Root of the Matter: Recent Episodes
Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation
A podcast created by the Tennessee Farm Bureau where co-hosts Lee Maddox, Amy Beckham and Thomas Capps take turns interviewing folks on issues, events and news with the goal of getting to the root of the matter on what is defining our most important industry, agriculture. “Root of the Matter” is inspired by a column written by the late Melissa Burniston Bratton, but has the same goal as she had for her article – sharing the important stories of farmers and those involved in agriculture.
On this episode of Root of The Matter we talk with Tennessee Farm Bureau President, Eric Mayberry, about recently setting policy at the 103rd TFBF Annual Meeting and why it’s so important to advocate for it in this tough farm economy. We also hear from newly elected Tennessee Young Farmers & Ranchers State Chair, Lee Bagwell, about his goals in his year of service.
On this episode of Root of the Matter we chat with Worth Eubanks with Farm Credit and Logan Meeks about the struggling farm economy. Both give a perspective on what’s driving a lot of farmers balance sheets in the red and what can be done to help improve the overall farm economy.
Nick Parker is a marine veteran, retired TBI Agent, and former Farm Bureau agent. Nick was diagnosed with parkinson’s in 2014, and then cancer six years later. Throughout his medical journey Nick has persevered and chosen to have a good attitude and lean into his faith. On this episode of Root of the Matter Nick talks about battling parkinson’s and cancer and how he’s chosen faith over fear. He also discusses how he’s working to help others dealing with difficult circumstances through his newsletter.
After nearly four decades working for UT Extension, Kevin Ferguson is hitting the ground running as the new Executive Director of the Farm Animal Care Coalition of Tennessee. FACT oversees animal welfare in the state. On this episode of Root of The Matter Kevin explains more about what FACT does and he hopes to accomplish in the role.
Sweetwater Valley Farm is one of the few dairies left in Tennessee. Owner John Harrison has grown the operation and turned it into an agritourism destination with their famous cheese being a big draw. On this episode of Root of The Matter Thomas Capps sits down with John and his son Charles to talk about how SweetWater Valley Farm was created and how they continue to evolve and grow.
The Herbert College Of Agriculture at the University of Tennessee Knoxville hit record enrollment this fall. University of Tennessee Senior Vice Chancellor Keith Carver sat down with Lee Maddox talked about this major milestone for the Herbert College of Agriculture and why he believes this is just the beginning for growth.
Each year on November 11th we pause as a Nation to honor our great veterans for their service. On this special Veterans Day episode of Root of The Matter Lee Maddox talks with veterans David Hochreiter & Ron Bridges who is the President of the Farmer Veteran Coalition of Tennessee. They discuss what it means to them to have served and why it’s important to honor veterans on Veterans Day & everyday.
It’s been more than a month since Hurricane Helene left behind destruction in upper East Tennessee. Dr. Aaron Smith with University Of Tennessee Institute Of Agriculture has been working to put an estimate on the economic impact the storm damage will have on agriculture in the area. They estimate that the damage will cost a little more than $1 billion dollars in the agriculture sector in East Tennessee alone. Lee Maddox talked with Smith about their findings and how it’s more than what soime expected. If you’d like to help farmers impacted by Helene you can Donate to the Farm and Forest Families of Tennessee Relief Fund. All money donated will go directly towards helping farm families recover their losses and to food programs in the area.
Cotton has been a staple crop in the southern United States for centuries. That’s not the case in other parts of the country or even world. A French newspaper reporter is spending several weeks in Alabama and southern Tennessee researching and talking to cotton growers with the intent of writing a 10 page article for the publication she writes for back in France. Her research lead her to Lincoln County, Tennessee for Josh Ogle’s cotton picking day. That’s where Lee Maddox talked to her about her project and the interest in US cotton in France.
Joseph & Meredith Redman are all in on the farm to table agritourism scene. Their Grace Meadows Farm in Washington County has become a go to destination for folks to take in the beautiful scenery on their farm and to eat at the restaurant they have there. They recently won the Tennessee Young Farmers & Ranchers Excellence In Agriculture competition. On this episode the Redman’s discuss what it means to win this award and talk about their Grace Meadows Farm.
The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM) is deploying its mobile veterinary clinic to Carter County, Tennessee, in response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. This deployment is in response to a request from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA).
UT Veterinarian College Deploys Mobile Care Unit
People in Northeast Tennessee that were impacted by the massive flooding from Hurricane Helene are still assessing and dealing with the nightmare that is now their reality. Tons of donated supplies and volunteers have poured into the impacted area but the need is still great. Lee Maddox checked in with Tennessee Farm Bureau Area Field Director Steven Huff to get an update on the recovery effort and what is needed now. There is also a new initiative to collect donations to help farmers impacted by the flooding. The Farm and Forest Families Of Tennessee Disaster Relief Fund is collecting monetary donations that will go directly towards helping family farmers and food related initiatives in the impacted areas of East Tennessee. You can donate by clicking here.
