Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Commissioner of Agriculture, Jai Templeton, Deputy Commissioner Tom Womack and Assistant Commissioner, Administration & Grants Larry Maxwell recently visited Seven Springs Farm to Table and The Winery at Seven Springs Farm. Commissioner Templeton was able to view first-hand how much help their valued partnership through the Tennessee Agriculture Enhancement Program and the Tennessee Agriculture Enterprise Grant has been to Seven Springs Farm. Farming is inherently a risky business and having valued partners is important, especially for young and beginning farmers. As early as February 2018, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) predicted a decline in net farm income to its lowest level since 2002 (adjusted for inflation), with median farm income projected at negative $1,316.00. From 2007 to 2012, farm income declined by 20% in Union County and the number of farms declined by 17%. Average farm income in Union County is just over $8,000.00 with livestock sales accounting for 86 percent of farm income.

There is some hope for local farming. In Tennessee, initiatives like the PickTN (http://www.picktnproducts.org/) program provide consumers with the knowledge that their food was locally grown, and it’s been quite successful since its implementation. It represents a growing social trend, principally with younger generations, that’s putting emphasis on locally-grown foodstuffs. Commissioner Templeton had good news to share with Union County 4-H All Stars Savannah Jones and Kennedy Hill and local 4-H participants Jonathan and Jeremiah Tindell. He noted that the Tennessee Board of Regents had just approved a new Certificate of Farming Operations which will be available through Tennessee Schools of Applied Technology and he is encouraging farmers to get ready to hire these new graduates. Commissioner Templeton and his staff were also able to talk about Tennessee’s Agricultural future with UT Extension Agents Shannon Perrin DeWitt and Anthony Carver and discuss issues in our rural community with Debra Shell Keck, Union County 6th District Commissioner, and USDA’s Bobby Ellison.

Farmland covers about 44% of the state of Tennessee. Tennessee farming is far from the mule-and-plow stereotype of the past. Staying attuned to the technological times, embracing sustainability and fostering innovation in an ever-changing industry is how agriculture and forestry have remained vital sectors in the Volunteer State, contributing approximately $74.8 billion to Tennessee’s economy each year. In terms of revenue generated, Tennessee's top five agricultural products are beef cattle and calves, broilers (young chickens), soybeans, greenhouse and nursery products, and cotton.

Diversification and direct marketing is driving growth in many areas of Tennessee Agriculture. As of 2017, Tennessee had 129 farmers markets, compared with only 99 in 2013. As of the last Census of Agriculture, Tennessee had 616 agritourism venues. These venues range in variety and include corn and hay mazes, cut-your-own Christmas trees, farm tours, pick-your-own fruits and vegetables, pumpkin patches, weddings, festivals, fairs and museums. Grape acreage in Tennessee increased 56.0 percent between 2007 and 2012 and out of the 95 counties in Tennessee, 43 have at least one winery.

Commissioner Templeton congratulated Donna Riddle of Seven Springs Farm for her work in establishing the Union County Farmer's Market and support of Tennessee’s Broadband initiative in Union County. Seven Springs Farm committed the largest matching funds contribution to the recent Broadband Accessibility Grant submitted by Sunset Digital Communications, which if funded, will begin next generation fiber optic communications deployment to rural Union County. He noted the importance of rural broadband to overall economic growth in Tennessee and its importance to Tennessee Agriculture.

With a renewed emphasis on rural Tennessee by Governor Elect Bill Lee, a brighter future for Tennessee Agriculture may be just around the corner.