Tennessee Basket

Tennessee Basket
for the
AEA Basket Wars

For the past 4 years TNEA has entered a basket in the AEA Basket Wars. We have never won first place, but we have brought in the most money when the baskets were auctioned off for two of those years. Proceeds from the Basket Wars go into emu oil research.

The state baskets are supposed be an advertisement for the great things produced in the state. Baskets are judged on two things - volume and presentation.

Below are pictures of previous entries in the basket wars. Please contact Lois Williams if you are willing to help organize our entry to the 2003 Basket Wars. Please start gathering together Tennessee items to donate to the basket!

In 2002 we resurrected the guitar case from our 1999 entry and went to Richland Washington with a slightly smaller basket - guarded by our own version of 'big birds' as can be seen by the photo. The basket did not place and was among those raffled off.

In 2001 we spread out over an entire 8' table. Lois and Neil Williams hauled the two Jack Daniels barrel halves all the way to St. Joseph - and the fumes were intoxicating. Note the "polecat" hide on top of the basket to the right. To the left was a plastic bucket with the new Emu Oil logo decoupaged to it. It was full of silk iris, our state flower. We had lots of groceries, including two brands of canned possum, plus Jack Daniels, George Dickel and wine. Although the basket only took 3rd place, it brought in the most money. The basket brought $1,200.00, which was much needed for emu oil research. We felt like the Susan Lucci of the Basket Wars.

In 2000 we prepared a gold shopping cart, complete with license plate since it was so large (we joked that we had to haul it behind us on the drive up). We got second place because the judges didn't pick up the Rock City Birdhouse to see that there was over $500.00 worth of groceries underneath. The people bidding on it did though, the basket brought in the most money.

In 1999 we prepared a guitar case full of TN goodies and went with a music oriented theme. Sorry, no photo available. We didn't place and our basket was among those raffled off. Our own Charles and Stephanie Ramey of H & R Farms won the basket. Since they don't drink, they donated the Jack Daniels back to be auctioned off. The ensuing auction was hysterically funny with the bottle going for $70.00 to a man who must have been from a very dry county.

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