Southern Indiana Living Magazine - May / June 2022

Southern 

Indiana 

RED HILL FIBER MILL 

& Alpaca Farm 

May / June 2022 

Living 

Born 

Boutique 

Salem, IN 

Summer Fun in SoIN: Sycamore Springs Park & More!

Choose the path 

with more moments. 

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or call 1-800-HOSPICE. 

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COUNTY 

2021 

2 • May/June 2022 • Southern Indiana Living 

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Southern Indiana Living • May/June 2022 • 3

4 • May/June 2022 • Southern Indiana Living

Southern 

Indiana 

Living 

MAY / JUNE 2022 

VOL. 15, ISSUE 3 

PUBLISHER | 

Karen Hanger 

karen@silivingmag.com 

LAYOUT & DESIGN | 

Christy Byerly 

christy@silivingmag.com 

COPY EDITOR | 

Jennifer Cash 

COPY EDITOR | 

Sara Combs 

ADVERTISING | 

Take advantage of prime 

advertising space. 

Call us at 812-989-8871 or 

e-mail karen@silivingmag.com or 

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Marengo, IN 47140 

Contact SIL 

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karen@silivingmag.com 

22 

Featured Stories 

12 | CONFIDENCE IS KEY 

Born Boutique in Salem, Indiana 

16 | A DREAM COME TRUE 

Red Hill Fiber Mill & Alpaca Farm 

22 | SUMMER FUN IN SO IN 

Sycamore Springs Park 

Southern Indiana Living 

MAY / JUNE 2022 

ON THE COVER: Lakin 

Jones, owner of Born 

Boutique in Salem, Indiana / 

Photo by Michelle Hockman 

Check out more 

features and stories 

on our EPUB Exclusive! 

www.silivingmag.com 

Southern Indiana Living is 

published bimonthly by SIL 

Publishing Co. LLC, P.O. Box 

145, Marengo, Ind. 47140. 

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the position of Southern 

Indiana Living or its parent 

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SIL Publishing Co. LLC. No 

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without written permission 

from SIL Publishing Co. LLC. 

12 

16 

In Every Issue 

7 | FLASHBACK 

Star-Spangled Banner, Corydon, IN, 1941 

8 | IN THE GARDEN WITH BOB HILL 

A lesson from Tom Sawyer 

11 | A NOTE TO BABY BOOMERS 

Still more work to be done 

27 | REAL LIFE NUTRITION 

Four nutrition myths 

30 | EVERYDAY ADVENTURES 

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Flashback Photo 

Star-Spangled Banner 

Corydon, Indiana 

1941 

According to library records, this 

snapshot was taken of American 

Legion members leading a parade 

past the Old State Capitol in 1941. 

// Photo courtesy of the Frederick Porter Griffin Center, Harrison County Public Library 

TRY OUR NEW 

COFFEE FLIGHTS 

Available Fri–Sun after 11a 

Stay for the conversation, laughter and live music. 

110 E. Chestnut Street, Corydon, IN 

812-736-0032 

kentjavabar.square.site 

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A Walk in the Garden with Bob Hill 

When you spend almost 50 

years planting dozens of 

trees on your acreage, the 

inevitable result is a few 

thousand fallen limbs, branches and 

twigs on the ground beneath them 

every spring. 

Our son always graciously 

called such a scene a “gravity check.” 

The worst of that scenario is 

you learn you have planted all those 

trees too close together and a chain 

saw is required to topple something 

you have spent almost a half-century 

caring for. Children of the Chain 

Saw. The other part of that is becoming 

tired of picking up broken limbs, 

branches and twigs every spring. 

We needed help. We have 

learned to apply the Mark-Twain- 

Tom-Sawyer Theory of Bent Over 

Work to the situation. Make the process 

sound rewarding, feel rewarding, 

be rewarding. Toss in a golf cart 

or two and you might find somebody’s 

grandkids willing to do the 

bending, stooping and picking up. 

To refresh your memories on 

that theory, Mark Twain, in his 1876 

classic “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” 

saw Tom being tasked by his 

Aunt Polly to whitewash their fence 

as punishment for some serious mischief. 

Tom reluctantly took on the 

task all the while scheming out to get 

out of it. 

Enter Ben Rogers, a buddy of 

Tom’s, who showed up to harass Tom 

for being sentenced to whitewash 

a fence. Tom quickly turned that 

harassment around by proclaiming 

he wasn’t at all unhappy with the 

work: 

“I don’t see why I would be,” 

Tom said. “You don’t get to do this 

every day.” 

In fact, Tom went on to say, 

“Only one in a thousand, maybe even 

two in a thousand boys can do this. 

Aunt Sally said it was so important 

only Tom Sawyer can do it.” 

Ben took the bait, wanted to 

prove himself, and began begging 

Tom for a chance to whitewash the 

fence. Tom held out until Ben offered 

him his apple and then, seemingly reluctantly, 

turned over his whitewash 

brush to Ben. In the end, about a dozen 

out-to-prove-themselves neighborhood 

kids were whitewashing 

Aunt Polly’s fence as Tom watched 

and chewed on his apple. 

OK, our situation was quite the 

same. Our young helpers didn’t have 

any apples and Tom didn’t have any 

golf carts. But we did have a few 


thousand branches, limbs and twigs 

on the ground. Our young helpers 

did want to prove themselves in some 

form or fashion, although maybe 

they were not even aware of it. They 

did so by becoming great pick-upstick-workers, 

which is all that can 

be expected of four kids ages 10 to 12 

– and all four related – for about two 

hours. It’s hard enough to find adults 

to work that hard for two hours. 

A Lesson from 

Tom Sawyer 

The story begins with Susie 

Dunn. She is a good friend and as 

good and caring a person and grandmother 

as ever created. In years past, 

we have had other kids – grandchildren 

of other friends – pick up sticks 

here for fun and some profit, including 

helping to fund a joint neighborhood 

clubhouse venture. Wall Street 

lurks. My only goal at such an age 

would have been to buy ice cream 

cones. 

Susie quickly agreed to bring 

over part of her clan. Truth be told, 

our reward for all this was having 

those kids around – with Grandma 

in watchful control. Sure, fallen sticks 

was the listed reason. But we were 

also hoping the kids would notice the 

spring flowers in bloom, the birds flitting 

about and chirping in the trees, 

and feel the satisfaction that comes 

with leaving a place better than you 

found it. 

