June 25, 2013 • Page 14 shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com Home Country From Page 13 too. Maybe art, maybe something like ballet almost, the way a horse moves when Steve’s trained him.” “I guess there’s more than one kind of art in the world,” said Herb, “and I guess I personally know some artists.” —— In the realm of country cooking, the elite are those who can take a heavy castiron Dutch oven, scrape out some glowing coals from a cook fire, and create masterpieces. And in this neck of the woods, the emperor of cast-iron splendor is Ed Parsons. Ed actually has a j.o.b. to pay the bills, you know, but his passion kicks in on the weekend with about 600 pounds of pots, a lot of fire, an authentic cowboy chuck wagon and hungry folks who appreciate excellence. In fact, ol’ Ed has come real close to turning an art form into a science. He does this by shunning the use of coals from a fire and relying instead on the practicality of charcoal briquets. Using charcoal, he knows to the minute when each dish is ready to eat, and he likes it that way. A few years ago, he ventured to another state to participate in a chuck wagon contest, complete with a cowboy Dutch oven cook-off, and as usual he represented those of us here at home admirably. But what was more important was how he managed to carve his name into something of a legend in this out-of-state town. “There were hundreds of chuck wagons and campfires out there,” Ed said. “Seemed like miles of them. And this lady reporter from the local paper heard there was someone from out of state taking part, so she looked me up for an interview. “I had just put some cobbler on in a 12-incher and had checked my watch, because with the briquets, I know it takes me exactly ... I mean exactly... 18 minutes until it’s ready. I suggested we go somewhere quiet for the interview, so we walked about a hundred yards away through dozens of chuck wagons and sat down for a visit.” Ed was his usual charming self through the interview, but kept an eye on the time, without seeming to. When 18 minutes had passed, he stuck his nose in the air and sniffed, then sniffed again. He said he’d have to be excused, because he could smell his cobbler and it was done. “You can’t possibly smell your cobbler out of all the hundreds out there,” the reporter said. Ed gave her a kind look as you would to a newcomer in any sport, then sniffed again. “Yep,” he said, “turning brown on top. In fact, by the time we get back, the brown will be clear across the top. A good cook always knows his own cobbler.” He then led the reporter back through the maze of cooks, popped the lid on the Dutch oven, and showed her the finished product. Nice and brown all the way across the top. Ed laughs at the memory. “Eighteen minutes,” he says. “I’m telling you, eighteen minutes exactly.” —— Brought to you by Home Country (the book) winner of two regional awards. Order yours at www.slimrandles.com Call Classi?eds 665-5884 www.missourivalleyshopper.com When the Heartland Humane Society opened the doors of its shelter on Burleigh Street in 2009 they had no clue the growth they would face in a few short years. Those first six months the shelter brought in 14 animals. So far this year, the shelter has brought in 159 animals. In the last two years alone, we have seen a growth rate of 300 percent. We’re definitely hitting milestones. But, we know there is so much more we can do. The staff is not the only ones in Yankton concerned about enough space to continue serving the needs of companion animals. Last November, Yankton residents Arlin and Carol Houtkooper challenged Heartland Humane Society Director Kerry Schmidt and the HHS Board of Directors to match $20,000 for a new shelter in Yankton. The group met the challenge, raising $22,000 between a select group of past and current board members. The people who have been involved the last few years and beyond understand the need for a larger facility and more space. It takes a long time to plan, organize, raise money, and build a shelter. We are actively working towards that goal. I can’t thank Arlin and Carol enough for setting a pace and motivating us to stay focused on a big goal. They have been excellent advocates for a new shelter and for protecting abandoned animals in our communities. In the meantime, our home at 601 Burleigh allows the humane society to hold cats and other small animals. All dogs are entered into foster care – living in homes of volunteers who care for them. Until a new shelter is built, foster programs are the only way the Heartland Humane Society can continue to make a larger impact on Yankton, Vermillion, and the surrounding communities. Volunteers are the key to our success and keeping our budget to a minimum. Anyone interested in helping is always encouraged to talk with us and look into the possibilities. If a new shelter becomes a reality our need for