Black Seeds (Cover photo by Karen Pulfer Focht)

Tennessee

A guide to the state’s farms, food and forestry

AG INSIDER 2022 EDITION | TNAGRICULTURE.COM

BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE

TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

PLUS Reviving a Whiskey Legend Family Dairies Adapt to Change Tennessee Lavender Flourishes

The Giving

GARDEN BLACK SEEDS URBAN FARMS FEEDS THE SOUL OF ITS MEMPHIS COMMUNITY

TENNESSEE AG INSIDER 2022 EDITION

| CONTENTS |

11

AG PROFILE

Tennessee Agriculture An overview of the state’s food, farming and agribusiness sectors

14

TOP AG PRODUCTS

What’s Growing in Tennessee A glimpse at the state’s leading ag products

16

RECIPES

Taste of Tennessee Experience the flavors of Tennessee with delicious recipes

24 DAIRY

FAMILY TIES

PHOTO: JEFF ADKINS

RUN DEEP IN DAIRY

Niche markets, technology keep farmers in business

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| CONTENTS |

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AG EDUCATION

The Ag Tag’s Lasting Legacy The license plate with the red barn supports the state’s agricultural education programs

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URBAN FARMS

The Giving Garden From apples to zucchini, Black Seeds Urban Farms feeds the soul of its Memphis community

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FARM ANIMALS

Leasing Out Livestock Creative farmers are renting chickens, goats and sheep for a profit

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POULTRY

Happy, Healthy Hens Start Here

PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: JEFF ADKINS; JEFFREY S. OTTO; ERIC RYAN ANDERSON

Protect your backyard chickens from disease by following proper safety precautions

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FARM ANIMALS

Mule Power

58

FORESTRY

Tree Conservation Takes Roots The White Oak Initiative is sowing solutions to a forestry threat

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AG EDUCATION

Smart Starts

TCAT programs keep a pipeline of talent flowing to Tennessee’s agriculture-based industries

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SPECIALTY CROPS

Lavender Life

Tennessee farms grow lavender and create value-added products and agritourism

72

AG TECHNOLOGY

Flying High

Tennessee Department of Agriculture adds UAVs to its high-tech toolbox

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FORESTRY

Ship It, Then Flip It

Mule skinners share their agricultural tradition with communities

Reuse and recycle pallets to support Tennessee’s forestry industry

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78

LOCAL PRODUCTS

Uncle Knows Best

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84

JOB TRAINING

Rehabilitation Through Farming Tennessee prison inmates gain valuable skills in agriculture programs

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PICK TENNESSEE PRODUCTS

Show Time

Pick Tennessee Products members find success at trade show

CENTURY FARMS

History in the Making

A historical legend in American whiskey is revived

Family farm traces its roots back to the late 19th century

COVER STORY

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82

Derravia and Bobby Rich grow produce for their community at Black Seeds Urban Farms.

PORK

Bringing Home the Bacon The Tosh family produces top hogs and gives back to Tennessee agriculture

FORESTRY

From Carbon to Cash Flow Discover answers to questions surrounding the emerging carbon market

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Photo by Karen Pulfer Focht

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| WELCOME |

Tennessee

AG INSIDER

It is quite an achievement to withstand the test of time.

2022 EDITION, VOLUME 11

SENIOR EDITOR Hannah Patterson Hill ASSOCIATE EDITORS Rachel Graf,

Hannah Nave Lewis, Carisa Ownby

SPONSORED CONTENT EDITOR Susan Chappell CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Rachel Akers,

Jessica Walker Boehm, Teree Caruthers, Brianna Gwirtz, Jodi Helmer, Nancy Henderson, Kim Hill, Christiana Lily, Jessica Mozo, Kelly Rogers, Cassie Sonnentag, Rachel Stroop, Amber Weaver V.P./CONTENT & MARKETING Jessy Yancey V.P./CREATIVE SERVICES Laura Gallagher ART DIRECTOR Amy Hiemstra SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Beatrice Herndon, Cynthia Hester, Emmylou Rittenour, Lindsey Tallent GRAPHIC DESIGNER Eliza Hawkins PHOTO DIRECTOR Alison Hunter SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Jeff Adkins STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Nathan Lambrecht PHOTO ASSISTANT Jess Spence V.P./DIGITAL STRATEGY Richard Stevens PRESIDENT Ray Langen CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Kim Newsom Holmberg EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Jordan Moore V.P./BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Drew Colston V.P./ADVERTISING SALES Herb Harper V.P./OPERATIONS Molly Morton V.P./CLIENT SERVICES Katie Middendorf SENIOR AD COORDINATOR/DESIGNER Vikki Williams AD TRAFFIC COORDINATOR Patricia Moisan FARM FLAVOR MEDIA IS A DIVISION OF

JOURNAL COMMUNICATIONS INC. CHAIRMAN Greg Thurman PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER Bob Schwartzman CONTROLLER Chris Dudley ACCOUNTING TEAM Maria McFarland, Lisa Owens DATABASE DIRECTOR Debbie Woksa EXECUTIVE SECRETARY Kristy Giles HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER Peggy Blake

Tennessee Ag Insider is published annually by Farm Flavor Media and distributed by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.

Tennessee recently marked a milestone in recognizing 225 years of statehood.

Throughout that history, agriculture and forestry have driven the success and growth of the Volunteer State. I Gov. Bill Lee was elected am so pleased that you will experience Tennessee’s 50th governor this world in the newest edition of the in November 2018. Lee and Ag Insider magazine. his wife, Maria, live on the Through the following pages, you family farm in Franklin. will see how Tennessee is honoring our agricultural past while preparing for the future. From educational programs teaching the latest tech and techniques to family dairies modernizing to meet demand, Tennessee is proud to be at the national forefront in advancing ag and forestry. You’ll also learn about a family dedicated to their farm for more than 100 years, and the local companies that are gaining the attention of a national audience. These personal stories share a common theme – people who are committed to feeding, clothing and housing us all.

As a farmer and seventh-generation Tennessean, I’m honored to serve as governor of a state that understands the value of what is grown and what is raised. It doesn’t matter where we are from or where we are going, we are all united in the need for fresh food and quality wood products. Tennessee delivers that and more. I appreciate your support of agriculture and hope you enjoy this edition of the Ag Insider.

Sincerely,

For advertising information or to direct questions or comments about the magazine, please contact Farm Flavor Media at (615) 850-0309 or info@farmflavormedia.com.

TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE: COMMISSIONER Charlie Hatcher, D.V.M.

Bill Lee Governor State of Tennessee

Special thanks to all Department staff for their support.

For more information about the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, contact: Corinne Gould, Assistant Commissioner for Public Affairs 440 Hogan Road, Nashville, TN 37220 (615) 837-5207 corinne.gould@tn.gov No public funds were used in the publishing of this magazine. © Copyright 2022 Journal Communications Inc., 6550 Carothers Parkway, Suite 420, Franklin, TN 37067 (615) 771-0080. All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent.

Please recycle this magazine.

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| WELCOME |

What’s Growing in Your State?

One of the few certainties in life is change.

And nothing has brought more change to us all than the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

That’s why it’s comforting to know that despite the challenges we all face, agriculture and forestry remain constants in Tennessee. In this edition of the Ag Insider magazine, you will meet the men and women who have Dr. Charlie Hatcher was held strong during a trying time and forged appointed Commissioner of ahead in agricultural innovation, education, Agriculture by Gov. Lee after a 10-year career as state rehabilitation and transformation. veterinarian. Hatcher is a The Rich family is featured on the cover.

10th-generation American A grandfather’s love of gardening ultimately farmer and fifth-generation led to an agricultural oasis in the heart of a Tennessee farmer. city. That’s the history behind Black Seeds, a venture proving that access to fresh foods can impact an entire community.

We all know that it takes time for a tiny acorn to grow into a mighty tree.

With greater need for oak than ever before, the White Oak Initiative is putting down roots. You’ll learn how scientists and landowners are teaming up to preserve these natural resources for generations to come.

Crops and livestock remain a hallmark of Tennessee agriculture. The Tosh family looked beyond the barnyard to find success. What started as a small family farm nearly 50 years ago is now known nationwide and continues to make a difference here at home.

And you don’t always need machinery to get the job done. Some farmers are demonstrating ingenuity and meeting demand by bringing the farm to the people. Chickens, goats and sheep are going to work, so to speak, through rental programs that serve a purpose.

That’s just a sampling of the stories you now hold in your hand. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture is proud to support the farmers and foresters who provide us with the food, fiber and fuel that power our everyday lives. I hope this edition of the Ag Insider takes you into the heart of these industries to better understand their importance to Tennessee and the greater world.

Sincerely,

Charlie Hatcher Commissioner Tennessee Department of Agriculture Read about Tennessee’s top farm products and find recipes at FarmFlavor.com.

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TNagriculture.com Find even more online about Tennessee agriculture, from education to agritourism and more.

Stay Informed Discover facts and stats about Tennessee agriculture, including the average farm size and the number of family farms.

Cook With Tennessee Products

Shop in Season When will your favorite fruits and vegetables be available?

Download a produce calendar showing what’s ripe right now.

Read the Digital Magazine Optimized for Online: Each article can be read online, as a web article or within our digital magazine.

Have a Field Day

Share the Content: Embed our digital magazine in your website to offer compelling information about Tennessee agriculture to your site visitors.

Discover agritourism destinations from dairies to U-pick farms.

> To learn more about what’s growing in your state, visit FarmFlavor.com.

PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: ISTOCK.COM/MTREASURE; JEFF ADKINS (2, 4); JEFFREY S. OTTO (3)

Find tasty recipes using Tennessee’s top products such as beef, tomatoes and more.

| AG PROFILE |

Tennessee Agriculture An overview of the state’s food, farming and agribusiness sectors

69,500 Farms in Tennessee

Soybeans are Tennessee’s NO. 1 ag export.

$81B

Yearly economic impact of Tennessee agriculture

155

Average size in acres of a Tennessee farm

Percentage breakdown of Tennessee agriculture 66% crops | 34% livestock

Additional Tennessee rankings, according to the 2017 Census of Agriculture: Fourth in the U.S. for producers with military service

PHOTOS, FROM TOP: ISTOCK.COM/MICHEL GUENETTE, JMICHL

Eighth in the U.S. for new and beginning producers (10 years or less on any farm) 13th in the U.S. for the number of young producers (age 35 or younger)

40,097

Farms with principal female operators in Tennessee

63,363

Tennessee farms are individually or family owned, which is more than 91% of all farms in the state.

3,109 Minority farmers in Tennessee

Tennessee ranks THIRD IN THE NATION for tobacco production.

Tennessee has 97,880 head of goats and ranks fourth in the nation for goat inventory.

Sources: USDA Tennessee State Statistician, UT Economic Report 2020

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| ALMANAC |

Tennessee ranks among the top 10 states for growing mushrooms, which are a great source of vitamin D, zinc, copper, B vitamins and potassium.

PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: ISTOCK.COM/CHENGYUZHENG, BLUEGAME, AKIRASTOCK

Widening the Playing Field The Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP) provides cost share dollars to agricultural producers for the purpose of making long-term investments in Tennessee farms and communities. Participation allows producers to maximize farm profits, adapt to changing market situations, improve operation safety, increase farm efficiency and make a positive economic impact in their communities. It’s estimated that each TAEP dollar generates $6.09 in local economies.

In 2021, the Beginning Farmer option was added for applicants who have been farming fewer than five years and seeking cost share assistance for the first time.

With this change, the impact of the program is expected to grow. As young farmers with new ideas join the mix, Tennessee’s industry will continue to thrive.

Learn more about the program at tn.gov/agriculture/ farms/taep.html.

Farm of the Future The University of Tennessee at Martin is expanding its veterinary and agriculture offerings, thanks to the donation of Wildwood Farm in Germantown.

With 350 acres of mixed pasture and mature oak woodlots, the farm will allow for educational opportunities in the areas of animal science and horsemanship, plant and soil science, environmental management and natural resources management, along with a veterinary health technology cohort. It will also allow UT Martin students the opportunity to collaborate with the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture.

