December 2006

675 U. S. Courthouse

Nashville, Tennessee 37203

Telephone: 615/277-2531

FAX: 615/277-2577

Message from the State Conservationist

Current

Inside This Issue....

Developments

Natural Resources Conservation Service

Helping People Help the Land

Page

I

t is with a mixture of great personal feelings that I bring you this message. I am joyful for

the blessed holiday season and for the remarkable opportunity I have had to spend a

decade of my life as Tennessee’s State Conservationist. The chance I have been given to

work with the fine employees of NRCS in Tennessee and with our excellent partners and

customers has been a rich and rewarding experience. As you know, I am retiring as the new

calendar year gets underway, and saying goodbye is never easy. It will be difficult to leave

dedicated friends, colleagues, and coworkers. I know how committed you all are to natural

resources conservation, and I am proud to have stood with you and beside you while

working toward protecting and preserving Tennessee’s natural resources these past ten

years.

In the last issue of Current Developments, I congratulated you on a job well done for helping

NRCS-Tennessee out of the budget deficit in which we found ourselves during fiscal year

2006. Since publication of that newsletter, we received word that the preliminary budget for

fiscal year 2007 will likely result in a deficit which is even greater than the one we just

overcame. It is this new challenge that makes my heart heavy as I depart, since it comes at

a time when our agency will be in transition as a new State Conservationist is named and is

settling into the job. However, I have tremendous faith in the people of NRCS and in the

management team in place throughout the state. Our Area Conservationists and our State

Office managers are experienced and committed leaders. They are also dedicated to working

closely with the new State Conservationist—whoever is named to that position—to ensure

that your important efforts to preserve and protect Tennessee’s natural resources are

sustained at the highest level of quality.

Thank you for your support, your friendship, and most of all for your excellent work. I salute

your ongoing success in Helping People Help the Land.

James W. Ford

State Conservationist Upcoming Events

10th Annual National Conservation January 29-30, 2007

 Systems Cotton & Rice Conference Omni Houston Hotel Westside

 For more info: www.nctd.net or call Houston, Texas

 573-547-2244

63rd Annual TACD Convention February 22-25, 2007

 For registration info: Marriott Nashville Airport

 http://www.tn.nrcs.usda.gov/ Nashville, Tennessee

31st Annual National Wild Turkey February 22-25, 2007

 Federation Convention & Sport Show Gaylord Opryland Resort Hotel

 For more info: http://www.nwtf.org/

Beef Cattle Tour in West Tennessee 2

Bedford Jackson Memorial 3

Billy Gulledge Memorial 6

Carbon/Air Quality Project 2

Earth Team Annual Report 3

Local Partnership Makes School 6

 Ground Safe Again

Marshall County Dairy Animal 14

Waste Systems Completed in 303d

Watersheds

Photo Contest Winning Entries 4-5

Retirees -

 Matt Crowell 10

 Sam Darnell 11

 James Ford 12

 Larry Hasty 10

 Ray Holyfield 11

 Hugh Jackson 9

 James Needham 11

 Johnny Sandefer 9

Survey Equipment to Improve 16

NRCS-TN Efficiency

SWCS Fall Meeting 8

Tennessean Receives Prestigious 7

 Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt/Expo

 Southeastern Farmer of the Year

Tennessee Welcomes Terrance 3

 Rudolph as Area Conservationist
- 2 -

Current Developments Current Developments

Yes, it is hard to believe that scattered

amongst the cotton and soybean fields in

West Tennessee cattle do roam. The Twin

Valleys RC&D Council in Louisiana recently

sponsored a four state livestock tour and

came to Henderson County for a look-see on

how our farmers raise cattle.

Chris Moyers and Gary Blackwood

coordinated the tour hosted by the Lexington

Field Office and the Henderson County Soil

Conservation District. The tour consisted of a

backgrounding operation that feeds out

approximately 2,000 calves every fall and

winter. The tour concluded at a registered

Beefmaster operation where a lunch of (no

not barbecue) ribeye steak sandwiches was

served. The tour also highlighted many best

management practices that had been installed

with grant funds from the Chickasaw-Shiloh

RC&D Council and installed with technical

assistance from the Lexington Field Office.

A Beef Cattle Tour in West Tennessee?

Tennessee Carbon/Air Quality Project

The Tennessee Association of Conservation Districts (TACD) was awarded

a grant from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture to fund an Air

Quality/Soil Quality Research Project in 2000. The project is located on

property owned by the Robertson County Conservation District. This

Conservation District Board reviews and approves all technical work at the

project site. The local NRCS technical team including a Grazing Land

Specialist, Conservation Agronomist, and three Soil Scientists provide the

technical work.

When farmers plow the land, each tillage trip mixes oxygen into the soil,

which oxidizes organic matter and releases carbon dioxide into the

atmosphere. When this carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere, it

contributes to global climate change, also called global warming.

However, when farmers use no-till cropping systems or permanent grass

for haying or grazing, the carbon is trapped in the ground and will not be

released into the atmosphere. When carbon is trapped in the ground, it

improves soil quality by increasing organic matter as well as this air

quality benefit.

The 16-plot project includes practices that trap carbon as well as negative

practices that release carbon for study. This project can be used by the

USDA/Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) National

Headquarters as a model for the Southeastern United States. We will be

able to measure the amount of carbon per acre that is being sequestered

on a farmer’s property. The model can also be used to establish program

funds for maintaining conservation practices that sequester carbon on

farms across the Southeast. The project is in the fifth year of study,

which includes carbon and soil quality testing and crop yield monitoring.

