Tennessee Home & Farm Radio

A study from the American Farm Bureau Federation shows the economic situation in rural America will only get worse. Chad Smith has the story.

This weekend at the Farm Bureau Expo Center in Lebanon, young farmers from across Tennessee will gather for their annual summer conference. Lots of activities, special speakers and the naming of the state's young farmer of the year will occur.

Since 1927, Camp Clements has been home to the Tennessee FFA Leadership Training Camp. Camp Intern Lucy Beth Jackson recaps an eventful summer camp season.

Farmers are taking significant steps to reduce their impact on the environment. Chad Smith has more on the stats behind regenerative agriculture.

4-H and FFA cattle showmen gathered in Lebanon for the Tennessee Junior Beef Expo. Michael Barnett’s crossbred steer from Montgomery County was named the Grand Champion Market Steer. 

Tennessee's 8th District Congressman David Kustoff is not a farmer, but he sure likes to stay connected to the ag industry every chance he gets.

The recent June acreage report gave a small look into the farm economy but didn't tell the whole story. Chad Smith has additional insights.

It's been kind of hard to see it, but there are young folks staying on the farm and hopefully protecting the future of our most important industry.

With Tennessee growing at a rapid rate demand for landscaping plants are growing too. That’s allowing nurseries in McMinnville to sell direct to consumers and grow their business.

July 1 was an important date for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. Chad Smith has more on renewal negotiations underway.

July is Beef Month in Tennessee! Throughout the month, we celebrate one of America’s favorite protein sources while recognizing the hardworking cattle farmers and ranching families who help feed our communities.

As we continue to recognize America’s 250 birthday, its important to remember those farm and rural folks that have been here since our nation was formed.

America's farmers face a labor crisis. Chad Smith has more on a possible solution emerging in Washington, D.C., this week.

Ag industry partners in Tennessee continue to collaborate and grow the strong bond between commodity groups and Ag organizations in the state. They all recently met at the Tennessee Farm Bureau to discuss the challenges facing the industry.

The American Farm Bureau Federation released its annual July 4th marketbasket survey.

Educators across Middle Tennessee gathered in Maury County to experience local agriculture with the Tennessee Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom.  

Farmers across Tennessee are cutting and rolling hay.

Two of the three Shooting Hunger events for 2026 have been a great success thus far.

The Senate Ag Committee released a draft version of farm bill text this week.

Recent changes to the Clean Fuels Production Tax Credit could benefit farmers and ranchers in the future.

The newly drawn Tennessee congressional districts has shaken up the upcoming August primary. To help rural voters hear straight from the candidates the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation, Tennessee Chamber of Commerce, and Tennessee Electric CO-OP held candidate forums in the 5th, 6th, and 9th congressional districts.

More than 30 high school students have spent the past few weeks at the University of Tennessee at Martin for Tennessee Governor’s School for the Agricultural Sciences.

Members of the state 4-H council are traveling the Volunteer State this week on 4-H’s annual ambassador tour.

The FIFA World Cup has officially started and the 2026 event is being held in Canada, Mexico and the United States. For the past 5 years, the turfgrass team at the University of Tennessee has been working to ensure optimal playing conditions for each of the 16 stadiums.

Robertson County farmer Willis Jepson was named the Tennessee Farmer of The Year at The Tennessee Farm Bureau’s Harvesting Hope Gala in Franklin. Jepson says it’s an honor to be named to this top honor.

Farmers who participate in safety net programs like ARC and PLC will soon be able increase their base acres, which means a bigger payout in tough times. State FSA Executive Director Mike Mayfield explains what this means for row crop farmers now.

In this episode, we sit down with Mike Mayfield, State Executive Director for the Farm Service Agency in Tennessee, to discuss his background in agriculture and his journey to serving farmers across the state. Mike shares insights from his years in the agricultural industry and explains the mission of the Farm Service Agency and the important role it plays in supporting producers.

This year’s inaugural class for the Tennessee Agricultural and Forestry Leadership Program (TAFLP) is in the nation’s capitol this week learning about history and the workings of the federal government, but also meeting with elected officials.

