Vegetable production is huge in Grainger County. Ever heard of a Grainger County Tomato? I bet you have. With over 650 greenhouses, and 500 acres devoted to this wonderful fruit, Grainger County is home to great tasting tomatoes. The following list are some areas Extension can help with.
- The Vegetable Series - Each year between January and March, there is a series of meetings held in the county with vegetable topics. As soon as next years topics are announced they will be posted here.
- On-site Consulting – Remember I am always available for on-farm consulting, disease and insect ID and control, crop planning, soil testing and much more.
Food Safety – With the Food Safety Act now passed, regulations are in place that every producer needs to comply with. Here are a few things to consider:
Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Certification Cost Share Program -Grant to off-set cost of Audits
The TDA has set aside some grant dollars to help the farmers to comply with 3rd party audits and Good Agricultural Practices that the industry buyers are demanding. See above for the link to the applications.
Tennessee Agriculture Enhancement Grant Program
These cost-share grants put money back onto the farm as investments in greenhouses, plastic layers, sprayers, Agritourism, packing sheds, and much more. There are two levels of funding: 35% and 50% cost-share dollars. These grants turn on in September of each year. I am available to help explain and help fill-out the grant paperwork. Feel free to contact me in the month of September to get started.
The Tennessee Fruit and Vegetable Association is a great place to network and find information they are available on Facebook
Production Publications:
- Production of high quality and high yield is a must in today’s market. The links below will help any producer’s bottom line. Or it will help any new producer increase knowledge.
- Publications – Are research-based information that has been tested for at least 2 years by our research professionals. This is information that you can trust to work.
- Fruit Production Publications (please search fruit production in the search bar)
- Vegetable Production Publications (please search vegetable production in the search bar)
Pesticide Training:
- Private Applicator – Anyone wishing to purchase restricted use pesticides must take a pesticide class to receive an applicator’s card. This step ensures that everyone will have the knowledge to use chemicals in a safe, and correct way. 1 hr class with small fee.
- Worker Protection Standards – We provide classes to inform workers of a farm, greenhouse, nursery, and forest land of their rights as a worker. It is a law that all workers of such establishments go through WPS. We train them in safe handling of pesticides, and general work habits. These classes are offered in English and Spanish. 1 hr class $10 per worker. No more than $100 will be charged per producer.
Grainger County Farmers Map is a downloadable pdf of local vegetable farm retail stores.