No one is ever too young to 

learn that. 

And, oh yeah, driving the golf 

carts. 

Ms. Janet Hill, no taskmaster 

slouch herself, led the troops to the 

back field where the woody pickups 

began. Some of those branches were 5 

to 6 feet long – or longer. The workers 

– Brody, Skylar, Addie and Peyton – 

scattered like rabbits across the field, 

carefully bending to pick up sticks 

and tossing them in the back of the 

golf carts. 

Then, taking turns driving the 

carts – and a few already had some 

experience with that – it was off to our 

various compost piles of previously 

rounded-up sticks, some day to meet 

their maker in a huge chip-grinding 

truck. We already have a quarter-acre 

of such on their way back to becoming 

soil. 

Tom Sawyer – although maybe 

not his immediate intention – had it 

right. Working together like a family 

was obvious worthwhile fun. My 

earliest memories of the same would 

have been raking leaves – with an attention 

span of maybe 45 seconds. 

The older kids watched after 

the younger ones. They took turns 

driving the golf cart. They teamed 

up on the heavier limbs and logs – 

a few maybe 12 feet long – each kid 

supporting a limb on one shoulder 

as they walked. Grandma stayed on 

them – nicely. They all wanted to 

please Grandma – fully. 

As always, I asked the kids 

what they were thinking of becoming 

when they grew up. One 12-year-old 

wanted to be an OB-GYN. The other 

12-year-old a pathologist. All I wanted 

to be at that age was center field 

for the New York Yankees. 

The fun lasted the previously 

discussed two hours. Their breaks toward 

the end included enjoying the 

various whimsy that still lives on our 

property, an oversized Lily Tomlin 

chair and monster flowerpot. 

Grandma, pleased, proud and 

noticing a growing lack of attention 

to detail, took them all to lunch, 

which never would have occurred to 

Tom Sawyer. 

Most of our sticks are now 

gone. At least one of the kids told 

Grandma she wanted to come back 

again someday to look at our trees 

and flowers. • 

Pictured: (left to right) Bob’s grandchildren: Brody, Addie, 

Skylar and Peyton (in back) 

About the Author 

Former Courier-Journal 

columnist Bob Hill enjoys 

gardening, good fun, good 

friends and the life he and 

his wife, Janet.


Welcome Hannah Meador, PT, DPT, to the HCH Therapy Team! 

Iris Wiseman, PT, DPT (left) 

and Hannah Meador, PT, DPT 

The Harrison County Hospital Therapy 

Team welcomes Hannah Meador, PT, DPT. 

Hannah joins a diverse team of therapists 

who offer a variety of outpatient and 

inpatient rehabilitation services using a 

multidisciplinary approach. Our therapists 

are experienced in treating a variety of 

diagnoses to a wide range of patient 

populations using state of the art 

treatment modalities and evidence-based 

strategies. 

Learn more about Hannah and the 

Rehabilitation Services offered at 

Harrison County Hospital by visiting 

www.hchin.org/rehab or by calling 

812-738-7888. 


www.hchin.org

A Note to Baby Boomers 

Still More Work To Be Done 

My feet and I used to be 

friends. So I jogged. 

I thundered the second 

half of long runs, at 

least ones as flat as those feet. The second 

half of my gym workouts, these 

mornings, likewise proves likable. 

Go figure. 

It is the same with the last half 

of life. It and I get along. I cannot love 

getting old, who does? I can’t hate it, 

either. I need a challenge and what a 

worthy one. My original body parts 

still present and accounted for, I look 

forward to tomorrow while the yesterdays 

rack up. 

I am firmly in with living until 

somebody calls the coroner on me. 

Aging assaults indiscriminately 

and inevitably. It’s better to weather, 

though, than to whine. Now and 

then, thank God, not much new goes 

wrong. I remind myself to confront 

whatever is ahead more than I fear it. 

Circumstances get in the way. It 

would be nice if buying a cartful of 

groceries did not require a second 

mortgage. How joyful if my blood 

pressure stopped totaling higher than 

the electric bill. 

The test is to control what I can. 

I am 68, still an arguably young 

old guy. This involves routine reminding. 

Anyway, I spend less time 

now asking about old age than telling 

about it. Student has turned teacher. 

I ran into a cousin of my wife alongside 

the blue jeans at Sam’s Club. He 

nears retirement. He asked the usual 

questions, senior citizenship mostly 

curious at this point. 

There I stood – dog food and 

ranch dressing on the shopping list 

– the handy voice of experience. Do 

this. Don’t do that. No wait, don’t do 

this. Do that. When to wave goodbye 

to work and hello to Social Security – 

I explained why I did what I did. 

Then I explained to ask every 

other oldster he could. 

Another relative by marriage is 

95. She is among the very best people 

I have met and I met people for a 

living. Limits close in on her. A ride 

to Mass makes her day. She clutches 

what it takes to make her happy, to 

what pretty much always and simply 

has. Ever kindly, she defies my 

assumption that good years run out 

long before years do. 

I never so much had dared to 

imagine 95, much less to count it as 

anything close to a blessing. 

I grew up in the same house in 

which I grow old. Neither it nor I is 

fancy. I have tried to change it – outrages 

such as a bathtub – without 

changing it. My scheme is to keep it 

less trouble than it is worth. Thing is 

that bathtub, plus much else likewise 

useful in the 21st century, is upstairs. 

We old people like stairs about 

as much as we like dinner at 7:30. 

To manage life’s second half 

may entail – will entail, I suspect with 

typical pessimism – turning our upstairs 

into a memory. Is the old house, 

and its old owner, up to this much 

newness? If I am to stay, something 

well may have to go. I will believe it 

money well spent. I had better. 

Hey, not like I need to buy more 

running shoes. 

I also look forward to more travel, 

to more reading, to more lunches 

with friends, to more concerts and 

shows without worries about getting 

up early the next morning. I want to 

relearn the trombone and tennis, but 

I also wanted that a decade ago. I get 

a thrill and a half watching the kids 

figure out adulthood and their kids 

figure out childhood. 

Sometimes they ask for help. 

Sometimes I actually can help. Helping 

them always helps me. 