Local District Conservationist James Brown and Conservation Farmer

Buddy Bourne are part of the technical team.

Photo above: Greg Brann, NRCS Grazing Specialist, and James

Brown, NRCS DC, Springfield Field Office working on the Carbon/Air

Quality Demonstration Project in Robertson County.

by Chris Moyers

by Phil Cherry
- 3 -

Rudolph selected as Area

Conservationist for East

Tennessee

State Conservationist James Ford has named

Terrance Rudolph to be the new Area

Conservationist for Area 3 (East Tennessee).

Terrance is originally from Bellville, Alabama

(Conecuh County). He graduated from

Alabama A&M University with a degree in

Agricultural Education. He spent summers as

a student trainee with NRCS in Janesville,

Wisconsin. Upon graduation, he joined the

agency fulltime as a Soil Conservationist in

Walworth County, Wisconsin.

From there, Terrance was promoted to acting

District Conservationist in Madison and

Portage, Wisconsin before accepting a

permanent DC position in Burlington, Iowa. After another promotion to a District

Conservationist position in East Lansing, Michigan, he served for nearly four years before his

selection as East Tennessee’s new Area Conservationist. Terrance is an avid golfer, hunter,

and fisherman. He also enjoys spending time with his family. He and his wife have a 15-

month old daughter.

NRCS-Tennessee employees from across the state participated in the 2006 NRCS-TN

Photo Contest. Participants submitted more than 300 entries, and nearly all the images

will be available for viewing via the NRCS-TN website soon. Thanks to our contest judge,

David Duhl, who teaches Photography at Nashville State Community College and

maintains a portfolio of over 9,000 images capturing the natural world. He specializes in

native plants and animals, national parks, Tennessee landscapes and landmarks, and

natural history. The criteria used by Mr. Duhl in the judging included: Lighting; Treatment

of Subject; and Composition.

Congratulations to the winners! The winning photos are on pages 4-5.

 NRCS Photo Contest

FY06 Tennessee Earth Team

Annual Report

The 2006 Earth Team Annual Status Report

has been released from headquarters, and

the figures show Tennessee’s Earth Team

program is one of the most active and vital

programs in the southeastern United States.

From October 2005 through September

2006, a total number of 1,681 Tennessee

Earth Team members volunteered their time

to promote natural resources conservation

throughout the state. Their work combined

to a grand total of 15,506 hours of

volunteered time to Tennessee’s Earth Team

program in fiscal year 2006. Congratulations

to Tennessee Earth Team Coordinator

Dimple Geesling, and all the State’s Area

coordinators: Debbie Blankenship and Faye

Floyd in West Tennessee; Heather Conner

and Cory Hodge in Middle Tennessee; and

Lorella Jennings and Terron Hillsman in

East Tennessee.

Tennessee Earth Team Volunteer Award

Winners are:

Group Volunteer Award - Alvin C. York

 Agricultural Institute Special Learning

 Work-Based Program, Fentress County

Earth Team Employee Award - Volunteer

 Coordinator, Debra Blankenship, Office

 Assistant, Chickasaw-Shiloh RC&D Office

ET Partnership Award - Cumberland County.

 Soil Conservation District

Individual ET Award - Jimmy Winfree,

 Carthage Field Office.

During his career with NRCS, he was the

party leader in Hamilton County and also

worked on the Monroe County Soil Survey.

He worked around the Chattanooga area for

most of his career.

Bedford Jackson, retired soil scientist, died

Friday Sept 15, at the age of 82. Mr. Jackson

was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, a member of

the American Legion #5033 and VFW Post

#66.

He received a B.S. degree from Tennessee

Technological University in agriculture and a

master’s from Kansas State University in

agronomy. He worked for the Soil

Conservation Service and retired as a soil

scientist. He was also a well-known surveyor

for 27 years in Bledsoe and surrounding

counties. He was a member of the United

States Civil Service Commission, National

Society of Professional Surveyors, Soil and

Water Conservation Society, National Rifle

Association and served on the Land Surveyor

Board.

“He was my first supervisor. He was a really

good soil scientist and a dedicated employee,” stated Paul Fulks. “ He was proud

of the fact that he was a licensed surveyor .

He surveyed part-time during his career.

After he retired, he worked as a land

surveyor and remained active surveying

until a few months before his death.”

Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Doris

Jackson, two daughters, one son, and

four grandchildren.

Bedford Jackson

1924 - 2006

Current Developments Current Developments
- 4 -

Current Developments Current Developments

Natural Resources/Agriculture

Photo Contest Winners

1st Place

Winter Solitude - Deer in Snow (Wilson County)

Mike Hart, GIS Specialist, Murfreesboro Area Office

2nd Place

Cotton Field No. 1 (Carroll County)

James Woodall, District Conservationist, Camden Field Office

3rd Place

Deer in Sunlight (Sumner County)

Jeanne Eastham, Public Affairs Specialist, Gallatin Field Office
Current Developments Current Developments

- 5 -

Grazing Photo Contest Winners

1st Place

Horse Grazing in the Mist (Crockett County)

Wray Pulliam, District Conservationist, Alamo Field Office

2nd Place

Sterling Road Goats (Cocke County)

Carol Chandler, Biologist, Water Resources Staff

3rd Place

Goats Grazing (Claiborne County)

Todd Reed, District Conservationist, Tazewell Field Office
- 6 -

Current Developments Current Developments

Billy Gulledge, District Conservationist in

Dickson County from 1974 to 1994, left a

legacy in Dickson County that is still visible

today. He assisted landowners in installing

conservation practices such as ponds,

waterways, critical area treatment sites,

animal waste systems, seeded road banks,

retention areas, and more that are still

evident throughout the county. He started the

annual farm tour in 1974 to draw attention to

the conservation practices installed on farms

in Dickson County. This idea was so

successful the annual farm tour is still being

conducted today.

