The Tennessee Beginning Farmer Outreach Program's purpose is to provide a coordinated, systematic and holistic educational program to deliver the information and skills needed to realize a successful new farming operation and increase success rates of new farm start-ups among those participating in the program. The Tennessee Beginning Farmer Outreach Program will educate military personnel and veterans desiring to transition into farming after their tenure in the military.
One specific objective of the Tennessee Beginning Farmer Outreach Program is to have new farmers create a business, marketing and safety and health plan. The implementation of a business and marketing plan objective is to increase the profitability and hence viability of those farmers. The safety and health plan will reduce losses from farming injuries and illnesses.
An additional objective of the Tennessee Beginning Farmer Outreach Program is to increase awareness of available programs that can assist farmers with planning and implementation of various aspects of the farm business plan, adopt recommended best agricultural practices, as well as provide on-farm assistance.
AgriCenter International Receives an Investment from USDA-NIFA to support Veterans in the Region
Agricenter International announced that it will lead a new initiative for veterans to work in the agricultural service sector. The $897,627 grant for the three-year project
was received from the US Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Over three years, veterans from around the region will have the opportunity to participate in the program and learn from industry partners.
The program, called Veterans Employed in Technology and Service in Agriculture (VETSA) will help meet the demand of a shrinking agriculture workforce by bringing veterans’ leadership and technological skills
to the agriculture space and finding new “missions” at home. Differing from other programs that encourage veterans to start a farming operation, this program will prepare veterans for a variety of careers related to the agriculture industry. With an emphasis
on technical skills, the veterans can also earn several certifications within the program such as: Mechanical Technician certification, Remote Pilot in Command training with FAA certification, land surveying/GIS/GPS, and Young Beginning Farmer Education.
The VETSA program is scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2020 and is designed as both a three- and 12-month intensive experience with coursework, hands-on participation in active farming, and certification
programs that provide marketable professional skills with a shorter time commitment. The project team will work with several local state and federal agencies to ensure that training programs offered to veterans meet the needs of these agencies and yield graduates
well qualified for successful transition to the agricultural sector. To sign up for updates on the program, please visit
www.agricenter.org/agvets.
PickTN Conference 2020
The PickTN Conference wll be held on February 20-22, 2020 at the Cool Springs Marriott in Franklin, Tennessee. The PickTN Conference is designed to support farmers and farmers market managers to enhance their access to suppliers, education, training, and to provide networking opportunities to better their farm businesses. For more information, please visit the
PickTN Conference website.
Tennessee Department of Agriculture Master/Advanced Master Producer Certification
Tennessee Department of Agriculture provides a 50% cost share program through the Tennessee Agriculture Enhancement Program (TAEP) for producers with a Master and/or Master Advanced Certificate. The following programs are eligible to receive a 50% cost share: Genetics, Livestock Equipment, Livestock Working Facility Cover, Hay Storage and Livestock Feed Storage.The University of Tennessee offers several education Master and Advanced Master programs for the livestock industry.
Tennessee State Chapter of the Farmer Veteran Coalition
Help us connect Farmer Veterans and beginning farmers across the
state to support each other and share info as you make transition into
farming and build a Tennessee State Chapter of the Farmer Veteran
Coalition. Growing network, Free membership and resources plus
information to become Homegrown by Hero certified. Please visit Farmer Veteran Coalition's site.
Questions about Planting??
This publication outlines ideas for planting with suggested taskes for each month and more...