Current Developments

Message from the State Conservationist

Inside This Issue.... Page

Fall Issue - October 2011

Booth's Committed to 

 Conservation 6

Chief White Visits Jackson FO 3

Earth Team Volunteers 6, 8

Jason McAfee-Civil Rights 

 Committee Focus Employee 2

Jason Seaton Has a Dream 7

Know Your Farmer, Know Your 

 Food 8

Landcare Changes Name 3

Madison County Treasure 5

Rutherford County 2011 Small

 Farm Expo Winners 4

Sandra Steward Receives 

 Secretary's Honor Award 2

"The Day I Turned Green" ebook

 Available at Amazon 9

The Importance of Volunteers

 in Today's Economy 10

Upper Cumberland Quilt Trail

 Exhibit at Nashville Airport 11

USDA Under Secretary Sherman

 Holds Roundtable Discussion 11

Veterans Business Conference 9

Web Utilization Classes Offered 5 

Wounded Warrior Project 12

We’re beginning a new Fiscal Year, working under a Continuing Resolution, and waiting on the 2012 Farm Bill. Needless to say, we 

are facing several uncertainties.

I’m very proud of our accomplishments this past year. Together, we have 

developed stronger partnerships and a cleaner environment. I appreciate 

the professionalism and dedication each of you continue to bring to your 

job regardless of the uncertainties we face. 

Though several commodity groups submitted recommendations, it is too 

early to know what will be in the 2012 Farm Bill. I will keep you updated.

Since the budget for 2012 is still an unknown, we will be conservative as 

we begin the year. We will limit travel, training and purchases to only what 

is necessary to get the job done. Uncertainty surrounding the upcoming 

budget may impact our ability to fill some positions immediately. However, 

I am committed to making all line positions (Area Conservationist and 

District Conservationists) a top priority. 

Again, I appreciate the job you did this past year and I look forward to 

working with each of you during FY 2012. Keep up the good work.

Kevin Brown

State Conservationist

675 US Courthouse

801 Broadway

Nashville,Tennessee 37203

www.tn.nrcs.usda.gov
Current Developments

- 2 - Helping People Help the Land

Sandra Stewart Receives 

Secretary’s Honor Award 

The Business Management Leaders 

Program was recently recognized by 

the Secretary of Agriculture with the 

Secretary’s Honor Award in the Area 

of Management Excellence. 

While hundreds of NRCS and USDA 

employees contributed their time and 

talent to this important program, this 

award was given to the top 35 USDA 

employees who contributed the most 

to the program, including Sandra 

Stewart. Congratulations Sandy!

J

ason McAfee, District Conservationist in the Murfreesboro Field Office 

in Rutherford County has a BS in Plant and Soil Science from Middle 

Tennessee State University. After graduation, he worked with the Coho 

salmon habitat restoration project with AmeriCorps in Washington State. This 

project gave Jason the opportunity to work in the foothills of the Cascade 

Mountains with the Stillaguamish Tribe. 

Jason began his career with the NRCS in 1999 as a soil conservationist in 

Roosevelt County, Montana where he worked with the Assiniboine and Sioux 

Tribes of the Fork Peck Indian Reservation. Jason says, “Working with the 

Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes was a learning experience for me. I hope they 

gained as much from the experience as I did.” 

He served as a soil conservationist in North Carolina in both the Clinton, 

Field Office (coastal plains of North Carolina) and the Shelby Field Office 

(piedmont) before becoming District Conservationist in New Albany, 

Mississippi. His next career step brought him back to his home state of 

Tennessee where he became a DC in Macon County before being selected for 

his current DC position in Rutherford County. 

When not working for NRCS, Jason enjoys coaching his 5-year-old son’s 

baseball team, camping, fresh and saltwater fishing, hunting, working with his 

kids in the family garden and grilling amazing ribs.

Photo above (l to r): Daughter Ivy Mae, Jason, son's Cooper and Coleman, and wife 

Catherine.

Civil Rights Committee Focus Employee Jason McAfee

 by Pam Hoskins, District Conservationist, Woodbury Field Office

Mark Your Calendar 

Federal Benefits Open Season - 

November 14 - December 12
Current Developments

- 3 - Helping People Help the Land

The Madison County Soil 

Conservation District and the 

Jackson NRCS Field office 

was honored Friday August 12th as 

State Conservationist Kevin Brown 

dropped by unexpectedly with 

Dave White, Chief of the Natural 

Resources Conservation Service. 