He received several awards during his career,

including the NACD Award for “District Conservationist of the Year” in 1988-1989. He retired

in 1994, but never stopped learning or teaching conservation. In 1995, he was selected as

AGI Business Leader of the Year by the Dickson County Chamber of Commerce. He was a

member of the Chamber of Commerce Ag Committee from 1974 until his death. He served as

a Director on the Five Rivers RC&D Council from 1997 to 2005. He worked with other RC&D

Directors to get RC&D funding for the J. Dan Buckner Park in the City of Dickson and then

spent numerous hours working on this project for NRCS. The J. Dan Buckner Park is still a

beautiful park, a great asset to Dickson County and a tribute to the conservation legacy Billy

Gulledge left.

After retirement, he was active in his community. He worked with his fellow church members

one day a week assisting with their “meals on wheels” program. He drove to Clarksville each

week and picked up the weekly papers for distribution. He was owner and operator of the B&J

Liquid Feed Company which serviced Dickson County, adjoining counties and parts of West

Tennessee. He also worked as a soil conservation technician with the Dickson County SCD

from 2002 to August 30, 2006.

He is survived by three children, 4 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren. He was a

member of the Water Street Church of Christ where he served as an Elder and church

treasurer. He lived on his 35 acre cattle farm in the Sylvia Community of Dickson County.

School playgrounds are supposed to be fun

and safe. But a ditch on one Trousdale

County Elementary School playground

turned into a danger for children because of

ongoing soil erosion. The ditch was getting

deeper, and school officials realized it had

turned into a hazard.

In the fall of 2004, Trousdale County Schools

Superintendent Margaret Oldham, contacted

Dwight Bell, the Natural Resources

Conservation Service (NRCS) District

Conservationist at the Trousdale County Soil

Conservation District, to see what could be

done about the problem that was steadily

getting worse.

Ms. Oldham told the District Conservationist

that the ditch kept getting deeper and was

already over three feet deep in places. “It

was deep enough that a kindergarten child

could stand in it and not be seen. It was

definitely a hazard to children playing on the

playground,” she said.

Bell; Philip Brasfield, a NRCS Civil

Engineering Technician; and Jedidiah

Marshall, an Earth Team Volunteer with the

Trousdale County Soil Conservation District

immediately surveyed the site. After

determining that a riprap rock chute would be

the best solution, Brasfield designed the

chute and prepared a cost estimate.

“I began looking for sources of possible

funding for the project,” Bell said. “One of the

first people I contacted was Mark Hudson,

the Regional Administrator with the

Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA).

Fortunately, TDA was able to provide costshare funding in the form of a matching

grant.”

Claude Beasley, Trousdale County Road

Superintendent, and the Trousdale County

Highway Department did the installation at

no charge. Ms. Oldham contacted the

Rogers Group, which donated the geotextile

fabric and provided the riprap at their cost.

The Superintendent is pleased with how well

the project went. “Working together, we were

L to r: Claude Ray Beasley, Trousdale County Road

Superintendent; Toby Ellis, Rogers Group; Margaret

Oldham, Trousdale County School Superintendent;

Benny Shepherd, Rogers Group; Dwight Bell, NRCS

District Conservationist, Trousdale County SCD.

able to remove a safety hazard and provide a safe place for our students,” Ms. Oldham said.

“Everyone did a great job, our campus looks better, and our students will benefit from this

project for years to come.”

Before the project was completed, the ditch was over 3

feet deep in places.

Local Partnership Makes School

Playground Safe Again

Billy Gulledge

1932 - 2006
- 7-

Current Developments Current Developments

Bob Willis of Hillsboro, TN, has been named

the recipient of the prestigious Swisher

Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer

of the Year Award for 2006. Mr. Willis was

selected for the honor by a panel of judges

in competition among nine state finalists in

the Southeastern states of Alabama, Florida,

Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North

Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and

Virginia.

As the Southeastern Farmer of the Year,

Willis received a $14,000 cash award from

Swisher International. He also received the use of a tractor of his choice for a year from

Massey Ferguson North America; gift certificates totaling $1,000 from Southern States; a

$500 cash award, a $500 gift certificate and a custom designed jacket from the WilliamsonDickie Company; A $3,600 custom-designed gun safe from Misty Morn Safe Company.

Willis grew up the youngest of ten children and realized at a very young age if he was going

to fulfill his dream of becoming a fulltime farmer, it would have to be with his own operation.

He purchased 145 acres in 1961 and planted his first crop – sweet potatoes. Today’s

operation has grown from that 145 acres to 4,500 acres and includes a variety of crops.

Willis is the second winner of the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the

Year from Tennessee. Jimmy Tosh of Henry was selected as the overall winner in 1998.

Bob Willis receives Prestigious Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo

Southeastern Farmer of the Year Award for 2006

Wildflower Planting at First Tee of

Memphis

NRCS-TN and the Memphis Service Center

are working with the Shelby County Soil and

Water Conservation District, and NRCS Plant

Materials Specialist Sherry Surrette to help

youth in West Tennessee through an

appreciation of

natural

resources.