The farm is owned by Melanie Smith Taylor and her family and will be fully transferred to UT Martin upon her death. The gift of the Taylor farm preserves the family’s vision to keep the farm intact while also providing a benefit to the next generation of agriculture and agricultural education.

Learn more at utm.edu.

Powering Through the Pandemic As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact Tennesseans across the state, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s (TDA) Coronavirus Agricultural and Forestry Business Fund maintains stability for those in the agricultural industry. Supporting farmers and foresters keeps the supply chain steady for food and home goods and helps the agribusiness economy.

In 2020, the program reimbursed more than $55 million to agricultural businesses across the state for relief in areas of business disruptions, costs associated with pandemic response, supply chain enhancement and increased meat processing capacity. The assistance does not need to be repaid because it’s a grant, not a loan.

As the agricultural community continues to thrive in spite of challenges, TDA continues to do its part to support farmers and foresters.

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| TOP AG PRODUCTS |

What’s Growing in Tennessee A glimpse at the state’s leading ag products based on cash receipts*

CATTLE & CALVES

$512.5M

CORN

$537.9M

In 2020, Tennessee farmers harvested 825,000 acres of corn for grain and 35,000 acres of corn for silage, resulting in the production of nearly 140.3 million bushels of corn for grain and 630,000 tons of corn for silage.

DAIRY PRODUCTS AND MILK

$100.8M *WHAT ARE CASH RECEIPTS? Defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, cash receipts refer to the total amount of crops or livestock sold in a calendar year.

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TeNNessee ag iNsider

With approximately 170 registered dairies across the state, Tennessee produced 542 million pounds of milk in 2020.

PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: ISTOCK.COM/KWANGMOOZAA, ERDINHASDEMIR, FCAFOTODIGITAL

As of Jan. 1, 2021, Tennessee had a beef cattle inventory totaling 900,000 head. With cattle in every county, the state is one of the nation’s top beef producers.

UPLAND COTTON

HOGS

With an upland cotton harvest of 275,000 acres, the Volunteer State produced 611,000 480-pound bales of the commodity in 2020.

At the end of 2020, Tennessee had an inventory of 260,000 hogs.

$288.3M

$99.3M

HAY

$158M WHEAT

$73.7M

Tennessee farmers produced 13.6 million bushels of winter wheat following a 230,000-acre harvest in 2020.

Tennessee’s overall hay production reached just over 4.1 million tons in 2020, along with 74,000 tons of alfalfa.

The state’s hay harvest totaled more than 1.7 million acres that year, 19,000 acres of which were alfalfa.

TOBACCO

$75.9M

PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: ISTOCK.COM/MAHIRATES; EBERTSTUDIOS, TSEKHMISTER, CHENGYUZHENG, DLEWIS33, SOLEG, ALEXRATHS

Tennessee’s tobacco harvest totaled 12,300 acres in 2020 and produced nearly 29.4 million pounds of the crop.

Find more online Learn more about agricultural crops and commodities in Tennessee online at TNagriculture.com.

BROILER CHICKENS

$376.2M

Tennessee’s annual broiler chicken estimate, which includes domestic meat type strains, totaled 187.4 million head in 2020. From these, 1.03 billion pounds of meat was produced.

SOYBEANS

$800M

Tennessee farmers harvested 1.62 million acres of soybeans in 2020, which produced 81 million bushels of the crop.

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| RECIPES |

Taste of Tennessee

Experience the flavors of Tennessee with delicious recipes

ally Find loc grown nts ingredie at u near yo pick tn ts.org. produc

Quinoa Salad with Watermelon, Cucumber, Feta and Citrus Vinaigrette Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

Quinoa Salad:

½ cup cilantro, chopped

1 cup dry quinoa 1 ½ cups cucumber, sliced ½ cup red onion, sliced

1 tablespoon honey 1 clove garlic, minced ½ teaspoon sea salt

1 cup feta cheese, crumbled 1 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

3 cups watermelon, diced

1. Cook quinoa according to package instructions. Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature.

Balsamic Lime Vinaigrette: ½ cup olive oil ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice

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TeNNessee ag iNsider

2. In a jar, combine all vinaigrette ingredients.

Put the lid on and shake to combine. Set aside.

3. Once quinoa has cooled, add the cucumber, red onion, feta and salt. Add half the vinaigrette and toss to combine.

4. Add the watermelon to the salad and top with more vinaigrette if desired. Serve immediately.

Sweet Potato and Bacon Hash Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients 2 pounds sweet potato, cut into 1-inch cubes

2. Arrange sweet potatoes and bacon on baking sheet. Toss with paprika, salt and pepper, and spread mixture out evenly in a single layer.

3. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight, if desired, or continue to step 4 if baking immediately.

Instructions

4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove plastic wrap and bake for 15 minutes. Remove hash from oven and stir. Bake for an additional 20 minutes, then stir again. Continue baking 5 to 10 more minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through and bacon is crispy.

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

5. Allow hash to cool slightly, then serve warm.

6 ounces thick-sliced bacon, cubed (approximately 6-7 bacon strips) 1 teaspoon smoked paprika ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon black pepper

Flank Steak with Horseradish Cream Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients 1 ½ pounds flank steak or other beef such as top sirloin (about 1-inch thick) 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper salt, to taste ½ cup reduced-fat sour cream ½ cup light mayonnaise ¼ teaspoon dry mustard 3 teaspoons prepared horseradish

PHOTOS, FROM TOP: JESSI HEGGAN; JEFFREY S. OTTO; OPPOSITE PAGE: JESSI HEGGAN

1 clove garlic

Instructions 1. Rub steak with olive oil. Press pepper into steak and sprinkle with salt.

2. Grill or broil steak 5 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Allow meat to rest for 5 minutes before thinly slicing across the grain.

3. While steak is resting, in a blender or food processor, mix sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish and garlic clove. Process or blend until smooth. Spread on steak to serve.

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Decadent Double Chocolate Tofu Cheesecake Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Makes: 10 servings

9 ounces (1 package) chocolate wafer cookies, crushed (about 2 cups) ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted 21 ounces (about 1 ½ packages) medium-firm tofu, drained and patted dry 1 ¾ cups semisweet mini chocolate chips, divided ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ cup white sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3. Microwave ¾ cup of the chocolate chips in a glass bowl at 30-second intervals to melt the chocolate.

Stir after each interval.

¼ cup vegetable oil 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 cup fresh raspberries

Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix together the cookie crumbs

4. Using a food processor, combine the tofu, cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla extract, vegetable oil, lemon juice and melted chocolate. Blend until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Pan-Roasted Orange Chicken Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients 3 teaspoons ground cumin 3 teaspoons granulated garlic 2 teaspoons sea salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 large orange 1 ½-2 pounds chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on 2 tablespoons olive oil ½ red onion, sliced

Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the cumin, garlic, salt and pepper. Zest the orange and slice it into rounds, then slice those in half. Add the zest to the bowl of spices and stir to combine. Spread the spice rub on both sides of the chicken thighs. Set aside.

2. Heat olive oil in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat and add the sliced red onions. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until translucent.

3. Move the onions to the side of the pan and place the chicken thighs into the pan skin side down. Brown the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Flip the chicken thighs over and top with orange slices. Roast in the oven for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Serve immediately.

PHOTO: JESSI HEGGAN

Ingredients

and butter. Press the mixture over the bottom and slightly up the side of an ungreased 9-by-3-inch springform pan. Set aside.

5. Pour the cheesecake mixture directly into the pie crust and spread evenly.

6. Bake in the oven until cheesecake is firm to the touch, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven to cool at room temperature.

Refrigerate until the entire cheesecake is chilled.

7. Repeat step three to melt the remaining chocolate chips.

Drizzle over the cheesecake and top with raspberries.

Broccoli, Potato and Corn Chowder Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 40 minutes | Makes: 8 servings

Ingredients 4 thick slices of uncured bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped ¼ cup all-purpose flour 32 ounces unsalted chicken broth 1 large potato, peeled and diced 1 head broccoli (about 1 pound), cut into bite-size florets 1 ½ cups corn 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped 1 cup evaporated 2% milk 1 teaspoon coarse salt

a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside; leave the bacon fat in pan.

2. Add the onion and garlic to the bacon fat and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add the broth and potato and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered until the potato is tender, about 10 minutes.

Instructions

4. Add the broccoli, corn, rosemary and milk. Cook until the broccoli is crisp-tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.

1. In a large pot, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using

5. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top each serving with bacon and 1 tablespoon cheddar cheese.

1 teaspoon black pepper

PHOTOS: NATHAN LAMBRECHT

½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded

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| AG EDUCATION |

The Ag Tag’s

LASTING LEGACY

The license plate with the red barn supports the state’s agricultural education programs

F

or more than 25 years, the specialty Tennessee license plate featuring a red barn has supported agricultural education across the state by contributing millions of dollars to ag-based youth organizations, including the Tennessee FFA and Tennessee 4-H. Known as the Ag Tag, each plate purchase represents a commitment to bolstering the next generation of

leaders in the agriculture industry.

Thanks to the many Volunteer State residents who sport the specialty license plate on their vehicles, the future of Tennessee ag has never looked brighter.

Ag Tag Gives Back With its iconic, attentiongrabbing red barn, green tree and rolling pasture, the Tennessee

Cassie Lewis is involved in Tennessee FFA and Tennessee 4-H, both of which benefit from the Ag Tag.

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Tennessee Ag Insider

PHOTOS, FROM LEFT PAGE: CASSIE LEWIS; MICHAEL D. TEDESCO; JEFFREY S. OTTO

Proceeds from the Ag Tag support Tennessee FFA membership fees, awards and scholarships.

Department of Agriculture (TDA) debuted the Tennessee Ag Tag in 1996.

TDA Deputy Commissioner Tom Womack remembers when department staff came up with the idea.

“The marketing team wanted to develop something that would be universally recognized as representative of our state’s agriculture industry while also raising funds for agricultural education. And that’s exactly what we have today,” Womack says.

An extra $35 is added to county tag purchases or renewals for those who choose the Ag Tag. TDA administers the proceeds through the Tennessee Agricultural Development Fund to directly

Purchasing an Ag Tag is an easy way to help ensure young people have the tools, resources and support they need to take part in organizations like FFA and 4-H.” Cassie Lewis, University of Tennessee at Martin student benefit agricultural youth organizations as well as agricultural and forestry awareness, education and marketing efforts, and support for farmers markets.

Since its inception, the Ag Tag has helped raise more than $7.3 million, with annual contributions to FFA, 4-H, Ag in the Classroom and the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Agricultural Sciences.

“Along with showing our pride and appreciation for Tennessee agriculture, the purpose of the Ag Tag has always been to give back to our state,” Womack says. “I can’t think of a better way to accomplish that goal than to financially support agricultural education.”

Youth Benefit From Ag Tag Revenue As an educator and FFA advisor, Chris Cherry has an acute understanding of the importance of the Ag Tag. After all, he sees how the funds benefit his members on a daily basis.

“Funds donated through Ag Tag sales have helped our agriculture program become affiliated with FFA, which means all of our ag students are enrolled in FFA at no additional cost to them,” says Cherry, FFA advisor for Scotts Hill FFA in Reagan. “Plus, many of the awards and scholarships our members win at the Tennessee FFA State Convention are made possible TNagriculTure.com

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by Ag Tag funds.”

Cherry, who has invested in the Ag Tag for several years, encourages Tennesseans to consider the impact their annual purchase of the specialty plate could make in the lives of students across the state.

Without ag education, he says, many young people would likely never realize the countless opportunities the ag industry has to offer.

“Agriculture encompasses so much, and we need young people who are ready to take on the jobs of tomorrow,” Cherry says. “When you buy an Ag Tag, you’re doing your part to ensure our state’s agriculture industry can continue to thrive in the future.”

Another proud Ag Tag supporter is Cassie Lewis, who was the 2020-21 Tennessee FFA state reporter and formerly served as both a junior and senior representative on the Tennessee State 4-H Council.

