ETRLA experiences agriculture day in Union County

Robbie and Gail Corum welcomed the 16 counties of East Tennessee Regional Leadership Association (ETRLA) to Union County recently for Agriculture Day.
Presentations and tours included Tater Valley Nursery and Century Farm, Mayor Jason Bailey, UCHS Career & Technical Education, Union County Farmers Market, Union County Soil Conservation, and UT Extension Union County.

Call for pie bakers

“Take a Country Road” to UT Extension Union County, 3925 Maynardville Highway, on Wednesday, September 29, and bring your best pie to enter the Union County Heritage Festival Pie Baking Contest.
UT Extension Union County will host the pie contest. Alyshia Victoria, Food and Consumer Science Agent, will be the coordinator.
Fruit, nut, and other are the categories. Winning pie bakers will receive cash prizes and ribbons.

Nourish Kids Kicks Off

Join us on Saturday, May 22, as the Union County Farmers Market kicks off our Nourish Kids program. This will be the second season that the market has partnered with Nourish Knoxville to present this program. Through a grant, Nourish Knoxville has been able to assist markets like ours throughout East Tennessee, providing materials and Produce Bucks making this program possible.

Farmers, Apply Now for Financial Assistance with USDA

Farmers and Ranchers Can Now Apply for Financial Assistance through USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program

Online Tools and Toll-Free Number Available to Assist Producers

Are you a livestock producer whose operation has been directly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic? The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program provides direct relief to producers who faced price declines and additional marketing costs due to COVID-19.

Food Preservation: Canning

Hopefully we are past the final frost and all the rain and warmth will lead to an abundance in the garden this year. So how can we maximize our gardens? Food Preservation in the form of freezing, canning, and drying. This is article 2 of 4, where we will discuss canning. Freezing is a cheap, easy way to preserve foods where bacteria growth is stopped and items last longer. However, preserving foods by freezing is limited by freezer space. So how else can we stop bacteria growth without a freezer? Canning!

Local student wins regional 4-H public speaking

It’s public speaking time in Union County! One of the most exciting 4-H competitions is just around the corner: the 4-H Public Speaking Contest.
This experience really boosts your confidence. Almost everyone has fears of public speaking, but it sure is an excellent way to turn your weakness into strength. Preparing a speech makes you look inward to personal thoughts or ideas that you would like your audience to hear about.

Beef producers graduate master program

Commitment, complexity, flexibility and sternness are all features you will find in a beef cattle farmer. American cattle farmers are working harder today than ever to be successful in their industry, and it does not come easy. The devotion is met with long hours, rain when you don’t need it and drought when do. Broken fences, leaky barn roofs, breech calves, and flat tractor tires are nails found in the road of cattle farming.

Big Ridge students spend the day in the boots of a farmer

Wearing overalls, boots and cowboy hats, the students of Big Ridge Elementary ventured out to the green space and found some fun farm activities as part of the 26th Annual Union County Farm Day on Thursday, September 26. The 250 students made their rounds to 17 stations demonstrating and teaching Ag in the Classroom activities led by more than 40 volunteers.
Farm Day is hosted annually by Union County Farm Bureau, which is putting efforts in to teach the youths of the community the importance of agriculture in their daily lives and give them some knowledge to take home.

Parenting Apart for Divorcing Parents

Divorce is a difficult and painful process for most people, even if they are able to get along. It is very hard for the children involved. Parents going through a divorce want to do the right things for their children. Sometimes they are so hurt and so busy with the legal details of the divorce that they are not aware of how the divorce is affecting their children.