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The Land-Grant Ledger: June 2022
Dean's Message
Dear stakeholders and supporters of TSU’s Land-Grant Programs,
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We are pleased to share in this issue Governor Lee’s visit to Lauderdale county cooperative extension program. Governor Lee has put rural development as one of his key goals from the beginning and has been very supportive of extension work by Tennessee State University and University of Tennessee as part of his rural development vision. We are very thankful to Governor Lee for his continued support to TSU and its statewide extension program. We are fortunate to host US Vice President Kamala Harris as the keynote speaker at our spring graduation ceremony. Students and their families were thrilled to meet and listen to VP Harris's beautiful speech. We thank President Glover for this history making event possible. We are so thankful to Kroger for donating $100,000 to support qualified agricultural students. We are in conversation with a number of other companies for potential partnerships and support to our students. National Institute of Food and Agriculture has just awarded $1.92 million to the College to establish a Center of Excellence on Natural Resources, Renewable Energy, and Climate Smart Agriculture. We are confident that this Center will continue to get funding from NIFA and private organizations who have already expressed interest to support this endeavor. This Center will help develop climate smart technologies and workforce development in the fields of Agriculture and Forestry.
Chandra Reddy, Dean
Director of Research and Administrator of Extension
Governor Bill Lee Visits Lauderdale County Cooperative Extension
By Janiece M. Pigg
Tennessee State University (TSU) and University of Tennessee (UT) Lauderdale County Cooperative Extension office recently hosted Tennessee Governor, Mr. Bill Lee. Throughout his visit, Governor Lee got the opportunity to conduct a 4-H tomato planting activity, meet with the 4-H wildlife judging team, and assist Master Gardeners with a planting workday in downtown Ripley, Tennessee.
To learn more, please contact TSU Extension Agent Ms. Rachel Howell at rparker12@tnstate.edu.
2022 Tennessee Small Farm Expo Registration Now Available
By Janiece M. Pigg
The 2022 Tennessee Small Farm Expo at the TSU Agricultural Research and Education Center will be held in person on September 8th from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm at the main campus in Nashville. Come join us, in person, for educational tours and professional workshops on small ruminant production, organic agriculture, industrial hemp, beekeeping, and much more.
To learn more about this year's Tennessee Small Farm expo, please contact Small Farm program director, Mr. Finis Stribling at fstribling@tnstate.edu. Visit our website or the following link to register for this year's expo: https://bit.ly/3lBsG2N
TSUAg Named as First HBCU to Host Annual AgCareers Roundtable
By Bonnie Johnson and Janiece M. Pigg
The 20th annual AgCareers North American Ag & Food Human Resources Roundtable is on August 3rd and 4th, in Nashville, Tennessee hosted by Tennessee State University. AgCareers announced the education, networking, and anniversary celebration agenda, and just launched registration.
The Ag & Food HR Roundtable is the foremost North American event for agricultural human resources, managers, and educational professionals. The event hosts two days of educational sessions regarding trends in recruitment and retention. Tennessee State University is the first historically black university to host this anniversary event.
For more information, contact Mr. Rod Reed at rreed2@tnstate.edu.
TSUAg Awarded Nearly $2 Million in Grant from National Institute of Food and Agriculture
By Alexis Clark
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced an award of $1.9 million to TSU’s College of Agriculture for a new 1890 Center of Excellence grant. This investment will help increase rural prosperity and economic sustainability of food systems in underserved farming communities. TSU is one of only two institutions to receive the grant this year.
Dean, Dr. Chandra Reddy, said the funding is recognition of TSU’s capacity in Environmental Sciences and climate change solutions.
The College of Agriculture will collaborate with four other HBCUs, to host the 1890 Center of Excellence for “Natural Resources, Renewable Energy, and the Environment (COE-NREE): A Climate Smart Approach.” Dr. Reddy will be the Centers director, while Dr. De’Etra Young, Associate Dean for Academics and Land-Grant Programs, and Associate Professor of Wildlife Ecology, Dr. William Sutton, will serve as co-directors.
Kroger Donates $100,000 in Scholarship Aid
By Alexis Clark
The Tennessee State University College of Agriculture and Kroger will establish the Kroger Scholarship and Student Success Fund for first-year students pursuing degrees in the agricultural and food industry and workforce development. The grocer is awarding TSU $100,000, over the course of 4-years throughout the undergraduate program whereby four selected scholars will receive up to $25,000 based on their financial needs.
As the donation will introduce TSU students to career opportunities Sonya Hostetler, Kroger's Nashville Division President, she said looks forward to a future with the University. The check presentation took place in the Biotechnology building with Kroger executives who joined President Glenda Glover, Dean, Director of Research, and Administrator of Extension Chandra Reddy, and TSU staff.
TSUAg Graduation Celebration
By Janiece M. Pigg
The TSU College of Agriculture celebrated the graduation class of 2022 with a historic commencement speech from United States Vice President, Kamala Harris. Vice President Harris, a fellow graduate of an HBCU, encouraged students to harness every opportunity available to shape themselves into the next generation of leaders in every industry across the nation. Congratulations to all TSUAg graduates!
TSUAg Celebrates Administrative Professionals Day
By Janiece M. Pigg
The TSU College of Agriculture surprised administrative staff witha luncheon to celebrate Administrative Professional's Day. We aregrateful for all of the hard work of our administrative professionalswho ensure the continued success of the college!
THANKS FOR TUNING IN THIS MONTH
A special thank you to all of our partnering individuals, organizations, sponsors, and stakeholders for your continued support of our land-grant mission. As an institution, we thrive on the innovative partnerships that continue to foster the development, education, and success of all Tennesseans.
Thank you most especially to our featured colleagues and students, Ms. Rachel Howell, Mr. Finis Stribling, Mr. Rod Reed, Dr. De'Etra Young, Dr. William Sutton, and Dr. Chandra Reddy, for their outstanding work to further our land-grant mission of education, research, and outreach. Without such amazing staff, faculty, and students, the College of Agriculture would not be able to foster active innovation through instruction, research, and public service.
We would also like to thank all of our cooperating organizations that are a vital part of the success of the College of Agriculture at Tennessee State University. Thank you to all of the countless international, national, and local sponsors that allow our programs to flourish throughout the state of Tennessee.