Now a sophomore majoring in agricultural education at the University of Tennessee at Martin, Lewis aspires to work as a Tennessee 4-H Extension agent – a dream she says she might not have realized without having joined youth agriculture organizations.

“I want every student across the state to have the opportunities I did,

PHOTOS, FROM TOP: SARAH B. GILLIAM; CHRIS CHERRY

Scotts Hill FFA

and we need funding to make that happen,” Lewis says. “Purchasing an Ag Tag is an easy way to help ensure young people have the tools, resources and support they need to take part in organizations like FFA and 4-H. And there’s no doubt about it: Their involvement could change their lives.”

– Jessica Walker Boehm

Find more online

For more information about agricultural education, visit TNagriculture.com.

TENNESSEE FFA tnffa.org Established in 1927 as the Future Farmers of Tennessee, Tennessee FFA currently comprises more than 28,000 members from upwards of 220 chapters across the state.

An intra-curricular student organization, FFA focuses on both agriculture and leadership with an emphasis on hands-on learning experiences.

Tennessee FFA became an affiliated state association within the National FFA Organization in 2020.

This means all students in grades seven through 12 who enroll in agricultural education programs become members of Tennessee and National FFA at no additional cost.

TENNESSEE 4-H 4h.tennessee.edu A youth development program operated by the University of Tennessee and Tennessee State University, Tennessee 4-H is an extracurricular program that began in the Volunteer State in the early 1900s.

Tennessee 4-H was initially a corn club for boys and a canning club for girls, but it’s grown into a multifaceted organization with the highest 4-H enrollment of any state in the nation, serving more than 180,000 young people from fourth through 12th grade.

Although the organization is rooted in agriculture, Tennessee 4-H also helps participants develop life skills such as public speaking and leadership.

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| DAIRY |

FAMILY TIES RUN DEEP IN DAIRY Niche markets, technology keep farmers in business

24 |

Tennessee Ag Insider

Benjie Daniel feeds a calf in the barn at Daniel Dairy in Charlotte.

T

ennessee is home to more than 170 unique and different dairy farms.

From traditional cow operations to goat and sheep dairies, farmers

PHOTOS: JEFF ADKINS

are finding new, innovative ways to produce and market their milk to consumers.

Despite industry changes, family values associated with dairy

farming remain prevalent. Whether producing milk for the dinner table or for a value-added product, dairy farmers are working every day to produce milk safely and efficiently.

Modernizing a Tradition Benjie Daniel is a third-generation dairy farmer near Charlotte. He farmed alongside his father, Johnny, until he passed away in 2018. Today, Daniel works alongside his 16-yearold son, Wyatt, and seven employees to milk 200 cows and raise 1,500 acres of crops.

Daniel’s family instilled in him the innovative mindset he has today.

“Both my dad and papa were adopters of technology as it became available to them,” Daniel says.

As the herd grew in size and production, so did the facilities.

Daniel’s grandfather, Lewis, began milking cows in 1954 in a flat barn.

Today, Daniel milks in a double-six parabone parlor featuring electronic meters, identification and activity heat detection. Working with employees, Daniel says the automation gives him peace of mind.

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Finding Her Niche In East Tennessee, Barbara Gentry and her husband, Sam, are the third generation on their family’s meat goat farm near Maryville.

“We were married a year when we bought my first dairy goat, Miss Sally,” Barbara Gentry says. “I didn’t know what we were going to do with all the milk, so I began making soap, and later lotion.”

Gentry was working as a level one trauma nurse at the University of Tennessee when she got her start in farming.

“There were a lot of articles on goat’s milk lotion,” Gentry says.

“As I was developing the lotions, the ER nurses tried them. After months of experimentation, my

PHOTOS: JEFF ADKINS

Benjie Daniel and his mother, Statia, run a third-generation dairy farm with 200 cows.

“When you are not physically milking the cows yourself, it helps you keep track of what is going on,” he says.

Genetic advancements have also been critical to the success of Daniel’s herd.

“The goal is always to milk a better, healthier cow,” he says. “We are breeding to what we consider the best bulls to improve our herd.”

Generations of advancements have led to the success the dairy has today, so it comes as no surprise that Daniel has big goals for the future.

“With labor situations what they are across the country, finding reliable people for milking gets harder and harder all the time,” Daniel says. “My goal is to transition over to robotic milkers.”

PHOTOS: GENTRY FAMILY FARM

Gentry Family Farm transitioned into dairy goats and sells products at its store in Maryville.

coworkers said they liked and would use my products.”

Today, Gentry is milking six American Saanen goats and has turned her soap and lotion products into a profitable niche market.

“I applied for my first craft show and made $800. I thought I was rich,” Gentry says. “Over time, online sales started exploding on our Etsy shop, Gentry Family Farm.”

Sales of the farm’s products led to opening Gentry Mercantile, a 3,000-square-foot store located

inside Foothills Mall in Maryville featuring crafts from 40 vendors, in October 2017.

Looking Back to Move Forward No matter how their farms advanced, Daniel and Gentry both agree that their family ties to farming have remained constant.

“This is my husband’s heritage,” Gentry says. “We are a cohesive unit. I love the farm life and being on the farm.”

Daniel is honored to continue a family legacy in dairy farming.

“When my granddad started, he didn’t know for sure it would continue this long,” Daniel says.

“I am proud of the decisions they made and what they did in order for us to move forward.”

Both families are motivated by the next generation, and Daniel remains optimistic about the future of dairy.

“I hope the industry continues on a path that gives us the ability to carry forward,” Daniel says.

– Cassie Sonnentag

Find more online

For more information about Tennessee’s dairy farms, visit TNagriculture.com.

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| RECIPE |

Balsamic Blackberry Ice Cream Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Makes: 8 servings

Ingredients 1 cup balsamic vinegar 1 ½ cups fresh blackberries, plus more for garnish 3 cups vanilla ice cream 2-4 tablespoons honey, optional fresh mint

Instructions

2. Add berries to saucepan with remaining ¼ cup reduced vinegar.

Cook over medium-low heat until berries are softened and well combined to make a thick sauce, about 10 minutes, stirring often.

3. Cool berry mixture thoroughly.

4. Allow ice cream to soften slightly. Layer ice cream and berry-vinegar mixture alternately and stir until layered evenly but not incorporated. Freeze until ready to serve.

5. Taste reduced vinegar for sweetness. If desired, stir in honey to make it sweeter. Drizzle over ice cream, and garnish with fresh berries and mint.

PHOTO: JEFFREY S. OTTO

1. Over low heat, stir the vinegar occasionally in a medium saucepan.

Allow to reduce to ½ cup, so it’s thick enough to coat a spoon.

Set ¼ cup reduced vinegar aside.

TNagriculTure.com

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| URBAN FARMS |

The Giving

GARDEN From apples to zucchini, Black Seeds Urban Farms feeds the soul of its Memphis community

R

“When she passed away in May of 2019, we found a lot of comfort in just sitting in the garden and reflecting on memories of what we all had experienced in our backyard,” Derravia says. “That was a really hard time for me, but it ended up turning into a very pivotal moment for me and Bobby because we realized the many benefits that came along with sitting in a garden.”

The Seeds of a New Venture With assistance from the local Community Redevelopment Agency, which helped them find the perfect spot for sale, in July 2021 the Riches turned a vacant lot in the Uptown neighborhood of Greenlaw into a full-blown business. Much like the family garden that inspired it, Black Seeds Urban Farms raises – and openly shares – all types

Bobby and Derravia Rich founded Black Seeds Urban Farms in the Greenlaw neighborhood of Memphis. They grow fresh produce for a community previously considered a food desert, meaning an area where nutritious food isn’t readily available.

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Tennessee Ag Insider

PHOTOS: KAREN PULFER FOCHT

aised by her grandparents in South Memphis, Derravia Rich loved watching her grandfather tend his tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables while she and her sisters and cousins played in the yard.

The produce he raised fed his large family and many of his neighbors too.

By the time Derravia and her husband, Bobby, moved back to Memphis after a decade in Nashville, her granddad had passed away and weeds were choking the beloved garden. At the time, Derravia was working as the K-12 coordinator of the digital agronomy program at Tennessee College of Applied Technology Covington and Bobby as a firefighter.

When Bobby showed an interest in the garden, Derravia’s uncle, Robert “Bubay” Freeman, started showing him how to restore it to its original state. In 2019, the couple moved into Derravia’s grandparents’ house to take care of her ailing grandmother – and the garden.

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In addition to offering fresh food, Black Seeds also hosts free educational programs and hands-on workshops.

of vegetables and fruits. They grow a variety of produce, from zucchini and eggplants to apples, raspberries and pears, and herbs like peppermint, lavender and thyme.

“Whenever we have a harvest, we’ll let people know throughout the neighborhood,” Bobby says.

“Sometimes we contact the church next door and say, ‘Hey, we’ve got tomatoes, we have bags of okra.’

Most of the things that we grow, we pretty much give away.”

Bobby, now a certified master gardener, does all the labor, while his wife handles the agribusiness side. They’ve grown close to their new Greenlaw friends in what was once a food desert.

“It has just been unbelievable how well received we have been,” Derravia says.

Most of the things that we grow, we pretty much give away.”

Bobby Rich, founder of Black Seeds Urban Farms

Much like Derravia’s childhood garden, Black Seeds feeds not just the body, but the soul. The owners encourage area residents to relax in a swing or a hammock or sit by the fire pit and surround themselves in the solace of green, growing things.

“It’s very therapeutic,” Bobby says.

They also host free educational programs and garden stations with hands-on workshops for both youth and adults. School groups sometimes visit to learn about growing their own food and the importance of land stewardship.

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PHOTOS, FROM TOP: ISTOCK.COM/BRENT HOFACKER; KAREN PULFER FOCHT

More Than a Garden

The Rich family was inspired to start Black Seeds after restoring Derravia’s grandfather’s garden in Memphis.

PHOTO: KAREN PULFER FOCHT

On the for-profit side, Black Seeds Urban Farms offers space rentals, garden consultations and other events, along with private picnic packages. The Riches hope to expand in 2022 and are open to partnering with other organizations to add even more features.

“I come from a neighborhood right in the middle of a food desert, where nutritious food isn’t readily available.

I know how impactful it can be on the people in a community who don’t have fresh foods nearby,” Derravia says. “I want to make sure that we are providing those options to people in neighborhoods who wouldn’t otherwise have that access.”

– Nancy Henderson

Find more online

For more information about the farm, visit blackseedsurbanfarm.com.

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SPONSORED BY THE COTTON BOARD

STILL GROWING Thanks to innovative program, cotton really is the “Fabric of our Lives”TM

P

ick up a set of sheets or a T-shirt, and you’re likely to see the trademark seal with a plant sprouting from the word “cotton” or immediately think of the catchy slogan, “The Fabric of Our Lives.”

What you might not realize is just how much work went into that iconic marketing campaign.

It all began more than 50 years ago, when cotton producers banded together to counter the new “easycare” synthetic fabrics capturing

America’s attention by improving profitability and boosting demand for cotton products worldwide.

Initiated by the Cotton Research and Promotion Act of 1966 and overseen by the Memphis-based Cotton Board, the self-funded research and promotion program was so successful that Upland cotton – the most common type grown in the U.S. – became the nation’s bestselling fiber in jeans and many other products.

The Cotton Research and Promotion Program is just as important today as it was when it was first brought about in the ’60s.”

Bill Gillon, CEO, The Cotton Board

“The Cotton Research and Promotion Program is just as important today as it was when it was first brought about in the ’60s,” says The Cotton Board CEO Bill Gillon. “Polyester is our main competitor, but there are other competing fibers as well. So, the importance of having cotton in the forefront of the consumer’s mind

and having consumers think very positively about cotton and cotton products is just as critical to cotton producers today as it ever has been.”

In 1990, the Program expanded to include importers of cotton apparel and other items, allowing retailers like Levi Strauss & Co. and Walmart to share their input.

