Fortunately for us, our campground was but a quarter mile away, allowing we late risers to still make it in time for the 9 AM gathering.
There was no address given for the shop, neither by locals or on the Savoy Music Center website. It's the sort of place that you're supposed to know where it is if you have any business being there. But the general clue we were given: look for all the cars parked along Hwy 190.
As folks began to gather in this accordion maker's shop, turned jam session on Saturdays, we found ourselves drawn to each and every handwritten sign.
Owner Marc Savoy takes deep pride in perpetuating his cultural traditions, and he is one of those who puts his beliefs into action. By hosting weekly jam sessions, young and old are able to gather and continue to pass the musical tradition down.
Beyond the basic premise of the jam session outlined in writing on the door, there was very little in the way of formal structure. Folks gathered at the front with their instruments and began to chime in once someone started a tune they recognized.
Those of us not playing sat in a half-dozen rows and enjoyed the gathering. For many, it was obviously their Saturday morning habit. Some folks even had their newspapers there to read while they listened. I recorded some music for you all to hear on YouTube.
It's not just cajun music being preserved at Savoy Music Center. Folks were encouraged to bring boudin and cracklins or make a contribution to the boudin / cracklin' fund.
Despite not having time for a shower or a full breakfast before getting there, we were glad we made it.
After purchasing a few CDs from Marc, we shared our quest to know more about the state of farms and food in the area. He went and found a retired rice & soybean farmer for us to talk with.
Albert was kind enough to share his experiences as a farmer in LA. On his 1800 acre farm he grew rice and soybeans. We had noted a lot of cattle in the area and he explained that the three commodities make a great rotation: rice > soybeans > cattle.
Although he retired in 1985, transferring his acreage to a neighbor, Albert was able to tell us about farming both now and then. One thing that baffled him was to think about the enormous capital expense for equipment. A combine he had used might have cost $500; the comparable equipment today would cost $200,000. Granted, it might be able to do the work of 10 people, it would still require huge capital investment to acquire.
He noted that although farm size (in terms of acres) seems to be increasing in the area, LA is fortunate that most of the landowners are local and not absentee. Another thing they have going for them: there seems to be a lot of infrastructure in place.
Albert mentioned both the rice mill as well as the slaughterhouses in the area. In fact, it was at his suggestion that we found our next stops: the Eunice farmers' market and the Eunice Superette Slaughterhouse.
a quickr pickr post
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