State Conservationist Brown and 

Chief White were traveling from 

Memphis to Nashville to attend the 

Land and Wildlife Expo when they 

stopped by the Madison County 

Service Center for a surprise visit. 

Although it was a short visit, the 

Chief took a moment to pose for 

photos. 

Madison County Soil 

Conservation District/

Jackson NRCS Office has 

a Surprise Visit from Chief 

Dave White

Landcare Changes Name but Continues to Offer the Same Great Service!

Photo above (l to r): District Conservationist Brad Denton, Madison County Soil 

Conservation Technician Benton James, Madison County District Secretary Mary 

Beth Flowers, and NRCS Chief Dave White.
Current Developments

- 4 - Helping People Help the Land

Two Rutherford County family 

farmers, Ray and Doris Radford 

and the Walden Family, were 

honored at the 2011 Small Farm Expo 

on September 8, 2011 as Tennessee 

Small Farmers of the Year. Ray Radford 

was selected as Small Farmer of the 

Year in the Innovative Marketing 

category and the Walden Family was 

selected in the Alternative Enterprise 

category. Radford was also selected 

as the overall winner of the 7th Annual 

Tennessee Small Farmer of the Year 

Award.

Ray and Doris Radford’s farm is located 

on Shirley Lane in Smyrna, Tennessee. 

The Radford’s farming operation is 

approximately 425 acres, with 300 

acres of pasture and 125 acres of hay. 

The enterprise is built on the Corrientes 

breed which is usually used in sports 

such as rodeos and roping. The farming 

operation includes about 70 Corrientes 

that are on the road in sporting events, 

leases for pinning and roping, sale 

of seed and breeder stock, leases for 

breeding bulls, leases for bucking bulls, 

and grain and grass fed cattle.

The Walden Family Farm, located on 

Rocky Fork Road in Smyrna, began 

in 1986 when brothers, Robert and 

Raymond, and their sister Ramona, 

along with their spouses purchased 

the 260 acre family farm. The family 

enterprise began almost by accident. In 

1999, Robert Walden's son, Randy and 

his wife Heather, planted a few rows 

of pumpkins just for fun. They had so 

many more pumpkins than they could 

use, they piled them against the barn. 

People passing by the farm noticed the 

pumpkins piled against the barn and 

from there the family pumpkin business 

took off. In the fall of 2000, the Walden 

Pumpkin Farm opened to the public and 

Two Rutherford County Family Farmers Honored at 2011 Small Farm Expo

included other activities including hayrides, picking pumpkins, petting farm animals 

and touring the farm. 

The 2011 Small Farm Expo, sponsored by the Tennessee State University College 

of Agriculture, Human and Natural Sciences, was held at the Otis L. Floyd Nursery 

Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee.

Photo above (l to r beginning at podium): Dr. Nick Gawel, Superintendent of TSU Otis 

Floyd Research Center, McMinnville; Dr. Tim Cross, UT Dean of Extension; Lacy 

Upchurch, President, TN Farm Bureau Federation; Dr. Latif Lighari, TSU Associate 

Dean for Extension; Doris and Ray Radford, Radford’s Cattle, Area and State winners 

of the Small Farmer of the Year Award in the Alternative Enterprise Category; and Ed 

Harlan, TN Department of Agriculture Agribusiness Coordinator.

Photo above (l to r beginning at podium): Dr. Nick Gawel, Superintendent of TSU Otis 

Floyd Research Center, McMinnville; Dr .Tim Cross, UT Dean of Extension; Lacy 

Upchurch, President, TN Farm Bureau Federation; Dr. Latif Lighari, TSU Associate Dean 

for Extension; Walden Farms’ Robert and Marietta Walden, Area Winner of the Small 

Farmer of the Year Award in the Alternative Enterprise Category; and Sherry and Raymond 

Walden, (Back row) Ed Harlan, TN Department of Agriculture Agribusiness Coordinator.

by Joy Hall, District Technician, Murfreesboro
Current Developments

- 5 - Helping People Help the Land

A Madison County Community Treasure

Alma Williamson has been an 

active member of the Madison 

County farming community 

throughout her life. Mrs. Williamson, 

and her late husband Savannah 

Williamson, Sr., began farming in the 

early fifties. In recent years, she has 

participated in many USDA programs 

including the Conservation Reserve 

Program (CRP) and the Environmental 

Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). 

While participating in these USDA 

programs, she has been able to 

improve the productivity of the soils 

and increase crop yields by controlling 

erosion by installing and implementing 

practices such as no-till planting, 

terraces, and grade control structures. 

Mrs. Williamson was selected as 

the Outstanding Cooperator of the 

Year in 1992 by the Madison County 

Soil Conservation District for her 

outstanding strides in conservation 

through the installation of numerous 

erosion control structures on her farm. 

Mrs. Williamson continues to have 

a positive influence on people in the 

agriculture community and through her 

personal commitment to conservation, 

she encourages others to protect the 

natural resources. 

by Kenneth Williams, Soil Conservationist, Jackson Field Office

In May and June, NRCS Public Affairs offered web utilization classes in the 

four Area offices to people interested in developing websites or utilizing the 

TNRCS hosting services. Forty-three people attended the classes.

This month a workshop was offered in Area 1 for people who missed the first 

class or wanted to refresh their skills.

The Public Affairs staff is also providing consultation and support for hosted 

sites.

Forth-five websites are now being hosted on the TNRCS host; twelve of the 

websites have gone public and the remaining sites are in various stages of 

development. 

A directory of the sites is available at: http://partners.tnrcs.org. 

Web Utilization Classes Offered Across the State

by Carter Harris, Program Analyst

Photo above: Alma Williamson of Madison County has been active in the farming 

community for more than half a century. 

Mark Your Calendar 

Federal Benefits Open Season - 

November 14 - December 12
Current Developments

- 6 - Helping People Help the Land

Becky and Milton Booth's dedication to conservation has not 

gone unnoticed; they have received the Conservation Farmer 

of the Year in Haywood County in past years.

The Booths farm 223 acres of cropland. In 2009 they 

installed 2,575 feet of terraces with cost share through the 

Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) Ag Non-Point 

Special Project program. The terraces treated ephemeral 

gullies and directed runoff to safe exits around the field. They 

also planted 11 acres of cropland to alfalfa/orchardgrass mix 

for hay through TDA. This conversion of cropland to alfalfa/

orchardgrass mix will save the Booths approximately 10 tons 

of soil per acre per year. 

They have planted 13 acres in bermudagrass and 7.2 acres in 

alfalfa/orchardgrass mix on highly erodible soils which will 

save approximately 15 tons of soil per acre per year. 

The high protein in the alfalfa/orchardgrass hay and the 

bermudagrass hay will significantly improve the conditioning 

of the registered Quarter horses they show and sale. They 

have a total of 44 registered Quarter horses in their herd and 

have won numerous awards showing their horses.

The Booths have also enrolled 30.5 acres into State Acres for 

Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) in the Conservation Reserve 

Program (CRP). This will benefit grassland and shrub birds 

by providing nesting habitat, escape cover, brooding habitat, 

and food sources in addition to reducing soil erosion and 

improving water quality. 

The Booth’s are committed to conservation and wildlife. 

They are protecting and improving the natural resources to 

ensure the land is productive for their children, grandchildren, 

and future generations. 

Booth Family Committed to Conservation

 by Hank Webb, Soil Conservationist, Brownsville Field Office

Eleven (11) Earth Team Volunteers assisted the Morgan 

County Soil Conservation District (SCD) with its’ 5th

Annual Tree Sale. The sale began on April 7th and 

the beautiful spring weather brought folks out early. 

Customers were there by 7 o’clock ready to buy and the 

Earth Team volunteers and SCD staff were ready and 

available to answer questions, load up plants or assist 

in any way. Many customers had questions on what 

they should plant and what would work well with their 

landscape. 

Nearly 150 customers purchased trees. The Earth Team 

volunteers worked tirelessly throughout the tree sale. 

Earth Team Volunteer Tonya Morgan worked 96 hours; 

the combined total of hours worked by all the Earth Team 

Volunteers was 173 hours, which is equivalent to $3,695 

in today’s wages. The work of the Earth Team volunteers 

made this year’s tree sale a successful event.

