More than 30 extension agents and ag industry partners recently took part in a specialty crop and farmers market in-service training tour in the Midstate by visiting farms and businesses in Davidson, Maury and Williamson counties.
Lee Maddox: A Summer Tour. Hello and welcome everyone, for Tennessee Home and Farm Radio - I'm Lee Maddox.
Rachel Painter: We are helping our agents across the state learn marketing strategies, diversification strategies that they can take back to their county and share with their producers.
Lee Maddox: Well more than 30 Extension agents and ag industry partners recently took part in a specialty crop and farmers market inservice training tour in the midstate by visiting farms and businesses in Davidson, Maury and Williamson counties. Helping to organize this tour was Rachel Painter of UT Center for Profitable Agriculture.
Rachel Painter: We want our agents to learn ideas and about other operations that they can take these ideas back to their counties, share with their producers about marketing strategies, diversification strategies that they can maybe implement on their farm.
Lee Maddox: Well one of the stops was to Blue Honey Farms in Williamson County, where owner Tony Foster shares a lot of information about his blueberries, elderberries, vegetables and much more.
Tony Foster: It's one thing to grow it and have it, but to grow it and share it with other people makes it even that much more and sharing my pitfalls and mountains I've been on to help somebody from going through the same things that I did.
Lee Maddox: The inservice tour included several other specialty crop farms, and Hamilton County agent Haley Treadway says this was extremely useful for her to share with potential growers near Chattanooga.
Haley Treadway: Seeing the farms have been incredible, but also networking with colleagues, other professionals is so special, making those contacts and learning who does what and whose specialty lies where and then being able to walk away and say, oh my gosh, I can I can rely on that person or I can reach out to them for whenever this comes up in my community. Steve Rickman
Lee Maddox: Steve Rickman is the county agent in Chester County and he says this tour was invaluable to him as well. the opportunity for extension
Steve Rickman: The opportunity for Extension agents like myself to get out and see these farms see different opportunities.
Lee Maddox: And for Tennessee Home and Farm Radio, I'm Lee Maddox.
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