“Their influence on the direction of the Program now is pretty substantial,” Gillon says. “And they help us do a better job of keeping abreast of consumer trends.”

Marketing, of course, isn’t the only role of the Cotton Research and Promotion Program. Manufacturing advancements like wrinkle-resistant fabrics and water-resistant cotton keep consumers coming back, while farmers benefit from developments like time-saving equipment, on-farm agronomic research trials and best-practice methods that help them conserve water and grow sustainable crops.

A recent Economic Effectiveness Study conducted by independent analysts every five years shows that the Program is successful on many levels. Among other things, it has increased demand for cotton fiber and related products, boosted revenue for producers and importers, and expanded yields and acreage of cotton.

The report also shows Program stakeholders where their assessment dollars are going. “For about every dollar that a producer contributes to the Program, it generates $6.40 in returns,” Gillon says. “And for the importer side of it, it’s over $17 for every dollar they invest.

“This is just a tremendous example of cotton producers coming together in the ’60s to create a Program that no one individual could,” he adds. “They enlisted the help of government and created something that’s had long-lasting, positive economic benefits for the industry. And we’re still working together today.”

| FARM ANIMALS |

LEASING OUT

LIVESTOCK

36 |

Tennessee Ag Insider

Creative farmers are renting chickens, goats and sheep for a profit

F

armers have found unusual ways to put their animals to work, renting them out to do tasks ranging from clearing brush and eating weeds to managing pests and making breakfast.

Tennessee is home to more than 97,000 goats, making it the state with the fourth-highest population of goats. Chickens are also abundant, with broiler and breeder houses on more than 500 family farms across the state.

Tennessee farmers are using their livestock resources to turn a profit in unusual ways.

PHOTOS: JEFF ADKINS

An Egg-cellent Idea RayLee Holladay’s foray into the world of chicken rentals started with a simple Google search: “crazy ways to make money on your farm.”

That led the Lascassas farmer to launch Rent The Chicken in 2016.

She’s been surprised and delighted by the demand.

“A lot of people who rent chickens live in the city and have

never held a chicken before,” Holladay says.

Families rent laying hens along with a coop and all the supplies needed to raise them for six months. They have the option to adopt the hens or return them to Holladay at the end of the rental term. The business rents 20 coops (with two to four laying hens in each) every season; rental fees range from $475 to $1,375.

Holladay raises the red star, black star, speckled Sussex, Plymouth rock and wyandotte hens from chicks to pullets (young hens) and delivers them to their temporary homes after they start laying eggs. She admits the business is a lot of work but loves the reaction she gets from families welcoming their first flocks.

“When we drive down the road, you can hear the kids screaming, ‘Our chickens are here,’” Holladay says. “I love it when they fall in love with the chickens.”

Rent The Chicken has been

RayLee Holladay feeds her chickens. The Lascassas farmer rents them out by the coop to families interested in trying out backyard chickens.

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TENNESSEE CORN

It’s Everywhere … Every Day …

Blending ethanol from corn lowers harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

Tennessee livestock is our biggest consumer of corn.

Using corn in bio-based plastics results in a renewable material.

Farmer Funded …

Farmer Led www.tncorn.org

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TeNNessee ag iNsider

Most of the corn you see in the fields is actually field corn, not the delicious sweet corn you might enjoy on the cob or in a can. Field corn is used to feed livestock – which is important to our food supply.

It is transformed into fuel to power our cars and trucks.

Corn farmers boost our economy by exporting corn to other countries. Corn provides bio-based, renewable materials for industrial uses such as bioplastics. Of course, corn also shows up in grocery stores around the world in over 4,000 items, such as salad dressings, chips, carbonated beverages, peanut butter, cereal, baby foods, baking powder and meat products.

so popular that she added Hatch The Chicken and Hatch The Duck programs to rent fertilized eggs and incubators so families and school groups can watch chickens and ducklings hatch. She’s adding Hatch The Quail in 2022.

“If you have a love of chickens, it’s a great business to get into,” Holladay says. “The community you build with this business is

worth more than the money.”

Resourceful Ruminants In 2018, a neighbor offered to pay Keith Bridges if his goats would eat a tangle of overgrown vines on their property. Bridges brought 10 goats from his farm in Clinton, and the goats did such a good job that a business across the street wanted to hire them next. Bridges started Knox

Goats to accommodate the demand to rent brush-clearing livestock.

“The phone hasn’t stopped ringing since,” Bridges says.

Bridges has rented goats to colleges, local parks, community associations and homeowners, delivering a herd of up to 140 goats to clear brush on steep hillsides, ravines, rocky terrain and other areas where lawnmowers can’t

A lot of people who rent chickens live in the city and have never held a chicken before.

PHOTO: JEFF ADKINS

RayLee Holladay, Rent The Chicken farmer

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operate. Bridges says that 140 goats can clear an acre of land in 24 hours.

“Pound for pound, goats consume more than any other animals,” Bridges says.

Bridges relies on portable electric fencing, strong fence chargers and livestock guardian dogs to confine his goats during a job. The entire system costs up

Sheep from the Nashville Chew Crew clear the grounds at Fort Negley.

to $1,200 per acre, plus a delivery and setup fee.

The 300 Katahdin sheep working for the Nashville Chew Crew perform similar work. Zach Richardson started the business with a herd of goats in 2009 but quickly transitioned to sheep because they were easier to confine and work well in areas that can’t

be fenced tight enough for goats.

Richardson’s sheep work full time between April and November, clearing land around Nashville, including the grounds of the historic Fort Negley.

“I often hear from customers that people love encountering a flock of sheep in an urban area,” Richardson says. “If I’m doing my job right, the sheep are in the city, earning money, for the entire growing season.”

– Jodi Helmer

About the Farms Rent The Chicken rentthechicken.com/p/ middle-tennessee.html Knox Goats knoxgoats.com

PHOTOS, FROM TOP: WILLIAM TRACY HARRIS; ISTOCK.COM/TAMARA VOLODINA

Nashville Chew Crew nashvillechewcrew.com

TNagriculture.com

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| POULTRY |

Happy, Healthy Hens Protect your backyard chickens from disease by following proper safety precautions

I

f you’re thinking about starting your own backyard flock of chickens – or if you recently have – you’re not alone. As homesteading gains popularity nationwide, more consumers are producing their own food. Chickens can provide an excellent source of protein without requiring a large amount of land.

Self-Sustaining Safely “There has been an increasing desire to be more self-supporting and sustainable. One way to do this is to have your own source of fresh 42 |

TeNNessee ag iNsider

eggs and meat,” says Dr. Samantha Beaty, Tennessee state veterinarian.

“Some owners want an organic product, so personal ownership allows them more control over how their birds are managed or they enjoy keeping poultry as pets.”

Before making the leap into raising chickens, it’s important to learn about food safety precautions and biosecurity, which refers to the measures aimed at preventing the spread of disease. For starters, baby chicks need an appropriate housing environment to prevent illness and

death. Before buying chickens, research your local ordinances to see if they are allowed in your area, and find out how many birds you’re allowed to keep on your property.

“As with any new animal, people should research necessary feeding, housing and living requirements for chickens,” says Jamie McClellan, animal health technician for the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. “Although chickens can be family-friendly, they can also spread diseases, even to humans, if they are not properly managed. It is ideal to limit the number of people handling the chickens or eggs, and make sure to always thoroughly wash hands after handling.”

Resources are available to learn

PHOTO: ISTOCK.COM/SONJA FILITZ

START HERE

more about biosecurity.

“USDA’s Defend the Flock program is an excellent resource for poultry owners, providing information on the best biosecurity practices to protect the health of your birds,” Beaty says.

Protecting People and Poultry Salmonella is a bacteria that lives in the intestinal tract of poultry, and cases have been rising among backyard poultry flocks. While salmonella does not usually make chickens sick, it can make humans very ill. Poultry owners must understand the risks and practice proper handling techniques to keep their families safe.

“In live birds, salmonella is not always obvious, so poultry owners should consider any poultry or poultry product to be a source of salmonella,” Beaty explains.

“Wash hands frequently and wear dedicated shoes and clothing that are only worn when handling the birds. Owners should not wear them indoors or around other birds.”

Cooking poultry products thoroughly and keeping kitchen surfaces and counters clean is imperative to keep salmonella at bay. Poultry litter can also be a source of salmonella since birds may transmit disease in feces.

“I cannot stress the importance of biosecurity for birds and owners enough,” Beaty says. “Always wash hands after handling live birds, litter and poultry products. Do not kiss or hold birds near your face.”

owners and breeders. NPIP certification ensures a flock has been tested and found free of infectious diseases including pullorum-typhoid and avian influenza. The cost is $40 annually.

However, Beaty notes that more common diseases such as mycoplasma, coccidia and Marek’s disease are not included by NPIP certification. Still, it is beneficial for new chicken owners to become NPIP certified as one way of protecting their flock, no matter the size.

“Participation in the program grants access to animal health technicians, which is a good resource for poultry owners who have questions and concerns of illness within their flock,” McClellan says.

– Jessica Mozo

Find more online

For more information, visit tn.gov/ agriculture, aphis.usda.gov/ animalhealth/defendtheflock or poultryimprovement.org.

Sourcing Healthy Stock It’s also important to purchase birds from sellers who can provide proof their flock is free of diseases and parasites. Responsible producers are certified by the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP), a voluntary state and federal cooperative testing and certification program for poultry TNagriculture.com

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Tennessee Ag Insider

| FARM ANIMALS |

Mule POWER Mule skinners share their agricultural tradition with communities

PHOTOS: JEFF ADKINS

G

rady George Jr. was walking into a restaurant when suddenly a little girl barreled into him, giving him a great big hug. He didn’t recognize her, but she revealed how she knew the mule skinner.

The little girl said, ‘You brought your mules to our school and told us all about them! We really liked them and we hope you come back next year,’” George remembers.

Mules are known for their intelligence, and that intelligence can sometimes be interpreted as stubbornness. Years ago, the term “mule skinner” was developed to describe someone who was able to train – or otherwise outsmart – a mule.

As president of the Middle Tennessee Mule Skinners, George spent four days in the summer of 2021 traveling with his mules to every elementary school in Cannon County to explain how farmers use mules for plowing, riding and other tasks. It’s all a part of the group’s initiative to keep the agricultural heritage alive and share their love of mules with the community.

“People want their grandkids to know about the past and they don’t

have a way to show them,” George says. “We can show them by letting them ride or drive our mules.”

The Mule Life George grew up with horses, but he remembers how his father would borrow a mule from a friend to plow the garden. When George was able to get mules of his own, he carried on traditions of other mule skinners

Grady and Carol George talk with Anna Nichols during a Tennessee Mule Skinners event.

Grady, also pictured at right, serves as president of the group.

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she got the hang of training and working the mules, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“They don’t quit, they take care of themselves; it’s just a different mentality compared to horses,” says Nichols, owner of Daylight Acres.

“I’ve listened to stories that my dad told growing up about plowing with mules when he was little, and it brings back days gone by. It’s great

10,000 MULES WERE USED BY THE U.S. MILITARY DURING THE GREEK CIVIL WAR IN THE 1940S.

MULE DAY

takes place in Columbia every spring, typically for a week in late March and early April, culminating in a parade that runs through downtown on Saturday.

Mules are the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse, and they are sterile

99.9%

of the time.

to keep the traditions alive.”

Not only are the mules hardworking – the animals are known for their toughness and tenacity – but they provide a moment of relaxation. Nichols says she’ll hook up her mules to a wagon and drive around, giving her time to think.

Keeping Traditions The Middle Tennessee Mule Skinners meet monthly to plan upcoming parades, plows, mule shows, trail rides, wagon rides and community outreach events.

Whenever someone has a large swath of property that needs to be plowed, the skinners get together to work their mules. In fact, the Middle Tennessee Mule Skinners hold the Guinness World Record for most mules simultaneously plowing – 91 mules on George’s farm in 2018.