NRCS is

assisting with

planting

wildflowers on

the Memphis First Tee project, coordinated

through the Mid-South Junior Golf

Association/The First Tee of Memphis, which

provides youth a vehicle through which they

can have positive experiences in a nonthreatening environment. The MSJGA/The

First Tee of Memphis is committed to

instilling high standards of academic

performance, personal integrity, leadership,

athletic accomplishment and the

transmission of family values.

The MSJGA/The First Tee of Memphis seeks

to foster an appreciation of the discipline and

sportsmanship required in the game of golf,

and to demonstrate how these qualities can

be applied to everyday life experiences.

The NRCS Jamie L. Whitten Plant Materials

Center is assisting in the use of native

wildflowers and warm-season grasses in the

project. The native wildflowers Black-eyed

Susan, Clasping Coneflower, and Plains

Coreopsis (Calliopsis) were planted along

with Purpletop, a native warm season grass.

Wheat was also planted to provide soil

stabilization for the soil over the winter.

The plantings were made on the back slopes

of the tee boxes of the First Tee driving

range. The purpose of the plantings is to use

native plants, provide aesthetics, and to

reduce maintenance requirements (mowing).

The native wildflowers will meet all these

purposes.

Additional plantings of native warm season

grasses (e.g. Switchgrass, Big Bluestem,

Little Bluestem, Indian grass) as buffers will

be made in the spring of 2007. Additionally,

the possibility of creating an outdoor

classroom of plant materials is being

explored.

Photo above: Wildflower plantings on the First Tee of Memphis.

by Andy Neal
- 8 -

Current Developments Current Developments

T

he Tennessee Chapter of the Soil and

Water Conservation Society held its first

state-wide meeting since consolidating

from three chapters to one state-wide chapter.

The meeting was held on October 13-14,

2006 at the scenic Falls Creek Falls State

Park near Pikeville, Tennessee.

President John Buchanan welcomed some

forty members and guests to the meeting. The

technical portion of the meeting began at 1:00

pm on Friday with presenters from across the

state. The technical portion of the program

included presentations from Beth Chesson,

President of the State Chapter of the

International Erosion Control Association

(ICEA). The ICEA were co-sponsors of the

meeting.

Other technical session presenters were Doug

Slabaugh, State Soil Scientist with the USDA/

NRCS in Tennessee; Roy Author, Knox

County, Tennessee Watershed Coordinator;

Daniel Yoder, with the University of Tennessee

Soils Department; Mike Zeman, Biologist,

USDA/NRCS; and Brandon Chance and Jennifer Chilton with the State

of Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation,

Cookeville, Tennessee.

The technical session covered subjects ranging from use and

applications of the new RUSLE2, the history of the USDA Soil Survey

Program and its current day applications, agricultural wetland issues,

permitting issues relating to the waters of Tennessee and the ICEA’s

Muddy Water Blues program in Tennessee.

The Saturday morning business session included a report from SWCS

South Central Regional Director Ira Linville. He reported on work at the

National Chapter level to improve the Society’s position as being one of

the best professional organizations to belong to. Mr. Linville reported

that the next International meeting of SWCS will happen in July 2007

in Tampa, Fl.

Scholarship Committee Chairman Chester Bush announced that the

Chapter had issued a scholarship to Mr. Alvin Brown. The Tennessee Chapter offers

scholarship to college bound or students already enrolled at a university of college. Plans are

underway to issue more scholarships in 2007.

The SWCS mission is to advance the art and science of soil, water, and related resources

management to achieve sustainability. Anyone wishing to join the Tennessee Chapter of the

Soil and Water Conservation Society may contact any member or go online at

www.swcs.org.

Tennessee Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society Hosts First State Fall Meeting

by Charles Roberts

Photo above, l to r: John Buchanan, TN Chapter President; Charles V. Roberts, TN Chapter

Secretary-Treasurer; Ira Linville, South Central Regional Director; Don Tyler, TN Chapter Archivist,

and Mark Buckreis, TN Chapter Vice-President

Photo above: Participants of the Tennessee SWCS Chapter Meeting

on October 13-14, 2006
- 9 -

Current Developments Current Developments

Hugh Jackson, District

Conservationist, Gallatin Field Office,

is retiring after 36 years and 10

months of federal service. Hugh began his

career as a Student Trainee in the Alamo

Field Office where he worked for two

months before being drafted into the Army.

After returning from 18 months in Germany,

he worked in the Clarksville Field Office as

a Soil Conservationist for 17 years. In 1991,

he went to the Carthage Field Office as

District Conservationist.

He came to the Gallatin Field Office as a

District Conservationist in 1994. “I have

enjoyed my career with NRCS. I have had

the opportunity to work with wonderful people, both in the agency and in local communities

throughout the state. And I’ve had the good fortune to spend much of my career working in

the field helping landowners conserve our valuable natural resources,” stated Hugh. “It’s

been good.”

“Hugh gets along well with coworkers, clients, and agency partners and can be counted on to

lend a helping hand.He is the epitomy of a ‘volunteer’ and always approaches the job at hand

with a positive attitude,” says Paul Fulks, Area Conservationist, Murfreesboro Area Office.

“He will be missed by coworkers, partners and our clients.”

Hugh and his wife Joyce, who retired from the Veteran’s Administration in 2005, plan to fish,

travel and visit family and friends. They have two children, Brian and Kim, who are both in the

Nashville area. Hugh has been a baseball and basketball coach for community leagues for

more than 20 years. He plans to continue coaching and will definitely be out on the golf

course.

