Tennessee Home & Farm Radio

We’re less than six weeks away from the election, but already one state house race is over. Unicoi County Farmer, Renae Jones, won the republican primary for the district 4 state house seat in the August primary, and she doesn’t have anyone running against her in the November general election. Jones explains what it means to be elected as a state lawmaker, and what she hopes to accomplish in Nashville.

Advancements in technology, genetics, and cutting-edge practices in the beef industry have allowed farmers to improve the quality of beef they produce and send around the world. All of that require hours of research. The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture held their third annual Beef and Forage Field Day at the Middle Tennessee Research and Education Center in Spring Hill where they showcased their research. Thomas Capps explains why industry leaders hope connecting producers with this research will help drive the beef industry forward.

The Environmental Protection Agency has been murky at best in outlining how farmers, builders and landowners should comply with current Waters of the U.S. regulations. Chad Smith has more on the confusion surrounding implementation.

You might not think about it as a part of agriculture, but forestry products are just as much a part of agriculture as corn, wheat, and soybeans. State Forester, Heather Slayton, reminds us that forestry is a big part of Tennessee’s economy and touches each of us daily.

For decades studying agriculture has not been an option for students at the University of Memphis. That’s about to change though with the new Institute for Agricultural and Conservation Research and Education, or ACRE as it’s being called. On this episode of Tennessee Home and Farm Radio Thomas Capps explains what the ACRE program is, and how people hope it helps bring new cutting edge technology and practices to farms across Tennessee.

This time of year, especially, you have to be on the lookout for deer crossing roadways.

Dry conditions have allowed farmers across Tennessee to get an early start on harvest this year. Those same dry conditions though have taken a toll on corn in certain parts of the state. As Thomas Capps explains, some farmers are seeing poor yields while others are seeing above average.

For more than 40 years, the American Farm Bureau Federation has asked every presidential candidate for their stance on agricultural issues. Chad Smith has more on this year’s responses.

Cover Crops are not a new thing for farmers in Tennessee, but there is still a lot we’re learning about them and their benefit to soil. A grant program through Agricenter International called, Farmers For Soil Health, is working to incentivise even more farmers to grow cover crops by paying them to grow them. Katie Miesse with Agricenter International explains how the program works, and how you can learn more about it by visiting the Farmers For Soil Health website.

The Farm and Forest Families of Tennessee and the West Tennessee State Fair hosted a hamburger grill off to kick off the regional fair in Jackson.