WINNER! Project F.A.R.M. Broomcorn Johnny’s

And the winner of Broomcorn Johnny’s purple broom is:

Lady Abigail, who said on October 31, 2013:

“I think these are some of the most beautiful made besoms / brooms I have ever seen. I hope you enjoy the blessing. With this broom, tool of my will, This home I cleanse, this is my seal. Purify and prepare this scared space, No negative energy shall be in this place. From this circle now I banish all fear, These are my words for all to hear. Positive energy and light to see This is my will, so mote it be.”

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Watch for an e-mail from the farm, Lady Abigail. Congratulations!

And the original post dated October 31, 2013 was:

Every witch needs a good switch!!!!

Congratulations to Brian Newton, of Broomcorn Johnny’s, on his recent induction to Project F.A.R.M (First-class American Rural Made).

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Broomcorn Johnny’s honors the timeless tool of the ages, the broom, by crafting each by hand with unique skill. A good broom was once the staple of a clean and orderly house. Now, having been “swept” aside for newfangled vacuums and the Swiffer, the broom is making a comeback with the help of caring individuals like Brian.

Thanks to Brian, the tradition of the handmade broom is thriving!
From his website:

A small number of craftsmen keep the historic art of broom making alive and vibrant. Brian Newton, owner of Broomcorn Johnny’s in downtown Nashville, Indiana, is one of them. Using tools from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Brian, a prizewinner at the 2012 Arcola National Craft Broom Competition, is dedicated to creating high-quality, long-lasting, beautiful brooms for his customers.

You may know by now that I give away those Project F.A.R.M. products (sent to us for a look-see) on my blog here. These handcrafted brooms are just SO stunning, I had to keep one.

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But I saved the gorgeous purple broom for you, dear readers. 🙂

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To be entered, post a fun-fact here about Broom Corn. Be creative!

Don’t forget to check out the rest of Brian’s brooms for sale on his website. I absolutely love ’em all!!! They come in a variety of GORGEOUS colors (click here to see).

I am partial to this one …

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And this one …

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And well … just about ALL of these.

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  1. melyssa says:

    I love them! And swiffers and vacuums aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. I have a microfiber sweeper and I absolutely hate it. It’s dreadful. I think it actually repels the dust and it scampers merrily about under my feet. I would love a broom like this – and also I could dance around with it, like Cinderella, which is a bonus.

  2. Winnie Nielsen says:

    I am in LOVE with these brooms!! They are just magnificent in their craftsmanship and colors! One cool fact is that Johnny was a prizewinner in the 2012 Arcola National Broom competition! How fabulous for such a talented and creative craftsman! I have a hard time figuring out which broom is the prettiest. They are all awesome. I love American crafts and these brooms really take the cake!

  3. Cheryl C says:

    A farmer named Levi Dickenson, in Hadley, Massachussetts made a broom using the tassels of sorghum for his wife. This was the start of broomcorn brooms. His wife thought it was a very good broom and word spread and thus the start of these beautiful brooms.

    • Did you alsoknow that Ben Franklin brought the first broomcorn seeds to America aboard a ship returning from Europe. A friend had given him a wisk broom todust off his wool hat & he , being a curious fellow, kept the seeds, ,planted them, & voila,broomcorn grew.!!! Thats when Mr. Dickenson got a look see & tried the corn to make his brooms. it was the sturdiest stuff ever grown & his wife was delighted that it didn`t fall apart. Soon, many broom makers were using this unusual tough form of sorghum, & the rest is history. Yes, I am a former broom maker that worked in a reproduction 1800 town, using original tools of the trade.

  4. connie-Killarney says:

    Nothing can take the place of a Good old -fashioned, well-made broom! These are so Pristine! I have to have one!

  5. Claudia Houser says:

    These beautiful brooms need to be regularly dipped in water to hydrate the straw, and hung up by the leather strap on the handle – not stored on the floor.