Hugh Jackson J

ohnny Sandefur is a military veteran

who began his career with NRCS as a

student trainee in Warren County in

1977. He joined the agency full time in 1979

in Gibson County as a Soil Conservationist

where he remained for the next four years.

In 1983 he was promoted to District

Conservationist in Hawkins County, and he

has lived in Rogersville ever since.

Johnny said what he will miss most during

his retirement is the people he works with—

the farmers, the board, and his NRCS coworkers. “We have good jobs here,” he said.

“I love our agency, and I love what we do for

the landowners. I don’t think there’s a better

agency in the USA than ours. I think we’re

the top dogs, and that’s just how I feel about

it.”

Johnny said he will stay busy in retirement.

“My wife, Jeanie has a lot of assignments for

me to do. I have a hundred things to get

done around the house, but I’ll also golf and

maybe get back into real estate. Who

knows? We like to travel and piddle around

the farm. I’m looking forward to it.” Johnny

and Jeanie are the proud parents of two

sons, both of whom are in college.

Johnny Sandefur

As the calendar year ends, we want to congratulate several of our coworkers who are retiring

in December and January. They come from all across the state, and they include the Director

of NRCS in Tennessee, State Conservationist James Ford. The next four pages are devoted

to the retirees, and in each of these brief profiles we hope to highlight just a few of their many

career accomplishments and achievements.

The eight faces you will see represent more than 275 years of conservation experience. We

will surely miss their knowledge and wisdom, but we are happy that they will be able to spend

some well-earned time with their families after working so hard to protect and preserve the

nation’s natural resources. We have come to admire and respect these men, and we always

will appreciate their work on behalf of Tennessee and the nation.

Best Wishes and Congratulations to Retiring Coworkers

Don’t be dismayed at good-byes. A farewell is necessary before

you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or

lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.

 —Richard Bach
- 10 -

Current Developments Current Developments

Larry Hasty

Matt Crowell is retiring as District

Conservationist of the

Lawrenceburg Field Office after

being with the agency since 1977. Matt is

originally from Covington, Georgia and

attended the University of Georgia where he

received a bachelors degree in Agriculture

with a minor in Agronomy. He served 4 years

in the U.S. Navy from 1972 until 1976. His

career with the agency started in Ripley,

Tennessee where Matt began working as a

Soil Conservationist. In 1978 he was

promoted to District Conservationist in the

Linden Field Office where he served for 10

years.

In 1988 he became the District

Conservationist in the Lawrenceburg Field

Office where he has served for the past

eighteen years. His friends and coworkers

say there is no one else like him. “Matt is an

individual. He marches to the beat of his own

drum,” said Area 2 Conservationist Paul

Fulks. “He has a great sense of humor, and

we’re going to miss him. Matt is also very

respected in Lawrence County for his

knowledge of conservation.”

Matt has two children. His daughter Christen,

and husband Mark Pilkington have a 1-1/2

year old son Garett and reside in

Lawrenceburg. Corey, his son, is a cadet 3rd

class at the U.S. Air Force Acadamy in

Colorado Springs. Corey plans to be a rocket

scientist and a jet pilot. “Life is good,” says

Matt. As for plans after retirement, Matt has

been collecting knives and deer antlers most

of his adult life. He now plans to put these

parts together making hunting knives with

deer antler handles.

L

arry Hasty, Civil (Planning) Engineer,

 Program Planning Staff is retiring after

 42 years and 2 months of federal

service. Larry began his career as an Ag

Engineer Student Trainee in 1964 in Lincoln

County. In 1965, he worked as an Ag

Engineer Student Trainee on the Watershed

Planning Staff. After graduation from

University of Tennessee Knoxville in August

1966, he went to work in the Knoxville Area

Office as an Agricultural Engineer. He

transferred to the Johnson City Area Office as

Area Engineer in 1967, and then to the

Nashville Area Office as Area Engineer in

1972. In 1987, he was promoted to the

Watershed Planning Staff as a Civil Engineer. Due to agency reorganizations, he became

the Civil Engineer on the Program Planning Staff in 1995 and was relocated to the

Shelbyville Field Office.

 “It has been an interesting and rewarding career,” said Larry. “I’ve worked with a lot of

people on many different projects, but one of the things I am most proud of was a project in

Mountain City where we helped over a hundred people get running (potable) water in their

homes without the benefit of any cost-share or other Federal assistance. Bear Creek, an

abandoned mines land reclamation PL-566 project was also very rewarding. I have been

able to see the fruits of our labor in planning come to fruition with the improvement of Water

Quality in Bear Creek (critters and fish are now there that have been absent since the early

1900’s) and the quality of life for people of the area improved due to industry coming in on

reclaimed mine lands as well as recreation opportunities developed on these reclaimed

areas. Another rewarding project was a RC&D flood control project in an economically

depressed area of South Guthrie, Tennessee. Those folks really appreciated being able to

live without water all around their houses every time it rained. Of course it was always

rewarding to provide assistance to private landowners to help them solve their resource

problems and make their life easier on a daily basis. I’ve worked all across Tennessee in

virtually every program that SCS/NRCS has had and made friends in NRCS, in our partner

agencies and in the communities where I’ve worked.”

 “Larry is an esteemed conservation professional. He has a professional attitude, gets along

well with everyone he meets, and leads by example. His attitude is, ‘Work till the job is done

right,’ said John Rissler, ASTC for Program Planning. “He has the ability to work across

discipline lines and uses a common-sense approach to solve technical problems. He has

been a teacher and a mentor to coworkers, partners, and customers. He is multi-talented

and will be missed.”

