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ORAL HISTORY

Phil Parker

Parker Homestead

Phil Parker, born in 1955, grew up in the community of Whitehall, Arkansas. Growing up in the Arkansas Delta, Parker hunted ducks and fished for crappie on the L’Anguille River. He spent much time with his grandparents, Henry and Bertie Sue Parker. As a young man, his grandfather taught him how to hunt and fish. Parker was a brick mason. He got into cooking sorghum when a friend wanted to start cooking sorghum syrup. When he retired, he took up cooking sorghum as a full time hobby.

He and his wife, Teresa, showcase the process of cooking sorghum to the public at their annual event, Parker Homestead Days. Every fall, hundreds of people come to Whitehall to tour the Parkers’ reconstructed cabins and see Mr. Parker cook sorghum. Vendors set up food stalls and craft demonstrations. The highlight of each homestead day is Mr. Parker’s stall where he cooks sorghum over a wood-fired pit.