Northeast Tennessee is reeling from the devastation left behind by Hurricane Helene. More than 30 inches of rain fell in Western North Carolina, sending massive amounts of water down river into East Tennessee and causing excessive flooding. People lost homes, bridges have been wiped out, crops are gone and much of the area is without water. Tennessee Farm Bureau field director for upper East Tennessee, Steven Huff, updates on conditions on the ground there, and Shelli Rampold with UT Extension discusses resources they’re offering to people impacted.
The beef industry is ever evolving from genetics to the latest technology and feeding practices. Beef cattle farmers are constantly trying to stay up to date on the latest industry practices to improve beef quality and to meet a growing demand for American beef. Those cutting-edge practices don’t just happen as it takes hours of research. That’s why the work that the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture does on their research farms across the state is so important. For the third year the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture held their Beef and Forage Field Day at the Middle Tennessee Ag Research and Education Center in Spring Hill, Tennessee to showcase the latest research projects in the beef industry for producers. We talked with several of the researchers there to find out about some of the latest advancements being discovered in the beef industry.
It’s no secret that each generation of Americans are becoming further removed from the farm. Because of that there is a lack of understanding about where our food comes from, and how it’s grown and produced. All of that is leading to growing misinformation and untrue things being spread about the food and agriculture industry. Ray Starling is trying to push back against that false information. Starling served in the Trump administration as an agriculture advisor, and as Chief of Staff to former US Secretary Of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. Now he’s a part of the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce and serves as an advisor to Aimpoint Research. In his new book, “Farmers Verses Foodies”, Starling describes the battle between insiders and outsiders of the food industry, and what people in the Ag industry can do to combat false information.
Circle S Farms in Wilson County, Tennessee has a rich legacy that dates back to the late 1800’s. Lily Steed is the eighth generation in her family to live and work on Circle S Farms. Lily explains how agritourism is something that’s allowed she and her Dad to continue the farm that her ancestors started decades ago, and how it’s helping educate the next generation about agriculture.
Tourists have traveled to Gatlinburg, Tennessee for years to take in the beauty of the East Tennessee mountains, and to possibly get a sight of a black bear and her cubs. Recently though black bears have been seen outside of their native region of the state, but rather in Middle Tennessee. Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency Black Bear Program Leader, Dan Gibbs, explains why we’re seeing black bears outside of their typical habitat, and what you should do if you encounter one in your neighborhood. For more information about how to handle encounters with black bears visit bearwise.org.
It’s no secret that Americans overall are not the healthiest. In fact studies show that Americans spend nearly two trillion dollars in healthcare due to poor nutrition. On this episode of Root of The Matter Kelsey Barnes with the Food Journal Foundation dives into a new idea called food is health. It’s the idea that consuming fresh, local, healthy foods can prevent chronic disease. Barnes explains why she believes this idea is here to stay, and how farmers can take advantage of it to further diversify their operation and and be more profitable.
The Farmer’s Almanac has been forecasting the weather since its inception in 1792. Sandi Duncan is the current editor of the Farmer’s Almanac, and gives us their projections for this coming winter and the rest of 2025.
American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall recently came to the Volunteer State to address farmers at the Tennessee Farm Bureau Presidents Conference. Lee Maddox caught up with Duvall after where they discussed how powerful advocacy at the county farm bureau level is powerful, and how Duvall is hopeful a new farm bill still might get passed before the end of the year.
George McDonald of Catesa Farms is the 2024 Tennessee Farmer of the Year. George farms more than 9,000 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat, milo, hay, watermelons and strawberries. As farmer of the year, George will represent Tennessee and compete on the national stage in Moultrie, Georgia at the Sunbelt Ag Expo this fall. On this episode of Root of the Matter, George talks about what it means to him to be selected for this award and details his operation.
Tracy & Katie Robinson of Franklin County are the 2024 Tennessee Young Farmers of The Year! They were named Young Farmers of The Year at the 2024 Tennessee Young Farmers and Ranchers Summer Conference. Lee Maddox caught up with the Robinson’s right after they were named state winners to hear what it means to them to win this big award.
Each year the Beef Improvement Federation Symposium annual meeting is held in different parts of the country, allowing beef producers to meet and discuss ways to improve their product. This year the meeting is being held in Knoxville. Troy Rowan with the University of Tennessee discusses the importance of this meeting, and how improving cattle genetics has become one of the main topics at the meeting.
As farmers work to finish planting this year’s crops, we have a conversation with Eric Snodgrass, the Senior Science Fellow for Nutrien Ag Solutions about the volatile Spring weather and his predictions for the Summer.
Nutrien Ag Solutions
We visit with Rob Holland, Director of the Center for Profitable Agriculture, to discuss the impact of value-added agriculture to Tennessee’s ag economy.
The University of Tennessee College of Veterinarian Medicine has announced that former graduate and Sevier County native Dr. Paul Plummer has been selected as the new Dean of the college.
UTIA press release
Tennessee’s State Veterinarian Dr. Samantha Beaty discusses the recent outbreaks of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) detected in dairy cattle in five states and the movement restrictions of cattle coming into Tennessee.