Larry and his wife Connie (a retired school teacher), have four children (3 daughters and 1

son) and ten grandchildren. They live on a farm in Bedford County and plan to utilize their

fifth wheel camper and do some traveling. Larry plans to do some consulting work on a

limited basis and work around the farm.

Matt Crowell
- 11 -

Current Developments Current Developments

Ray Holyfield, started working with the

agency as a Soil Conservationist in

1974 at the Springfield Field Office

after graduating from UT-Martin with a

Bachelor of Science in Agriculture. The next

year he went to the Linden Field Office before

being promoted in July 1975 to a District

Conservationist at the Waynesboro Field

Office. Four years later he transferred to the

Pulaski Field Office where he remained until

he was promoted to Resource Conservationist for Area 2 in December 1991 and

stationed in Cookeville where he has

remained ever since.

Area Conservationist Paul Fulks said he is

going to miss Ray very much. “Ray has a saying for everything. Two of my favorites are,

‘Whatever you do, don’t break a sweat’ and ‘Remember, the only person you have to make

happy is the person in the mirror.’ He has been an essential part of the management and

leadership team in Middle Tennessee,” Paul said. “When he leaves, it will be like cutting off

my right arm. He has made the Middle Tennessee DCs’ jobs easier. He’s a book of knowledge

and helps get the job done. He keeps everyone on the right path.”

Ray has one daughter, Carol, two grandchildren Nicole 10 years old and Colin, 18 mos., who

reside in Tuscumbia, Al. Ray and his wife Barbara plan on traveling and camping after

retirement; and of course Ray will manage to get some fishing in with his “ole buddie”

Lansford.

Ray Holyfield

Sam Darnell

S

am Darnell is retiring after 37 years

with NRCS. He began his career as a

 student trainee in Milan in 1969.

Shortly afterward, he came on full-time as

an engineer in Dresden. That job led him to

West Virginia where he worked as a project

engineer for five years. Sam’s career then

took him to Illinois where he worked on the

planning staff in Champaign and then as the

Area Engineer in Carbondale for seven

years.

After several years in Illinois, it was time to

travel southward again, and Sam joined the

Design Staff in Mississippi, serving in

Jackson for seven years. He finally returned to Tennessee in 1991 where he remained the

Supervisory Civil Engineer in West Tennessee’s Area One. State Conservation Engineer

Robert Anderson says Sam’s approach to work makes him a great engineer. “Sam has a

knack for comprehending and analyzing all the variables involved in a complex design and

we will miss his special ability to recognize several solutions to design challenges.”

And what will Sam miss the most after his retirement? “I think the thing I’m going to miss

most of all is working on the Cane Creek Project,” he said. “That has taken up a big part of

my work life.”

J

im Needham, 57, the District

Conservationist in Obion County, is

retiring from the agency after 35 years

of service. Jim began his career as a

student trainee in the summers of 1969 and

1970. He came onboard full-time in 1971 as

a soil conservationist in Ripley. Just two

years later, he was promoted to District

Conservationist in Union County. He served

as a DC in Franklin County from 1974 till

1980, and in McNairy County from 1980 till

1987.

In June 1987, Jim’s career came full circle

as he came to work in Obion County as a

District Conservationist, where he was

supervised by the same man who first hired

him as a student trainee so many years

earlier, retired Area Conservationist Glenn

Headden. Headden said he knew that Jim

Needham would be a good District

Conservationist from the first summer he

saw him working. “Jim has always been a

hard worker and a quick learner. He’s good

with people and somebody I could always

count on. I’m sure everybody is going to

miss working with him, but I know they all

wish him a happy retirement.”

Jim Needham
Current Developments Current Developments

State Conservationist James Ford to Retire

After ten years as Tennessee’s State

Conservationist, James W. Ford has

announced he is retiring from the agency

effective January 3, 2007. Mr. Ford will leave

NRCS after having served the Natural

Resources Conservation Service for nearly

four decades.

James assumed responsibility as State

Conservationist in Tennessee in March 1997.

But he began his career in 1968 as a student

trainee with the Soil Conservation Service

(later to become NRCS) in his native

Georgia. He spent his formative years in

Early County, Georgia, where he grew up on

a diversified family farm. He attended public school in Early County. James received a BS

Degree in Agriculture from Fort Valley State College in 1971 and MS Degree in Public

Administration from Georgia College in 1985.

After joining the agency, James held many positions at the county, area and state level in

Georgia including Acting State Conservationist. He served as the Partnership Liaison for

NRCS in the Southeastern United States, and held additional assignments at the national

level before being named to lead NRCS in Tennessee in early 1997.

James received numerous awards during his career. However, among the most outstanding

were the Hammer Award for his work on the flood recovery after Hurricane Alberto and the

National Outreach Award from the U. S. Forest Service for assisting and empowering

communities in Tennessee.

James is an active member and Past President of the Fort Valley State University Agricultural

Alumni Association. During his tenure, he revitalized the newsletter and was successful in

increasing the membership. He is an active member of the Soil and Water Conservation

Society. James also served on the Board of Directors of the Middle TN Fellowship of Christian

Athletes and the Advisory Board of Land Between the Lakes.

James is Pop-Pop to three grandchildren. He is married to the former Isabelle Revelle, who is

a conservationist in her own right. They both enjoy collecting pottery and restoring small

antiques. Congratulations and good wishes to James and the entire Ford family!