  6. Annie Black says:

    I have the “Sweep Dreams Broom” already. Sooo, I’m feeling a broom collection starting up here. Love those colors!

  7. Robbi Sullivan says:

    There is a broomcorn festival near me in Arcola, IL! I have a handmade turkey wing broom that I use to sweep off the wood burning stove. This purple broom is gorgeous and amazing!! Would be beyond proud to call it my own!!!

  8. Mikki Jo Howard says:

    Best to use soon after dinner or especially a popcorn snack. Gently break off end of broom strand and place between teeth to remove after dinner remnants. 😉

  9. Stephanie Bleyenberg says:

    In an age of cheaply manufactured gadgets that are “designed for the dump”, Brian’s brooms are a breath of fresh air. These beautiful brooms invoke a feeling of days gone by, when everyday tools were simple works of art. Broomcorn Johnny’s brooms are individually handcrafted on equipment which is more than a century old, using techniques that are even older. No need to hide it in a closet, you can keep it proudly displayed. What a wonderful, handcrafted tool for homemade living.

  10. Rasta woman says:

    Sweeping daily is my meditation……your brooms are beautiful….

  11. Jennifer says:

    Isn’t it good luck to leave a broom in the corner?

  12. Willa Graftin says:

    I’ve never seen a purple broom,
    Oh what beauty is in there.
    I would utilize in every room,
    In the kitchen, hall, and bath,
    Well I might even sweep a path.

    This purple broom is woven tight
    And neatly trimmed just right.
    I would forever cherish it.
    Keep it hung and always high,
    maybe even take to sky!

  13. Karlyne says:

    I knew next to nothing about broom corn – but now I know it’s beautiful and I need a broom made from it!

  14. Kathy says:

    Love these; they are gorgeous!

  15. Deborah says:

    I have never seen a colored broom before, love it!

  16. Lady Abigail says:

    I think these are some of the most beautiful made besoms / brooms I have ever seen.
    I hope you enjoy the blessing.

    With this broom, tool of my will,
    This home I cleanse, this is my seal.
    Purify and prepare this scared space,
    No negative energy shall be in this place.
    From this circle now I banish all fear,
    These are my words for all to hear.
    Positive energy and light too see
    This is my will, so mote it be.

    by Lady Abigail

  17. Patricia Garza says:

    Broom Corn, truthfully I do not know much about it other then my grandmother had a broom made of it that lasted forever! I live in Michigan in a town with one stop light surrounded by corn farms yet not one maker of brooms closer then 2 hour drive to Amish country. Hmmmmm…..maybe this is a start of something?!

  18. Christi says:

    A good well cared for broom can last up to 15 years. One way to care for it is to dip the ‘fine’ in water every 6 months to re hydrate the broom. So many colors to choose from. What a great house warming gift to someone getting a new home.

  19. Diane McDonnell says:

    “Brooms from Broomcorn Johnny’s are splendidly imperfect”, my favorite quote from the website! I don’t believe I have ever truly craved a broom before now. I also love the cobweb broom (hey don’t judge me, I live in the woods, with lots of spiders!). If I owned a broom from Broomcorn Johnny’s I would be sure to maintain by dipping ends in water so it would last the full 15 years!

  20. Diane McDonnell says:

    I had to correct my email address. Hope this is the right way to do this. These brooms are beautiful. Sending link to interest and sharing on Facebook! My comment re website shows gmai instead of Gmail.

  21. Judy Shaddix says:

    These are beautiful brooms, reminds me of my childhood, and that was a while back, lol. I am glad to see that there are people who are getting back into crafts, especially something as useful as a broom.

  22. Elizabeth Plewa says:

    Brooms beat swifters anyday. Love the look of a good old fashioned broom. My daughter wants to go into agriculture one day and I could see us using these brooms!

  23. gina says:

    In 1845 broom corn was a significant crop in New York State. The time and work involved in harvesting and creating broom corn brooms makes them a handmade treasure. I would love to be house cleaning with the purple broom. Happy Halloween.