Volunteers Make Morgan County SCD Tree Sale a 

Success

by Justin Howard, Soil Conservation Technician, Cumberland/Morgan 

County

Photo above: Becky Booth with one of the registered Quarter 

horses the Booth's show and sale.

Photo above: Earth Team Volunteers assist with the SCD tree sale.
Current Developments

- 7 - Helping People Help the Land

Jason Seaton’s dream is to convert his traditional fescue /

clover and woodland farm into a wildlife area. He loves to 

hunt and watch wildlife which is immediately apparent when 

you enter his home in eastern Sevier County, Tennessee. The 

walls are covered with wildlife trophies of all sorts and Jason 

has a story to tell about each trophy. 

Jason and his mother, Beverly, are avid wildlife fans; they 

watch and film the deer on their property. In fact, they go so 

far as to give them names like “Ol Rocky Top”!

In 2010 Jason contacted the Sevier County Soil Conservation 

District/Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) 

field office inquiring about the programs that were available. 

Mitchell Aman, NRCS Soil Conservationist, went out to the 

farm and discussed the various possibilities of converting the 

farm to provide wildlife habitat. 

James (Wally) Akins, Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency 

(TWRA) and Darren Bailey with the Tennessee Division of 

Forestry (TDF) worked with NRCS and the Soil Conservation 

District to assist Jason with a plan to make his dream a reality.

Akins assisted Jason in developing a Conservation Plan. Jason 

now has a 2011 Environmental Quality Incentives Program 

(EQIP) contract for installing Upland Wildlife Habitat 

Management, Early Successional Habitat Development and 

Management, Hedgerow Planting, and Firebreaks. 

Bailey completed a forest transect and marked the timber that 

should be harvested in an effort to improve the understory and 

timber stand and also recommended a local logger, Tracey 

Martin. After harvesting the timber, Martin left wide smooth 

access trails through the forest stand. 

This fall the Sevier County SCD, NRCS, TWRA, and TDF 

will assist Jason in fescue eradication and move his project 

towards completion. Jason has made sure that the hay fields 

have been cut and he is “sitting on ready”.

Jason is very optimistic and is already inquiring about 

starting some projects on land that he has in Illinois! It is not 

uncommon for Jason to call Mitchell to assist with questions 

pertaining to his conservation practices or wildlife. 

What makes Jason unique is that due to an accident, he is 

confined to a wheelchair. As a quadriplegic, he is paralyzed 

from his chest down with limited arm movement. He has 

a “souped up” four wheel drive wheelchair that takes him 

almost anywhere including the nice trails that are now 

located throughout the forest stand thanks to Mr. Martin 

Jason’s family built an accessible shoot house equipped with 

mirrors so that he can see what is behind him while hunting. 

A fake hay bale fits over his wheelchair for turkey hunting; 

he tells folks that his mother is a “pretty good retriever”! And 

she obviously has a sense of humor. He has a “high tech” gun 

mount that allows him to shoot by sucking on an air tube. 

Where there is a will there is a way, and Jason has plenty of 

will. Mitchell Aman, NRCS soil conservationist, made Jason 

aware of the Tennessee AgrAbility Project. After studying 

this information, he is interested in working with this 

program to acquire a tractor or other equipment he can use 

on his farm. He is also looking into taking driving lessons! 

Jason is dynamic and truly an inspiration to everyone he 

meets. You never know where you’ll find him and his high 

powered wheelchair. His farm is a testament to him and his 

family’s fun loving nature. And you can’t miss it—just look 

for a rainbow colored hang glider and its pilot smacked into 

the side of an old barn! It’s now a local landmark.

Jason Seaton Has a Dream.....

 by Mitchell Aman, Soil Conservationist, Sevierville Field Office

Photo above: Jason Seaton looks on as a bulldozer builds an 

access trail on his farm. 

Photo above: A local landmark-Seaton barn with a whimsical 

painting of a hang glider and pilot smacked into the side of it.
Current Developments

- 8 - Helping People Help the Land

Earth Team Volunteers Assist 

Cumberland County SCD with 

11th Annual Tree Sale

The Cumberland County Soil 

Conservation District held its 11th

Annual Tree Sale at the Cumberland 

County fairgrounds. Seven Earth Team 

volunteers donated their personal time 

and talent to assist with the sale. Since 

2001, the SCD has sold over 7,500 

white pine seedlings, 7,665 nursery 

stock plants, serviced over 1,500 

customers, and made over $25,000.

Earth Team volunteers and the SCD 

staff were ready to assist as customers 

lined up early on the morning of 

April 7th. More than 125 customers 

purchased nearly 600 trees during 

the two-day tree sale. Earth Team 

volunteers worked 76 hours, equal to 

more than $1,620 in wages, during the 

tree sale.

by Justin Howard, Soil Conservation 

Technician, Cumberland/Morgan County

One of the things that all people hold a common interest in is the love of quality, great tasting food. However, in today’s society consumers are primarily 

disconnected with the sources of the food they eat. The modern grocery store 

is a Mecca of national and international diversity with produce and food stuffs 

from all across the world. Large scale farming and global marketing has created 

a disconnection between producers and consumers. 

Know your Farmer, Know your Food is a USDA initiative with the mission to 

“strengthen the critical connection between farmers and consumers and supports 

local and regional food systems.” The objectives of this initiative include: 

•	Stimulate food and agriculturally-based community economic development; 

•	Foster new opportunities for farmers and ranchers; 

•	Promote locally and regionally produced and processed foods; 

•	Cultivate healthy eating habits and educated, empowered consumers; 

•	Expand access to affordable fresh and local food; and 

•	Demonstrate the connection between food, agriculture, community & environment. 

At local levels, producers and consumers alike have a lot to gain from one another. 

The local marketplace allows consumers to obtain a quality product directly from 

the hands that grew it. Small landowners and producers have the opportunity to 

market farm goods which otherwise could never make it to the greater marketplace. Coffee County Tennessee producer, Ray Weaver, affirms that the community marketplace is the driving force for the distribution of the seventeen acres of 

sweet corn he grows annually; “we sell 85% of our corn at local farmers markets.” 

Mr. Weaver also noted that he is able to get more value for his product at farmers 

markets, and that the local marketplace is a valuable key to the connection between farmers and consumers. 

Trends today show us that there is a growing demand and use of local farmers 

markets. With such a diversity of high quality products for reasonable prices, it 

only makes sense consumers are realizing the value of locally grown products. 

In the last 15 years the number of farmers markets has tripled, and now numbers 

over 7,175 nationwide. The Pick Tennessee Products website has over 100 farmers market locations listed with one or more in at least 60 Tennessee counties. So, 

the next time you make out your grocery list or get a craving for fresh produce, 

remember to check out your local marketplace or find out about producers near 

you; you might just be happily surprised. 

To find out more about locally grown products and to find a marketplace or producer near you, visit the following websites or contact your local extension office, 

USDA service center, or local government office. 

• Know your Farmer, Know you Food http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdausdaho

me?navid=KNOWYOURFARMER

• Pick Tennessee Products http://www.picktnproducts.org/index.html

• USDA Agriculture Marketing Service http://search.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/

• University of TN Extension Service https://utextension.tennessee.edu/Pages/default.aspx

Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food

by Chase Coakley, Soil Conservationist, Manchester Field Office

Photo above: Earth Team volunteers 

work with the Cumberland County SCD 

to make the annual Tree Sale a success.
Current Developments

- 9 - Helping People Help the Land

The 5th Annual Veterans Conference was held on August 2, 2011 at 

the New Hope Center at the Y-12 

Security Complex in Oak Ridge with 

approximately 500 people in attendance. 

NRCS setup a display at the conference 

to create awareness of NRCS programs 

and employment opportunities to nontraditional customers.

More than 400 attendees from veteranowned and service-disabled veteranowned small businesses, other small 

businesses, federal agencies and 

contractors came together at this event 

to share best business practices and 

opportunities.

Jerry Prater (SEPM for Veterans), 

Terrance Rudolph, Shirley Childs, 

Phyllis White, and Eston Williams 

staffed the NRCS booth.

NRCS Participates in Veteran’s Business Conference

by Eston Williams, State Outreach Coordinator

The Day I Turned Green, a new Soil Conservation Service focused e-book, 

went on sale on the Amazon.com Kindle book site in June. Author Claude 

Crowley of Fort Worth, an SCS retiree, says that the book is “The first and only 

novel that accurately conveys the fulfilling, adventurous, and romantic lives of 

soil conservationists on and off the job.”

