TN.gov Newsroom

NASHVILLE - Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Ken Givens joined state Tourism and local officials on Wednesday to celebrate the grand opening of the newly renovated Hale Springs Inn in downtown Rogersville, Tenn.

“We owe a special debt of gratitude to Governor Bredesen for joining local leaders in recognizing the historical significance and economic potential of the Hale Spring Inn. This project is the result of a lot of hard work and dedication and almost 200 years in the making, but with this strong private and public partnership it will be of enormous importance to the growth of Rogersville and Hawkins County for a long time to come.”

NASHVILLE - Governor Phil Bredesen today requested a federal designation of natural disaster for agriculture for Overton County as a result of excessive rain and flooding that occurred in July.

NASHVILLE - The Tennessee Department of Agriculture wants the state’s organic food producers, processors and handlers to take advantage of cost share assistance to help pay for organic certification before federal funding ends on Sept. 29. Any organic producer or business based in Tennessee is eligible for help with their 2007, 2008 and 2009 certification.

NASHVILLE - Tennessee’s summer has been refreshingly mild so far, making it easy just to hang around outdoors, lingering, enjoying the season. Apparently, the weather has the same effect on one of the state’s favorite crops, too: Tennessee peaches are also just hanging around, lingering on their trees longer than usual.

NASHVILLE - You remember the county fair—where pampered, high-bred cows and goats may well have been bathed more recently than you, and colorful roosters strut in cages and crow all night long in brightly lit barns. It’s a place where you can see handmade quilts so incredible that your faith in human intelligence is restored, and where chances are good that, for only a buck at the midway, you can climb up rickety steps to peep down at the biggest pig on earth. Any number of foods tastes better at a county fair than anywhere else in the world: lemonade, hamburgers, funnel cakes, and you-name-it on a stick.

State Capitol

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Agriculture recently awarded nearly $93,000 in urban forestry grants. The grants are to be used in resource conservation planning and management.

“Our urban forests are an important resource and, managed properly, can help reduce heat buildup, control storm water and improve the quality of life in our urban environment,” said Steve Scott, State Forester.

“This program is making a difference by helping our cities and communities maximize the benefit of this vital and often underutilized resource.”

The grants were approved after a review by state urban forestry officials and the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council grant review committee. Urban forestry grants are used by cities, communities and non-profit organizations for projects such as hiring urban foresters, conducting educational programs and tree inventories or for tree planting.

Child Enjoying Agritourism Venue

NASHVILLE - Free workshops across the state led by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture will help “fun farms” attract visitors with easy-to-use Web sites and emerging social media. The workshops will be conducted in West Tennessee on Aug. 12 in Jackson, in Nashville on Aug. 13 and in White Pine on Aug. 14.

Hatcher Family Dairy

COLLEGE GROVE -The Hatcher Family Dairy in Williamson County, TN has expanded operation to include the Abe Hatcher Creamery, a state-of-the-art, 3,000 square foot bottling facility, on site. The addition of the creamery increases the dairy processing to more than 1600 gallons of milk per week immediately and a potential capacity over 2,000 gallons. Previously, Hatcher Family Dairy milk was processed at MTSU but limited to only 820 gallons per week.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Forestry Commission will meet Aug. 11 at 8:30 a.m. CDT in the Bruer Building at Ellington Agricultural Center, located at 440 Hogan Road in Nashville, Tenn.

The commission will hear a report on a recent timber theft survey of consulting foresters conducted by the University of Tennessee. The commission will also review and make recommendations on the budget for the Division of Forestry, receive a sub-committee report on forester credentialing and elect officers for the coming year.

Animal Friendly License Plate

MEMPHIS – The Tennessee Department of Agriculture today announced the recipients of the animal spay/neuter grants at the Mid-South Spay & Neuter Services in Memphis. The grants supports low cost spay/neuter programs in Tennessee and are funded through Animal Friendly license plate sales.