TN.gov Newsroom

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture and Hatcher Family Dairy invite you to a ribbon cutting of the new on-farm milk processing facility.This grand-opening event showcases the brand new state-of-the-art Abe Hatcher Creamery bottling facility. The addition of the creamery increases the dairy processing output to more than 1,600 gallons of milk per week for direct to consumer sales. The new creamery processing facility will enable the family farm to be sustainable and remain in farmland for generations to come.

Locally grown, fresh Tennessee produce

NASHVILLE - August 2- 8 marks the 10th annual National Farmers Market Week, and Tennessee could easily serve as the heart of the national celebration. There are approximately 84 farmers markets currently in operation across the state with more “sprouting” up all the time.

When the supermarket concept first caught on in the 1930’s, consumers got the opportunity to buy nearly every food item needed for the week in a single stop. Traditional farmers markets seemed destined to go the way of ice boxes and crank-start automobiles. Thanks to ever-increasing interest in local, fresh and trackable foods, farmers markets started cranking back up in the last decade, enjoying a major upsurge in popularity. 

NASHVILLE – Governor Phil Bredesen today announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved his request for federal farm assistance for four Middle Tennessee counties due to heavy rains and extensive flooding that occurred in May. Counties designated a natural disaster for agriculture include Bedford, Hickman, Moore and Perry. 

Brown Bats with WNS - Courtesy: Nancy Heaslip, NY Dept. of Environmental Conservation

NASHVILLE – Caves located on state lands in Tennessee will be closed for a year in an effort to prevent the spread of White-nose Syndrome (WNS) among the state’s bat population.

State agencies agreed to close all caves on public property after receiving a request from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The Nature Conservancy has also agreed to follow the state’s lead to close all caves located on Conservancy property.

Sgt. Robert 'Bob' Moore

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Agriculture was recently presented with the Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve “Patriot Award,” which recognizes organizations that support employees deployed as citizen soldiers. 

Agriculture water resources supervisor Dr. Sam Marshall was presented the award by ESGR Middle Tennessee committee member Joe Riggins, retired Command Sgt. Maj. Marshall was nominated by Sgt. Robert “Bob” Moore, a TDA employee who is currently deployed to Afghanistan with the Tennessee Army National Guard’s 1-16th Agri-business Development Team.

Urban Forestry

NASHVILLE– The Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry is now accepting proposals for community tree planting projects. County and city governments and private non-profit organizations may apply for grants up to $20,000.

“Thanks to the General Assembly, we’re proud to again offer these grants through the Agricultural Enhancement program to help improve urban forest environments in communities across the state,” said state Agriculture Commissioner Ken Givens.

Tennessee Blackberries Ripe for Picking

NASHVILLE – It’s been a tough spring, but Tennessee’s berry farmers are in the black—and blue and red— thanks to the rains that put other crops on hold. Recent wet months provided thirsty berry briars and canes just what they needed to make plenty of great big berries.

Boll Weevil on Cotton Boll

NASHVILLE– The Tennessee Department of Agriculture today announced the cotton grower assessment rates that were recently approved by the Tennessee Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation. The assessment funds the Boll Weevil Eradication Program, which monitors and treats for the potentially devastating cotton pest. 

West Tennessee cotton growers will be assessed $5 per acre, which represents a 50 percent reduction from last year, and Middle Tennessee cotton growers will be assessed $2 per acre.

Family Farmer Ted Smiley

NASHVILLE - You may be a better nuclear physicist than Ted Smiley. You may be a better brain surgeon than Ted Smiley. You may even be a better auto mechanic than Ted Smiley—but he wants you to understand that you are not going to grow better vegetables, more dependably, and for less money than he can.

Ted Smiley, of Smiley’s Produce near Nashville, has lived his entire life farming the same land his family staked a claim to in 1805. The family farm, Smiley Hollow, is a major source of fresh produce for Middle Tennessee and, by Smiley’s calculations, the smartest choice for fresh, local and affordable produce. “We know what we’re doing, and we’re doing a lot of it,” says Smiley.