Order of the State Veterinarian
Our conversation with Andy Holt, Assistant Commissioner with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, as he just returned with others from an international trade mission to India on behalf of the Tennessee forest products industry.
On this episode of Root of the Matter Thomas Capps had a conversation with now retired Tennessee Department of Agriculture livestock grader Mack Moss. Moss had an over 35 year career with TDA grading cattle all across the state. Moss details what it’s meant to him to have this position for all of these years, and why he believes the work he and his team did is so important.
On this episode of Root of The Matter Thomas Capps spoke with Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association President Dustin Pearson on the latest issues facing the beef cattle industry. A stocker operator in Washington County, Pearson discusses first hand how farmland loss is one of the biggest issues impacting producers across the state, and how high input costs remain an issue too.
We recently caught up with Tennessee Cattlemen’s Executive Vice President Charles Hord at the TCA Annual Meeting. Thomas Capps spoke with him about why it’s important for beef producers to meet, and about the issues facing the cattle industry.
American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall sits down with Lee Maddox to recap the American Farm Bureau Convention and to discuss the importance of passing a farm bill in 2024.
Justin Hargrove of Benton County is the 2024 AFBF YF&R Excellence In Ag winner. Hargrove explains what it means to him to win this competition and bring home a national title to Tennessee.
Matthew McClanahan is the 2024 AFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meet Competition winner. McClanahan explains what it means to hime to win this national title and bring it back home to Tennessee.
Trade is essential to farmers and their bottom line. Prior to the pandemic trade was volatile with the trade war with China, but stabilized after. Now US exports are declining at the largest rate since those numbers have been recorded. Dr. Andrew Muhammad explains why this is happening, and what it means for Tennessee farmers.
Patrick Mudge is the CEO of cooler company Icey-Tek. Earlier in life Mudge served in the military & experienced tragedy and loss. Those combined experiences lead him down the path of becoming Icey-Tek CEO & traveling across the country speaking to Gold Star Families. He also has a passion for farming & ensuring the next generation takes their place in the industry to continue producing food & fiber. Mudge spoke to the Tennessee Young Farmers & Ranchers about how important they are & why they should never give up.
Smith County’s Kyle Owen has been selected as Tennessee’s Farmer of the Year and will represent the state in Sunbelt Ag Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year contest in Moultrie, Georgia.
Jacob Massey, from Petersburg, Tenn., was named champion at the 2023 World Livestock Auctioneer Championship (WLAC). This was the 59th WLAC held this year at Arcadia Stockyard in Arcadia, Fla., and presented by the Livestock Marketing Association.
A conversation with Loudon County Farm Bureau President Joe Alexander as he opens up about his memories as a platoon leader during the Viet Nam War, the ultimate sacrifices of his fallen brothers and his hope to preserve our freedoms and encourage others to share their stories.
The clay shooting sports events, Shooting Hunger, has raised enough money to provide more than two million meals to feed Tennesseans in need. Shooting Hunger is an event put on by the Tennessee Farm Bureau, Farm Credit Mid-America, Rural First, and the Tennessee Farmers Co-op. In recent years the money raised has been distributed to all 95 counties to go towards the backpack program, which sends food home with kids in need. Jessica Johnson coordinates the backpack program in Rutherford County. She says without the money from Shooting Hunger, kids would go hungry.
Thomas Capps
Joining us now on Root of The Matter is Jessica Johnson with Rutherford County Schools. And Jessica, you’re here at the Rutherford County Farm Bureau today and y’all are doing something really cool. Y’all are packaging food for the backpack program here. And of course, Farm Bureau, and really a lot of different ag organizations have been a big help with that over the last couple of years with the shooting hunger event. Tell me a little bit about what exactly y’all are doing here and really what the backpack program is.
Jessica Johnson
Okay. So, again, like you said, thank you, first of all for having me. So my name is Jessica Johnson and I am with the homeless education program with Rutherford County Schools. Currently, we have over 1,300 students that are considered homeless in our community that attends Rutherford County Schools. And our backpack program gives food to our students, so they have food to go home with for the weekend, we know that our students because the majority of their food, from our schools, breakfast and lunch, and we know that when they’re not with us, their nutrition is often not available. So the backpack program is crucial to keeping our kids fed and shooting hunger. We’ve been working together and continue to work together and if they just help us keep our kids keep their nutrition in their bodies in so we know that they’re going to be taken care of over the weekend. It’s just we’re grateful for this partnership that we have with shooting hunger.
Thomas Capps
So that number again, how many homeless students do you have?
Jessica Johnson
Over 1,300. That students living in motels, some living in cars, some living in shelters, transitional housing, and just moving from home to home?
Thomas Capps
I mean, that’s just an unbelievable, really, I mean, you know, we we don’t really imagine that we know the need is there. But 1300. That’s, that’s a big number. And with without this program, as you mentioned, a lot of these kids wouldn’t have anything to eat, right?
Jessica Johnson
You’re correct. So our numbers are up by 300 of this time last year. And the food that they we give them is easy to prepare food, so things that they can put in the microwave, because we know that you know we even have preschool students that are in this program, and they might not have someone at home that can assist them. So we want to make sure that whatever we’re giving them is meeting their hunger need is somewhat nutritious, and it’s I can prepare, so guess our backpack meals also fits in a backpack. So that’s where the backpack meal comes from. So we either slip it in their backpack, so it’s, it’s a private situation, not everyone knows what’s going on at their home where they’re staying, or it’s in a bag, so nobody knows what’s in it.
Thomas Capps
That school will be out of session in another month or so is this something that you all are able to do year round? And how do you make that happen year round.
Jessica Johnson
So Rutherford County, my positions moving into a full year position, because like you said, students are hungry all year, it doesn’t stop just because school is on. And so we have a lunch program where we have schools that are open for breakfast and lunch on the north and the south ends of the county, but students have to be able to get there. But we will also be giving food up during summer schools for students to take home and we will make sure I will make sure that everyone’s still getting those needs met and deliver to.
Thomas Capps
And so today here at the local County Farm Bureau office, y’all are actually packaging some of that food, the food that was purchased from the shooting hunger proceeds. Just how big of a help is that? Because I’m sure feeding 1,300 students year round like that. That’s a big undertaking, I would imagine.
Jessica Johnson
Yes. So our program is funded off of one grant from the state. And there’s absolutely no way we could feed our students on the weekends. Because it’s not a requirement. But for me as a mom, and just as someone that cares about children, I cannot imagine children having lunch at 11 o’clock, and going home on a Friday. And not being able to get back to school to eat until seven Monday morning. With all the resources we have in our wonderful country and state, it’s just a blessing, that Farm Bureau is just so good to partner with us because truly, they they give the opportunity to our kids that I just don’t have to give because of finances and that it helps give extra food to our kids. And we’re just asking for basic basic needs and Farm Bureau hips stay that helps us make those things.
Thomas Capps
I mean, we always say the people that grow our food are amazing. And that’s who we represent every day and they grow enough food to where everybody should be able to have something to eat and especially these these kids, I mean, they’re most innocent among us, and this is definitely making that happen.
Jessica Johnson
Yes, if it wasn’t, if it wasn’t for this program, there was no way there would be no way because Send this extra food home on the weekends. Because this program that I operate under does not have the funds to do so without partnerships like with the Farm Bureau shooting hunger,
Thomas Capps
And the shooting hunger event. I mean, this is something that’s really grown over the years, we have three events now, West, middle and East Tennessee. And a lot of times, you know, people it’s Farm Bureau is a big part of it. But yeah, Tennessee farmers Co Op farm credit, and just a whole lot of people and the ag community that comes together, they may come to these shooting events and, and shoot in it and know that it’s going for a good cause. But now, you know, once once we’re here today, they can actually see the end result and see where this is going that what they’re doing is more than just a clay sporting event, it’s actually going to defeat the people of Tennessee.
Jessica Johnson
Yes, in my opinion, education is our number one resource for our children, and it’s not their fault, the situation that our children are living in. And by the funds that Farm Bureau shooting, hunger is donating to the program that I’ll work with, which is called Atlas, where you’re giving these children, maybe school isn’t their favorite place to be. But if they know they’re going to receive food and support from us, I hope it gets them in the door every day, and keeps them coming to school on a regular basis. And shooting hunger provides that extra food it it keeps them coming in the door. And by them continuing to come to school, it keeps them on track for graduation. Education is definitely what they need to improve their situation.
Thomas Capps
And I’m sure you mentioned the grant. We’ve mentioned how shooting hunger is played a big role in that. But I’m sure even those resources are limited. If people are listening to this, and they want to help even more than what they already have. Or maybe they’ve never heard of this. And this is their first time hearing about it. Is there a way for people to help and provide funding or whatever is needed for this program.
Jessica Johnson
If anybody wanted to provide any kind of assistance for the program, they can make a donation to Rutherford County Schools Atlas program. And those funds would go directly to our students and help support that food is sufficiency that they that we deal with on a weekly basis, it would go straight to the Atlas programs account where we buy groceries, and meet the basic needs our children have every day.
Thomas Capps
And your time. In this position. Have you seen the need grow? Is it something that continues to grow every year?
Jessica Johnson
Yes. Today? Well, I’ll talk about from yesterday. And today, just the beginning of this week, we’ve enrolled 20 More students, this program isn’t something that you just enroll in the beginning of the year. It’s a daily basis. And like I said previously, we have 300 More students today that we did this time last year. It’s so sad to see the numbers just continuing to grow. The knee continues to grow. And I don’t see it slowing any at all this year. So it makes me wonder what’s going to happen next year. It just seems to be larger and larger.
Thomas Capps
We’ll just get a wonderful thing that you all are doing. And the great thing is is that this, this is going to all 95 counties. So it’s not just here in Rutherford County, this is helping kids all across the state. And it does sound like the need unfortunately continues to grow. But hopefully this is making a difference and, and feeding hungry, hungry children.
Jessica Johnson
This is making a huge difference. And I hope that anyone that hears this realizes a major impact a direct impact for our students and the future of our communities. This program is making a huge difference. So thank you so much.
Thomas Capps
Well, the name of our podcast is root of the matter. And so we always ask this question to anyone that’s on here. What is the root of the matter with this particular subject?
Jessica Johnson
The root of the matter for this particular subject for my students, being homeless, I think is affordable housing in our area. But that’s a huge, huge problem. So for me, the root of the matter is making sure students are fed so they can come to school and learn every day and not have a hungry tummy because nobody’s going to be able to sit still and learn when they’re starving.
Thomas Capps
Well, Jessica, thanks for joining us today.
Jessica Johnson
Thank you. Thank you for having me.
Charley Martinez and his team at UTIA have been conducting research on the amount of farmland we’ve lost in Tennessee. They now have hard data, and the numbers are staggering.
Thomas Capps
So joining us now on root of the matter is Charlie Martinez with UT and Charlie, y’all have been looking at the numbers for farmland loss for several months now. And we’ve got some numbers in what What have y’all come up with over the last several months.
Charley Martinez
So we’ve of course been going through looking at different data sets, the number of acres that have been converted out of agriculture production, it depends on what data set you’re looking at. So for instance, crops gate data, which comes from USDA, NASS, they estimate that we’ve lost around 86,000 acres a year for the past four years, five years. Actually, if you look at comptroller data, and you look at that, from the comptroller treasury, here in Tennessee, we’re averaging 34 34,000 acres a year that we’ve lost the last five years. And so we’re getting a wide range of variation in terms of how much we’ve been losing, to, you know, out of, you know, out of production, I think, regardless of the of what dataset you’re looking at, the big thing is that we are still losing data at a high rate. And it depends upon what county or what region of Tennessee that you’re in east versus West versus middle. And the one thing that we’re excited about the most is that we’ve collected parcel of a data from tax assessor’s offices offices across the state. And we’re on our way to having a data set that’s going to have parcel of a data that allows us to look not only just at an aggregate state level, or, or by county, for instance, but then we can actually dive into regions of a county that might be nearing, you know, the Nashville area. And you know, how was that land, what land what type all that stuff, we’re on the right track. And it’s, I wish we could already have it done today. But it’s just taking time and effort. And it’s not just me it’s CTAS and UT as well, they’ve been tremendously helpful in getting data. It’s other colleagues in our department, that we’ve really worked hard, and our grad students and our undergrad students have really helped us. And so it’s just taking time. I wish we could fast forward it. But I think we’re, we’re well on our way on the right on the right path.
Thomas Capps
So we have the the numbers of how much we’re losing, is the why factor. Is that something that you all are going to eventually try and dive into as well?
Charley Martinez
Yes. So you know, the why factor, it’s when it comes to agriculture, we know that there are producers that will sell their land whenever they’re ready to retire, because that’s basically like a 401k for them. And so we know that that’s part of it. Another part of it’s going to be the low profitability over the past couple of years in agriculture. And so that’s driving it, but the y part of it, it could be regionally based in terms what I’m what I mean by that it could be a city that wanting to build schools and needed and it for school zones, it could be an area that wants to build more residential area, you know, have more residential area have more things of that nature. But we also know that there’s industrial, there’s commercial growth in certain areas as well. If you think about West Knoxville, and the Farragut area and things like that, that those have all changed over the last 20 years. And so the why is is going to be something that we’re chasing, but not only the why, but what does it mean for the Tennessee economy is what we really want to know what does it mean, as this land has gone out? We know it’s not going to be even and we know we have the blue of city coming. What’s that? What’s that going to look like in the future? That’s what we really want to know.
Thomas Capps
I mean, that’s a good point, because these are large numbers. And that’s before Blue Oval city is built.
Charley Martinez
Yes, yeah. And then I think that’s why having the parcel of of data is going to give us more insight. And then we know we can look at historically speaking, we know we can go look at where other dealers are not not dealerships, but manufacturers have built in how you know what the spatial ramifications were. And we can do that and forecast in West Tennessee and think about okay, what can it look like hearing in 1520 years? We know that that’s going to be a question that you know, not only us, but other folks in in Tennessee want to know.
Thomas Capps
So you’re at the Tennessee Farm Bureau headquarters here in Columbia today. And you all presented your data and and met with some Farm Bureau folks met with some folks from the Department of Agriculture here in Tennessee, what all the y’all talk about? And it looked like in there that you all were maybe kind of brainstorming about this particular topic and issue.