addi- tional volunteers will more than triple. About 50 percent of the animals that enter the program are strays. The rest are surrendered by owners for various reasons. Each animal is examined by the shelter’s veterinary technician Kathy Miller, receives any needed vaccinations and rabies, microchipped, treated for any illnesses or diseases, and is spayed or neutered if of age and not already completed. Dogs are tested for heartworm and kept on preventative medication to avoid acquiring the disease. Cats are tested for leukemia. Flea and worm preventatives are used on animals as well. Add all that up and you can imagine the actual costs and time of operating a humane society. With the help of volunteers, the shelter staff of two full-time, one part-time, and a vet tech are very busy day in and day out. Holidays and weekend hours are divvied up among about a dozen volunteers with key access and the staff. Animals are checked on a minimum of two times a day, every day of the year. I think the general population doesn’t actually think about the costs associated with a shelter. It’s an expensive endeavor and we work with a very modest budget compared to area shelters. In 2012, the shelter spent over $35,000 in vet bills alone. Overall shelter costs are kept low thanks to support from private individuals, Yankton Wal-Mart, Yankton Hy-Vee, and other businesses who generously supply food, toys, and cat litter. The shelter currently has about 150 supporters who make annual donations and it hosts a variety of events and opportunities to financially contribute to the mission. Donations of quality dog and cat food and clumping cat litter are always needed and we wouldn’t be able to keep our doors open without those items being donated. This month the shelter hosted its second annual Taste & Tour in Vermillion, raising over $6,500 for the organization. The event drew in about 200 people, almost doubling its number from 2012. The fundraiser allows participants to try a variety of food and beverage while checking out businesses on and around Main Street in Vermillion. Over $3,000 in raffle prizes were handed out. Each November, The Heartland Humane Society has its largest fundraiser – Wine & Whiskers. This event includes wine and beer tasting, a large silent and live auction, heavy hors devours, and guest speakers. In 2012, the event netted over $36,000 – about 30 percent of its total budget. The event has historically sold out. Our shelter would not continue to operate without all the individuals who support this event. From the donated items put on auction, to those who attend, it’s an important part of our yearly calendar. New to the shelter this year will be an apple pie fundraiser on October 19th at Hy-Vee in Yankton and Vermillion. Back: Kathy Miller (holding Chad) & Kerry Schmidt. Front:Theresa Kramer (holding Foxy & Dixie) & Jannette Kaddatz (holding Toby). And, while you won’t find dogs or cats typically at either event, the shelter’s part-time foster coordinator Janette Kaddatz’s job includes organizing Meet ‘n’ Greets and public events as often as possible to help the shelter educate the general public on responsible pet ownership and get the available pets some promotional time with potential adopters. What does a typical day at Heartland Humane Society look like? Staff and volunteers enter the facility at 8 a.m. seven days a week to clean, feed, and care for the animals. The facility opens to the public at 10a.m. Monday thru Saturday. Behind the scenes, employees are disinfecting kennels, toys, and supplies; reviewing applications for adoption and the spay and neuter program ; running animals to appointments; working with individuals surrendering animals; reviewing applications; working with individuals to educate on the importance of responsible pet ownership; and so much more . Each day is a new adventure. We never know what to expect. Many of our challenges involve stray and feral animals, usually cats. Nationally, stray cats can cause a stir of emotions in every community and we try to work with everyone to educate them on responsible ways to care for feral populations. However, most feral cats are not adoptable as companion animals and we are not able to bring them into our program. We have, however, acquired grants for programs to trap, spay, and release. Most recently, we fixed 24 cats in a trailer park in Vermillion with the support of Cedar County Vet Services, the City of Vermillion, and the property owner. The humane society has also helped local law enforcement with several hoarding and abuse cases over the years and serves as an outlet for clients at both the Woman and Children’s Shelter and the Homeless Shelter with temporary housing of pets. The shelter, however, has no jurisdiction over the Yankton Pound and does not have authority to take dogs from owners. 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