . .He seemed to have a mindset that it was the Amish who perfected the flat brooms that we know. . .It wasn't. . .It was the Shakers who claim that honor. . .By the last workshop, we were still correcting him. . .It was all in fun. . .

Once our students had a little background. . .we began the broom making process. . .

Photo by Mel Harvey

with lots of one-on-one assistance. . .if necessary. . .

Photo by Mel Harvey

As with most crafts, broom making isn't hard if you have the right tools. . .See the board of twine on the ground? . . .That's the secret to a good tight broom. . .As the twine is wrapped around the bundle, the board keeps it taunt. . .

We had children from 5-15 years old trying their hand at it. . .The real prize was the finished product that each one took home with them. . .once John did the trimming. . .

Photo by Mel Harvey

I think all were happy with their creations. . .Lots of smiles and laughter. . .

I know that we had a really great two days. . .

We always enjoy working with everyone at the State Park. . .

They are a super bunch of people. . .

Mel learned to make a whisk broom, too, and ended up assisting us the last day. . . 

MEL HARVEY, PARK INTERPRETER

After the last group left. . .John and I headed over to the Visitor's Center picnic area for a quick snack before traveling. . .Others joined us. . .One brought the remainder of the kettle corn. . .and before we knew it, we almost had a party!!!!

Too quickly the sun began to set in the West, and it was time to head home. . .

with more memories of a wonderful weekend for our scrapbook. . .

By-the-way. . .

We've been invited to teach another workshop at the Park in May 2017. . .

for the Women's Weekend. . .

They'll be learning to make a Turkey Whisk. . .

Maybe we'll see you there?

Homeschool Sawmill Days in October

Parkin Archeological Park will host a HOMESCHOOL SAWMILL DAYS October 6 and 7. . .Guess who will be there 'WHISKING AWAY'? . .Among the many activities scheduled, we'll be teaching Homeschoolers how to make a simple WHISK BROOM like the ones above. . .

There are still some openings, so if you are interested, sign up at:

  

PARKIN ARCHEOLOGICAL PARK

Also: Check your AETN (Arkansas PBS) Schedule. . .

Our FARM is one of several in the new documentary

BACK ROAD BARNS

airing several time these next few weeks. 

Don't Miss It. . .There is some fantastic shots 

of Arkansas Barns and Their History

The Folk Art of Brooms and Broom-Making

At one time, a Delta farmhouse wasn't complete without a set of brooms and whisks to sweep the dirt out the door, clear the cobwebs out of the corners, whisk away the fireplace ashes, and quickly remove crumbs from the table. . .There has been the need for a broom as long as there has been someone to insist on cleanliness, and the Delta is no exception. . .not only for inside the home, but outside, too. . .Many tenant homes rid their yards of grass by sweeping them. . .The cleaner the yard, the better. . Old brooms or handmade branch brooms were utilized. . ..Not one blade of grass or weed escaped the weekly yard sweeping. . .A ritual that was repeated over and over into the 1950s and 60s. . .I remember as a child being curious as to how a few of the tenants yards had no grass on them, until one day I saw a lady sweeping the dirt. . .I found it an odd thing to do until I realized it was her way dealing with the grass and weeds. . .The dirt packed down into an almost concrete hardness over the years.

House brooms were not always bought at a store. . .They were often crafted at home from field straw, broom straw, or corn husks. . .It's another folk art that is rarely practiced anymore in the Delta. . .As with the Rag Rug looms, John and I thought we'd revive the art. . .So, we journeyed to Kentucky and Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill to be taught by the experts of American broom-making. . .

We met the instructor the day before the workshop in the basement of the Center Family Dwelling. . .He was demonstrating broom-making to the public. . .We were fascinated and more than ready to give it a try the next morning.

We also learned that before 1797, brooms in America were merely tree branches and brush used to sweep the floor and clean the ashes from the fireplaces. Sometimes  crude brooms were fashioned by tying something on a stick or handle: straw, hay, fine twigs or corn husks. These crude brooms did not sweep well and fell apart after a short time, even though strong linen twine was often used. 

