Tennessee Agriculture
- Total farms: 69,983
- Average farm size: 155 acres
- 41% of the land in Tennessee is farmland.
- Economic impact: $81 BILLION
- 342,000 people in Tennessee employed by agriculture and forestry.
- Farmers markets: 129
- Top commodities: soybeans, corn, cotton, hay, wheat, tobacco, cattle & calves, broiler chickens, fresh-market tomatoes and dairy products
- Production value: $3,500,000,000
- 60% crops & 40% livestock
State Resources
Tax Tips For Everyone - UT Institute of Agriculture
Tax Tips for Everyone is created to provide updates on current tax topics and increase
understanding of terms and issues on income and other taxes.
Tax Tips for Everyone - 1-2023.docxTennessee Department of Agriculture
https://www.tn.gov/agriculture.html
TDA Comprehensive List of Links https://www.tn.gov/agriculture/farms/beginning.html
Pick Tennessee Products - https://www.picktnproducts.org/
TDA Live Data TDA Live
TDA website with online, interactive source for agriculture and forestry information for every county in Tennessee. The live dashboards enable people to access real-time data for a range of information in one easy-to-access place.
Tennessee AgrAbility
- https://agrability.tennessee.edu/The mission of Tennessee 4-H is to provide research-based Extension educational experiences that will empower young people to gain knowledge, develop life skills, and form positive attitudes to prepare them to become capable, responsible, and compassionate adults.
US Department of Agriculture
USDA Farm Services - https://www.fsa.usda.gov/state-offices/Tennessee/index
USDA NRCS - https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/site/tn/home/
USDA Rural Development - https://www.rd.usda.gov/tn
Tennessee Department of Veteran Services https://www.tn.gov/veteran.html
To serve as an effective and efficient conduit for Veterans of all eras to connect with resources and services that improve their quality of life, access to education, business resources and high quality jobs.
Farm Credit - https://farmcredit.com/state/tennessee
Farm Credit's mission is to support rural communities and agriculture with reliable, consistent credit and financial services, today and tomorrow.
Farm Bureau - https://tnfarmbureau.org/
At more than 680,000 members strong, we have the power to make a significant impact. Our goal is to provide a better way of life for rural Tennesseans and our members. We began as an organization lobbying for the betterment of our members, and are responsible for most of the positive agricultural and rural legislation we have today, as well as preventing some negative legislation from passing. Tennessee Farm Bureau continues to work closely with legislators in Nashville and Washington, D.C. today.
Agricenter VETSA - https://www.agricenter.org/agvets
VETSA is a pilot program designed as a 12-month intensive experience with formal and informal coursework, immersive, hands-on participation in active farming and research projects or a choice of certification programs that provide valuable and marketable professional skills with a shorter time commitment. Veterans will have opportunities to participate in trade workshops and conferences, networking and post-training support.
Agricenter FARM SAFE - https://www.agricenter.org/farmsafe
A safety training program specifically to educate farmers on critical safety gaps in our industry and help create safer working environments. The courses are designed to help you operate safely and efficiently on the farm and are available online now in English and Spanish.
UT Institute of Agriculture 2023 Field Day Schedule - https://utianews.tennessee.edu/ut-institute-of-agriculture-announces-2023-field-day-schedule/?fbclid=IwAR3mJtFBp095k1U1S-EhbSJd7XLCbL1ZFlWrbY2j1J84QiqFMJoWPcJ1IDQ
The events will begin in February and continue through October, as listed below. Times are subject to change and will be posted on utia.tennessee.edu accordingly.
- Horse Management – February 7, 5 p.m. EST, Brehm Animal Science Arena, UTIA Campus, Knoxville
- Horse Management – February 13, 5 p.m. CST, Western Region, location TBD
- Horse Management – February 14, 5 p.m. CST, Middle Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center at Spring Hill
- Fruits of the Backyard – June 13, 8 a.m. CDT, Middle Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center at Spring Hill
- Weed Tour – June 21, 8:30 a.m. CDT, West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center at Jackson
- Green Industry Day – June 27, 8 a.m. EDT, UT Gardens and Brehm Animal Science Building, UTIA Campus, Knoxville
- Tobacco, Beef and More – June 29, 8 a.m. CDT, Highland Rim AgResearch and Education Center at Springfield
- Summer Celebration – July 13, 8 a.m. CDT, West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center at Jackson
- Steak and Potatoes – August 24, 8 a.m. CDT, Plateau AgResearch and Education Center at Crossville
- Fall Gardener’s Festival – August 29, 8 a.m. CDT, Plateau AgResearch and Education Center at Crossville
- UT Arboretum Butterfly Festival – September 9, 10 a.m. EDT, Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center at UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge
- Cotton Tour – September 13, 8 a.m. CDT, West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center at Jackson
- Precision Livestock Technologies: Beef and Forage Systems – September 26, 8 a.m. CDT, Middle Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center at Spring Hill
- Fall in the Gardens: Plant Sale and Garden Talks – October 5, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. CDT, and October 6, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. CDT, West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center at Jackson
- Northeast Tennessee Beef Expo – TBA, 7:30 a.m. EDT, Northeast Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center at Greeneville
- Woods and Wildlife – October 19, 7 a.m. EDT, Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center at UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge
- Beef Heifer Development School – October 20, 8:30 a.m. CDT, Middle Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center at Lewisburg
- Fall in the Foothills – October 20-21, 11 a.m. EDT, East Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center, Little River Animal and Environmental Unit in Walland
Tennessee Turf Tuesdays will take place every Tuesday online. You can find more information at tiny.utk.edu/TurfTuesday.
The date for the Northeast Tennessee Beef Expo will be announced soon.
Through its land-grant mission of research, teaching and extension, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. utia.tennessee.edu.
Business Plan Tools from UT Center of Farm Management
A series of concise, informative publications to assist with creating business plans for agricultural operations were recently completed. Thanks to Rachel Painter and Les Humpal for leading this effort. This was a joint project of the UT Center of Farm Management and the Center for Profitable Agriculture with input from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Business Development Division. The series includes a template (fillable pdf) to assist with organizing a business plan. The publications were designed as a resource for all agriculture producers, but one target audience will be operations applying for grants administered by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund, and other agencies.The publications are attached, but they can also be found at the following links
1. D197A Business Planning for Agricultural Operation
2. D197B Business Planning for Agricultural Operations: Business Description
3. D197C Business Planning for Agricultural Operations: Marketing Plan
4. D197D Business Planning for Agricultural Operations: Financial Plan
Questions: Contact Eileen Legault at elegault@tennessee.edu
