We're Hiring!  

Rural Resources 
Garden Manager Position

Farm Description:

Rural Resources is a 501-c3, 15-acre farm in East Tennessee. The farm includes a new 3,900-square-foot learning center, barn,  creek, greenhouse, and walk-in cooler. Our mission is to connect farms, food, and families through experiential learning based on sustainable agriculture practices. The 2,500-square-foot garden is managed using hand tools, a walk behind tractor, and a small John Deere tractor with a tiller attachment. We also have small livestock that have mainly served for education and small-scale meat production.

Position Description:

This is a one year AmeriCorps position through Appalachia CARES. The Garden Manager position teaches at-risk teens organic agriculture and entrepreneurial skills. Responsibilities include but not limited to managing a garden, being an educational resource on organic food production for the community, safe food handling practices and farm business development. The Garden Manager also coordinates educational activities for younger children. During field trips.

Abilities and Skills:

The Garden Manager must possess a commitment to working with youth and a strong appreciation for farming, the land and the unique agricultural and cultural history of the Appalachian region. The Garden Manager must enjoy working with people and must be able to work independently with a minimum of supervision. This person must be able and willing to learn new skills through professional development opportunities in order to meet the broad range of tasks that are assigned to the position.

Duties:

· Oversee planning & growing a garden and teach at-risk teens organic sustainable agriculture methods

· Help design, build and maintain home gardens with teens

· Meet and include field trip participants and Farm Day Camp children in learning about the garden.

· Direct special projects including fencing, carpentry and other farm improvement projects and manage volunteers and teens from the Farm & Food Teen Training Program as a part of accomplishing those projects.

· Work as a part of a team.

· Help train seasonal staff in farm and food safety

· Maintain irrigation infrastructure

· Work with other farmers to help support the local agricultural economy.

· Participate in fundraising initiatives.

· Complete special projects as assigned

Requirements:

· Ability to teach and work with youth of all ages

· Minimum of 3 years organic vegetable crop production preferred

· Experience in farm labor, infrastructure, equipment, business management  and marketing

· Ability to communicate effectively with the public

· Understanding of agricultural principles, whole-farm planning, crop rotation, soil enhancement methods, soil science, and general ecology

· A good attitude, flexibility, and a commitment to achieving the goals and mission of Rural Resources.

· Strong interpersonal, oral & written skills and the ability to work independently and as part of a diverse team

· Detail oriented

· Creative and high energy

· Able to work in all weather conditions

· Able to lift 50 pounds

· Computer literate

How to Apply:

Please submit a cover letter explaining why you’re interest, a resume, and three references to: Debbie Strickland, Farm & Food Training Coordinator (email: debbie@ruralresources.net).  Deadline is Nov. 15. Please, no phone calls or walk-ins.

A Peachy Day at Greeneville Terrace!

While our Farm and Food Teen Training Program gets a lot of play on our blog and Facebook, it's not the only program that operates at Rural Resources. 

Community Outreach Coordinator Rhonda Hensley keeps as busy in the community as Miss Debbie does on the farm with the teens. Two of the more recent programs developed under community outreach include the partnership with Second Harvest for monthly produce distributions in low-income neighborhoods and food preservation classes at Greeneville Terrace. 

The food preservation classes meet regularly and participants have learned to can jams, jellies, soup, tomatoes, salsa, pickles, apple butter, potatoes and more. Below are some photos from the day they made peach jam. It was as delicious as it was fun!

Peeling the peaches.

Time to slice and dice!

Looks yummy!

The next step is mashing the peaches.

There was plenty for everyone to help with!

Beginning to look like jam.

Cooking it down.

Prepping the jars.

Time to fill the jars.

Getting ready to cover the jars.

Peach preserves for the pantry!

Watch for our newsletter for a story about the preservation classes!

Here are some other random pics from peach jam day:

Rural Resources Receives Donation

Rural Resources would like to say a big "Thank You!" to Rhiannon Williams!