Not that there is a choice, but is 

being old better than being young? Is 

wisdom better than energy? Is Medicare 

better than, well, wellness? I no 

longer worry about being cool, at 

least. I gave up on that before I gave 

up on Bass Weejuns. Tinnitus is worse 

than acne, but my managing is way 

First halves of TV-series runs are better, but second 

halves of ball games are better. Driving to vacations 

always beats driving home from vacations. Most 

conversations get better in time. Most sermons do 

not. Good sleep does not usually last long enough. Yet 

leftovers can make the second best meal of the week. 

better. I’d do 10 things over, perhaps 

100. I am at peace with not getting 

that chance, though. Being young led 

to my share of regrets. It also led me 

to where I am – luckily comfortable. 

I stumbled upon the ideal career 

and, much more importantly, 

to a woman easier to love than fried 

chicken or naps. She wishes I teased 

less and pitched in more. She knows 

I won’t and I won’t and here we are, 

47 years later. I don’t need too much 

from here on out. I need her. 

First halves of TV-series runs 

are better, but second halves of ball 

games are better. Driving to vacations 

always beats driving home from vacations. 

Most conversations get better 

in time. Most sermons do not. 

Good sleep does not usually last long 

enough. Yet leftovers can make the 

second best meal of the week. 

I am but a decade from the average 

length of life. A number of good 

friends were not so fortunate. They 

lived until life was swiped from them. 

I want to go like that, feeling ripped 

off – just not yet, not soon. 

I am a retiree with work to do 

and a smile on my face. • 

After 25 years, Dale Moss 

retired as Indiana columnist for 

The Courier-Journal. He now 

writes weekly for the News and 

Tribune. Dale and his wife Jean 

live in Jeffersonville in a house 

that has been in his family 

since the Civil War. Dale’s e- 

mail is dale.moss@twc.com 


Cover Story 

Confidence is Key 

A fresh take on a Salem store 


Story by Darian Decker 

Photos by Michelle Hockman

Born is “a boutique for the 

dreamer and free thinker” and 

its owner, Lakin Jones, lives 

that out. 

What was once Sisters in Salem 

is now under new ownership with 

Jones as of this spring. The coastal, 

bohemian-style clothing store 

officially opened in late March. 

Previous owners Jennifer 

Tomlinson and Allison Ezzell sold the 

store to Jones. 

“I had been working for Jennifer 

and Allison on and off for probably 

about six years and then full time 

for the past year or so,” Jones said. 

“I really formed a lot of friendships 

and relationships with people in the 

community so that was kind of what 

made me decide I wanted to do a 

brick and mortar.” 

Jones said she really enjoyed 

working with Ezzell and Tomlinson 

over the years. 

“I know that they’ll serve as 

mentors as I continue and they’re 

always open to me asking questions 

and bouncing ideas off of them,” 

Jones said. 

Prior to opening, Jones said they 

remodeled inside, painted, installed 

new fixtures and placed wallpaper. 

She said moving store ownership 

had been in the works for a while. 

Tomlinson brought it up to Jones 

when Jones was getting ready to 

graduate college. 

“I planned on applying to 

different marketing jobs, seeing what 

I got, and I planned on also opening 

up an online boutique because that’s 

what I was really passionate about 

and she suggested then, ‘Why don’t 

you just buy Sisters?’” Jones said. 

The hardest thing for Jones was 

taking the risk to actually do it. She 

thought, prayed and talked to her 

family about it before deciding a 

brick-and-mortar store was the way 

for her to go. 

“There’s a lot more overhead 

than you would have if it was just 

online, so that was the hardest thing,” 

she said. “But I really love the face-toface 

interaction.” 

Fashion is something Jones has 

always been interested in, and she 

actually started her first clothing 

business when she was just 14 years 

old. 

“I was upcycling clothing – 

turning men’s button-downs into 

women’s tunics by adding ruffles and 

things like that,” Jones said. “So that 

kind of combined my love for fashion 

and business and I had been doing 

What was once Sisters in Salem is now 

under new ownership with Jones as of this 

spring. The coastal, bohemian-style clothing 

store officially opened in late March. 

that up until recently.” 

Jones said she felt ready for 

a new challenge, but one that still 

combined her loves of fashion and 

business. The store was the perfect 

opportunity. 

As far as what shoppers can 

expect, the store carries sizes ranging 

from extra-small to extra-large and 

includes brands like Kut from the 

Kloth, THML, and Grade & Gather. 

The store sells clothing, accessories, 

shoes, hats and other products. 

“I would say the target market 

was very broad before, probably like 

25-85 years old. I would say now it’s 

more 16-65,” Jones said. “Still a really 

wide gap and still carrying a wide 

selection of brands.” 

In the future, Jones said she 

would love to expand into plus-sizing 

and also grow into an online platform 

for the store. 

The thing she enjoys most about 

being in the Salem community is the 

support of small businesses. 


“I think people really want to see 

small businesses thrive,” Jones said. 

“I had several people show up [at the 

soft opening] so excited to support 

and see what was in the store.” 

For those looking to follow a 

similar path, Jones said doing your 

research is most important. “I have a 

marketing degree, but what I learned 

the most from was talking with other 

business owners in my industry, 

listening to podcasts, reading books 

… I would say that’s definitely 

helpful.” 

Having just opened, the future 

of the store is bright, and Jones said 

her focus is customer satisfaction and 

building relationships. 

“I want [customers] to not only 

know that building relationships 

is important to me, but I also 

want them to feel confident,” she 

said. “Confident in the items they 

purchased, and confident enough 

to express themselves through 

fashion.”• 

You can check out Born on their Facebook 

page @shop.bornboutique. 

Pictured: (top, left) Lakin Jones, owner of Born; (top right and below) a few of the unique items available at the boutique, including clothes, shoes, hats, jewelry, and perfume. 


Wellness of Body, Mind, Spirit, and Community 

May is mental health awareness month, 

the national movement to raise 

awareness about mental health. Each year 

we fight stigma, provide support, educate 

the public and advocate for policies that 

support people with mental illness and their 

families. The stigma attached to addressing 

the unique mental health concerns of public 

service personnel (PSP) is multilayered. Not 

only is it almost unmentionable among 

those who work in this field, but the general 

public seems to doubt, avoid or minimize 

this important subject. 

