Meet the Mennonites Behind One of the World's Best Syrups

From our friends at Southern Foodways Alliance, this piece produced by 1504 focuses on the Muddy Pond Sorghum Mill, a family-owned sorghum syrup producer in Tennessee.

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[locketom]

This man is the living embodiment of "it ain't much but its honest work"

[erinhowett]

"It's my sorghum. I'm gonna eat all I want."

I like this man.

[Tengoamame]

"The world is a mean place if you don't know what you're doing."

cant agree more

[danielt.]

He seems like a really decent human being. I would definitely think he would be a good friend.

[kutterfiend]

I felt that wholeheartedly when he said "I ventured out and found out that world was a mean place if you didn't know what you were doing."

[Sam-vyye]

This made me feel really peaceful for some reason

[kutter_ttl]

This man is such a pure soul, him and his family really are quite incredible.

[phaser]

Mennonites saved our house! There was a flood in Red Bluff, Ca several years ago that destroyed or partly damaged dozens of homes in our area. 2 days after the flood we were frantically trying to clear the tile/carpet/linoleum out before the water soaked up into our frame into the electrical etc..Men (who i thought were contractors) drove past our house in a pickup: i needed help so i chased after them to ask if they were for hire. They told me they were Mennonites and that they would help me do whatever i needed for free if i told them what i needed done and allowed them to do it, saying the hardest part would be for me to tell them what to do and stand back: They returned to my house in 3 trucks full of nice young and older men who cleared out all the flooring including ceramic tile, carpet/padding, linoleum and laminate planks. they had everything piled in my front yard within 2 hours AND they string-leveled all my drywall at 32 inches, cut it out and removed all the wet drywall. Then they got a big bin and took it all to the dump: they would only take $80 for the dump fee's. Other neighbors waited days/weeks to remove their drywall/flooring and lost everything due to water damage and subsequent mold etc...we were rebuilding within weeks. Mennonites saved our home!

[LevNavarre]

When I clicked on this link I absolutely didn't expect to hear a Mennonite compare food to sex. I guess certain human experiences really are universal.

[jacobortega]

Moved to tears with this man's voice and dedication to his trade. God bless the sorghum master

[peteacher]

Much to like here - work ethics, attitudes and processes, with quiet modest people.

[InfectedByZanza]

He is the 10% of people in the world that actually loves his job, and you can tell that he really puts his heart and soul into it

[RawShogun]

“ it won’t make you fat, but the butter and biscuits will get you”

Sold I’ll take two

[ajfehr]

Very well done documentary.
Greetings from a fellow Mennonite living up here in Saskatchewan, Canada.
Our 500 year Mennonite history began Holland. Over the centuries our ancestors moved to Poland, Germany, Ukraine and eventually to Canada and the US...from here some moved to Mexico, Belize, Bolivia, etc. The ingenuity and work ethic of the Mennonite people is amazing and admired in our society.
Today you find us Mennonites everywhere...federal politics, Doctors, farmers, nurses, professors, owners of large manufacturing companies, lawyers, inventors and engineers to name a few.
Lots of Guenthers in our area too.
Thanks...again for this beautiful and informative video.

[BallisticBBQ]

I've never had sorghum, that I know of at least... Watched this video and had to try it. Ordered some Muddy Pond, which arrived today. Good stuff and does have a slight molasses(y) flavor. Going to have to concoct a BBQ sauce with it.

[iamfinky]

Being from across the pond, I had no idea what sorghum was until I saw this, so I'm glad to have found this piece.

To the makers: this is really beautiful - you did well in showing us the heart of the people you focused on and those little end credit moments were great. Nice work.

[seahawks]

This guys voice is calming lol, he sounds quite intelligent also.

[phone]

3:23 "Guarantee ya, it will not make you fat; I will tell ya, the butter and biscuits will get you."

The grin after he says that is priceless. That's a guy who knows how to sell a sales pitch

[justinerwin]

Him: "There's nothing folks love more than watching a horse walk in a circle."

Me, as I watch a horse walk in a circle: "I think I want to go visit that factory."

Dang, he was right.

[Khalrua]

Imagine how happy we’d all be if we lived more like this guy