But most importantly, the group provides camaraderie for people who are equally enthused about their mules and the heritage they’re continuing. Teams will meet at a farm, camp out and ride together for days. George will often bring his family to big wagon meetups, where they’ll have a picnic with other skinners.

“Our association is growing,” Nichols says, citing George’s leadership. “He’s built it back up and worked hard to help promote our mule skinners group, what we do and what we stand for.”

Much of his work has been making his way through his community, chatting with farmers who want to learn more about mules and introducing his team to youngsters.

“I hope there’s somebody who will do that when I’m not able,” George says. “I want the younger people to know and love mules like I do.”

– Christiana Lilly

The Tennessee Mule Skinners carry on the heritage of mule-powered farming.

ILLUSTRATION: ISTOCK.COM/MUHAMAD RUKMANA; PHOTOS: JEFF ADKINS

before him including his father.

He now has four mules that he uses in displays and competitions.

Anna Nichols, a member of the Middle Tennessee Mule Skinners, was not initially excited about mules. Nichols grew up around horses and when her partner, Stanley Browning, suggested using mules at their farm, she was hesitant. However, once

A mule train of wagons sets off on a trail during Mule Days at East Fork Stables in Jamestown.

What’s Cooking?

Find recipes using ingredients grown and raised in Tennessee at FarmFlavor.com.

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| LOCAL PRODUCTS |

UNCLE

Knows Best I

t was in Singapore of all places that entrepreneur Fawn Weaver found out that the mentor to legendary whiskey distiller Jack Daniel was a Black man. She was reading the international edition of The New York Times on a trip when she discovered the story of Nearest Green, a formerly enslaved man who worked as a master distiller for a preacher and went on to teach a young Daniel all that he knew.

It was an oral history that had been passed down from generation to generation.

“In my lifetime, I wasn’t familiar with any story of any major American brand that could prove there was an African American at the very beginning of it,” Weaver says. “So the idea that it was possible that one of the most well-

You most certainly cannot create a namesake brand and assign values to it if you don’t believe in the values of the namesake.”

– Fawn Weaver, founder of Uncle Nearest, Inc. 48 |

Tennessee Ag Insider

known American brands of all time had that history was something that I thought was worth exploring.”

Weaver got to work digging up details on the story treasured by master distiller Nathan “Nearest” Green’s descendants, building a team of 20 historians, archaeologists, archivists, journalists, genealogists and conservators. She also traveled to six states and interviewed descendants.

They learned that Nearest Green – or Uncle Nearest, as his family and friends in Lynchburg called him – was an enslaved man on Dan Call’s farm, where he ran the distillery.

Later, 7-year-old Jack Daniel came to work at the farm and was taken under Green’s wing. After emancipation, Green and his sons worked at Jack Daniel’s distillery. The Green family became one of the wealthiest Black families in the region.

During the research process, Weaver and her team collected more than 10,000 artifacts and documents from the people of Lynchburg. Now they are on display at the former home of Jack Daniel. Weaver and her team took the cigar room and transformed it into the research room, where the Green family history comes alive.

PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: JASON MYERS; COLLIN FATKE (2-3)

A historical legend in American whiskey is revived

Fawn Weaver established Nearest Green Distillery in Shelbyville, named for the formerly enslaved man who helped teach Jack Daniel how to make whiskey.

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As the first documented African American distiller in the country, Green’s legacy lives on at the Nearest Green Distillery in Shelbyville, where Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey is made today.

“Our focus wasn’t the recipe; our focus was the process, and we knew Nearest’s process in terms of what he did once the whiskey was distilled,” Weaver says. “That was a bigger piece to us. We’ve got four different recipes, and all of them are fantastic and originate in this area.”

50 |

Tennessee Ag Insider

Believed to have originated from Green’s West African roots and now known as the Lincoln County Process, the water is naturally purified by Tennessee’s limestone shelf and filtered through charcoal from sugar maple trees.

As a Black-owned, woman-owned whiskey brand in an industry dominated by white males, Uncle Nearest has skyrocketed in a short amount of time. It’s now sold in all 50 states and available in 12 countries. The whiskey was featured on Oprah’s Favorite Things list in

2020 and has won 350 awards, including 40 best in class.

But it’s not the accolades that keep the brand moving, but rather its identity as a purpose-driven company since day one. The Nearest Green Foundation was founded before the first bottle of whiskey was ever sold and pays for the college tuition of Green’s descendants. During conversations about racial injustice, Uncle Nearest and Jack Daniel’s partnered to create the Nearest & Jack Advancement Initiative, a $5 million fund to

| RECIPE |

Cinnamon Apple Sour Ingredients 2 ounces Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Aged Whiskey 0.75 ounce cinnamon apple syrup 0.5 ounce lemon juice 0.5 ounce aquafaba* 2-3 dashes orange bitters Dried orange wheel *Aquafaba is made from the liquid leftover from cooked chickpeas and has the functional properties of egg whites.

Instructions

As of 2020, the United States has 19 Black-owned whiskey/bourbon distilleries and companies.

25

NUMBER OF DISTILLERIES ON THE TENNESSEE WHISKEY TRAIL, INCLUDING NEAREST GREEN

Whiskey sales have increased year over year.

In 2020, Americans bought 7 million 9-liter cases.

1. Add all cocktail ingredients into a shaker without ice.

2. Dry shake for 10 seconds, add ice and then shake again for 8 to 10 seconds.

350

3. Double strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a dried orange wheel.

AWARDS WON BY UNCLE NEAREST

PHOTOS: COLLIN FATKE: CINNAMON APPLE SOUR: UNCLE NEAREST PREMIUM WHISKEY

Sources: Statista, Whiskey Advocate

encourage diversity in American whiskey. The company also donated $57,000 to help bartenders who were unrooted after the deadly 2020 Nashville and Wilson County tornado, and Jack Daniel’s immediately matched them.

During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Weaver directed the team to send masks to frontline workers.

“You can’t dig into someone’s life like this and unpeel layers without really understanding who that

person was as a human being. And you most certainly cannot create a namesake brand and assign values to it if you don’t believe in the values of the namesake,” Weaver says.

– Christiana Lilly

If You Go...

Nearest Green Distillery 3125 U.S. 231 N., Shelbyville, TN (931) 773-3070 unclenearest.com TNagriculture.com

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PORK

Bringing Home

the BACON The Tosh family produces top hogs and gives back to Tennessee agriculture

52 |

TeNNessee ag iNsider

J

PHOTOS: NATHAN LAMBRECHT

immy Tosh is a family man, businessman and one of the South’s top hog farmers.

His family has generations of experience in farming, though not always raising pigs. Growing up on a small farm in Henry started by his grandfather, Jimmy and his family raised dairy cattle and crops. In 1955, they sold the dairy and transitioned to beef

cattle. Then, Jimmy began a cow-calf herd and eventually added feeder hogs to the mix, buying young animals and feeding them until they met an acceptable market weight.

Pigs Turned Profit After graduating from the University of Tennessee at Martin with his agriculture business degree, Jimmy knew he could make his small farm a big success.

Jimmy Tosh, center, and his sons, Jonathan and Jamey, are the family behind Tosh Farms in Henry.

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OUR FAMILY FEEDING YOURS SINCE 1913

TOSH FARMS 1586 Atlantic Ave. | Henry, TN 38231 731-243-4861 | www.toshfarms.net

“We had 300 acres and a few pigs when I married my wife, Alonna, in 1978,” he says. “Now, almost 50 years later, we’re selling a little over 1 million hogs ready for market per year, farming 19,000 acres, employing 450 people and operating three businesses – Tosh Farms for crop production, Tosh Pork for pork production, and Bacon by Gosh is the trucking business.”

Jimmy and his sons, Jonathan and Jamey, operate the businesses that all work together to be as efficient, vertically integrated and as profitable as possible.

Tosh Pork will buy crops from Tosh Farms to ensure a steady supply of feed products and a market for the crops. Each stands on its own but supports the others to reduce waste, maximize time and control costs.

“We are unique in having individual companies within the entire farm,” Jimmy says. “My sons are a big part of the operation and running those businesses. Jamey is involved in the crop production, and Jonathan is involved in the trucking and technical work.”

Farming is our top priority, but for us, it’s important to give back to agriculture and our local community.”

Jimmy Tosh, Tosh Farms

PHOTOS: NATHAN LAMBRECHT

Farming and Family Tosh Farms is one of the top pork producers in the Southeast.

They own all but one of the barns housing the sows, or adult female pigs whose purpose is breeding, and they contract finish with local farmers. That means Tosh Farms has agreements with local farmers to take care of the pigs day in and out, but Tosh owns the barns and pigs. The sows eat a custom blend of feed made of Tosh Farms crops, which were transported by Bacon

by Gosh. They also partner with recycling companies to get wasted food products to add to the feed.

Leftover candies, chips and breads add needed calories to the pigs’ diets without additional costs.

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“Feed is the largest cost in raising pigs. In West Tennessee, feed costs are even higher than in other parts of the country because we’re not in the corn belt,” Jonathan says. “Utilizing byproducts from human and pet food production allows us to reduce our cost of production.

This contributes to economic sustainability for the business,

and environmental sustainability by using byproducts that may otherwise end up in a landfill.”

The goal of the business is to always do better than the day before and raise crops and pork sustainably.

“We are ordinary people doing extraordinary things,” Jonathan says. “We are committed to raising safe and healthy pork for our

communities and caring for our employees like they are part of the Tosh family.”

Making Bacon, Giving Back Along with producing hogs and running successful businesses, Jimmy says it’s important to make a difference for others around you. Tosh Farms is a top sponsor of Tennessee FFA, Tennessee 4-H, Weakley County Schools agriculture program, Second Harvest Food Bank, Shooting Hunger and many more organizations.

“I’ve been very fortunate in my career and feel like it’s my turn to contribute to the community,” he says.

His most recent goodwill project includes the HOPE Center Ministry in Paris, Tennessee. Tosh Farms recently donated a home and 20 acres to the program helping local men and women overcome drug or alcohol addiction. Some of the people who go through the program will even come work on Tosh Farms during their after-treatment care.

“Of course, farming is our top priority,” Jimmy says. “But for us, it’s important to give back to agriculture and our neighbors.”

– Hannah Nave Lewis

About the Farm TOSH FARMS

The pigs at Tosh Farms eat a custom blend of feed produced in a feed mill on the farm using local crops.

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Henry

PHOTO: NATHAN LAMBRECHT

Tosh Farms, located in Henry, is currently the largest pork producer in the state and the 30th largest pork producer in the U.S. To learn more about the farm, visit toshfarms.net.

| RECIPE |

Grilled Pork Chops with Strawberry Chutney Prep time: 1 hour Cooking time: 1 hour Makes: 4 servings

heat until thick, about 30 minutes.

Set aside to cool.

2. Preheat grill according to manufacturer’s instructions. Brush oil over pork chops on both sides.

3. Sprinkle garlic, salt and pepper over pork. Grill until no longer pink in the center, or a thermometer inserted into the center reads 145 degrees. Serve with chutney.

Ingredients 4 thick-cut boneless pork chops 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon olive oil salt and pepper, to taste

Strawberry Chutney 4 cups fresh strawberries, sliced 1 red onion, chopped 1 cup sugar ½ cup cider vinegar ½ cup fresh mint, chopped

PHOTO: JEFFREY S. OTTO

1 teaspoon salt

Instructions 1. Combine all chutney ingredients in a medium saucepan. Stir occasionally over medium-low

Make it

Sim pl Flav e mar i na or f u l ch de. op s .

SIZZLE. Find your favorite marinade at

pork.org/cooking

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| FORESTRY |

Tree Conservation

TAKES ROOTS The White Oak Initiative is sowing solutions to a forestry threat

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I

n North America, white oak is a towering hardwood. Across the nation’s central and eastern woodlands, the deciduous tree has a robust presence. But that level of existence may change decades from now. According to University of Kentucky Associate Professor of Silviculture Dr. John Lhotka, the

forests in the eastern U.S. with white oak are predicted to lose 77% of the tree species in 50 years if no action is taken.