It’s not possible to see the full impact these 

individuals make in our lives because we 

cannot measure what “doesn’t happen.” 

Spend time at the fire house, the police 

department, inside the jail, the call center, 

office or station and it will be said that what 

these individuals do is a calling. Following 

a calling is a sacrifice. So when someone 

says that what they experience on the job is 

“what they signed up for,” it is incompatible 

with individual reports. What they signed 

up for was to protect, make a difference 

in their community, help save lives, and 

help others make better life choices in 

addition to earning a living and supporting 

their families. 

Residual effects of the job last after the 

time clock is punched. Mostly due to 

chronic exposure to man’s inhumanity to 

man. These aftereffects not only affect the 

Public Safety Personnel, but it also trickles 

out to their families. This concern for the 

distinctive mental health concerns of this 

population is not a stress issue—but a 

distress issue. 

If you are alive, you experience stress. Some 

days there’s less than others but we live in 

a society that seems to champion doing 

the most and the result is chronic stress. In 

addition to basic adulting, these individuals 

experience moderate to high stress events 

daily, sometimes multiple times a day—it’s 

just basic science. Our brains/body were 

created to respond to stress but because of 

the world we live in the stress doesn’t stop 

and for these, it compounds. The system 

that tells our body to relax does not have 

a chance to fully execute before another 

situation happens to call that fight, flight, 

flee, defend response to engage again. 

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can 

result from chronic exposure to high impact 

experiences like the images they have to 

see or the witness statements they hear 

in addition to the scenes they are called 

to. Additionally, moral injury is different 

than PTSD – when working with people 

sometimes there is no one perfect choice 

but one has to be made anyway. Evidence 

has to be investigated and reviewed 

more than once, often of images or victim 

accounts that deeply violate values and 

beliefs. Those experiences create a distress 

response which can result in moral injury. 

An April 2021 report from the Center for 

Disease Control showed that Firefighters 

and law enforcement officers are more 

likely to die by suicide than in the line of 

duty; EMS personnel are more likely to 

take their life than members of the general 

public. Public safety telecommunicators 

are at risk as well; studies have found that 

nearly 25% experience depression and 

as many as 24% have symptoms of posttraumatic 

stress disorder (PTSD). The risk 

for those retired from these departments is 

even higher as there is no longer a sense of 

purpose or avenue to live out the calling. 

The Department of Veteran’s Affairs has 

reported for years that the suicide risk is 

higher in persons with PTSD. The number 

of suicide related deaths is difficult to 

report as an exact measure because 

often suicides are not reported 

and it can be hard to know 

whether or not a person 

meant to die by suicide. 

For a death to be 

recorded as suicide, 

examiners must be 

able to say that the deceased meant to die. 

The answer to these concerns is many-sided. 

First, there is the need to make mental health 

dialogue common language. Second, to 

make discussing a high impact call or work 

detail commonplace and accepted. Third, 

to acknowledge that responsibility rests 

not only on the shoulders of the public 

service personnel but the also the public to 

stop down playing and avoiding this critical 

social problems. Our services at Personal 

Counseling Services (PCS) to provide 

mental health to our law enforcement, fire, 

EMS, etc. has grown astronomically over the 

past twelve months. We are here to support 

our first responder’s mental health as well as 

their family members. To learn more about 

PCS’s services to first responders, contact 

Joni Stroud-Martin at 812.572.2162. 

2022 

Samaritan 

Awards Gala 

Thursday, August 18, 2022 

Huber Winery 

Personal Counseling Services, Inc. | 1205 Applegate Lane | Clarksville, IN 47129 | 812.572.2162 | intake@pcs-counseling.org 


Business Spotlight 

Right in the middle of the Hoosier 

National Forest, near Taswell, 

Red Hill Fiber Mill & Alpaca 

Farm, owned by Ty and 

Lindsey Higgins, is making a name 

for itself in the industry and is fast 

becoming a favorite location for anyone 

looking to learn about and enjoy 

alpacas. 

But let’s acknowledge the 

elephant, er, alpaca, in the room. 

People often confuse alpacas with 

llamas. While closely related, llamas 

and alpacas are quite different 

animals. 

“The difference is about 400 

pounds and a bad attitude,” Lindsey 

joked and added, “Llamas are much 

larger and tend to be fiercer. Llamas, 

which are primarily used for packing 

or guarding herds, will spit at you 

‘just because,’ while alpacas, primarily 

raised for their soft and luxurious 

fleece, typically only spit at each other.” 

Red Hill Fiber Mill came about 

in a roundabout way. Initially, Ty and 

Lindsey were raising alpacas as fiber 

pets in Crawford County. In late 2019, 

Ty started kicking around the idea of 

opening a fiber mill, after they realized 

the demand for fiber processing 

services. Through research, the 

couple discovered the upfront cost for 

buying new machines, and outfitting 

the building to suit, was going to be 

cost-prohibitive. “Dreams dashed, 

we decided to put it on our 10-year 

plan,” Lindsey said. 

In early 2020, however, the 

opportunity to buy a set of used fiber 

milling equipment presented itself, 

and they jumped on it. Then the 

unimaginable happened: COVID-19. 

There they were — new business 

owners trying to get a leg up during 

a pandemic. Ty was furloughed from 

his job, and Lindsey was trying to 

work from home, and both were caring 

for their two young kids, Paxton 

and Liam. 

“What we had intended to be a 

slow build-up of learning our way 

and making a quality name for our 

products quickly became a ‘we have 

to make this work right now’ plan,” 

Lindsey said. “We were one of the 

few incredibly fortunate businesses 

to really succeed despite everything 

COVID brought. People were home 

knitting and crocheting — a lot.” 

And just because the world had gone 

crazy, that did not mean animals 

didn’t need to be shorn. There was 

a heightened demand for their yarn 

products. 


As the Higginses’ alpaca herd 

started growing in late 2020, people 

started wanting to see them. When 

people were ready to start getting out 

of the house and enjoy the outdoors, 

the Higginses had the perfect experience 

to share with the community. 

They’ve hosted many school trips 

and open farm days. They quickly 

discovered people are fascinated 

with alpacas and learning everything 

about them. 