With several concerns facing the nation’s cotton industry in recent years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a four pillar plan designed to improve U.S. cotton production, consumption, trade and markets.

Additional Cases of New World Screwworm in the U.S. have drawn a reaction from Canada, one of America's top trading partners. American Farm Bureau's Chad Smith has more.

This year’s Shooting Hunger events have officially kicked off with the first being held recently in East Tennessee at Kodak’s Iron Mountain Sporting Clays.

Teachers in Middle Tennessee got the chance to tour farms through the Tennessee Farm Bureau Ag In The Classroom workshop. The hope is they take what they learn and incorporate it into their curriculum in the classroom.

A case of new world screworm has been detected in Texas for the first time in decades. USDA Secretary Brokk Rollins says they’ve been preparing for this for a year now and are ready to combat a wide spread of the pest.

Some of the best and brightest high school students across Tennessee are on UT Knoxville campus this week for the Tennessee Leadership Summit. The conference is geared towards students who have an interest in agriculture.

A group of women from Tennessee are at the American Farm Bureau ACE Summit in Washington DC. The Three day event is highlighting the international year of the woman farmer.

Angela Bright-White has been a teacher for more than 30 years and now teaches agriculture at Philadelphia Elementary in Loudon County. As a consultant for the Tennessee Farm Bureau's Ag in the classroom program, she uses innovative coursework and experiences to teach agriculture to students in 1-8th grade. 

Tennessee's dairy industry has seen a lot of changes over the years. But the Lee family in McMinn County has persevered despite the many challenges they've faced year after year.

There's no doubt the number of dairy farms in Tennessee has declined dramatically in the last two decades, but the importance and the passion of those still producing milk is a vital part of our ag industry.

For many of us our teachers have had a lasting impact. This has definitely been the case for many students of Bill Newsom. After 50 years in the classroom, this long time educator has officially retired from the Munford FFA Chapter.

This Spring hundreds of young adults are entering the workforce after graduating with various degrees from colleges and universities.

Farmers across Tennessee have been looking to harvest their hay crop this spring but unfortunately, it's been really dry until the past week or so and its causing concerns over the yield and quality.

As most of us are celebrating this Memorial Day holiday with friends and family, its so important that as Americans we never forget those that lost their lives while serving in the armed forces to protect our freedoms.

Enjoying outdoor cookouts in the summer should include food safety considerations for backyard chefs. Rod Bain Has all the tips and tricks to make sure you and your family stay safe.

The state's poultry industry has been quite an economic impact in Tennessee for many years now, and it just seems to keep getting stronger.

As the summer grilling season kicks off, consumers are finding higher prices at the meat counter. As Chad Smith shares, those prices are not reducing demand.

From trade missions across the globe to meetings with international buyers, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture is working to create new opportunities for Tennessee products. Commissioner of Agriculture Andy Holt and Dr. Andrew Mohammad with UT Extention says the goal is simple — expand markets, increase demand, and help Tennessee farmers strengthen their bottom line.

John Hilemon III and his family have spent the past year and a half recovering after Hurricane Helene devastated their farm in Unicoi County. After months of work reseeding their hay fields, they are finally baling hay again for the first time, thanks in part to seed donations through the Seeds of Hope program from the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation.

Thanks to votes by Tennessee congressmen John Rose and Matt Van Epps, the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, has cleared the U.S. House of Representatives and now awaits Senate action.  President Trump has signaled his support of the legislation which would allow for year-round sales of fuels blended with 15% ethanol, known as E15.

Always a great field trip when you're a kid and you get to go to a farm.  And that's what thousands of elementary kids have gotten to do this spring as many counties host farm days.

Everyone is feeling the pressure of higher fuel prices, especially since the start of the conflict in Iran, but along with fuel, you can add the rising cost of fertilizer that our farmers are dealing with.  And this week, the U.S. Senate Ag Committee held a full hearing on the issue with several industry representatives including Kentucky Farm Bureau president Eddie Melton testifying with perspectives from his row crop and beef cattle operation.

James “Bubba” Roberson grew up on the farm in Wayne County and after retiring from a structural engineering career, he's now back on the farm in Fayette County where he and his family are earning a name for themselves called the Fancy Cow.