  24. Lisa B says:

    “The secret to a brooms longevity is the manner in which it is stored.
    Hang it with the bristles down so that the moisture can drain out.”
    Who does not love a good broom?! I always had cheap plastic brooms until my Mother in Love introduced me to the joys of true natural corn brooms. Still have the one she gave me 17 years ago, it is retired and only used periodically as it was well used. 🙂 Would love that purple number for my red oak hardwood floors-original to my 1962 tract home. 😉

  25. Tiffany Medina says:

    His brooms are fit for a king…FYI…Geoffrey Plantagenet (1113-1151 AD), the head of the line of English kings which bear the Plantagenet name (Henry II, Richard I, King John…)is believed to have acquired this name from the sprig of broom corn he would wear in his helmet in battle. The broom corn was his way of identifying himself to his men on the battlefield yet remain disguised to the enemy. While in battle, he would lean down from his horse and grasp a sprig of “plante de genet”, the common broom corn, and thrust it in his helmet.

  26. Molly Welsh says:

    Lovely, lovely, lovely. I adore corn brooms and always have one, but this would be the Cadillac of brooms!

    Broom corn is Sorghum vulgare (common sorghum) – relative of the the sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) that makes that wonderful syrup! A lovely plant for a lovely product.

  27. Paulette Walton says:

    I first saw BroomCorn Johnny’s ad in Mary Janes Mag I was so excited I have several handmade brooms and use them daily so much better than anything from a store. I look forward to visting his place in Indiana and attending next years festival in Arcola
    I grow colorful broomcorn for crafting every year and enjoy its beauty in the fall

  28. I love handmade brooms. and I would truly love this lovely purple to use indoors and out in my farmhouse.The Shakers were the first to make flat brooms, until then they were always round. The shakers knew that they would sweep more efficiently and also made and sold broom corn brooms. That is how the flat style that we use today became the norm.

  29. Lorraine says:

    All good witches ride brooms made from broom corn. They rock!

  30. Sharon D. says:

    These are truly amazing. I love the workmanship. Now I am coveting 🙂

  31. Sylvia Jacobus says:

    I’ll never forget running like crazy away from my Nana because she was mad at me and my cousin. My cousin’s brothers told Nana a “tall tale” to get us into trouble. It worked and Nana came running after us. She loved her big old broom, repaired it and I think quite frankly, cherished it. These brooms remind of the style of her broom. I would love one just to smile every time I touched it–because I’ll think of her, her hair flying, wild look on her face and how much she chuckled when she found out she’d been snookered. We weren’t laughing at the time but hearing her laughed always made us laugh. It’s amazing what a broom can do–memories! Oh, I’ll use it to sweep my floors…..

  32. Vivian V says:

    I love this broom. I’d seen it in the Sisters newsletter but put off ordering it. If I don’t win, I want to buy one!

  33. Laurie Dimno says:

    Wow! These brooms are fantastic! Did you know that a TON of broomcorn brush makes 80-100 DOZEN corn brooms? Interesting!
    I would b proud to own one of these gorgeous brooms. Heck, they are so pretty, they might just prompt me to clean all day long!
    Thanks for the chance to win it.

  34. lynnia says:

    The rainbow broom is the one that captured my heart….what a delight to have that hanging in my kitchen…….a wonderful art to reintroduce to us….thank you and peace!

    • lynnia says:

      And I forgot to add that I have the perfect nail in the most perfect place in my kitchen to hang this broom. I can remember my grandmother telling me that we must never store the broom with the corn on the floor, and every few weeks I got to clean the bottom of her broom so it would last forever. How I would love to have that broom today!

  35. Chrissy says:

    In the heritage garden at the Old Fort in Ft. Madison, IA, broom corn is grown along with other unique and useful plants to show what was grown in the 1800’s.

