This year our County Farm Bureau Board, Farm Bureau Women, and the new agents and staff have been busy in the Union County. The Farm Bureau has always been more than ready to help out the community and support positive projects and there is much opportunity. Through community outreach, our local Farm Bureau is doing its best to promote the importance of agriculture as well as support other needs when possible.

A car accident or other serious trauma, like a fall, are likely causes of back pain. But back pain can develop from a variety of sources that are not quite so obvious. Here are a few of the conditions that can play a role in creating back pain:

Spinal stenosis: a narrowing of the space around the spinal cord. It’s a condition often caused by arthritis. In the narrowed chamber, pressure can build on the spinal cord.

Submitted by Sharon Hansard, Big Ridge FCE Reporter
The Big Ridge FCE Club of Union County had an eventful month in September. To kick off the month, a regular meeting was held to elect officers. Congrats and thank you to those who are serving to keep the club doing great work in our community.
In September, members also attended “FCE Day at Tennessee Valley Fair” where they got to reconnect with members across the region. Neal Denton spoke all about beef. Members learned a lot and even won a few prizes in the trivia contest!

Have you heard of Tai Chi? Did you know that the program is offered here in Union County? UT Extension educator, Alyshia Victoria, is certified and approved by the Tai Chi for Health Institute to teach this program. During the course, she demonstrates joint-safe exercises that help participants improve muscle strength, mobility, coordination and relaxation.

Follow your heart and bake a pie to enter the Union County Heritage Festival Pie Baking Contest. On Friday, September 30, take that pie to the Farmers Market Pavilion from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

I returned today from a conference at which every school superintendent in the state of Tennessee was present. The agenda for the last day had a musical theme, though no one sang.
I noted one of the session titles alluded to Elvis Presley’s song “A Little Less Communication.” Many of you, Dear Readers, might find this song worthy of a listen on YouTube. I just listened to part of it, and I don’t consider it one of Elvis’ best. I did a Google search for the lyrics, parts of which are interesting.
A little less conversation, a little more action, please

Red cabbage is so pretty resting there in the produce counter next to its green cousin. I had never found a satisfying recipe for red cabbage until recently. The flavor is different from that of the green variety so it needs to be prepared differently. Try this.

Just sitting on my front porch enjoying the late September afternoon with the high temps cooling down a bit, letting my mind meander and bring up pleasant visions of the present and past.
I’m seeing butterflies and birds coming through our yard getting nectar from our flowers, building surplus energy for their journey to Central America for the upcoming winter.
Saturday morning, I was standing on the patio when a beautiful tiny green hummingbird flew up within a foot of my face and hovered looking at me for at least 30 seconds, then flew away.

My dad was born in 1942 and although electricity was starting to be available, he grew up without electricity or running water.
When I asked my dad about that kind of life he reminded me that even though he grew up poor without much in East Tennessee, so did every other family he could remember. He did not realize the struggle that his mom must have had to endure at the time because everyone lived the same way. His mom raised nine kids in a tiny home without any of the modern conveniences that we require today.

What in the world do a peacock and a humor contest have in common? Yours truly, and here’s why:
If you know me or have ready any of my articles or books, then you know the strangest things seem to befall me. As I grew older, I realized these odd things didn’t happen as much to my friends. That may have bothered most people, but it didn’t faze me at all. I used to joke by saying, “I guess God doesn’t want me to get bored.”