Real-Life Action Heroes That stark outlook led to the formation of a large regional coalition of diverse allies, founded

PHOTOS, FROM LEFT: ISTOCK.COM/TERRYFIC3D; DAVID MERCKER

by the University of Kentucky, called the White Oak Initiative.

University of Tennessee Professor of Forestry Dr. Wayne Clatterbuck is driving the initiative for Tennessee and contends that the movement’s goal is to provide education and guidelines on white oak regeneration options to forest practitioners and consultants so they can support private landowners.

“We’ll be conducting both professional in-service training and speaking to forest landowner groups about regeneration options to maintain white oak in future stands,” Clatterbuck says.

Candace Dinwiddie, a representative on the White Oak

Initiative Steering Committee, coordinates a grant from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture that provides educational training to Tennessee landowners. Regionally, she works on an American Forest Foundation project that supports research and activities related to growing healthy white oak.

“The tree species is a major component of our state’s forests, and the products made from white oak provide thousands of jobs for Tennesseans, particularly in rural and economically distressed counties,” Dinwiddie says.

Spirits of the Forest In addition to a workforce depending on white oak sustainability, a wide variety of wildlife inhabits the oak forests

HOW TO IDENTIFY WHITE OAK TREES » The bark is off-white to ashy gray in color. » Bark is scaly, patchy and overlapping. » Acorns are ⅜ to 1¼ inches long. » Leaves are dark green with brighter green middle veins. » Leaves are deep lobed with rounded edges. Lobes are rounded divisions of the leaves separated by spaces, called sinuses. » Leaves have 7 to 9 lobes and are 5 to 9 inches long.

Sources: Sciencing.com, Iowa State Extension, UT Extension

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and is nourished by the acorns.

“There’s also a concern for the wine and spirits industry, the hardwood products, and for lumber exports that the stock may diminish,” Clatterbuck says. “And, if it diminishes then the supply won’t meet the demand.”

In particular, the appetite for luxury segments of American whiskey, especially Tennessee whiskey, exploded in recent years. The spirit is aged in a new charred white oak barrel, serving as a key ingredient to the production process.

Tennessee whiskey brand Jack Daniel’s leads global whiskey sales and is built on a legacy that compelled the great-great grandniece of Jack Daniel to join the White Oak Initiative Steering Committee. Alexandra Richman is the chief operating officer of Cumberland Springs Land Company, overseeing her family’s 6,000-acre forest in Lynchburg.

Richman’s grandfather and his siblings sold the Jack Daniel’s distillery decades ago, but the land that sprouted the business remains in the family under Richman’s care.

“I’ve planted at least 100,000 white

Whiskey barrels made from white oak

oaks on my family’s property,” Richman says. “If you want white oak to stay on the land, you have to keep managing them because they’ll lose to competing species.”

Seeing the Forest for the Trees The regeneration challenges stem from insufficient environmental conditions and require strategic reforestation.

“We have overstory trees intercepting all of the sunlight and understory trees supporting all of the shade-loving species,” Clatterbuck says. “We need the conditions that provide an

PHOTO, FROM TOP: WAYNE CLATTERBUCK; ISTOCK.COM/DNY59

WHITE OAK FACTS White oak trees grow approximately one foot per year.

THE TREES PRODUCE ACORNS AT

50 TO 100 YEARS OLD.

Most trees grow 50 to 75 feet tall.

intermediate sunlight to support oak.”

Through active forest management, those conditions can be created.

“There are all kinds of things that landowners can do to improve their land,” Richman says. “Contacting a professional forester first is a really good idea. And it’s important to get multiple bids from loggers and not just sell trees to the first logger who shows up at your door.”

If forest management is costprohibitive for landowners, the White Oak Initiative is offering help. Clatterbuck is working on the adaptation of cost-share programs to provide landowners funds from the federal government through the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

“Invested landowners need to make an extra effort to secure white oak in their future forest,” Clatterbuck says. “Regenerating white oak to sustain forests is a process. We must plan ahead, before the harvest, to secure slower-growing regeneration.”

– Rachel Akers

Find more online

Oaks are pollinated by the wind.

Sources: Sciencing.com, Iowa State Extension, UT Extension, Arbor Day Foundation

To locate a consulting forester, visit tnforestry.com/about-tfa.

Learn more about the White Oak Initiative at fwf.tennessee.edu/ white-oak-initiative.

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| AG EDUCATION |

TCAT Covington

SMART STARTS TCAT programs keep a pipeline of talent flowing to Tennessee’s agriculture-based industries

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encouraged Sampson to apply.

What makes Sampson’s story unique is that the job typically requires a four-year degree, and Sampson was still working toward a certificate in digital agronomy at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) in Covington.

Thanks to the increased number of new certificate programs at TCAT facilities across the state,

students such as Sampson are able to learn the necessary skills to launch a successful career in highdemand agriculture-based fields.

Ready for Work “Many of our digital agronomy students are the youngest generation of farmers who come from a family of farmers,” says Derravia Rich, work-based learning coordinator

PHOTO: TCAT COVINGTON

S

hortly after a work-based learning field trip to the Memphis U.S. Department of Agriculture offices, Cade Sampson landed a job with the agency as a commodity grader. The tour guide during Sampson’s trip was so impressed with his attentiveness, thoughtful questions and ability to interpret the material they were discussing that the guide

TCAT agriculture programs are training students on the basics of agriculture careers as well as on the technological advances that farmers will need to know in order to sustain their operations.”

PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: TCAT COVINGTON; ISTOCK.COM/LIVINGIMAGES, EVANDRORIGON

Emily House, executive director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission

for K-12 at TCAT Covington. “The knowledge that our students receive in the digital agronomy program will not only make our students more qualified for jobs. It will also help bring cutting-edge technology into farming practices, which will increase crop production and innovative farming methods that can generate more income for their family farms.”

The TCAT agriculture programs are all-inclusive, and no prior agriculture experience is required.

Students only need a drive to succeed and interest in agriculture.

“We’re happy to have students with or without farming experience because what is included in the course content is invaluable,” Rich says. “Our program prepares students for a variety of positions

within the ag industry.”

The 12-month digital agronomy program at TCAT Covington focuses on plant science and crop production, GIS mapping, pest and weed identification, regenerative agriculture and crop marketing. Students are also able to earn a Drone FAA Part 107 license, which allows them to use drones to observe crops.

“The program includes four major components – agriculture fundamentals, agriculture technology, business management and social sciences,” says Youlanda Jones, president of TCAT Covington/ Ripley/Newbern. “Students learn everything from worker characteristics to data integrity and communication.”

The program is built to be a stand-alone degree or a helpful step toward a two- or four-year TNagriculture.com

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“We have developed partnerships with companies and organizations in many of the ag-related industries in our area, including PictSweet, Anderson Flying Service, Tipton County GIS, Farm Space, Nutrien Ag Solutions, USDA and Tennessee Tractor. And that list continues to grow,” Jones says.

Growing Places Other recent program additions to the TCAT system include forestry and agriculture technology programs at TCAT Hohenwald and farming operations technology at TCAT Oneida, TCAT Shelbyville and TCAT Crump.

“All TCAT programs equip students with the skills and knowledge they need to enter the workforce, and agriculture programs are no different,” says Emily House, executive director

PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: ISTOCK.COM/ANDRESR; TCAT COVINGTON (2-3)

degree in similar areas.

“We also incorporated transferability into the program, so when students graduate, they’re able to transfer to a community college or four-year university,” Jones says.

The work-based learning component introduces students to local career pathways.

of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation.

“Because of the advances in agriculture technology, it is becoming more important for Tennesseans to have a postsecondary credential to succeed in the agriculture sector.”

Future-Focused Through initiatives such as the Governor’s Investment in Vocational Education (GIVE) and Supporting Postsecondary Attainment in Rural Communities (SPARC), TCAT programs are now offering agriculture programs as dual enrollment opportunities for high school students in rural areas.

This means students are earning postsecondary credit to be applied to a TCAT while still in high school.

“This will lessen the time it takes to earn a postsecondary credential after high school graduation and prepares these students for careers in agriculture that will allow them to stay in their rural community, should they choose to do so,” House says. “Postsecondary agriculture programs at TCATs are extremely important to the sustainability of agriculture in Tennessee.”

Technology is constantly advancing, and TCAT is meeting the needs of future farmers and agriculture leaders.

“Much like in other industry sectors, technology is rapidly changing in agriculture,” House says. “TCAT agriculture programs are training students on the basics of agriculture careers as well as on the technological advances that farmers will need to know in order to sustain their operations.”

– Teree Caruthers

Find more online

For more information about agricultural education, visit TNagriculture.com.

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Greg and Marcee Mathews were inspired to start MGM Lavender Farm after attending a local lavender festival.

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PHOTO: JEFF ADKINS

| SPECIALTY CROPS |

LAVENDER

Life

Tennessee farms grow lavender and create value-added products and agritourism

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W

Business Is Blooming Four years after that initial trip to the Oak Ridge Lavender Festival, Greg and Marcee returned to sell bundles of their own.

“We took 500 bundles and sold out before the event was over,” Greg says.

MGM continues to grow, adding 50 to 100 plants to the operation each year.

“We’ve got close to 500 plants now, and we’re getting 10 to 12 bundles per plant,” Greg says.

“When the lavender is in bloom, we cut it, take it to the barn and hang it up to dry, just like tobacco.”

Beyond bundles, MGM has ventured into making various side products as well, including linen sprays, candles, soaps, hand salves, sachets, bath salts and even some pet products. They develop all recipes and products themselves and sell mostly at craft fairs and other events.

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MGM Lavender Farm produces sprays, salves, sachets and more.

destination. Photographers and local artists come out for portraits and to paint the lavender while it is in full bloom. The Mathewses also hosted a garden club for a tour and offered a “Yoga in the Lavender” event.

“We started this as a hobby, really just to use some of our property, but it’s turning into a business that’s doing better than what we envisioned,” Greg says.

Lavish Hill Farms Tim and Beth Walrich, owners of Lavish Hill Farms in Gallatin, took a different path on their lavender journey. A master gardener, Beth was delighted when she learned that lavender is one of the only plants that attracts butterflies and bees while also repelling wildlife. After going down a research rabbit hole – including rewatching one of their movies, It’s Complicated, in which Meryl Streep’s character is a chef who cooks with lavender – Beth was intrigued.

“I made honey lavender ice cream, and I was hooked,” Beth says.

Long Live Lavender » Once it’s been dried properly, lavender lasts for a long time. On Walrich’s trip to France, the group watched people do a historical dig, where they discovered a bag of lavender that was 150 years old and still smelled good. » Walrich recommends the book The Lavender Lover’s Handbook, which contains helpful illustrations and tips. » Lavender needs to dry in a cool, dark environment.

If it’s exposed to too much light, it can take the color out of the lavender. » If you’re going to cook with lavender, make sure it’s culinary lavender (or it’ll end up tasting like soap). Also, be sure to sift it well before using. » A typical lavender plant can last up to 14 years.

PHOTOS: JEFF ADKINS; BEE ON LAVENDER: JEFFREY S. OTTO

hen Marcee and Greg Mathews decided to visit the Oak Ridge Lavender Festival on a whim in 2015, they had no idea the effect it would have on their future. Inspired by the demand for lavender, Marcee saw opportunity for a new business.

She used her resources and business degree from the University of Tennessee to brainstorm while Greg started researching.

As it turns out, it takes quite a bit of prep work to make lavender grow successfully in Tennessee, as the plant doesn’t do well in heavy clay soils and high humidity. Greg drew on his experience growing up on a tobacco farm and his college agriculture degree to come up with a plan to plant lavender on 7 acres of their property. Lavender takes about two years to really produce anything usable. In 2019, MGM Lavender Farm, so named using the couple’s initials, was officially in business.

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“From there, I started really experimenting with it.”

Beth began calling around to see if anyone would let her work on their lavender farm to determine if it was something she could truly get into.

She found a willing mentor in Annie Baggett, owner of Sunshine Lavender Farm in North Carolina.