“Protagonist Hollis ‘Spur’ Spurlock’s story is an account of the adventures and 

romances of a young soil conservationist facing environmental conflict and 

personal challenges,” Crowley said. “He is patterned on the young agriculture 

graduates with whom I learned the conservation profession in the 1950s.” For 

more information, go to http://claudecrowley.com/

Crowley, 84, states that his platform for writing The Day I Turned Green 

include ten years as a soil conservationist and DC. Later, he became the first 

Information Officer for SCS in Tennessee before becoming Staff Leader of the 

Public Affairs Unit at the South Technical Service Center in Fort Worth.

The Day I Turned Green ($4.99) can be read on a Kindle, or on a PC, Mac, 

iPad, iPhone, or Android device with free software downloaded from Amazon.

com.

Burn Permits Now Available 

Online for Most Counties

Burn permits are required for anyone 

starting an open-air fire within 500 feet 

of a forest, grassland, or woodland from 

October 15 - May 15. Burning permits 

can be obtained from the Division of 

Forestry Monday - Friday from 8:00 - 

4:30 and can be obtained in advance. 

Permits are not required for burning in 

containers such as a metal barrel with a 

1⁄2" mesh screen cover. Anyone needing 

to burn within an incorporated city 

should contact city authorities about 

any local burning ordinances as many 

towns and cities have their own burning 

regulations that supersede the Division 

of Forestry’s burning permit program.

For more information, go to: http://

burnsafetn.org/burn_permit.html

Photo above (l to r): Eston Williams and Jerry Prater provide information on NRCS 

programs and employment opportunities at the 5th Annual Veterans Conference.

by Claude Crowley, retired SCS employee

The Day I Turned Green now on Sale at Amazon
Current Developments

- 10 - Helping People Help the Land

Volunteering for public service 

takes on many forms and 

is performed by an array of 

people across the nation each and every 

day. By definition, volunteering is the 

practice of people working on behalf 

of others or a particular cause without 

payment for their time or services. 

Volunteering in the United States 

has an estimated economic value of 

$158 billiion dollars annually. There 

are many reasons people decide to 

volunteer including to gain experience 

in their chosen field of work, helping 

organizations save on associated costs 

or just the enjoyment of knowing they 

are making a difference. Volunteering 

in the field of natural resources 

management is no exception. 

Several months ago the Tennessee 

Wildlife Resources Agency and the 

Natural Resources Conservation 

Service were asked to begin work 

on setting up different booths for the 

Land and Wildlife Expo in Nashville. 

This was an educational event for 

landowners wanting to enhance 

the habitat on their properties. The 

TWRA and NRCS began to realize 

that additional help would be needed 

to pull the event off and this is where 

the volunteering request began to take 

shape. 

TWRA began working with 

Ducks Unlimited to set up a booth. 

Everything was going great but there 

was one issue-not enough personnel 

available to work the booth. With 

travel budgets restrained and other 

government employees assisting with 

other booths for the expo, Camille 

Hunter volunteered to help out with 

setting up the booth and speaking with 

landowners about conservation on 

their property. Camille is working on 

her master’s in education and thought 

Photo above (l to r): Volunteer Camille Hunter (left) and TWRA Wetlands Biologist 

Chris Hunter work the TWRA booth at Land and Wildlife Expo.

The Importance of Volunteering for Public Service in Today’s Economy

this would be a good public relations experience for her. This in turn would serve 

to help out the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and Natural Resources 

Conservation Service with needed staff. The contribution of volunteers such as 

Camille helped make the expo a successful event. 

Volunteering in an importance contribution during these challenging times, 

not only in the field of natural resources management but in other areas like 

volunteer fire and police services for example. With businesses and families facing 

tighter budgets, government must looks for ways to reduce cost such as actively 

search for those people who are willing to give their support for one of the most 

important endeavors of all, volunteering as a public servant. 

by Chris Hunter, TWRA Wetlands Biologist
Current Developments

Helping People Help the Land

Tennessee agriculture producers and agriculture leaders 

had the opportunity to meet with USDA Under Secretary 

Harris D Sherman at a Roundtable Discussion at the 

Lane Agri-Park Office Complex in Murfreesboro. The 

roundtable discussion allowed producers to provide input 

on NRCS programs and the 2012 Farm Bill.

