Watch now: Scott County woman finally answers the call to hog calling at Farm and Garden Expo

KINGSPORT — If you want to finish first in a hog-calling contest, a recent contest winner said practicing by calling wild goats in for a meal might be a good idea.Those words of advice came from Pam Cox, head of Scott County Tourism and the winner in the adult category of the 2024 Farm and Garden Expo Hog Calling Contest on Saturday.Sponsored by Six Rivers Media LLC, the parent company of the Kingsport Times News, Johnson City Press, Jonesborough's Herald and Tribune, The Erwin Record and The Tomahawk in Mountain City, the expo at the MeadowView Conference Resort and Convention Center drew vendors, businesses and contest participants from across the greater Tri-Cities and at least as far away as Chattanooga.The expo started Saturday morning and concluded Sunday afternoon. Folks attending could see businesses selling large drones, farming and construction equipment, tires, edibles of all sorts, clothing, plants and advice on gardening.Attendees could see the vendors and other booths, as well as get up close and personal with a 2-ton horse and a less than 1-year-old purebred cow.In the hog-calling contest, Grant Rogers placed first and Mabel Patton second in the ages 6-7 category. In the 9-10 category, Landon Rogers, a professional hog caller from Chattanooga, was first, Gabby Watercott second and Hannah Watercott third. In the 11-12 category, Emery Cate finished first, Cameron Cate second and Philip Watercott third.FROM GOATS TO HOGSAdult hog caller winner Cox, part of a group of Scott County Tourism folks and Scott County-based businesses at the expo promoting the Scott County Bounty Trail, said she'd always wanted to enter such a contest and finally took the plunge this year.Asked about her background in hog calling, Cox said she had none — but she is used to calling wild goats near her home in rural Scott County to come in for food. Her husband, former Kingsport Times News Publisher Keith Wilson, denied any involvement in her entering the contest, which she did before he arrived at the MeadowView center.In the interest of full disclosure, Six Rivers officials said the contest judging was done by independent judges and thus did not involve any Six Rivers employees.Second place in the adult division went to Jacob Hubbard of Brookhaven Farms, and third went to Abingdon's Sheena Marie, who, like Cox, was a first-time hog caller.Marie, along with business partner Jessica Stiltner of Bluff City, operates Appalachian Honey Boutique in the Fort Henry Mall that had a space at the expo.Marie said she plans to return to compete again in 2025, although Cox said she wasn't sure if she'd be back, since she is retiring this year as head of Scott County Tourism.HOW ABOUT SCOTTISH HIGHLANDERS?No hogs were in the building for the contest, but the animal kingdom was represented in part by Pearl, a female Scottish Highlander born April 20, 2023, and thus soon to mark her first birthday. Her woolly coat made her an irresistible draw for people to pet.Pearl came from Piney Highlanders, a first-time exhibitor at the expo started in 2021 by the husband-and-wife team of Morgan and Zach Revoir. She grew up in Hawkins County and he in upstate New York."A lot of people have, like, a hobby farm" and want to buy one or two of the registered Scottish Highlander cattle, Morgan Revoir said, although the business also will provide "starter" cattle for people who want to develop a herd.However, she said the business she and her husband started in 2021 in Piney Flats does offer meat from the male cattle, which she said produce lean and low-cholesterol beef. The beef can be ordered in a 35-pound box or as a quarter beef online at pineyhighlanders.com or by calling 315-720-8434.The business also offers farm tours and a "Painting with the Cows" opportunity, in which a professional artist helps people record images of Highlanders like Pearl.Hawkins County resident Eddie McNally, father of Morgan Revoir, said some people have approached the Highlanders and mistaken them for ponies. The couple has about 35 Highlanders on their farm in Piney Flats in southeastern Sullivan County.FROM A COW TO SIX CLYDESDALESIn another section of the expo, real estate auctioneer Bart Long of Bristol gave presentations on his Clydesdale horses and offered attendees a chance to be photographed with one. The Clydesdale named Mick is taller than his owner and trainer Mark Boesa, general manager of Long's Bristol, Virginia, farm."They are taken care of better than most people," Long said of the care Boesa gives the 18 to 20 Clydesdales on the farm, where Boesa and his family live."He was just 2½ years old," Long said of Mick when he bought him from an owner in Canada. "He looked like a string bean, 10 feet tall."Ella Doane was among those who had a photo opportunity Saturday with the 19-year-old Mick. The horse was tame but bumped her gently off a bale of hay because, Long said, the horse had blinders restricting his side vision, designed for horses not to see distractions.Mick was among six Clydesdales Long brought to the expo. He said the horses weigh about 2,000 pounds each. A team of six towing the wagon — which he also brought to the expo — plus harnesses would have a combined weight of about 21,000 pounds, he said.Long also said each horse eats about 100 pounds of feed a day, including hay and other feeds often using oats and molasses. The horses drink from 10 to 15 gallons of water daily in the summer, he said.CUTEST YOUNG FARMERSAlso in the Cream of the Crop, or the "Cutest Farmer," contest, Jack Robinette won first place, Mabel Patton was secondb and Thomas Henson was third.Other Saturday events included two Master Gardener teaching segments, a charity auction sponsored by Slater Auction of Kingsport and an appearance by Tennessee Deputy Commissioner of Agriculture Jeff Aiken.