By Hunter Jones
Ruston is known for all of its hidden gems and with some of the most interesting people behind them, such as Larry Phagan of North Forty Woodworks.
When Phagan retired in 2014, he started to sell his crafts at the Farmers Market and the annual Peach Festival, which originally started as a hobby for his family and friends. Now he is a 74-year-old who turned his hobby into a small business: North Forty Woodworks.
Phagan crafts a variety of things from bowls to cutting boards, to duck calls to pens.
“I like the bowls, I do more cutting boards than anything else, but I like the bowls the most”, Phagan said.
His bowls usually take around three days to make as he finds his wood pieces, glues them together in a ring, sands his pieces, stacks the rings depending on the size of his bowl and glues them again.
With all of his delays waiting on glue to dry, Phagan loves his routine of craftsmanship and said he likes that this is a hobby because he can do it anytime he wants.
His work has also gained traction at the Peach Festival as he won first place in the three dimensional art category in 2017. Phagan also won best show in all categories with his segmented bowls display in 2018 and won first place again in 2019 in the three dimensional art category.
He took a break from the Peach Festival in 2020 and 2021 due to covid restricting the festival to Railroad Park to a more outside environment. Phagan was worried about having his crafts outside in the elements before selling them and didn’t feel comfortable setting up within the last two years.
However, Phagan plans on returning this year ready to sell his crafts ready to reclaim his first place positions.
Phagan is also a part of the Ruston Artisans which is a gallery and venue located in downtown Ruston which supports local artists and is open to the community.
“If people have an opportunity to come by the Farmers Market and think they need something like this, come by and see North Forty Woodworks,” Phagan said.