The sweeping quality of brooms changed in 1797 when Levi Dickenson, a farmer in Hadley, Massachusetts, made a broom for his wife, using the tassels of a variety of sorghum (Sorghum vulgere), a grain he was growing for the seeds. She thought Levi’s broom was exceptionally good and told friends and neighbors about it.

 

By about 1810, the sorghum used in brooms, had acquired a new name, Broom Corn, as the British called all seed bearing plants, "corn." The sorghum also looks similar to the sweet corn plant. It's tassel became the broom material that is still used in quality brooms today. The broomcorn that Shaker Village utilizes comes from Mexico. Little is grown in the United States, except for personal use.

Early brooms were mostly round. . .but in the mid-1820's the Shakers started making brooms, changing the design of the round broom. They eliminated the woven stems up the handle, the holes and the pegs, and used wire to bind their broom to the handle. They then put their broom in a vise, sewing it into the flat brooms we use today. While their flat broom sweeps a rough surface very well, it does not do as quick and thorough a job as the earlier on a smooth surface as a round broom does.

TURKEY WING WHISK BROOM

 

In our workshop, we learned to make whisk brooms. . .a turkey wing, a hawk's tail, and a small round brush. . .and we had a close-up demonstration of how the flat broom is crafted.

 

LFT: MAKING A ROUND BRUSH. . .RT: WORKING ON THE TURKEY WING WHISK

Our results were not quite as perfect as the instructor's the day before. . .though once we learned the basics, it's a folk art that is easily practiced and perfected at home. . .At the end of the day, we had a full basket of whisk brooms to take home with us. . .

LFT TO RT: BROOM CORN BUNDLE, TURKEY WING WHISK, ROUND BRUSH, HAWK'S TAIL WHISK

 

not perfect. . .but they do give an air of the primitive, don't they? . .Wonderful for decorating, as well as use. . .

 

 

 

Be sure to visit the DUNCAN FARMSTEAD Pinterest board: BROOMS AND BROOM-MAKING for more decorating with brooms inspiration. . .

Once we get our technique down, we may offer a few classes of our own here at the Historic District. . .Our homemade brooms will be displayed in many of the buildings as well. . .such as the shotgun houses and company store. . .As our inventory grows, they will be made available to purchase.

Until then, if you would like to try your hand at making your own brooms, check out the links below. . .It's a wonderful outdoors family project for summer, too. . .Broom straw isn't a necessity. . .We have a number of options growing free along the ditch banks and tree rows. . .twigs, grasses, pig weed (grin). . .

********************* 

Making a Straw Broom OFF THE GRID NEWS : A straw broom is easy to make, and the project is one that would be fun to do with the kids or a as a great back-to-nature project that would be ideal for a group activity at a craft fair or other special event.

Things you will need: Straw, A stick to be used as a broom handle, Twine or wire for binding, A knife and scissors for finishing touches

Handles can be ordered from a supplies store for a more commercial look, but if you are going for rustic or are taking advantage of the items you have available to you, you can make your own using branches that you have collected. It is a good idea to strip the branches of their bark and allow them to dry for a few months before using them to ensure that no cracking or splitting will occur when you put them to use.

Clean your straw so it is free from dust and debris, shaking bits loose without using water, which can cause your broom to mold.

Divide straw into ten separate, equal bunches. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE

MORE LINKS ON BROOMS AND BROOM MAKING:

Duncan Farmstead @ Pinterest: Brooms and Broom-making

Broom-corn and Brooms: A Treatise on Raising Broom-corn and Making Brooms

Making Brooms the Old-Fashioned Way

Make This Prim Broom

Broom Corn--or is it Broomcorn?
How to Make a Broom from Mother Earth News

CHECK FOR WORKSHOPS AT THESE PLACES:

Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, KY

Ozark Folk School, Mt. View, AR

Davidsonville State Park, AR