When a five-year-old boy trotted through the patch of bright orange pumpkins, his future in agriculture was just beginning.
Jacob Heiskell, son of Jason Heiskell and a junior at Union County High School, can be found at his dad and grandfather James' service station, Heiskell’s, at the corner of Hwy. 33 and Heiskell Road in the heart of Maynardville, selling his pumpkins directly across from where they were planted.
What started out as Jacob helping his father grow pumpkins at the young age of five has now led to a young entrepreneur taking on the family tradition.

Mary Johnson addressed the Union County Commission at its September 27 meeting regarding the construction of a pharmaceutical chicken farm by Alpes Sanfer, Inc., in Sharps Chapel.
The company would place eight barns with 9,000 chickens in each barn on one of the oldest farms in Sharps Chapel, according to Johnson. Sanfer will be developing pathogen-free eggs to be used in making vaccines. The facility will employ approximately 30 people at an hourly rate of $13 to $17 but have made no promise to hire Union County residents, according to Johnson.

Mask mandates continued to be a concern for the parents who addressed the Union County Board of Education at the September 9 meeting.
The closure of the system within a month of the opening apparently rekindled the fear of a mandatory mask mandate. Mask wearing has been and remains to be optional. But Dr. Jimmy Carter, Director of Schools, did alert the board to the fact that the policies regarding the pandemic were under review.

Big bags — hobos, totes, messengers, the names change over years — are always in style. They’re functional, too, because they can hold a lot of, well, stuff. But that’s precisely where the risk can come in. Slung over one shoulder, they can eventually cause neck and shoulder pain similar to the kind of problem chiropractors see in kids who carry ill-fitting heavy backpacks. Women — and men — carrying such bags are contorting their posture to counterbalance a heavy bag that is pulling on one side. This can wreak havoc with muscles and with the spine.

There is nothing that can compete with the smell of fresh baked biscuits!
Biscuit baking is a tradition in this region and there are many who will share fond memories of baking biscuits with their family. However, there are many who have never baked biscuits and would like to learn! Every year, 4-H combines education and the nostalgic reminder of baking biscuits with family by setting up a booth at the Tennessee Valley Fair.
Groups of students come in shifts to learn how to make biscuits and pass them out to patrons visiting the fair. It is a hit!

In August, four Union County 4-H members participated in Tennessee 4-H Congress: Rheagan Collins, Kaleb Hanna, Jacie Hawkins, Jeremiah Tindell and Jonathan Tindell. They served as a delegates and competitors at the 2021 Tennessee 4-H Congress in Nashville.
This will be the 74th anniversary of this event. Since its beginning in 1948, 4-H Congress has given some 32,400 4-H-ers and volunteer leaders firsthand experience in state government.

Would you like to purchase farm fresh products all year? You can!
You won’t have to miss any of that farm fresh beef and pork, dairy products, eggs, honey, soaps, balms and other products from your favorite vendors. You’ll also be able to order some of those late peppers, potatoes, winter squashes, greens as they are harvested, and, be the first to purchase fresh spring produce!

Kaleb Hanna of Union County was one of 83 4-H members recently recognized with the Vol State award at the University of Tennessee at Martin during State 4-H Roundup.
The Vol State award is the highest level of recognition a Tennessee 4-H member may achieve. The award is presented to high school juniors and seniors in recognition of excellence in all phases of 4-H work, as well as service and leadership rendered in their communities.

Every August, on a bright and sunny summer morning, students from across East Tennessee load up their grills and meet at the Appalachian Gray Fair in Gray, Tennessee, between Kingsport and Johnson City.

A frequent question I hear is “Can I use an electric multi-cooker, such as the Instant Pot®, for canning?” Well, the answer is simple. No. Why? Below are some of the reasons: