TENNESSEE

1. Significant Activities/Program Highlights

• Plant pest identification is the foundation for any pest management program, allowing crop losses to be reduced if pests are identified quickly. In 1999, Extension began a pilot program for pest identification through digital imaging using the Internet. Development of a Web page permits county Extension agents to post pest images for speedy identification by specialists at the UT Plant and Pest Diagnostic Center. The program is now available to counties through digital cameras. Thus far in 2000, 864 sets of digital plant pest images have been submitted by agents throughout Tennessee. More than 75 percent of the pests were identified within 24 hours of submission. Farmers can respond more quickly to pest outbreaks with appropriate management strategies and save thousands of dollars.

• The Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Community program in Tennessee is one of the most successful in the country. Tennessee has three designated Enterprise Communities and five active Champion Communities. The economic impact is substantial. One Enterprise Community, including two of the poorest counties in the nation, has garnered more than $100 million in federal and state grants and loans. This assistance is a direct result of the Enterprise Community designation and could be worth more than $500 million in increased economic activity, improved social well-being of community residents, increased availability of adequate housing, reduced drop-out rates, increased job skill levels for youth, diminished family violence and improved job opportunities, resulting in a dramatic decline in unemployment. Extension has provided leadership and technical expertise in the development and evaluation of community-level strategic plans and the formation of partnerships with public and private entities necessary for these designations.

• Extension’s Agricultural Development Center is designed to enhance the economic potential of Tennessee’s agricultural industry through value-added projects, enterprises and businesses. A team of marketing, financial and production specialists collaborate to develop, evaluate, enhance and provide support for value-added projects. During the first two years, 42 farmer/agri-entrepreneur projects have been completed and 18 more are in progress. Seventeen market development surveys have been completed. Over $115,000 in grant funds have been received. Fifty percent of the completed projects have a value-added product available on the market, eight of which have made significant advancements as a result of the ADC.

2. Priority Programs

1. Income Alternatives (target audience: burley tobacco producers)

• Evaluating Family Resources and Goals
• Risk Management

2. Agricultural Development Center

• Adding value through processing, packaging and marketing
• Feasibility and marketing analysis
• Encouraging entrepreneurship

3. Animal Waste Management

• Nutrient management planning
• Record keeping
• Improving the understanding of animal agriculture

4. Clean Water for Tennessee

• Creating awareness/understanding of watershed and water quality issues
• Farm-a-syst/Home-a-syst self assessment
• Improving water quality in priority watersheds

5. Food Safety

• producers
• processors
• institutions
• consumers

6. Forest Landowners Initiative

• Master Landowner short courses
• Assisting establishment of landowner associations
• Forest landowner demonstrations
• Forest-A-Syst

3. Administrative Changes

• All departments combined to include Extension, Research and Teaching under one Head effective July 1, 2000
• Dean of Extension - Charles Norman
• Dean of College of Veterinary Medicine - Michael Blackwell
• Dean of Agricultural Experiment Station and College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources - C.A. Speer
• Assistant Dean, Extension Family and consumer Sciences - Search underway

4. Major Issues

• Farm income/profitability
• State tax reform
• Funding for higher education
• Employing and retaining quality faculty and staff
• Confined animal feeding regulations
• Tobacco dependent counties
• Forest land use in the future