The Tennessee Chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, the International Honor Society of Agriculture, has recognized Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture Charlie Hatcher, DVM, with its 2020 Alumni Award. Hatcher is a 1984 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine.
Registration is now open for the 97th annual Agricultural Outlook Forum (AOF), the largest annual meeting and premiere event of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The two-day forum will take place on Feb. 18-19, 2021. Due to COVID-19 and current restrictions on large gatherings in the Washington, D.C. area, USDA will hold the 2021 Forum virtually for the first time and registration will be free for the event.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds farmers and ranchers the deadline to apply for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2) is Dec. 11, 2020.
The University of Tennessee Center for Profitable Agriculture and Department of Animal Science are combining their expertise with experts from Kentucky and North Carolina to enhance the success of regional dairy businesses. The team, led by Liz Eckelkamp, the UT Extension dairy specialist, and Hal Pepper, a CPA financial specialist, has been awarded a $6 million grant from USDA Agricultural Marketing Service as part of the agency’s Diversifying Income and Adding Value by Manufacturing Dairy Products-Phase 2 efforts. Eckelkamp and Pepper were selected in October 2019 to lead the USDA-sponsored Tennessee Dairy Innovation effort to help Tennessee producers develop innovative dairy products, and this award is an extension of that work.
For the second year in a row, the fall cattle sale at the University of Tennessee Plateau AgResearch and Education Center will be an online auction. Bidding will begin Nov. 3 and close on Nov. 17.
Hemp growers in Tennessee will have more time to adjust to federal Domestic Hemp Program guidelines. The program was scheduled to take effect this year, but the United States Congress extended the current industrial hemp pilot program authorized under the 2014 Farm Bill through Sept. 30, 2021.
The stress level in rural communities is off the charts. Farm and ranch closures, land forfeitures, labor issues, and more contribute to this trend. And according to a 2015 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — a full five years before the COVID-19 pandemic hit — rates of suicide in rural communities measured twice that of urban areas.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA) welcomes Janet Fox as assistant dean of UT Extension and head of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS). Fox is currently serving as head of the Louisiana 4-H Youth Development Program, which serves more than 200,000 youth annually with award-winning, experiential programs.
Are you looking for a way to get outside and enjoy fall fun with family and friends? A trip to a Tennessee farm this season will bring smiling faces, family entertainment, and unforgettable memories. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, agritourism operators have implemented health measures to make sure your visit is safe and enjoyable.
President Donald J. Trump and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue have announced up to an additional $14 billion dollars for agricultural producers who continue to face market disruptions and associated costs because of COVID-19. Signup for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP 2) begins Sept. 21 and runs through Dec. 11, 2020.