Area 1 Conservationist Richard West:

James’ strong suit is that he has had us work

together much more as a team than we did under

any other state conservationist. He brings people

in to look at all sides of the issues. During James’

tenure, we’ve been dealing with a lot of tough

issues. For example, we’ve had a budget deficit

the whole time he’s been here—through no fault

of his—but through his leader-ship, we’ve been

able to pay everybody and put more conservation

on the ground, and that’s due to him.

Area 2 Conservationist Paul Fulks:

James is the most caring and thoughtful State

Conservationist I have ever known. He truly

cares about all his employees and especially the

field staff. I wish James and his family the very

best in his retirement.

Area 3 Conservationist Terrance Rudolph:

I’ve never had a State Conservationist that is as

caring and easy to talk to than Mr. Ford. I’m

grateful to have had the opportunity to work with

him. I wish him and his family an abundance of

blessings during his retirement.

State Engineer Robert Anderson:

I always appreciated James’s calm nature and

 his gift of patience. We could all use a dose of

James’s patience in carrying out our jobs and in

our relationships with challenging and

unpredictable people.

EWP Program Manager Alton Miller:

During many of our many conversations through

the years, James would tell at least one story. In

each story he shared a truth about some aspect

of work and life that he deemed important. I wish

to thank James for those “truths” and wish him a

long and happy retirement with family and friends.

ASTC for Programs John Rissler:

James is very professional and always

operates on an even keel. I’ve never seen him

lose his temper or lose control. I don’t think

he’s ever yelled at an employee, which you

can’t say about too many bosses. He’s a man

with a great deal of integrity, and I’m going to

miss him.

Management Analyst Grace Lutz:

James is always in control and always

professional in every situation. He bends over

backward for employee concerns. I think what

I’ve admired about him most is his desire and

commitment to play by and adhere to the

rules. It’s important to him to do what’s right.

State Administrative Officer

Susan Hopkins:

The thing I’ll miss most about James is his

humanity. He truly cares about the

individuals who work for him and that will

be hard to replace. He believes in treating

everyone fairly. That, and he’s always good

for a story. No matter the situation, he

always has a story!

ASTC for Water Resources

Charles Roberts:

It’s been a real learning experience working

with James. He’s always been the type of

boss you could talk to and who was willing to

hear your concerns. I wish him well in his

retirement.

- 12 -

Administrative Assistant Naomi Johnson:

Thanks for the opportunity! I will always

remember the quote “Teachable moment”.

Best wishes in your retirement.

NRCS Colleagues on State

Conservationist James Ford

State Resource Conservationist

Vic Simpson:

I have really appreciated that Mr. Ford gave

me the opportunity to serve on the

Tennessee staff. It has been a pleasure and

an honor. May this new beginning be the

best one!
District Conservationist Brad Denton and Soil Conservationist Kenneth Williams participated in Market Day 2006 in October. The event

presented by the Jackson-Madison County Board of Education enabled one thousand 10th and 11th grade students from Madison County

Tennessee an opportunity to visit with and discuss potential career opportunities with representatives of various employers including NRCS.

- 13 -

T

he Maury County Soil Conservation District and the Natural

Resources Conservation Service held a one day Soil

Quality Workshop on April 4th, 2006 at Mr. Campbell

Ridley’s farm in Maury County. The workshop provided farmers

and other attendees with information on soil quality, the difference

between inherent and management induced soil quality, soil

quality indicators, soil quality measurements and observations.

The workshop was planned to help landowners identify

management practices that would enhance soil quality on all land

uses, understand available water capacity, water infiltration and

know the pH level of the soil.

Natural Resources Conservation Service soil scientists Jerry

Prater and Debbie Brasfield led the Soil Quality Workshop. They

facilitated discussion and conducted hands-on exercises such as

available water capacity, water infiltration and residue

management.

Soil Quality Workshop held in Maury County

Current Developments Current Developments

by Jeff Bowie

Producers and agency partners attending the sessions had the

opportunity to participate in the hands on activities. Attendees also

received packets containing information about soil quality and its

importance when farming.

Photos: Debbie Brasfield, NRCS Soil Scientist (photo top right) and

Jerry Prater, NRCS Soil Scientist (photo bottom right) conducted

hands-on exercises and facilitated discussion on soil quality.

by Benton James

Market Day 2006 in Madison County
-14 -

Current Developments Current Developments

Work that began in 2005 on three Marshall County dairy farms, all of which were located in

303d watersheds, has now been completed. The landowners approached the Natural

Resources Conservation Service and the Marshall County Soil Conservation District because

they needed technical assistance with several natural resource concerns on their farms. With

help from NRCS engineer Matt Brown three unique animal waste systems were planned and

implemented. Each waste system was designed to fit the needs and function of the individual

farms.

The Gilmac Dairy Farm needed more room for their waste storage and the ability to spread the

waste in a timely manner when the

crops needed it. They were able to make use of an existing manure holding pit after it

was core sampled and tested for its ability to adequately contain the waste. Old trees

and shrubs that had been allowed to grow on the banks of the manure pit were

removed and the pit was reshaped and compacted. A second manure holding pit was

excavated and a pipe installed to transfer the waste into the second stage pit.

Guttering was installed on all the buildings contributing water to the system. Concrete

curbing was installed as well as a heavy use travel lane, critical area treatment and

exclusion fence.

The Warner Dairy Farm had concerns about erosion, waste containment and

waste utilization. Cattle loafed on a travel lane located on a hillside before

entering the parlor to be milked. Originally, the dairy owner was considering

an earthen storage system but after consultation with Brown and NRCS

geologist Andy Hartman an above ground concrete storage tank was

designed.