Red Hill hosted their first annual 

“Spring Fling on the Farm” in April, 

which featured live music, vendors 

and food trucks. National Alpaca 

Farm Day, a free public event, will be 

held on Oct. 1 and 2. 

When guests visit, there is no 

guarantee of the opportunity to be 

one-on-one with the alpacas. “We 

leave it up to the alpacas. We will entice 

them with treats, but alpacas are 

naturally very standoffish. They also 

have a very keen sense of who a person 

is,” Lindsey said. 

In addition to seeing the alpacas, 

guests can also tour the fiber mill and 

learn the steps to processing alpaca 

fiber and other natural fibers, such 

as sheep’s wool, yak, camel and goat. 

Their farm store features alpaca and 

other products, including socks, hats, 

gloves, scarves and blankets. Several 

hand-knit items by Lindsey are available, 

as well as crochet pieces by the 

Higginses’ friend Kelly Risch from 

A Dream Come True 

Local family starts Red Hill Fiber Mill & Alpaca Farm 

Story by Carol Ubelhor-Troesch 

Photos submitted by Red Hill Fiber Mill & Alpaca Farm (except where noted) 

VALoRs Gifts, as well as handmade 

soy candles inspired by their foundation 

herd of alpacas. 

They also do mail-order for 

some of the items in the store, as well 

as their fiber processing clients. Their 

mill clients are both from the region 

and have been from as far away as 

Washington state, Pennsylvania and 

Texas. 

Surprisingly, the cottage fiber industry 

in the U.S. has not changed for 

decades. The machines Red Hill currently 

uses are from 1910, the 1960s 

(updated in the late 1980s) and 2010. 

Their goal as a fiber mill is to push 

the industry in the U.S. to incorporate 

some modern technologies. 

“We are pushing for innovation, 

funding and using our platform to 

educate on the textile industry in the 

U.S.,” Lindsey said. “A lot of people 

do not realize that approximately 60% 

of textiles are produced overseas.” 

Lindsey has started the region’s 

Fibershed Affiliate program (Southern 

Indiana Fibershed) and is working 

with area farmers to get their 

products direct to consumers. This 

regional fiber ecosystem not only 

helps the farmer to get a better price 

on their product, but it also drastically 

reduces the environmental impacts 

that come with shipping. 

In addition to educating the 

public, Ty and Lindsey are working 

to help lenders and investors under-

stand the market and the growing 

demand. In the U.S. alpaca industry 

alone, there are roughly 260,000 registered 

alpacas — and most likely a 

similar number of unregistered alpacas, 

which equals roughly 2 million 

pounds of fleece a year. There are 

only about 20 cottage mills in the U.S. 

that are able to process alpacas, and 

a handful that will process 100% alpacas. 

Red Hill can only process 600 

pounds of fiber a month. 

“I think the ultimate part of 

owning the business is knowing that 

we went for our dream, and we are 

succeeding. One day we decided 

to stop saying we wish something 

would come along – and took steps to 

actively make it,” Lindsey said. 

Ty and Lindsey’s favorite dayto-day 

part of the business is the agritourism 

side. “We’re both passionate 

about the alpacas and raising 

awareness about how sustainable 

farming them is,” Lindsey said. “We 

have a unique chance to get people 

really thinking about where their 

clothing comes from and how their 

decision in buying it matters. We 

appreciate each and every person 

who visits us, and we love sharing 

that.” 

Future plans include adding a 

cabin or two so that they can offer 

lodging, in addition to the RV and 

primitive campsites they offer. 

They are also working to expand 

the current mill building. “We are 

working in very tight quarters, and 

our ultimate goal is to add a full 

garment machine to have the ability 

to knit all our scarves, sweaters and 

gloves in house,” Lindsey said. 

Lindsey adds that she also wants 

to inspire youth to know that they can 

think outside of the box and turn their 

passion into a career. Raising alpacas 

is a very niche branch of agriculture, 

but the collective of alpaca owners is 

working hard to make it be seen as 

more than just a hobby. 

“Our kids inspire us. I never 

thought my love for knitting would 

one day turn into me raising alpacas 

and making yarn for a living,” 

Lindsey said. “I want our kids to see 

us working hard to make our dreams 

come true and know that they can do 

the same thing.” • 

Farm tours and visits are by appointment 

only. Typically, they are available 

between 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through 

Friday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. For 

more information, go to redhillfiber.com, 

facebook.com/redhillfiber and @redhillfiber 

on Instagram and TikTok. 

“I think the ultimate part of owning the business 

is knowing that we went for our dream, and 

we are succeeding. One day we decided to 

stop saying we wish something would come along 

– and took steps to actively make it.” 

- Lindsey Higgins 

Co-owner of Red Hill Fiber Mill & Alpaca Farm 

Pictured: (left page) Liam Higgins helps with the Llamas at his family’s farm, Red Hill Fiber Mill & Alpaca Farm; (this 

page, from top left, clockwise) two alpacas on an cold day in early spring // Photo by Carol Ubelhor-Troesch; Paxton 

Higgins and one of the alpacas on the farm; yarn made from the wool of the alpacas at Red Hill Fiber Mill & Alpaca Farm. 


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SPECIAL SECTION: Summer Fun in SoIN 

Sycamore Springs Park 

A Crawford County Treasure 

Story by Sara Combs 

Photos by Ruth King and Carol Roberson Groves 

Sycamore Springs Park opened 

its 25th season April 1 with 

some exciting additions, including 

a hiking trail that includes a 

bit of Crawford County history, three 

rental cabins – two rustic and one luxury, 

additional RV sites, an expanded 

gift shop, improved roads and more. 

Nidrah Roberson Dial, who 

chairs the Clayton Roberson Foundation 

Board that oversees the popular 

park near English, said two of the cabins 

are “tent camping without a tent.” 

Campers bring what they would for 

tent camping. However, the 14-by- 

28-foot structures contain two sets of 

bunk beds, a queen bed, a table with 

six chairs, a microwave and refrigerator, 

and a bathroom with a shower 

and have heat and air conditioning. 

“And there are fantastic views,” Dial 

said. Plans include adding two cabins 

next year. 

The renovated cabin, The House 

of Bud and Annie, is a fully and beautifully 

furnished luxury cabin with 

amenities that include most anything 

occupants might need. It sleeps eight 

and will rent by the week. 

The Bridge 

A major project has been the 


reconstruction of Crawford County 

Bridge 42, which spanned Mill Creek, 

near Alton, Indiana, for 146 years. 

Built by the Indianapolis Bridge 

Company in 1885, it was removed in 

the fall of 2021 and repaired and is 

being placed across Little Blue River 

in the park to provide an all-purpose 

bridge for walkers, bicycle riders and 

golf carts. 

Dial credits the Crawford County 

Commissioners, the Indiana Department 

of Transportation, the Federal 

Highway Administration and the 

Crawford County Historical Society 

for working to save the historic structure, 

a six-year endeavor. 

She is pleased to offer more hiking 

choices. “With the pandemic, 

there is so much more interest in outdoor 

activities,” she said. 

The Park 

The idea of the park sprang from 

a visit to Spring Mill State Park, said 

Dial. 

“We had a family gathering there 

and I saw that every car had to pay 

a fee to enter. I thought there should 

be a park where people can take their 

kids to play, picnic, have a free park 

experience without a charge. I don’t 

ever want there to be an entrance fee 

at Sycamore Springs,” she said. 

From that thought, the Clayton 

Roberson Family Foundation was 

born, and the park came into being. 

The Dials donated the first 135 acres 

on which the park sits. Clearing the 

land began in 1996, and in 1997 the 

park opened to the public. 

“I was from here,” Dial said, 

adding that she and her brothers and 

sister got a good education and start 

in life in Crawford County. “It was a 

good foundation for going on to college 

and establishing careers.” 

“We wanted to give back to the 

community,” said Dial, who had 

moved to the rural English site where 

the park now sits with her parents, 

Clayton and Beatrice Roberson, and 

siblings when she was 5 years old. 

Dial’s late husband, Jim, wasn’t 

from this county, but he was impressed 

with its beauty from his first 

visit, Dial said. “And he was grateful 

to it for giving him a Crawford County 

girl,” she added with a smile. 

Mercedese Roberson Wheatley, 

also a daughter of Clayton Roberson, 

lives near the park, serves on the 

Foundation Board and assists with its 

operation. 

The park has added acreage

and now includes 64 RV sites, 35 tent 

sites (17 with electricity), two shower 

houses, four fishing ponds, hiking 

trails, numerous picnic sites, 10 shelter 

houses and 21 playgrounds. “We 

wanted to have playgrounds close 

enough to all campsites so parents 

could watch their kids from camp,” 

Dial said. 

There are three playhouses with 

books, toys and games for children, 

including a one-room school replica, 

and a Town Hall Building for adults 

to visit, play cards or hold meetings. 

A main attraction is a chapel that 

includes stained-glass windows from 

English Presbyterian Church, which 

was destroyed by the 1979 flood, and 

a bell from the church donated by 

Becky Hammond Stetter. The facility 

can be rented for weddings, and 

special services are sometimes held 

there. 

The Future 

Walt Disney once said that Disneyland 

will never be completed. 

“It will continue to grow as long as 

imagination is left in the world,” he 

was quoted. The same could be said 

of Sycamore Springs. Dial has an 

imagination and work ethic similar 

to Disney’s. While she has an eye toward 

retiring, she continues to plan 

for the park’s future, bringing in people 

to assure its continuing success. 

Steven Nokes is the manager in 

training and lives on the property. 

“Steve is very qualified for the job,” 

said Dial. A former youth pastor and 

property manager, Nokes has helped 

with various activities, including the 

park’s annual Halloween event, said 

Dial. 

Carol Roberson Groves assists 

in various capacities. “We have expanded 

our inventory in the gift shop 

and that has been Carol’s doing,” said 

Dial. Groves has extensive experience 

in the tourist and hospitality industry. 

“We want to ensure that the park 

is here forever after we are all gone,” 

Dial said. “And to make sure the people 

following us have the same mindset.” 

• 

SPECIAL SECTION: Summer Fun in SoIN 

A main attraction is a chapel that includes stained 

glass windows from the English Presbyterian Church, 

which was destroyed by the 1979 flood and a bell from 

the church and donated by Becky Hammond Stetter. 

For more information on campsites, cabin 

or chapel rental, shelter house reservations 

or directions, go to sycamorespringspark.com 

or call 812-338-3846. 

Pictured: (left-hand page) A shelter house at the park; (this 

page, from top, clockwise) the chapel on the park grounds; 

a visitor pets the goats; a bridge used for walking traffic, 

reconstructed from the former bridge spanning Mill Creek; 

Two visitors ride bikes near the RV campsites. 


YOU'RE INVITED! 

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6:00PM - HUBER'S BARN #1 

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Wine and bourbon pull 

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Discover What Makes 

Washington County a 

Great Destination! 

May 14 

Beck’s Mill - May Day 

Demonstrations, Music, Chicken BBQ 

friendsofbecksmill.org 

July 3-4 

Pekin 4th of July 

Parade, Rides, Flea Market, Fireworks 

pcbo.webs.com 

July 9 

Beck’s Mill Car Cruise In 

Chicken BBQ 


Upcoming Events 

August 27 

Beck’s Mill 

214 years of Milling. Free Hot Dogs, 

Adm. $2.14 


September 9-11 

Campbellsburg County Festival 

Music, Vendors, Parade, Contests, 

Kid’s Games 

campbellsburgcountryfestival. 

weebly.com 

September 17 

Beck’s Mill 5K Run 

Free T-Shirt 


October 22 

Beck’s Mill Oktoberfest 

Bake-off, Flea Market, Crafts, 

Food, Campfire 


Contact us at: www.washingtoncountytourism.com or call 812-883-4303 



Explore 

Crawford 

COUnty, IN 

WE ARE OUTDOOR 

RECREATION 

Unwind 

Plan your next adventure 

at cometocrawford.com 

Adventure! 


Buffalo Trace Park, Palymra 

For 25 years now, 

Harrison County 

Community 

Foundation 

has been building 

our future... 

Together we can tackle 

the next 25 years 

and beyond. 

How do you see 

our future? 

hccfindiana.org 812-738-6668 

Boone Township Firehouse 


Have you ever felt like healthy 

eating is too complicated? 

