Bob Entertains Girl Scouts Down at the Pearl Farm

Almost 50 Benton County Girl Scouts, gathered from five troops across the county, enjoyed a fun-filled Saturday afternoon. They visited a internationally-visited tourist attraction that can be found right here in Camden, at Birdsong Resort, Marina and Lakeside RV and Tent Campground. Birdsong is the site of America's only freshwater pearl farm.

The pearl farm offers a guided tour, "A Pearl of A Tour," that shares the knowledge of how freshwater pearls are cultured right here in Tennessee. Bob Keast, owner and tour guide, shared a day with the girls explaining many details of how pearls grow, what they grow in, what they are implanted with, how they are implanted, how shapes are pre-determined, where they grow, how long it takes and when they are harvested.

Keast opened a Washboard shell that had been implanted with a mother-of-pearl nuclei. The group witnessed how the pearls are harvested as they saw a pearl emerge from its host - the mussel. They learned that there are many types of mussels, but the two most commonly found in this area are the Washboard and the Pig Toe; and that the mussel is a "cousin" to the salt water oyster. The total process of culturing Tennessee's official state gem takes approximately 18 months to develop a marketable pearl for resale.

(Photo: SHUCKING A MUSSEL - Owner and tour guide, Bob Keast shucks a mussel and pulls out a pearl before the eyes of over 50 girl scouts. Tennessee's official state gems are cultured right here in Benton County at America's only freshwater pearl farm - located at Birdsong Resort, Marina and Lakeside RV and Tent Campground.)

After the two-hour educational tour, the girls enjoyed the day cooling off - swimming at Birdsong's public pool. Hamburgers were grilled at the pavilion adjacent to the pool area for the girls to have a picnic-style lunch. The Scouts would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Keast for all of his efforts in planning a day of fun.