Ribbon Cane Syrup Production

This year our organization resurrected a syrup mill that had been utilized in our county as early as 1921. We relied heavily on interviews with a local farmer that were recorded in 1994 and later transcribed for the specific steps that needed to be taken to get up and running. We invited syrup producers from several different counties to consult our members. We secured ribbon cane from a farmer in Henderson. We hired and consulted with local tradesmen to make necessary repairs. We sourced original manuals and guides for the equipment. Many hours of labor, thought, and discussion went into the pre-production. On the day of Country Fest (our county's largest festival put on annually by the local Key Club) we were able to showcase free of charge the steps taken from the pressing of the cane (over 2,000 stalks of heirloom purple ribbon cane) to the cooking of the juice (an all-day process - very labor intensive), and finally the straining and pouring of the cane syrup to county residents and visitors from all over our region. It was wildly popular, and we hosted throughout the day onlookers of all ages and walks of life riveted by the old-time processes and procedure of syrup production. The press we used was purchased and brought to Franklin County in 1921 and the pan was constructed on a homestead here in the county and then relocated to our grounds at the Cotton Belt Depot Museum. Although we used a tractor instead of mules all other aspects of the production were historically accurate, and our organization brought to life a process that had been so important to the economy of Franklin County 100 years ago.

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