Holiday reading: for the trees
Happy holidays! As we head into the end-of-year quiet, here are a few pieces to keep you sated
Happy holidays! Before I shut down my screens for a week or so, I wanted to send out one last batch of reading materials. Southlands to its regular programming in January—with some exciting updates and expansions to come!
The secrets of big chicken
Back when I wrote about chickens in the South, I focused on the role that Arkansas played in the development of the chicken industry. But that’s not the only corner of the South where you’ll find a lot of chickens: North Carolina is now home to around a billion birds. This excellent series in the Charlotte Observer explores how the state’s farms are shrouded in secrecy.
Protecting the forest, part II
This fall, I interviewed a few members of the Defend the Forest movement for my podcast, re: Wild. My friends at the Bitter Southerner recently published the most in-depth account of the action yet, and it’s excellent and thoughtful and considers all sides. Journalist David Peisner has also been offering updates on his Twitter account, where he’s documenting the arrests that occurred soon after the story was published.
Florida’s cowboys
Since I’ve just given you a good bit of heavy reading, let’s round out this holiday reading list with something more cheerful: this profile from Southern Living about how cowboys in Florida are fighting to keep one little sliver of the land at least somewhat wild.