Charley Martinez
So part of you know, you know, Assistant, Mr. Jeff Aiken asked us to start looking at data and trying to understand about that, and this happened last fall. For today’s meeting, it was everything we’ve got up to this point in terms of the data availability, the limitations, the the pros and cons, if you will, of the data, the data that we’ve currently been assembling from the tax assessor’s offices, and then here’s where we are, and here’s where we’re at. And here’s where basically what we presented on was where we think the estimates are correct, where they we think that there’s some issues, and why we think this parcel of data is going to be the key to it all. You know, for us in education and an extension, it’s we do the research and try to figure out, you know, are certain measurements better than others. And so for the folks that were in the room, they wanted to know, how much land have we lost? And that’s what we’re there to answer. And so, it was interesting hearing, you know, everybody’s different takes on it because we have different agents He’s, and the one thing that’s been kind of, I wouldn’t say surprising, but it’s been kind of refreshing is that the question of farmland conversion has been asked by not only TDA, but Farm Bureau tax assessor’s offices, local government have asked those types of questions. And I think we’re on the path now to have a data set that can help answer those questions. And so this brainstorming session today, for you know, for us coming in here and presenting the data, it was really refreshing to see that, hey, you know, we want to, we’re gonna we can trust this data, we can move forward. And that’s what they were doing in the room. So very fun and refreshing, though.
Thomas Capps
So you mentioned that you’ve come a long way and getting the numbers but still a long way to go kind of where are you at in the process right now, and what what’s the end goal for you all and collecting this data.
Charley Martinez
So if you rewind the clock to last fall when we had parcel counts. Now, because of C tasks, which is the County Technical Assistance Program at UT Extension, a fella named Joe Griffin and I have been going around the tax assessor’s offices getting parcel data, the shapefile data for GIS mapping, we currently have seven counties, from the from the counties, there’s nine counties that don’t report the state because of software package issues that they just don’t communicate. But we have seven of those nine counties, we’re waiting on a one dump one dump set from the state, or the 86 counties that do report, it should become anytime soon. And once it gets in, once we get our hands on all that. The next goal is I feel bad for saying this, but my grandson is gonna have a lot of work crunching, data crunching and making maps for us. But I think it’s only a matter of time, I think our hope is to have it done before the end of summer, and have a data set that, you know, if policymakers have a question on, you know, what, what is the impact of blankenberge? In certain counties, we can answer that, we want to move towards this baseline, the baseline though, it’s going to take a little bit more time, because we have to go historically, back and estimate prices, look at land quality, so like soil survey ins, for instance, roads, all this type of stuff, is what we’re going to have to do what we have to do to understand it. The other issue that I know we’re going to run into is that not all counties record data the same. So we’re trying to figure out, you know, if county a reports, agriculture has a certain code, and county B doesn’t, we got to start matching them all up. And so that’s been the other tricky part. But it shouldn’t take too much longer. It shouldn’t take too much more time. It’s just gonna be a matter of getting the data and in crunching, crunching them, Bill, not me, the grass students.
Thomas Capps
Well, the name of our podcast is Root of the Matter and we try to ask everyone that we have on our podcast, what is the root of the matter? What What would you say the root of the matter is this particular subject and really the root of the matter of the data that you have collected thus far?
Charley Martinez
I see. I think that it’s a classic economist, the root of the matter, it depends how you know who’s asking the question. So for me, and how we look at this data, the root root of the matter is, I think there’s data sets out there. And I suggested that we’re losing land at a certain rate. And I don’t know if I truly believe those. And so the root of the matter for me is that we want to get to a data set that we can trust we can rely on, we don’t have to worry about reporting, decreased reporting rates and stuff of that nature. And the best part about it is that it’s not only us that wants that want the data to get done. It’s everyone that has questions about this one wanted to get done all the way from local to state government. And so for me, that’s the that’s the most exciting part about it all.
Thomas Capps
Well, Charlie, thanks for joining us, and I’m sure we’ll be talking with you again on this
Charley Martinez
Of course, thanks.
Thomas Capps
Could there be a break in inflation at the grocery store? Hello and welcome to Tennessee Holman Farm Radio. I’m Thomas Capps, Americans have had to dig deeper into their pocketbooks over the last several years at the grocery store, as we’ve seen record high inflation in just about all grocery store items, but as Gary Crawford with the US Department of Agriculture reports, there are signs food prices could be improving.
Gary Crawford
Looking at food price inflation last month, the price growth was even lower than we expected. In fact, USDA economist Matt McLaughlin says grocery store food prices dropped last month for the first time since late 2020. Leading he and his team to revise their forecasts for the year. Now last month, Matt was forecasting grocery store food prices this year, would top last year by almost 8%. But he’s taken that down now to 6.6%. So why is food price inflation cooling off?
Matt MacLachlan
We still are increasing interest rates that generally placed downward pressures on prices across the economy. And so as other prices in the economy decrease this includes the prices for things like energy and labor. These are also inputs in the food supply chain, making it cheaper to bring food to retail.
Gary Crawford
Even so he says most foods will still cost more than last year possible exceptions to that beef, pork, fresh fruits and fresh vegetables. Gary Crawford for the US Department of Agriculture.
Thomas Capps
Thanks Gary and Gary’s point not all food prices are slowing down from an inflation standpoint, as McLaughlin explains, some are still trending upward
Matt MacLachlan
Other meats, which includes things like hot dogs and frankfurters went up by over a percentage point between February and March and we similarly revised our forecasts up about a percentage point and a half to 5.9% for 2023.
