By Shannon Dewitt, Union County Extension Office, and Shirlee Grabko.

On June 16th, the Knox Union Cattlemen’s Association held a Twilight Beef Tour and Farmland Preservation Presentation at Seven Springs Farm to Table. Union County Agriculture Extension Agent Shannon DeWitt began the meeting with introductions and a recognition of the contributors.

Guest speaker, Ty Wolaver from the UT Center for Farm Management, addressed the issue of a declining number of farmers and farms. Every year, Tennessee loses an average of 100,000 acres of farmland and 1,300 farms. Every year. Ty noted that farmers are increasingly getting older. In 2017, the average age of a farmer was around 60 years old. He stressed that anyone passing a farm down to the next generation should plan for that transition. This plan would include detailed record keeping for years, complete lists of all equipment and acreage, and open discussions with family members. Often, farmers plan to leave the farm to their children. But if, upon the death of the parent, only one of the children is interested in farming, the farm is sold, and the proceeds are divided equally. Unless the one who has the commitment, love, and attachment to the land can buy out the siblings and continue farming, that child may lose the farm. Only about 30% of our farms transition to the next generation. As we have all witnessed, many subdivisions have emerged.

The TN Farmland Legacy directs farmers and community officials to the technical and financial programs offered by organizations and agencies related to farmland protection. For more information, go to: www.FarmlandLegacy.Tennessee.edu

The next speaker, Kevin Murphy, had one main point for the farmers gathered for the presentation. He advised everyone to question candidates before voting for them. He stated that it is essential for Tennessee farmers to know whether the candidate supports farm preservation and farmland laws. It is imperative to get people in office who are aware of the challenges facing farmers and who will work on laws that will support them.
The Knox Union Cattlemen’s Association provided the meal for attendees. The meal was prepared by Elizabeth Tindell of Tindell’s Farmhouse Bakery in Corryton. There was a choice of sandwiches, chips, two different desserts, and very yummy coleslaw.

And, for me (Shirlee), the highlight of the evening was a short tour of Seven Springs Farm. Many of us have watched that piece of land develop from treed acreage to a few buildings, then to grapevines and cattle. And then it seemed to explode with solar collectors, greenhouses, blueberries, and more gardens. Hubby and I have been there for events, wine, and other items in their store. But we never realized the extent of their farming. The newest addition to the farm's equipment is a wine electrophoresis machine. This machine can calculate the pH of the wine, monitor the changes in various compounds during winemaking stages, provide rapid analysis times for various wine components, and more. Many other wineries have contacted Seven Springs about using their equipment.

They have several high tunnels, which are temperature-controlled using solar heat from the sun, fans, and ventilation. Two of these are hydroponic high tunnels. There are many benefits to this form of gardening. First of all, no weeds. For those of us who have weeded on bended knee, that is a big one! Plants are grown in a controlled environment, which reduces water usage and fertilizer waste. Plants can be closer together than when planted in soil, and roots grow horizontally rather than vertically.

The solar panels, seen closer to Highway 61, provide all the electricity that the greenhouses need during the daytime when the sun is out. Excess daytime electricity is sold to KUB. Nighttime electricity comes from KUB, as the farm has no battery backup.

This was a very interesting 90 minutes of the day, learning about the decline of farms, the fight to keep farmers here, the bookkeeping challenges of owning a farm, and meeting some of the wonderful people who grow food and meat for us to eat.