By Rickey Robertson
In the Old Testament Book of Ecclesiastes wise king Solomon writes that there is a purpose for all things and that there is a time to plant and a time to pluck what you have planted. We have many traditions that we continue to use out in the country that pertains to our crops and of gathering and preserving them. When the first frost falls we know it is “hog killin’ time,” time to go and start smoking fresh meat in the smoke house, and also time for “syrup makin’!” So many of our traditions have been lost over the years.
Things that we did when we were kids have now been lost, but Rayford West continues a tradition of making syrup just as his grandfather and his father, and at the same location they made syrup many years ago. At the age of 89 he can say he has seen many gallons of cane syrup made at the family syrup mill. Rayford and his family live in northern Vernon Parish in what is known as the Silver Creek Community. He is one of a very few people in Louisiana whose birth certificate states that he was born at Indian Creek, Louisiana.
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