Thomas Capps
Time will tell if the forecast holds true for all of these products and hopefully consumers can get some relief for Tennessee home and Farm Radio. I’m Thomas Capps.
On this episode we talk with Matt Niswander, a first generation cattle farmer in Lawrence County and owner of Niswander Family Medicine, who recently testified before Congress during a Subcommittee on Health for the House Ways and Means Committee.
Link to Hearing: Why Health Care is Unaffordable: Fallout of Dem’s Inflation on Patients and Small Businesses
On this episode of Root of The Matter Congressman Mark Green joins Lee Maddox to talk about the US & Mexico border, Waters of The United States, the economy, and the importance of pro agriculture policy.
For 40 years the Optimara Group has called downtown Nashville home. The horticulture company is known for their beautiful African Violets. Optimara is deeply established in Nashville now, but the family owned business started in Germany in the early 1900’s. On this episode of Root of The Matter we talk with Optimara Group President, Reinhold Holtkamp, about his family’s business story & about what’s kept it going all these years.
For many young people, getting into production agriculture may seem impossible. Missouri Cattle farmer Josh Worthington is trying to squash that idea though. He travels across the country telling young people that with hard work and determination, they can begin a career in production agriculture.
Braxten Nielsen is a motivational speaker. He travels across the country sharing his personal story of recovery, after he was paralyzed from a rodeo accident. Nielsen recently spoke to a group of young people at the Tennessee Council of Cooperatives Young Leaders Conference in Franklin, TN.
Tommy Grisafi is a commodity broker for Advance Trading Inc. On this episode of Root of The Matter Grisafi talks about what he’s seeing in commodity markets and prices, and how inflation and high interest rates are impacting farmers.
Dr. Andrew Muhammad with the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is an expert on national trade. On this episode of Root of The Matter Dr. Muhammad updates on the state of foreign trade and fertilizer prices
On this episode of Root of the Matter we sit down with Tennessee Cattlemen’s Executive Vice President, Charles Hord, to discuss their recent winter meeting and issues facing the cattle industry.
Dustin Pearson is a cattle producer in Washington County. He recently just started his two year term as President of the Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association. He discusses what it means to become president of TCA with Lee Maddox on this episode of Root of the Matter.
Dr. Temple Grandin is an academic and animal behaviorist. She is well known for her work in improving squeeze chutes and educating producers on better animal handling techniques. She recently spoke at the Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association winter meeting.
Trent Loos is a 6th generation farmer from Nebraska and a Ag media personality. He joins Thomas Capps on this episode of Root of the Matter to discuss the issues facing agriculture today, and what local farmers can do to let their voices be heard.
A conversation with Rep. John Rose, TN-6th District, on being selected to the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture for the 118th Congress.
The post ROTM: Congressman John Rose joins House Ag Committee appeared first on Tennessee Farm Bureau.
We visit with State Veterinarian Dr. Samantha Beaty as she discusses her role at the Tennessee Department of Agriculture and gives an update on the avian influenza detection in backyard and commercial poultry flocks in West Tennessee.
The post ROTM: State Veterinarian Dr. Samantha Beaty appeared first on Tennessee Farm Bureau.
Eric Snodgrass, Principal Atmospheric Scientist with Nutrien Ag Solutions joins us to discuss the start of Winter and the impacts into next Spring.
The post ROTM: Winter Forecast with Eric Snodgrass appeared first on Tennessee Farm Bureau.
Kim Ballard, of Franklin County, was recently selected as a member of the Tennessee Farm Bureau insurance Board of Directors. She discusses what it means to be selected as a board member, and what she hopes to contribute.
The post ROTM: Kim Ballard of Franklin County Selected to TFBF Insurance Board appeared first on Tennessee Farm Bureau.
Will Elliott was recently selected as the new TN Young Farmers & Ranchers State Chair. He details what he hopes to accomplish during his time as chair in this episode of Root of The Matter.
The post ROTM: TN YF&R Chair Will Elliott appeared first on Tennessee Farm Bureau.
Obion County native Stephen Vaden sits on the Court of International Trade. He recently addressed Tennessee farmers at the Tennessee Farm Bureau Convention, about the importance of participating in open comment periods. We talked more with him about why that’s important in this episode of Root of The Matter.
The post ROTM: A Conversation With Stephen Vaden appeared first on Tennessee Farm Bureau.
A report from the United Nations says that food insecurity is a growing problem around the world. Farm Journal Foundation Director of Government Affairs, Kelsey Barnes, discusses what’s driving the increase in food insecurity, and what can be done to solve the problem.
The post ROTM: Food Insecurity Growing Problem appeared first on Tennessee Farm Bureau.
The Tennessee chapter of the Farmer Veteran Coalition is working to bring veterans into the field of agriculture after their time of service. Farming is a great way to give veterans a new start after their service, and a great venue for veterans to heal from the wounds of war. In this episode of Root of The Matter we talk to the President & Vice President of the TN Farmer Veteran Coalition about their mission and how you can help.
