Cheatham County Farmers and Landowners: EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) on the NRCS (USDA). Sign up deadline is November 17, 2023. There are numerous cost-share opportunities through this program for Livestock producers, Fruit and Vegetable Growers, and Forest landowners. For more information, contact our local NRCS office

Come learn more about herd health and antibiotic regulation at this year’s cattle hot topics. This year’s speaker is Dr. Lew Strickland, UT State Veterinarian. Dinner will be provided for those in person. You are welcome to join the Zoom event as well.

On Tuesday, October 17th and Thursday, October 19th, UW-Madison Division of Extension will host webinars to introduce farmers and agricultural professionals to grant opportunities in agriculture. Both webinars will start at 11:30 a.m. and run one hour, with an additional half-hour at the end for questions.

The Southeast Tennessee Chapter Coordinator position is open at the National Young Farmers Coalition.

We are reaching out to share updates regarding the 2025 Southern Regional Conference, which is being organized by Georgia Organics in collaboration with leaders in 12 sister states and two US territories. This conference will build on the legacy of past Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (SSAWG) conferences, while envisioning a future which centers sustainable, organic, and regenerative small to mid-sized organic farmers, while weaving together themes of joy, renewal and diversity.

Farmers nationwide are tackling the challenge of using ecological principles to manage weeds using fewer herbicides. Understanding the biology of weeds is key to helping producers adopt innovative strategies that achieve strong yields while adapting to changing consumer preferences. Three new videos from SARE illustrate how Klaas and Mary-Howell Martens manage weeds without chemicals on their 2,000-acre organic grain farm near Penn Yan, New York.

Biodynamic Celebration and Harvest Festival at Long Hungry Creek Farm in Red Boiling Springs, TN.

Join experienced vegetable, herb, and seed growers Ira Wallace and Pam Dawling for an afternoon of workshops and a book signing. Pam Dawling will present on Year Round Vegetable Production and Ira Wallace will present on Seedkeeping, Cooperation and Community Building: Everyday Acts of Resistance in Agriculture. Snacks and refreshments will be provided by The Nashville Food Project.

Farming is hard, period, but throw climate change into the mix and it gets even harder. Extreme heat from climate change can cause crops to shrivel, lose flavor complexity, become sunburned, and even die completely in some cases.

A new set of fact sheets provides comprehensive insights into the demographics of U.S. farms that offer agritourism activities or sell food directly to consumers or both.

In this new, short video, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Linda Coffey talks about the project she leads — Women, Livestock, and the Land (WLL).

Researchers at Cornell University published a study showing that hummingbirds reduced spotted-wing drosophila (SWD) fruit infestation levels by up to 64% in field trials on berry farms. SWD is a damaging pest of soft-skinned fruit.

Today, USDA’s Farm Service Agency announced that they will increase 2023 reimbursement rates for certified organic farmers who apply for the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP). Producers will be eligible for a reimbursement of up to $750 per year up to 75% of the annual cost of organic certification. If the operation has more than one scope (e.g., two or more of the four scopes – crops, livestock, handling, wild crops), they can receive a $750 reimbursement for each scope in 2023.

We have been overwhelmed by the generous support of this community. Over the past three weeks we have raised and distributed almost $19,000 to 18 farmers who were effected by the strong winds on March 3rd.