Concrete slabs were poured for a travel lane and a staging area to get the

cattle off the hillside. Concrete curbing was also poured along the new slabs

and all of the old concrete areas. Roofing and guttering was incorporated into

this system to minimize the amount of water entering the manure storage

tank and increase the manure storage time. A pipe was installed to transfer

the parlor water into the storage tank. The waste system also included critical

area treatment and

exclusion fencing.

The Kilpatrick Dairy Farm had the same issues as the Gilmac and Warner dairies. There was

an abandoned slurry store tank on the farm but no functional waste storage system. The

slurry store was cleaned out and resealed. Concrete slabs and curbing were installed as well

as roofing. Gutters were installed on old and new structures. An underground concrete tank

was installed to collect the parlor water and a second underground tank was installed to

collect the manure scraped from the concrete each day. Pumps and pipelines were installed

to move the waste into the slurry store. Critical area treatment and a heavy use travel lane

were also components of this project.

Each of these Marshall County dairies now have a Comprehensive

Nutrient Management Plan. There’s no doubt that soil, air, and water

quality and animal health has been improved due to the efforts of each of

these landowners! Along with NRCS, the Tennessee Department of

Agriculture was a financial contributor to these projects and the

Tennessee Nature Conservancy contributed to one of the projects.

Three Marshall County Dairy Animal Waste Systems Completed in 303d

Watersheds

The Warner Dairy installed an above concrete storage tank, a travel

lane and staging area, concrete curbing, and roofing and guttering.

Gilmac Dairy installed a pipe to transfer waste from

the existing holding pit to the second manure pit

that was excavated.

A heavy use travel lane and exclusion fencing was

installed at the Gilmac Dairy.

Above & below: Kilpatrick Dairy cleaned and

resealed a slurry store tank and installed concrete

slabs, curbing, roofing and gutters. Two underground

storage tanks were installed along with pumps and

pipelines to move the waste into the slurry store.
- 15 -

Current Developments Current Developments

10th Annual Farm Ed Day in Shelby County

The tenth annual “Farm Ed Day” was held

on Thursday, November 2, 2006, at Agricenter International from 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Farm Education Day’s purpose is to teach

students and teachers about agriculture.

This activity is directed to the local urban

fifth grade audience. A total of 838 students

and 55 teachers/parents attended with 94

volunteers/exhibitors making a grand total

attendance of 1,031 participating in this

event. There were 15 Memphis/City and

private schools involved in this year’s event.

The students and teachers received educational packets that they can take home with

them, providing even more information about

agriculture and its importance to society

worldwide. Upon arrival, the students had

class pictures made and then viewed 15

exhibits featuring birds of prey, corn, cotton,

soybeans, honey bees, forestry, safety and

farm equipment and real live animals on site.

The Shelby County Soil Conservation District

has served on the steering committee and

sponsored this event from its conception.

Lexington Chapter wins Mid-South Fair FFA/

Agribusiness Soil Judging Contest

The Mid-South Fair FFA/Agribusiness Soil Judging Contest was held at

Shelby Farms in Memphis on Monday, September 25, 2006. The contest

was conducted by Andy Neal, District Conservationist with Troy Taylor,

Soil Conservationist, and Betty Brown, Soil Conservation District

assisting. Don Tyler and Charlie Davis were the judges and the

scorekeepers were Ozell Wright and Becky Muller.

There were four (4) states competing in the event::

Lexington Chapter – Tennessee

Jackson County - Kentucky

South Jones – Mississippi

Charleston Chapter - Missouri

The winning team was Tennessee, Lexington Chapter. Daniel White

from Tennessee received the high scorer individual award. Second

Place went to Kentucky. Third Place went to Mississippi and Fourth

Place went to Missouri. The winning teams were recognized at the MidSouth Fair Agribusiness.

Lexington Chapter wins Mid-South Fair FFA/Agribusiness Soil Judging

Contest
- 16 -

Current Developments Current Developments

New Survey Equipment to

Improve NRCS-TN Efficiency

NRCS-TN has recently purchased two new

Survey Grade GPS systems that link to 34

satellites (24 US and 10 Russian)

orbiting the earth. This

technology allows for

speedy topographic

surveys by a single person on the go.

Surveys that once took weeks to perform

can now be potentially performed in a matter

of a couple of days. This is the best method

for improving surveying efficiencies and will

result in significant cost savings in staff time.

It will allow one person to survey versus

three, and time saved surveying equals

more time for other conservation tasks.

Survey grade GPS technology can be used

with state plane coordinates which makes

matching surveys to GIS data possible.

Initially, NRCS-TN will use the new

equipment to run topographic surveys on

rehab projects, WRP sites, large CO-01

jobs, animal waste sites, and irrigation land

leveling

NRCS in Tennessee

also will be piloting the

use of Pocket PCs for

field work. The PDAs

will be used to design

conservation practices

and perform other

tasks in the field.

These handheld devices

are multi-task devices and also can be used

to print designs and maps in the field;

increase efficiency; integrate GPS data with

GIS, forms and digital pictures; increase field

time while decreasing office computer time;

reduce the trips required per job; and, easily

carry electronic resource information.

Potential users of this new technology

include engineers, technicians and

conservationists for survey note keeping and

design of engineering practices; Soil

Conservationists for inventory and plan

development; and Biologists for Wetland,

Easement and Wildlife habitat delineation

and assessment. Initially, NRCS-TN will use

the new equipment to design water and

sediment control basins and other practices

in the field.

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