  36. Cathy R says:

    Reading this blog very late and can’t think of anything clever to write ~ enjoyed the poems that were written! LOVE the brooms, just bought one this summer but it needs a colorful friend hanging beside it! They are so much fun to use, I catch myself dancing!
    HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Oh I think a witch just flew by on the purple broom!

  37. These are some amazingly beautiful brooms. I would love to have any of them for my personal use. Blessings to all.

  38. Dianne Hawhee says:

    I don’t know much about broom corn, except that it makes lovely brooms! I think it’s a grass like plant rather than a grain, maybe. I might have to try growing some next year!

  39. Kathy C says:

    My home which houses two family’s
    Get’s messy and out of control.
    So I need a broom of purple,
    to brighten my day of cleaning.
    A broom fact:
    A three year old can make a mess faster then I can sweep.
    Yea I know not that great at rhyming lol.

  40. Old Mother Rupert says:

    “Oh the broom, the bonnie, bonnie broom
    The broom o’ Cowdenknowes
    Fain would I lie in my ain country
    Tendin’ my daddie’s ewes” ~ from “The Broom O’ The Cowdenknowes”, Traditional

    No ewes here at Dancing Donkey Farm,
    Whilst the wind blows chill, yet the fire burns warm.
    Come sit and shelter from the storm (starm?)
    Wi’ a fine broom set at the hearth, to keep all friends from harm.
    (Traditionally, a besom set beside the fireplace help keep negativity from entering the home).

  41. Heather S says:

    My grandmother had one made of it, but I’ve never seen them in COLORS! Ohhh ahhh 🙂

  42. Katy K. says:

    By the 1830s there were more than 60,000 small broom shops in the United States, and the country had begun exporting brooms to Canada, South America, and Europe. One country the nation did not export to was England, where besom squires united to block the import of American brooms.–Broomcorn Johnny’s

  43. Katy K. says:

    This is what make’s Broomcorn Johnny’s special: “The brooms are stitched by hand with a hidden row of stitching for every visible row of stitching to ensure the broomcorn stays in place. The tip of the broomcorn, known as the fine, is the most effective part for sweeping. In factories, the fine typically gets trimmed off in an effort to make the broom’s edge flat, but Brian takes the extra time to align the broomcorn and create a flat edge while preserving the fine.”–from his website @ broomcornjohnnys.com

  44. Kay (Old Cowgirl) Montoya says:

    That song “Memories are made of this” describes how I feel about broom corn. Growing up we always had one or two. When one was not quite useful enough house any more it went out to our (barn size) garage, from there to wisking snow off of the roof of the chicken coops and steps to the house. From there my Dad would use the handle to replace other handles that had broken or was splitting. Yes, many memories for me. Seventy years of them and I would trade my carpet and vacuum in an instant for a good broom and wood floors. So would my back. Thanks

  45. Renee Casterline says:

    Broomcorn grows to 6 to 15 ft tall and can be grown in nearly every state. It is tolerant of heat, drought and poor culture, which is good for where I live, in considering growing a crop to make my own broom (crazy, I know). For the best results, the crop needs warm summers and moist, fertile soils, and annual rainfall of 15 to 32 inches, which we really don’t have on my dad’s farm in far northern California. His farm is in a very windy area with marginal soils. Sounds like we can’t grow our own broomcorn. Hope I get lucky here.

  46. Sharon D. says:

    Congratulations Lady Abigail!!! Enjoy sweeping 🙂

    Thank you Mary Jane for the wonderful giveaway!

  47. Wow that is fantastic… I am so excited. Thank you so much for this magick besom/broom. I will honor it with great pride.
    Blessings,
    Lady Abigail

  48. lynnia says:

    This has been some great info on broomcorn….I hope I remember many of the facts to share with my grandchildren….if I was still able to work, I would buy each of them one…and my self!!!….peace

  49. Debi W. says:

    Beautiful brooms and craftsmanship! Love American made products!

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