Tennessee Home & Farm Radio

Around 30 incoming high school seniors are spending their summer at UT Martin as a part of the Tennessee Governor’s School for Agriculture Science. Some participants describe what the summer has been like & why studying agriculture is so important to them.

Current Tennessee 4-H council members are wrapping up their final weeks in their positions traveling across the state and visiting with and thanking key sponsors of the 4-H program. They explain what it’s meant to serve the organization they have grown up in and that has shaped them into who they are today.

The Southern Association of Departments of Agriculture or, SASDA, is in Tennessee this week for their annual conference. SASDA is made up of 14 different state departments of agriculture including Tennessee. Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture, Dr. Charlie Hatcher, explains why it’s important for SASDA to meet and how proud he is to host it in his home state this year.

Several farmers and ranchers are voicing their concerns about farm labor with their elected officials. Chad Smith has a firsthand account from Capitol Hill.

A small group of Tennessee young farmers joined hundreds of others from across the nation this week in Washington D.C. as part of the American Farm Bureau’s biannual Advocacy Fly-In.

Fruits of the Backyard — a fun field day for anyone wanting to grow berries, whether it’s on your front porch or in a raised garden bed. Middle Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center hosts the event each year to promote agriculture in urban areas and teach people how to grow fruits with limited land and resources.

Stephen Vaden, Tennessee native, former USDA general counsel and judge on the Court of International Trade has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture at USDA.

Tennessee Farm Bureau is dedicated to connecting people with the story of agriculture, not just on the farm, but in the classroom too. Through its Ag in the Classroom program, the organization equips educators with tools to help students understand where their food, fiber, and fuel come from. 

Its hard work but it’s been worth while for John Harrison and his family at Sweetwater Valley Farm in Philadelphia, Tennessee.

In Tennessee, there’s a strong sense of partnership among the agricultural community that helps strengthen our overall ag economy, especially in tough times.  And recently the Tennessee Farm Bureau hosted representatives from the various commodity organizations, University of Tennessee, the department of agriculture and others to review the most recent legislative session and other issues facing t...

There aren’t many dairy farms left in Tennessee but one of the more unique ones still around is Cleburn Jersey Farm in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Laura Purtle is the sixth generation on the farm and takes pride in continuing the legacy her ancestors have passed down for decades. They have the oldest continuing milking jersey herd in the Nation. Laura explains what it means to her to carry on th...

The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture has announced that Dr. Justin Rhinehart will serve as the new dean of the extension service.

This May will gop down as one of the wettest in recent memory. All the rain has delayed farmers from getting in the hay fields for their first cutting. The first few days of June have been dry and allowed farmers to finally get out and start cutting hay.

June is dairy month and while the number of milk cow dairies is now hovering around only 100, its still an important part of our overall ag economy in Tennessee.  And without question, an important part of our diet.

For years now, the University of Tennessee has been offering classes and programs to help and assist our farmers to produce better crops and livestock.  And now they are launching their latest, the Tennessee Master Forage Program.

For more than nine decades, the Tennessee Walking Horse has continued to provide an experience as many would say like no other.  It was in the Spring of 1935 when a group of owners and admirers of what were known as plantation walking horses, got together and formed what is known today as the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association.

Poultry is Tennessee’s top agricultural commodity that employs thousands and supports communities across the state. David Wilds of Morristown, Tennessee, the regional vice president at Koch Foods and president of the Tennessee Poultry Association, shares more about the industry and the importance of associations like the Tennessee Poultry Association.

Pam Stoutt of Knox County was recently awarded the Friend of FACCT award for her many hours spent reading to kids during Ag literacy week. She explains what it meant to receive the award and why she’s so passionate about teaching kids about agriculture.

On this Memorial Day we pause to remember and honor those who died defending our freedom. Rory Williams is a retired Army Veteran who now farms in Marshall County. He explains why Memorial Day is so important and how he remembers his fellow servicemen who died in the line of duty.

This weekend is the unofficial start to summer and many of you will probably be firing up the grill over the three-day weekend. Rod Bain has some food safety tips for you and your family as you enjoy grilling some delicious meat.

For more than a decade, the Tennessee Poultry Association has been hosting golf tournaments and a sporting clay shoot to raise money for scholarships to send students to college for the future of the poultry industry. And as executive director Tracy Rafferty said, TPA has raised more than $300,000, giving roughly $45,000 out each year.  

USDA issued a series of proposals intended to support small farms. Chad Smith has an overview.

Poultry growers from across the south recently gathered for the southern states poultry policy discussion. The meeting was put on by the American Farm Bureau and intended to help unite poultry growers as one united voce for their industry.

Farmers and ranchers took center stage as the new administration learns more about the labor shortage impacting U.S. agriculture. Chad Smith has more.

For several years now thousands of Tennesseans have been participating in leadership programs offered through our various counties.  Its actually estimated that there are now somewhere around 88 of our 95 counties that have various leadership programs and there’s always a connection to agriculture.