Sherman, who is responsible for the restoration, 

conservation, and management of America’s forests and 

private working lands at USDA, asked participants what 

are the biggest obstacles they face. 

Producers stated they are very satisfied with the 

conservation technical assistance they receive from 

NRCS. Many producers have a real desire to produce 

crops using few chemicals; however, they are very 

concerned about additional regulations. 

Producers told Under Secretary Sherman that they believe 

NRCS technical assistance is vital to the success of their 

operation. While organic production is great, producers do 

not believe the technology is in place to yield enough food 

to feed the world using organic methods.

USDA Under Secretary Harris Sherman Held 

Roundtable Discussion with Tennessee 

Agriculture Producers

Upper Cumberland Quilt Trail Exhibits with Arts 

at the Airport at Nashville International Airport

Arts at the Airport selects and presents work by local, 

regional, and national artists for the enjoyment and 

enrichment of Nashville International Airport’s passengers 

and visitors. The Upper Cumberland Quilt Trail was selected 

as an exhibitor. The exhibit is located at Concourse A across 

from Gate 3 and is on display from June 12 - December 4. 

The Upper Cumberland Quilt Trail highlights quilt treasures 

of the region to preserve the art and heritage of quilting while 

honoring those, past and present, who have been and are 

involved in this art form.

The Upper Cumberland Quilt Trail began with six quilt 

squares in one county in 2007; today there are more than 150 

quilt patterns scattered among the rolling hillsides in the 16 

county area. For more information on the Upper Cumberland 

Quilt Trail, go to www.uppercumberlandquilttrail.com. 

For information on the Arts at the Airport, go to http://

flynashville.com/arts/quarterly_exhibits.aspx and select 

Current Art Exhibits under the Visual Arts heading.

Photo above: State Conservationist Kevin Brown (second from 

left) and USDA Under Secretary Harris Sherman (second from 

right) meet with producers at the Roundtable Discussion.

Photo above: Tennessee agriculture producers meet with USDA 

Under Secretary Harris Sherman.

Photo Above Left: Sojourner Truth Star on Jerre and Chris 

Holder's Fairview farm property in White County on Highway 

111. Designed by Kathy Steffen and painted by Jerry Holder 

and Kathy Steffen. Photo Above Right: Star Flower quilt square 

pattern on Jeanne Eastham's family barn in Macon County. 

- 11 -
Current Developments

- 12 - Helping People Help the Land

$570.41 left over from the refreshments fund from the All Employees 

Meeting was donated to the Wounded 

Warrior Project. The Wounded 

Warrior Project is a nonprofit 

organization whose mission is to 

“honor and empower wounded 

warriors” of the United States Armed 

Forces by raising awareness and 

enlisting aid from the public for the 

needs of severely injured service 

members. The project helps severely 

injured service members aid and assist 

each other and provides unique, direct 

programs and services to meet their 

needs. 

The Wounded Warrior Project 

presented a Certificate of Recognition 

to NRCS employees for the donation. 

For more information on the Wounded 

Warrior Project go to: http://www.

woundedwarriorproject.org/

NRCS Employees Donate to Wounded Warrior Project

The Wounded Warrior Project assists 

injured service members during their 

recovery period in several ways, 

including finding ways they can 

be productive and gain experience 

that will benefit them later. Medical 

appointments, therapy and rehab 

prevent them from doing their military 

job. Working as an Earth Team 

volunteer gives them an opportunity to 

experience the type of work NRCS does 

and allows them to give back to the 

community.

The Wounded Warrior Liaison at Ft. 

Campbell selects soldiers that have an 

agriculture background or an interest 

in pursuing a post-service career in an 

agriculture or environmental field. This 

hands-on experience can help them 

determine their career goals after they 

leave the military. 

Wounded Warriors Serve as Earth Team Volunteers in Montgomery County

by Kevin Hart, District Conservationist, Clarksville Field Office

Wounded Warrior Project presented to certificate to NRCS employees for their donation.

Photo above (l to r): Earth Team Volunteer (Wounded Warrior) Patrick Bower, Soil 

Conservationist Janet Coleman & District Conservationist Kevin Hart inspecting a 

streambank protection jetty.