In-Person Event Returns to UTIA Campus

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Green Industry Field Day will be hosted in person this year by the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. The event takes place on June 27, 2023, and participants will enjoy a variety of sessions that will take place beginning at the UT Gardens Plaza and ending in the Brehm Animal Science Building Lecture Hall.

What’s your favorite thing about visiting another town? Mine is eating at local restaurants that we don’t have back home. It’s usually a great experience. Usually.
Recently I was in a small town when lunch time rolled around. I was excited because I was going to eat at a local Barbeque restaurant. A couple of different people had recommended it to me, so I was giddy with excitement when I pulled into the parking lot. I did notice there wasn’t a lot of cars there. As I walked into the dinning area, I was going over in my head I was going to order. Soon, I realized I was the only ...

Corn salads are so pretty. They are easy to make, as well. I often use a drained can of diced tomatoes when I don't have fresh ones on hand. This is a cold weather salad, but you can make it any time you like. Combine all veggies in large bowl. Add Italian salad dressing. Toss gently. Chill 2 or 3 hours before serving.

Blackberry and Blueberry Care Among the Topics at 16th Annual Event

SPRING HILL, Tenn. – Homegrown blackberries and blueberries pair perfectly for summertime in Tennessee, and the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture would like to help bring them to your backyard. This year marks the 16th annual Fruits of the Backyard Field Day where attendees can receive valuable information, products and techniques that will help backyard fruits and other plants flourish.

Have you ever felt like you have been hit in the chest? I am not talking literally. That being said, I think I have been hit over the years by any kind of ball you can think of: softball, football, basketball, volleyball and or any other plastic ball. In this article, I am talking about something touching your heart and memories.

Grape Salad recipes are few and far between. Try this one, You'll like it. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir until bubbly, but not browned. Add milk and heat until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low. Add marshmallows and continue heating, and stirring until marshmallows are melted. Remove from heat. Cool 5 minutes. Stir in grapes, pineapple and pecans. Chill several hours before serving. Grapes may be cut in half if you prefer.

Sure, I knew that the American Legion New Liberty Post 212 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8682 shared a building up at the end of Veterans St. And I knew that it had something to do with military veterans. But I am not a veteran, nor do I come from a military family. So they really had nothing to do with me, did they? Well, I was wrong. As a community, we need to support these folks who train, work and fight to protect us. What they did was not easy and often left physical, mental and emotional scars. And we need to recognize their dedication to us and our community.

Union County elementary schools’ 4-H Clubs just wrapped up their annual pop top tab collection drive to benefit Ronald McDonald House, and students at Maynardville Elementary enjoyed an ice cream party to celebrate collecting more tabs than any other school. They combined their favorite choice of ice cream flavor and topping and enjoyed the sweet rewards of their success during the last in-school 4-H meeting of the year. What a great way to finish an exciting year of learning about community service and volunteerism.

Farmers, Industry Professionals and Public Invited to Attend

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Researchers and Extension specialists with the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture are teaming up to support the state’s growing ...

Have you ever had something happen that you thought you couldn’t explain? It happened to me as a child while I was being a “Smarty Pants.”
The women at our old church used to have a circle meeting once a month. In these meetings, each lady brought a covered dish so they could spend the evening in fellowship and discussing church matters. They would take turns hosting it in their homes. Then came the month when it was Mamaw Jo’s turn to host. At this time, I think I was around 9 years-old. I helped her clean house and set extra chairs out in the living room.

Here is an easy lunch or supper entree. Use canned chicken breasts, with a bouillon cube and water instead of chicken broth. You should have all the other ingredients in your pantry. i do. Use a can of cream of mushroom soup heated with 1/2 cup milk or light cream for the sauce. Beat eggs until thickened. Add 1 cup milk, chicken broth, onion, seasonings, chicken and bread crumbs. Mix well. Pour mixture into greased 9 inch loaf pan. Set in pan of hot water. Bake at 350 F. for 45 to 60 minutes or until set. Invert loaf onto hot platter. Serve with mushroom sauce made with 1/2 cup milk and can of mushroom soup heated almost to a boil. Makes 6 servings.

On Saturday, May 13 there will be no Union County Farmers Market due to UCHS graduation. As usual, our walking program, Nourish Moves, has partnered with Preservation Union County and promised to keep everyone moving by offering a walk on that day. To celebrate National Preservation Month, we will be exploring “Farming: Past, Present and Future” with a hike at Seven Springs Farm.