You’ve probably heard one 

bit of diet advice saying, “Do 

this!” while another source says, “No, 

do that instead!” As a Registered Dietitian 

Nutritionist, people frequently ask 

me about diet tips and nutritional claims. 

Many people come to me carrying the 

burden of misinformation – what I like to 

call “nutrition myths.” Nutrition myths 

are false ideas or misunderstood teachings 

that seem to persist over time, despite 

good evidence that they aren’t true. Because 

these myths are repeated often, they 

create unnecessary confusion for folks 

trying to make healthy choices. While I 

could spend all day talking about nutrition 

myths I’d like to bust, let’s explore the 

top five myths I encounter in my work as 

a dietitian nutritionist. 

Myth No. 1: Sea salt is lower in sodium 

than table salt. 

Truth: Sea salt has almost exactly the 

same amount of sodium as table salt. 

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news 

but switching to sea salt is not a good 

strategy for reducing sodium intake. Are 

sea salt and table salt different in other 

ways? Yes! They are different especially in 

their concentration of minerals – but they 

do not differ significantly in the amount of 

sodium they provide. Both salts provide 

approximately 2,000 milligrams of sodium 

per teaspoon – with slight variance between 

brands depending on granule size. 

What does this mean for you, practically? 

Whether it’s white salt, pink Himalayan 

salt, grey sea salt or blue cocktail-rim salt, 

1 teaspoon will give you about 2,000 milligrams 

of sodium. It’s up to you to decide 

which type you like best based on other 

factors. If you want more minerals, go 

with sea salt; if you need extra iodine in 

your diet, choose iodized salt; and if you 

simply need some basic salt, regular old 

table salt will do. 

Myth No. 2: Skim milk is watered down 

and has less protein, calcium and vitamin 

D than whole milk. 

Truth: Skim milk does not contain added 

water, and it has the same amount of 

protein, calcium and vitamin D as whole 

milk. 

Skim milk has a lighter flavor than 

whole milk because the fat has been removed 

– literally “skimmed” off of the 

milk in production. Fat is the only difference 

– an 8-ounce serving of milk, whether 

it’s skim (0% fat), low-fat (1% fat), 

reduced-fat (2% fat) or whole (3.25% fat) 

will provide 8 grams of protein, 12 grams 

of carbohydrate, and nearly identical proportions 

of vitamin D and calcium. So 

why is it sometimes labeled “Vitamin D 

Milk”? Smart branding. Back in the 1930s, 

milk companies began adding vitamin D 

to milk in a public health initiative to decrease 

the incidence of rickets (softening 

of the bones) in children. The incidence 

of rickets decreased significantly after 

this, so milk has continued to be fortified 

through the years. Adding the words “Vitamin 

D” lets customers know the product 

is fortified, highlighting the health benefit 

to the consumer. In truth, all milks have 

the same vitamin D fortification. Choose 

whichever milk suits your unique health 

needs. 

Myth No. 3: Carrots have too much sugar. 

Truth: Carrots do contain carbohydrate, 

and that’s OK – overall, they are a lower 

carbohydrate food. 

Real Life Nutrition 

Four Nutrition Myths 

When we think of “sugar,” many 

people think of sucrose, the white, granulated, 

sweet stuff we use in desserts. 

In truth, this type of sugar is only one of 

many different kinds of carbohydrates 

found in food. Carbohydrates are not a 

bad thing – they are one of the six essential 

nutrients we need to live and thrive. 

Different people need carbohydrates in 

different amounts. Nearly all foods that 

come from plants or plant-based ingredients 

contain some carbohydrates. Nonstarchy 

vegetables like carrots, green 

beans, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, tomatoes 

and cabbage will contain between 

4 and 11 grams of net carbohydrates per 

cup. Compared to starchy vegetables like 

corn, green peas and potatoes, which provide 

30 grams of carbohydrate per cup, 

the non-starchy veggies are low in carbohydrates. 

These healthful carbohydrates 

include fiber, which is important for gut 

health, reducing the risk of heart disease, 

and possibly reducing the risk of some 

types of cancers. In short – vegetables are 

not an enemy! Enjoy them, and aim to include 

vegetables at meals and snacks. 

Myth No. 4: You should only shop the 

perimeter of the grocery store – all the 

junk food is in the middle, so you should 

avoid the aisles. 

Truth: This is an absolute LIE and no longer 

holds true in modern grocery stores. 

Once upon a time, in an era before 

modern grocery store design, refrigerated 

cases and freezers typically were limited 

to the outer perimeter of a grocery store. 

Fewer foods could be frozen while maintaining 

their quality, packaging material 

limitations meant fewer shelf-stable options 

overall, and canned foods almost 

always used added salt to help with shelf 

life. Today, this is not the case! The perimeter 

of the store still has many healthful 

options such as fruits, vegetables, fresh 

meats, eggs, dairy products and other 

minimally processed foods. But the middle 

of the store also has a host of great 

choices like no-salt-added canned vegetables 

and beans, fruits packed in water or 

100% fruit juice, whole grain breads and 

pastas, dried beans and legumes, frozen 

fruits and vegetables, frozen seafood and 

meat, vegetarian protein options, nuts and 

nut butters, seeds, high omega-3 oils, and 

spices – just to name a few. Don’t let this 

outdated advice deter you from looking 

for wholesome foods in the aisles of your 

favorite store. The modern grocery has all 

types of foods throughout the store – not 

just on the edges. • 

Anna Hartman, RDN, 

LD, CD is a clinical nutrition 

specialist at Baptist 

Health Floyd, serving 

adult and pediatric patients. 

She also provides 

therapeutic nutrition services 

for people in recovery 

from eating disorders. 

In her spare time, she is an avid gardener 

and a cooking enthusiast. Anna loves to help 

others attain better health through the art and 

science of nutrition. 


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Everyday Adventures 

Ionce got fired for making a birthday 

cake. Actually, it wasn’t just one cake, 

but a handful of cakes that did me 

in. It may have been the seven layer 

number that finally pushed it over the 

edge, but I think it really started with the 

first one, the princess cake. 

See, my daughter was about to turn 

one, and we were planning her first birthday 

party. By we, I mean my wife. She’s 

the one with good taste. So she picked out 

the decorations, the presents, the food, etc. 

But I was itching to contribute. After 

all, this was my little girl’s first birthday. 

I wanted to make sure it was one she 

area around it with white. No problem, I 

thought. I’ll have this thing done in a half 

an hour. 

Then it got a bit trickier. I was supposed 

to outline the white border around 

the cake with stars. 

You make those one at a time. Just 

squeeze, squirt and repeat. A million 

times. The border took awhile. Unfortunately, 

the inside of the tiara, which was 

ten times bigger than the border, was covered 

in stars as well. 

Imagine painting a portrait just by 

making a bunch of dots. It was kind of like 

that but with frosting. Oh and don’t forget 

perfecting the cake, and then if I had time, 

which I typically didn’t, I could help her 

with the other minor details. 

And that brings us to how a birthday 

cake got me fired. 

Once the friend partiers started, I 

was politely informed my cake decorating 

services would no longer be needed 

for our children’s birthday parties. I think 

the last one I made was a seven-layer miracle 

of engineering that collapsed while 

we were cutting it and almost crushed a 

couple of kids. 

At least I went out with a bang. 

Looking back on it years later, it 

Taking the Cake 

would never forget. Well, okay, maybe 

she wouldn’t actually remember it, but, at 

least, I wanted it to look awesome in pictures 

we could show her when she was all 

grown up. 

So, I volunteered to decorate the 

cake. Since we wanted it to actually taste 

good, my wife did the baking part, but the 

frosting? That was all me. I figured, hey, 

I’ve eaten a lot of cake in my life, and I 

have a little artistic streak in me so how 

hard could it be? 

Well, I finished at 1:30 in the morning, 

the same day as the party, if that tells 

you anything. 

I should have known I was in trouble 

when my wife brought home the fancy 

cake pan from the craft store. It looked like 

a princess tiara, a really big princess tiara. 

A sane person would have just slapped 

some icing on it and called it good. I, 

however, wanted it to look professionally 

decorated, despite the fact that I had never 

decorated a cake in my life. 

Fortunately, the fancy cake pan came 

with simple instructions. All I would need 

was decorating tips 3, 5, 16 and 21 and, 

don’t forget good old Flower Nail No. 7. 

I didn’t have a flower nail, so I thought 

I might improvise with some hardware 

from my toolbox, but for some reason my 

wife discouraged it. I checked the instructions 

again and it turned out I did not 

need Flower Nail No. 7 after all. That was 

for one of the other cakes on the sheet, so 

it looked like I could avoid the toolbox altogether. 

My cake’s directions sounded easy 

enough. I started by outlining the tiara 

with violet icing, then smoothed the 


I also had to make hearts, spirals, rosettes 

and write my daughter’s name across the 

top of the cake without messing the whole 

thing up. 

I’m not sure what time my wife went 

to bed, but by the time I crawled under the 

covers at 1:30, I was an exhausted mess, 

my vision blurry from squinting at tiny 

frosted stars for hours and my fingers 

stained pink and purple and curled into 

claws from squeezing so much icing from 

a bag. 

Did I mention I had to get up at 6:00 

to go to work for the morning before the 

party? As you can imagine, I was a lot 

of fun by the time the festivities rolled 

around. I was ready to snuggle up in the 

pile of presents and take a nap. 

Hey, but the cake looked awesome! 

So the next year, I did it again! And again 

and again! Train cakes, mermaid cakes, 

ladybug cakes, Barbie cakes and more! 

Every year I cranked out another one. To 

make it even more exciting, by this time 

we had two daughters which meant twice 

the decorating! I was knocking them out 

of the park right and left. 

Meanwhile, my wife was doing all 

the other work. 

When my oldest turned four, she 

started having friends over for her parties, 

which meant games, more decorations, 

more food and more errands, not to mention 

trying to clean the house after two 

preschoolers had spent the week trashing 

it. Strangely enough my wife felt like our 

division of labor wasn’t exactly working 

for her. 

I didn’t see what the problem was. 

My job was to go all in and obsess over 

makes me think about how easy it is to get 

so caught up in our own stuff that we neglect 

the needs of others. I wish I could say 

I only did that with cakes. 

However, the truth is we’re all prone 

to zero on what matters most to us. Even 

if those are good things, they can become 

bad things if they cause us to miss out on 

an opportunity to serve someone in love. 

Jesus knew all too well the human 

propensity to put ourselves first and that’s 

why He told His followers, “whoever 

wants to become great among you must 

be your servant” (Matthew 20:26). 

Jesus modeled that kind of upsidedown 

life by serving the last and the least 

among His people to the very end. 

Living a life like this may sometimes 

mean volunteering to decorate a cake, but 

other times it means cleaning the toilet 

before the party. And sometimes it means 

just stopping what you’re doing to notice 

the needs around you and asking how 

you can help. • 

Photo credit: iMoStudio / shutterstock.com 

Jason Byerly is a writer, pastor, husband and 

dad who loves the quirky surprises God sends 

his way every day. You can read more from 

Jason in his books Tales from the Leaf Pile and 

Holiday Road. You can catch up with Jason on 

his blog at www.jasonbyerly.com.

PLUG INTO ADVENTURE 

Jeep Wrangler 4xe 

johnjonesautogroup.com • (800) 473 - 5546 


“MY HEART’S JUST OVERFLOWING TO BE ABLE 

TO DO SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS PLAYING 

IN THE DIRT WITH MY GRANDSON.” 

— JoAnn Bower, Orthopedic Care Success Story 

JoAnn Bower had become so used to living with immense arthritis pain she didn’t realize the emotional toll it 

was having on her. But after two shoulder replacements at Baptist Health Floyd, she feels like a new woman. “I 

didn’t realize how much it was affecting my personality,” she said. “I kind of felt like I was becoming worthless.” 

Now free from shoulder pain, she is back to her usual activities, such as cooking, spending time with her 

husband, Jim (her high-school sweetheart), and playing with her grandson. “It’s life-changing. If I had it to do 

again, I wouldn’t wait. I’ve told other people: Don’t live in pain, go have something done because they can fix 

you.” Learn more about our advanced Orthopedics Care at BaptistHealth.com/Ortho. 

Corbin | Floyd | Hardin | La Grange | Lexington | Louisville | Madisonville | Paducah | Richmond 

BaptistHealth.com

Southern Indiana Living Magazine - May / June 2022

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