“I flew out there and worked on her farm for a few days,” Beth says.

“I learned about growing lavender in the South, like how you need to separate the plants a bit more so they have aeration between the

plants because of our humidity.”

Beth also traveled with Baggett on a group trip to Provence, France, to study lavender. “I went there to learn more about this plant and its original origins, and it was just fantastic,” she says.

Growing Goodness In 2015, the husband-and-wife team officially started the lavender farm, and they got their first harvest in 2017. Today, there are 800 to 900 lavender plants on 12 acres with different types of cultivars – some

for skin products and others for culinary use.

“Our bath and body products are just amazing,” Beth says.

“But when I tell people that we’ve got lavender jam, their ears perk up. It’s so different, so unique. It gets attention.”

Lavish Hill Farms offers three kinds of lavender jam developed

by Beth, including Rhuberry (rhubarb, strawberry and lavender), Berry Bomb (blueberry, strawberry, cranberry and lavender) and Very Cherry (sweet and tart cherries and lavender).

“It’s just a hint, but the lavender really accents the flavor,” Beth says.

“It adds another dimension to the taste and it doesn’t overwhelm.”

She also makes a savory herb mix and is currently working on a line of salad dressings. The possibilities don’t end there – it’s only just the beginning for Beth, a self-described “lavender lifer” who sees endless potential for lavender.

– Kelly Rogers

PHOTOS, FROM LEFT: JEFF ADKINS; LAVISH HILL FARMS

About the Farms MGM Lavender Farm North Knoxville, TN (865) 924-4247 facebook.com/ mgmlavenderfarm2017 Lavish Hill Farms Gallatin, TN (615) 598-1156 lavishhillfarms.com

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| AG TECHNOLOGY |

Flying

HIGH

T

echnology and innovation in Tennessee’s agriculture and forestry industries have taken flight – quite literally when it comes to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), more commonly known as drones.

Recently, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) procured seven UAVs that are designed for commercial and industrial use.

“They are more sophisticated than your typical hobby drone,” says Cody Barrett, forest data program specialist with the TDA Division of Forestry.

Bird’s Eye View Barrett says that the scope of the drone program within the Division 72 |

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of Forestry is a bit limited since it’s just getting started, but that across the country, drones are being deployed in many different aspects of agriculture. For example, drones are used for precision spraying and irrigation, and a farmer might find that a specific section of crops isn’t getting enough nutrients through drone time-lapse photography.

They can also be used for security, monitoring plant health, seeing field conditions and much more.

For TDA’s Division of Forestry, the UAVs are being used for purposes such as wildfire suppression, natural disaster response, and monitoring forest health and forestry operations.

“Two of the UAVs in our fleet are equipped with infrared sensors,

which means they can ‘see’ heat,” Barrett says. “This is useful where wildfire suppression is concerned, allowing UAV pilots to get a better view of a wildfire, especially in a dense forest or at night.”

Barrett adds that outside of fires, drones can provide photos with a bird’s-eye view of forests, allowing Barrett and his team to survey the extent of damage to forests from natural disasters, disease or insects.

“The photos can also be used to make maps, which are always useful for writing better management plans and getting a handle on your natural resources,” he says.

Technology in the Skies Rachel Greene, data and analysis unit leader for TDA’s Division of Forestry, says one of the coolest aspects of forestryrelated drone technology is the use of drones to assist in fire

PHOTO: JUSTIN KASE CONDER

Tennessee Department of Agriculture adds UAVs to its high-tech toolbox

The agricultural drone market is expected to grow from a $1.2 billion industry in 2019 to a $4.8 billion industry by 2024.

Drones are used for various purposes on farms including: » Scouting/monitoring plant health » Monitoring field conditions » Planting and seeding » Spray application » Security

Newer uses for drones that are still in development include: » Drone pollination » Drone artificial intelligence » Drone irrigation Source: Croptracker

management through aerial ignition.

“A drone drops ping-pong balls of highly combustible material that ignite upon impact with the ground or vegetation,” she says. “This is useful for igniting prescribed fires, when large swaths of forest will be managed with fire under carefully controlled conditions. It’s also a tool to fight wildfire. Areas that have already burned don’t burn again, so the technique can stop the advance of a flaming wildfire front.”

Needless to say, UAVs will continue to be an important tool in Tennessee’s forestry arsenal.

– Rachel Stroop TNagriculture.com

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| FORESTRY |

ShipTHENIt, Flip It Reuse and recycle pallets to support Tennessee’s forestry industry

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P

allets affect everyday life more than most people probably realize. Nearly every single item available to purchase was once transported or stored on a pallet. As Mike Goodpasture, president of Fabrication Specialties Corp. in Centerville puts it, “Pallets move the world.”

Building the Backbone Goodpasture’s company specializes in making new wood pallets.

“The lumber comes to us from sawmills within a 75-mile radius, then we cut it to length, size and specification for pallets,” Goodpasture says. “We fabricate somewhere around three to four semi loads of pallets a day.”

Tennessee is home to 14 million acres of forest land, most of which are hardwood trees. The wood from hardwood trees is used in a variety of applications. The higher quality pieces are used to create furniture and other building materials. Meanwhile, the lower-quality pieces, such as the cores of the logs, are used to make boards for pallets.

“The really nice stuff you see in furniture and flooring is highvalue. Oaks, hickory and maple trees, for example, are all turned

PHOTO: ISTOCK.COM/MANWOLSTE

LOCALLY GROWN PRODUCTS The Tennessee Wood Products branding initiative is sponsored by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture and aims to increase visibility and enhance marketing opportunities for the state’s wood products industry. Buying forest products from Tennessee suppliers helps support local landowners and businesses and maintains healthy, working forests. The Tennessee Wood Products brand is available to eligible businesses to utilize in marketing materials for free. Learn more about the initiative at tnwoodproducts.org.

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PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: ISTOCK.COM/OKSANA AKSENOVA, KATARZYNABIALASIEWICZ, SVEHLIK, ANRODPHOTO

into things we see, touch and feel,” says Tim Phelps, the communications and outreach unit leader for the Tennessee Division of Forestry. “To manage a forest for high-value lumber, you will have a mix of high-quality and low-quality material.”

Forest management is essential to have a consistent and affordable supply of wood products of all types.

“Ensuring we have markets for the low-quality materials, like the pallet industry, which uses the wood more for its structural characteristics than how nice it looks, is important for active forest management,” Phelps says.

“The pallet industry provides landowners an incentive to actively manage their woods.”

The state’s forestry industry employs roughly 100,000 people and contributes $24.3 billion to the economy. It’s made up of primary manufacturers, like sawmills, and secondary manufacturers, such as businesses like Goodpasture’s.

“Pallet manufacturers are one of the biggest users of wood in the industry. A tremendous number of pallets are being built,” Goodpasture says.

such as knots, crooks or markings.

They’re visually interesting,” Taylor says. “Wood pallets are low-grading materials, so they will feature some or all of these characteristics. Upcycling them is a great sustainability story. It’s a ‘leftover’ product already, being used to make something appealing.”

While pallets can be produced from other materials, such as plastic,

Taylor argues that wood pallets remain better for the environment.

“While you can recycle plastic, it’s a very energy intensive process.

It requires much more energy to make things with plastic than it does with wood. If we didn’t use wood, we would likely use something more damaging to the environment.”

– Brianna Gwirtz

Pinterest-Worthy Pallet Projects 1. Pallet Garden Turn a pallet on its side and nail or screw additional wood to the bottom of the slats in order to hold soil. Add the names of your herbs with paint or chalk.

3. Sustainable Shelves Turn pallets on their sides and attach them to the wall in multiple levels or a single row.

Attach additional horizontal pieces of wood to prevent your belongings from falling through.

2. Creative Coffee Table Simply attach legs and casters to the bottom of a pallet to raise it to coffee table height.

Add a glass top for an even surface for your belongings.

4. Outdoor Furniture Nail or screw two pallets together at a 90-degree angle. Add an additional base pallet for height and cushions for comfort.

Reduce, Reuse, Upcycle When a pallet is broken, it can still be useful. There are businesses that specialize in repairing and recycling broken pallets for reuse.

A more recent trend is to turn pallets into something totally new, like furniture. Upcycling pallets into bed frames, headboards, desks and more is becoming increasingly popular. Each item will be unique, according to Dr. Adam Taylor, the wood product Extension specialist and professor at the University of Tennessee.

“Lumber is graded based on how clear the wood is. So, wood that is not clear will have defects, or you could call them character marks,

1

3

2

4

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| CENTURY FARMS |

HISTORY in the MAKING Family farm traces its roots back to the late 19th century

T

he road leading to the start of Robertson Family Farm was long, difficult and unexpected. But some 133 years later, the farm in western Hardeman County remains in the same family, three generations strong.

“To me, humble beginnings don’t have to define your destination, and this farm legacy is an example of that,” says Evelyn C. Robertson Jr., third-generation farmer and former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

Robertson and his wife, Hugholene, are the current owners of Robertson Family Farm. His grandfather, Crawford Robertson, was born enslaved in Arkansas in 1856. At 9 years old, the Civil War ended, and he was emancipated.

In 1888, Crawford moved to Tennessee with his mother and sister and bought 75 acres, which are now part of the current 135-acre family farm. Crawford purchased the property in Whiteville for $562.

Through the early 1900s, the Robertson family produced a variety of crops, including cotton, sorghum and fruit orchards. The family also Evelyn Robertson Jr. lives on the farm in Hardeman County purchased by his grandfather, Crawford Robertson, in the late 1800s.

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PHOTOS: KAREN PULFER FOCHT

Founding the Farm

raised hogs, chickens, mules, horses and cows.

Crawford went on to be an important figure in the Whiteville community, not only because of his farming contribution, but also because of his leadership skills. He helped establish the Allen White School and Rosenwald School in 1918. These two schools provided education to rural African American children during the Jim Crow Era.

A Long Road to Recognition

Evelyn C. Robertson Jr., century farmer

recommended the farm for

there have been many challenges

the Register based on the farm’s

and African American farms have

long history of being owned by

diminished at an alarming rate,

an African American family and its

but through will, faith in

cultural heritage. It’s also designated

God and determination, the

a Tennessee Century Farm.

Robertson Family Farm has

“Throughout this long history

prevailed,” Robertson says.

PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: KAREN PULFER FOCHT (1-2); ISTOCK.COM/JENNIVEVE84

The Robertson Family Farm was registered in the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. The Tennessee Historical Commission

African American farms have diminished at an alarming rate, but through will, faith in God and determination, the Robertson Family Farm has prevailed.”

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Robertson and the previous generations of his family worked hard to keep the farm for more than 100 years, as they saw other farmland in the area sold or developed. Robertson’s personal mission is to make sure that the farm continues to serve its purpose.

“I am determined to see that the soil representing our farm continues its productivity to meet the agricultural needs of the state, nation and the world,” he says.

PHOTO: KAREN PULFER FOCHT

Looking to the Future Today, the farm is still producing soybeans, cotton and corn. The farmland is leased to another farmer in the Whiteville community on a per-acre fee basis. Evelyn and Hugholene reside on the land in a residence that was built in 1964 and sits next door to the farmhouse built

by Evelyn’s grandfather in 1906.

The preservation of the Robertson Family Farm has made future endeavors a possibility. Robertson would someday like to have an agritourism operation on the land to display the preserved household and farm items from his grandfather’s time. His initial thought is to build an event barn and establish a recreational lake on the property.

No matter where the future takes him, Robertson takes pride in continuing the farm started by his grandfather so long ago.

“I believe that Crawford Robertson would be very proud that his legacy as a farmer, entrepreneur and visionary is still alive in the 21st century,” Robertson says.

– Amber Weaver

WHAT’S GROWING IN TENNESSEE?

Read about Tennessee’s top farm products and find recipes at FarmFlavor.com.

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From Carbon to CASH FLOW Discover answers to questions surrounding the emerging carbon market

What Is Carbon Sequestration?