The UCHS Tennis Team competed in the TSSAA District Tournament. The young team garnered two All District Athletes, Dalton Schreieck and Jace Walker. Schreieck, a junior, competed in boys individuals and took his opponent to a tie breaker in the first match before losing the second match. Janae Chapell challenged in the first round of Girls Individuals. Hannah Groot and Scarlett Gwaltney and also Ava Tiller and Saria Chapell competed in Girls Doubles.

Robotic Milkers and Precision Livestock Farming on Display

WALLAND, Tenn. — Some very special dignitaries ushered in a new era of dairy research at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture on May 2 at a ribbon cutting and demonstration of UT AgResearch’s new robotic milking technology. Installed at the East Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center’s Little River Unit, the new system allows cows to be automatically milked at their own will under a stress-free environment.

Unlike most people, I don’t like quiet. To me, it’s deafening. It’s like a silent roar in my ears. When I was young, there was this one time where the quiet wasn’t just uncomfortable, it was rather eerie.

Cake mix can make cookie baking easier. This one calls for a lemon cake mix. If you don't have that one, substitute any flavor that well with cream cheese and sour cream. These stir up quickly and do not require chilling..

Her family, friends, former students and colleagues flocked to the Union County Museum to wish Wanda Woods Cox Byerley a happy 90th birthday.
All in all over a hundred visitors came on Sunday, April 16, 2023. Her birthday was April 13 and County Mayor Jason Bailey, who was also a former student, proclaimed that date “to be forever known as Wanda Cox-Byerley Day in Union County.”

The Union County Historical Society has opened the doors of the museum every Tuesday for an acoustic music jam. Everyone who plays an instrument, sings from the heart or just loves tapping their toes and clapping their hands to good ole country, bluegrass and gospel tunes is welcome.
The music begins at 6 p.m. and winds down about 8:45.
Recently, Norris Freeway came to play. Musicians come from all parts of the county.
Noted fiddle player Wayne Goforth coordinated the fun and makes sure everyone gets involved.

Plainview Planning Commission and City of Plainview paid tribute to David Williams, the city planner, who died about a week before the meeting. Stewart Skeen, Plainview City Codes Zoning Officer, praised Williams for his depth of knowledge, his professionalism, but most of all for his ability to adapt complex issues to simple rules and explanations that a small city like Plainview could enforce.
Williams remarked many times how thoroughly he enjoyed working with his “friends in Plainview.” Jordan Rockwell will be the new planner.

Experts estimate that as many as 80 percent of Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives. The back is a complicated weave of nerves, muscles, joints and ligaments. There are plenty of opportunities for something to go wrong. A twinge or minor pain in the back may come and go. But what the average person would call “pain” in the back is not likely to go away on its own. Low back pain, some experts say, is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Back pain often is the result of mechanical problems with the back.

UT Extension Union County and the Union County Farmers Market are at it once again, partnering to create healthier, more active lifestyles.
This year, when “Union Gets Movin” and we “Walk the Market,” Nourish Knoxville will be sponsoring our new program, Nourish Moves! The program is designed to promote a more active lifestyle increasing overall health, as well as building community.
After all, the market is “where the community meets” and we’d like to encourage families and people of all ages—our community—to meet up and walk.

As we all know, baking has its ups and downs—even the most experienced baker will run into a problem in the kitchen from time to time.
Here are some baking tips and tricks to help ensure a more consistent outcome when making cakes, cupcakes, breads, and any other sweets and treats. A big thing to remember when baking is that measurements matter. The phrase “cooking is an art and baking is a science” holds a lot of truth.

The Union County Tennis Team experienced several match wins as the Patriots competed against Carter High School in late April.
Sophomores Hannah Groot and Scarlett Gwaltney earned their first career singles match victory and junior Dalton Schreieck and sophomore Jace Walker beat Carter in singles (8-3, 8-0) and doubles (8-2). Sophomore Ava Tiller won her singles match vs. Carter 8-6.
The team is young, but full of energy and the desire to play a highly skilled game. Championships are most likely a part of the future for the Patriots.

The Korean Conflict, Vietnam and Iraqi Wars did not trouble the civilian population of our country as much as the First and Second World Wars. There were rationing and shortages during the first conflict, but nothing like during World War ll. It started immediately. I remember when sugar rationing was announced. Those who could afford it hoarded quantities of sugar. That couldn’t be done with women’s fashions, however.