The post ROTM: Farmer Veteran Coalition of Tennessee appeared first on Tennessee Farm Bureau.
The ongoing drought has brought historic water levels on the Mississippi River. Those low levels are creating problems for farmers who rely on the water way to transport harvested grain. On this episode of Root of The Matter Lee Maddox talks with, Mike Steenhoek, with the Soy Transportation Coalition & corn and soybean farmer, Alan Meadows, about the challenges farmers are facing.
The post ROTM: Historic Low Water Levels On The Mississippi River appeared first on Tennessee Farm Bureau.
Kevin Thompson discusses the impact of the work being conducted at the University of Tennessee’s Middle Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center ahead of their Beef and Forage Field Day. UT Beef and Forage Field Day website
The post Beef and Forage Field Day appeared first on Tennessee Farm Bureau.
In this episode of Root of The Matter we talk with the Farmers’ Almanac Editor Pete Geiger about the famous weather guide, and the science behind their forecasting.
The post Farmers’ Almanac Editor Pete Geiger appeared first on Tennessee Farm Bureau.
The Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration in ShelbyVille, TN was back in full swing this year. TN Walking Horse Celebration CEO, Warren Wells sat down to discuss the nationally recognized event with Tennessee Farm Bureau’s Lee Maddox.
The post Conversation With TN Walking Horse Celebration CEO Warren Wells appeared first on Tennessee Farm Bureau.
A delegation of Tennessee 4-H have traveled to Botswana Africa to help the Dream Academy with local school children, teaching them about agriculture and STEM and working to bring back the “4-B” club.
The post Tennessee 4-H Making the Best Better in Africa appeared first on Tennessee Farm Bureau.
A Conversation with Stefan Maupin who after 27 years of public policy work for the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation will become the Executive Director of the Tennessee Soybean Promotion Council.
The post 27 Years of Public Policy with Stefan Maupin appeared first on Tennessee Farm Bureau.
Dr. Carrie Castille will soon start her new role as Senior Vice Chancellor of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. In this episode of Root of The Matter Lee Maddox talks with Dr. Castille about her new position and her career.
The post A Conversation With New UTIA Senior Vice Chencellor Dr. Carrie Castille appeared first on Tennessee Farm Bureau.
On this Episode of Root of The Matter we sit down with Department Head of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science at The University of Tennessee Knoxville. She discusses what her department does and how they help the Ag industry.
The post ROTM: A Conversation With Dr. Julie Carrier appeared first on Tennessee Farm Bureau.
On this episode of Root of The Matter we sit down with UT Extension Farm Financial Specialist Charly Martinez. We discuss what he does and farming financial issues.
The post ROTM: A Conversation With Charly Martinez appeared first on Tennessee Farm Bureau.
University of Tennessee Extension recently named Dr. Justin Rhinehart as Assistant Dean for Agriculture and Natural Resources and Community Economic Development. In this episode of Root of The Matter we sit down with Dr. Rhinehart to discuss his new position and other topics in agriculture.
The post ROTM: A Conversation With Dr. Justin Rhinehart appeared first on Tennessee Farm Bureau.
West Tennessee will change drastically over the next several years as Ford builds their new electric truck manufacturing plant in Haywood County. Around six thousand new jobs will be created and more development is sure to follow. On this episode of Root of The Matter we discuss how the new ford facility will impact farming […]
The post ROTM: Conversation With Clay Bright On Blue Oval City Development appeared first on Tennessee Farm Bureau.
Hamblen County farmer John Litz has been appointed by President Joe Biden as the new state Executive Director of the Farm Service Agency in Tennessee.
The post ROTM: John Litz Appointed Tenn. FSA State Director appeared first on Tennessee Farm Bureau.
On this episode of Root of The Matter Lee Maddox speaks with TWRA Assistant Chief of Game Species, Stephanie Karnes, about Chronic Wasting Disease in deer.
The post ROTM: Conversation with TWRA’s Stephanie Karnes on Chronic Wasting Disease appeared first on Tennessee Farm Bureau.
On this episode of Root of the Matter TFBF President Jeff Aiken reflects on his career with the Tennessee Farm Bureau, and why he decided to not run for reelection and head back to his farm.
The post ROTM: President Jeff Aiken Reflects on Farm Bureau Career appeared first on Tennessee Farm Bureau.
Welcome to Root of the Matter - a brand new podcast where we aim to get to the "root of the matter on issues, events and news defining our most important industry, agriculture. Before we jump into those things though, listen to our first episode as we provide a glimpse on why we’re doing this podcast and where the name came from. HINT: Our good friend and coworker Melissa Bratton has something to do with it.
The post ROTM: A Tribute to Melissa appeared first on Tennessee Farm Bureau.
A conversation with Tracey True, manager of Food and Nutrition Outreach for the Dairy Alliance, about the science-based facts for milk and dairy products and how milk boosts immune health all year, but especially in the colder seasons of Fall and Winter.
The post ROTM: Milk – The Official Beverage of Tennessee & Halloween! appeared first on Tennessee Farm Bureau.