Since around 1981, Big Ridge State Park has been bringing the hills of Union and Anderson County fiddlers and banjo pickers for many ears to hear.
As you might have guessed, it is time for the annual Big Ridge Bluegrass Festival. Every year, usually on the third Friday of August families gather in the “Cradle of Country Music” to hear just a piece of the great talent that our community has been blessed with.

Ways to Cut Your Budget, Not Your Nutrition

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Families are spending more time and money at the grocery store than ever before, comparing prices, quantities and brands as rising inflation causes purchasing stress for many. In situations like this, it’s easy to feel that quick, highly-processed foods with few nutrients are the only affordable options, but financial and nutrition experts from University of Tennessee Extension advise that it is possible to limit food costs without sacrificing health and nutritional benefits.

Did a three-ring circus come to mind? How about hobbits and Middle Earth? Actually, I am going to talk about three elusive wedding rings.

I’m going to make a confession to you, Dear Reader. I am writing this paragraph after I have at least halfway finished this article. I just looked at my email, and the topic of one item was this: “Does the sex of your dog make allergies worse?”

Yup, here's another zucchini recipe. Such a versatile vegetable. Just a little ground beef goes a long way here. You have a meat and vegetable dish. A rice dish would go well here.

The way a turtle is put together is pretty much the reverse of ours. I mean look at it: we have soft body parts protecting a hard-inner skeleton. Turtles have a hard-outer skeleton protecting inner soft body parts. The most common turtle you'll run into around here (and one you probably aggravated when you were a kid) is the eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina).

Union County, a beautiful picture painted by rural Tennessee, but also one tainted by litter. What may start on a roadside is likely to end up in a children’s park, a waterfront area or affecting our wildlife populations.

Norris Lake, at a quick glance it it one of the cleanest lakes in the state due to its high water quality, but after a longer look in the coves you may find trash and debris left by previous visitors.

“It takes an entire community to make a difference…” a powerful statement posted by the Keep Union County Beautiful program.

Ever wonder what kind of trees are growing on your property?
Join our expert foresters to learn the basics of summer tree identification, and how to key out what species of tree you are seeing. Learning the names of trees is the first step that guides good decision making for any forestland owner.

Cattle producers interested in learning more about directly marketing beef to consumers are invited to join speakers from UT Extension, the Tennessee Beef Industry Council and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture for a day-long workshop. Sessions will cover topics including regulations for marketing live animals for custom-exempt processing and meat, finishing cattle effectively, how to pencil out your potential for profit, what producers need to know about meat quality, how much meat to expect, tips for working with processors, marketing resources and assistance available.

I will never ever forget my awesome first-grade teacher. Nor will I forget something odd she used to do. When she needed to take out one of her contact lenses, she would place one of her hands in a cupped position in front of her eye. With the other hand, she would smack the back of her head. Then her contact lens would pop out of her eye and into her waiting palm. Seriously.