Large manufacturing companies are buying carbon credits to reduce 82 |

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their carbon footprint. In short, the carbon market is a way for forest landowners to profit by not cutting down trees.

Carbon sequestration occurs when a tree takes carbon dioxide or a greenhouse gas equivalent from the air and stores that gas in its trunk, branches or roots. When the tree is alive, the carbon remains trapped within it, making it a carbon stock.

“Once a landowner meets the requirements to establish a carbon project on their forestland, they can sell credits on the carbon market,” explains Dr. Kevin P. Hoyt, director of UT Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center.

A forest carbon project is defined by a verifiable process whereby carbon sequestration is quantified, calculated and accounted by standard operating procedures,

scientific measurements and financial models over many decades.

Alternatively, companies like the Natural Capital Exchange (NCX) pay landowners to delay harvesting their trees for an agreed period of time. Those companies then sell these carbon credits to businesses that are releasing carbon into the atmosphere, such as Cargill, Shell and Microsoft.

Who Can Get Involved?

Many private landowners can learn more about carbon market opportunities through the TDA Division of Forestry or UT Extension.

“Landowners can develop a carbon project through industry subject matter experts or forestry consultants, or they can work through several established forest management and

PHOTO: ISTOCK.COM/COWLICKCREATIVE

C

arbon sequestration, the carbon market and carbon credits are phrases gaining attention in agriculture and forestry.

Those who own forestland can take advantage of this emerging market by implementing new sustainable methods on the landscape.

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) Division of Forestry, University of Tennessee (UT) Extension Service, UT AgResearch and carbon purchasing companies like Natural Capital Exchange offer insight for those who want to get involved with the carbon market, add money to their pockets and, most importantly, help to mitigate climate change.

| FORESTRY |

84% of Tennessee forests are owned by private landowners.

NCX’s Basemap data shows a prediction of tree counts by species in the state of Tennessee.

certification programs,” Hoyt says.

Carbon sequestration and selling credits is a new opportunity for farmers and landowners, and TDA is providing education and resources.

“Our role is to inform the woodland landowner about opportunities in the marketplace,” says Heather Slayton with the TDA Division of Forestry. “Market incentives encourage them to actively manage their woods, which leads to healthier, more resilient forests. Participation in carbon markets can certainly be a part of that active management.”

While the division plays a role in encouraging the landowner to take advantage of market opportunities that help them manage their land, it is ultimately the private sector where transactions are carried out.

“We strive to provide as much support to help people participate in the carbon market with a plan that

best fits their operation,” says Lani Powell, NCX marketing manager.

What’s in It for Landowners?

NCX is one of many carbon sequestration companies, and each has different agreements and requirements to sell through them. For example, NCX can buy carbon credits with short-term agreements, so landowners aren’t restricted on how they manage their private forest lands.

“Short-term markets are not as lucrative but can help to offset some costs or pay the land taxes for that year,” Slayton says. “Carbon projects are meant to incentivize landowners to keep their property in forests, benefiting the environment.”

NCX and TDA experts both recommend working with a forester or UT Extension specialist to better understand how to integrate carbon sequestration and marketing into a

PHOTO: NCX

By sequestering carbon, farmers are promoting sustainability, gaining better understanding of their land and fostering goodwill from the public by reducing climate change.”

Dr. Kevin P. Hoyt, director of UT Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center

14M ACRES OF FOREST COVER TENNESSEE, OR ABOUT HALF THE STATE.

management plan.

Jeff Wright, the landowner key accounts manager for NCX, says many landowners get involved to help mitigate climate change.

“We’re finding many of the landowners we engage with are well aware of climate change, and they want to make a positive impact by retaining those trees on their property,” Wright says.

Hoyt says carbon sequestration is a great way for farmers and landowners to contribute to the health of our environment.

“Trees store carbon, and even after timber harvesting, that carbon is still stored in the long-term solid wood products produced from the harvested logs, rather than being released into the atmosphere,” says Hoyt. “By sequestering carbon, farmers are promoting sustainability, gaining better understanding of their land and fostering goodwill from the public by reducing climate change.”

– Amber Weaver TNagriculture.com

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| JOB TRAINING |

Rehabilitation Through Farming E

ducation and hands-on work experience are crucial to finding and keeping a good job. Many Tennessee state prison inmates are getting invaluable experience and training while serving their time through the Department of Correction farm

operation and the Tennessee Rehabilitative Initiative in Correction (TRICOR).

Gardens, Greenhouses and Growers The Department of Correction farm operation got its start in 2000

PHOTO: ISTOCK.COM/HAUGED

Tennessee prison inmates gain valuable skills in agriculture programs

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by instituting gardens at three prison facilities, one in each region of the state. Since that time, the program has expanded to eight facilities and now includes greenhouses, row crops and more.

On average, there are about 15 to 20 positions available at each location, and minimum-security trustees – inmates who have proven themselves to be trustworthy – can apply to work in the farm operation.

Fields range from 40 to 200 acres, and inmates work eight-hour days performing a wide variety of activities. For education, horticulture instructors teach classes at three of the facilities.

At the other facilities, the officers in charge of the crews take classes

provided by the University of Tennessee and in turn pass on the information to the inmates.

“We try to instill a work ethic in the inmates,” says Doug Griffith, correctional farm manager. “We also want to teach them a skill – whether it’s the greenhousing, operating equipment or learning how to grow food.”

All the vegetables grown on site are used to feed inmates at every prison institution in the state, even those that don’t have a farm program.

“Fresh vegetables can taste better than the vegetables that come from a can,” Griffith says. “The inmates actually look forward to it. You’ll hear them say something like, ‘All

that squash came in, this is what they made with it, and it was great – there wasn’t any left!’ It does make a difference.”

Beyond the health and taste benefits of using freshly grown produce, the farm operation program also significantly reduces the cost of feeding the inmates.

“Hopefully, we’re changing people’s hearts and minds and helping them become a productive part of society,” Griffith says.

“That’s our main goal.”

High-Tech Training State agency TRICOR operates at two state penitentiaries – one in East and another in West Tennessee.

TRICOR doesn’t use any taxpayer

TNagriculTure.com

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PHOTOS, FROM TOP: ISTOCK.COM/AVALON_STUDIO; MICHAEL D. TEDESCO

dollars directly and operates solely off the revenue that it generates.

“We have a lot of different programs that provide a work environment for offenders to gain on-the-job training, and we incorporate a behavior piece with cognitive behavioral therapy,” says Roger Clark, regional operations manager.

There are two main components of the TRICOR ag program – row crops and a cow/calf operation.

On about 2,600 acres, they grow corn, wheat and soybeans using modern agricultural equipment.

“We teach these men how to operate the technology they would find on most farms today, including GPS and other computerized systems,” Clark says.

The beef herd consists of 400 to 450 cows on 1,200 acres, with most of the feed grown on the property.

The trustees are engaged with every aspect of farming, including operating the tractors and ATVs, building fence, maintaining the equipment and more.

The turnover rate is fairly high because the trustees who work on the farm are typically close to completing their sentences.

As a result, training is always taking place, equipping inmates with a better chance to find work after release.

In fact, one previous participant now works for TRICOR as an associate buyer/planner, and another works as a parts manager at a major farm operation in Tennessee.

“Guys from our program are almost always successful in finding post-release employment,” Clark says.

– Kelly Rogers

| PICK TN PRODUCTS |

Show Time Pick Tennessee Products members find success at trade show

PHOTOS: BRADY HANCOCK

F

or more than 30 years, the Pick Tennessee Products program has been a part of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA), connecting people to the state’s farms and food businesses.

Expanding on this success, TDA is using the Pick Tennessee Products program to connect businesses with retail outlets, helping small food manufacturers expand markets.

Those connections are often made at the Tennessee Grocers and Convenience Store Association (TGCSA) convention, where eligible participants are featured in a special section of the exhibitors.

“Independent grocers, chain grocers and smaller retail stores looking to expand their local product lines attend this important show each year,” says Debbie Stepp Ball, business consultant in TDA’s Business Development Division.

A Boon for Business The impact of attending TGCSA cannot be overstated, according to some Pick Tennessee Products participants. Lynchburg Cake and Candy, makers of cake, whiskey balls and praline pecans, reports picking up two new accounts at the 2021 TGCSA show. Confection makers The Chocolate Ladies and gourmet food company Southern City Flavors both developed relationships with other Pick Tennessee Products businesses to source ingredients, make contacts and find customers.

“Some of our largest retail accounts have come from this show,” says Danielle Ontiveros, CEO and founder of Grab the Gold Inc., which produces snack bars, cookies and supplements. “TGCSA is the most important show for us as a Tennessee-made product.”

As Pick Tennessee Products members, eligible food businesses get a free listing in the Pick Tennessee Products directories and can use the program’s logo on their products and in advertising.

“Pick Tennessee Products has an active social media presence, and we feature members in our posts throughout the year,” Ball says.

TDA’s sponsorship of the annual trade show allows members to participate at a reduced rate, and TDA business consultants are available to work with food manufacturing businesses in regulatory and marketing assistance.

“More than 2,500 members currently participate in the Pick Tennessee Products program,” Ball says. “From produce to pumpkin patches to honey and homemade soaps to cheese and artisan chocolates, you support local when you pick Tennessee products.”

– Kim Hill

Find more online Find local products and more at picktnproducts.org.

TNagriculture.com

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| AG RESOURCES |

Keep up with

Tennessee Agriculture Want to stay in touch with Tennessee food and farmers?

Here are a few ways to get started: Shop at a Farmers Market

Visit a Farm

With more than 160 farmers markets across the state,

Picking berries, exploring a corn maze, sipping delicious

it’s easy to buy fresh, local produce, meats and other

wines – these are just some of the fun things to do on

foods in Tennessee. Find a farmers market near you

farms. To learn more about Tennessee agritourism,

at picktnproducts.org.

visit picktnproducts.org/find-products/fun-education.

Buy Local Products

Keep Learning

Want to support producers in your state? Discover

Ag in the Classroom provides agricultural education

products made in Tennessee at picktnproducts.org.

to students across the state. For more information, visit tnfarmbureau.org/tn-ag-in-the-classroom.

Share Infographics Download shareable graphics featuring the

Stay in Touch

state’s top 10 ag products, seasonal produce

Keep up with the wide-ranging efforts of the Tennessee

calendars and more at TNagriculture.com.

Department of Agriculture at tn.gov/agriculture.

Visit Our Advertisers

Learn more about the organizations that support Tennessee’s agriculture. agricenter.org

Aviagen aviagen.com

Discovery Park of America discoveryparkofamerica.com

Drexel Chemical Company drexchem.com

Farm Credit Mid-America e-farmcredit.com

H&R Agri-Power hragripower.com

Independent Stave Company independentstavecompany.com

MTSU mtsu.edu/supportag

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Southern United States Trade Association

Tennessee FFA Foundation, Inc.

Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association

Tennessee Pork Producers Association porkbeinspired.com

Tosh Farms

Tennessee Corn Promotion Council

Tennessee Soybean Promotion Council

TriGreen Equipment

susta.org

tncattle.org tncorn.org

tnffa.org

The University of Tennessee utia.tennessee.edu

TN 4-H Foundation, Inc. tn4hfoundation.org toshfarms.net

Tennessee Department of Agriculture

tnsoybeans.org

trigreenequipment.com

Tennessee State University

University of Tennessee at Martin

tnstate.edu/agriculture

utm.edu/ag

Tennessee Division of Forestry

Tennessee Tractor

tennesseetractor.com

University of Tennessee – Center for Profitable Agriculture

Tennessee Farm Bureau

Tennessee Wood Products

cpa.tennessee.edu

Tennessee Farmers Cooperative

The Cotton Board

Wilson County Fair – Tennessee State Fair

tn.gov/agriculture

tn.gov/agriculture/forests tnfarmbureau.org ourcoop.com

tnwoodproducts.org cottonboard.org

wilsoncountyfair.net

PHOTO: JEFF ADKINS

Agricenter International

T E N N E S S E E AG I N S I D E R | 2022 E D I T I O N | VO LU M E 11