Rhiannon decided to start a fundraiser for us by "donating" her birthday. She tells about it in her own words at this link:

https://www.facebook.com/donate/2165155080377763/2165155083711096/

Thank you, Rhiannon!

Farm and Food Teen Training Participant Accepted to Berea College

Veronica Smith's life reached a crossroads in 2012. The 13-year-old had been on what she now calls "a bad path." Poverty, bad decisions and bad habits left her feeling hopeless about her future. That's when she met Debbie Strickland, program director for Rural Resources' Farm and Food Teen Training program and embarked on a five-year, life-changing experiential learning journey.

Smith credits the program with pointing her life in a better direction.

“Rural Resources showed me I had a very wide range of options,” she said. “They provided me with the support and the structure that a lot of kids in the county need and they put me on a path toward success.”

One step along that path to success was connecting her to Berea College in Kentucky.  Berea College is a tuition free, federally recognized work college for economically disadvantaged students in Appalachia. It is ranked 60 in the 2017 list of best liberal arts colleges in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.

Smith, who graduated from South Greene High School in Greene County, Tennessee this year, will be attending Berea in the Fall. She had to prove financial need, as well as academic ability to attend the college.  

Strickland said Smith is the second teen from the program to attend Berea. She is preceded by Faelyn Campbell, graduate of Greeneville High in 2016. Both Smith and Campbell were among a group of program participants that toured the Berea campus with Strickland in 2014.

Smith said she now has clearly defined goals for her education and career.

“After college, I hope to travel with the Peace Corps and teach in underdeveloped countries,” she said. “Then when I come back, I plan to try to teach English and work in education administration to try to make an impact on small county administrative systems and school systems.”

Smith spent four years in the Farm and Food Teen Training program learning about gardening, livestock, culinary arts, and business planning and implementation. During the summer of 2016 she interned at Rural Resources, helping with communications for the program through Facebook, blogging, and public speaking.

“Veronica excelled in the teen program,” Strickland said. “I feel that Berea, a school of that caliber,  is going to open a door for her to change her life and the lives of others. I believe she's going to use this opportunity to the utmost.”

Rural Resources is a nonprofit working to connect farms, food and families through community education, programs to empower food-insecure youth, children’s programs and sustainable agricultural practices to build a vibrant local food economy, as well as addressing the needs of local farmers, gardeners and consumers.

The Incredible Farm Dinner on Main!

The

Incredible Farm Dinner on Main!

JUNE 23, 2017

Photo of Farm to Table Dinner in Jonesborough is courtesy of Woven Creative Studio

Tickets are on sale now for the Incredible Farm Dinner on Main!

Meet us downtown on June 23rd at 7:00 p.m. for dinner and live music on Main Street in Greeneville, Tenn. Reserve your place at the table now!

The Incredible Farm Dinner on Main is the “don’t miss” event of the summer in Greeneville, TN.  Enjoy local fare around one community table set to perfection right in the middle of Main Street!  We will gather at 7pm in the lobby of the Capitol Theatre for hors d’oeuvres and drinks and then be seated on Main for a four course meal.  

This event benefits Rural Resources and the Capitol Theatre and is made possible with generous sponsorship from: Eastman Credit Union, Jost, Inc, Meco, Rogers Family Dentistry, TEVET, The Well Stocked Bar, Towne Square Package Store, Consumer Credit Union, JD Metals,The General Morgan Inn, Through the Eyes of Sam Photography, and others. Special thanks to Catalyst Coffee Company, Jonesborough Locally Grown and First Presbyterian Church.

Special thanks to our lead sponsor:

A New Face At The Farm

Rural Resources welcomed a new face to the farm in June. Ashley Buchanan accepted the Farm Day Camp teacher position for the 2017 summer season. Buchanan’s background in art and agriculture makes her a perfect fit for Farm Day Camp.

“This ended up being a perfect opportunity for me,” said Buchanan, who graduated from Walter’s State this year. “I couldn't ask for something better to just come up out of the blue.”

Buchanan’s plans for the program include “a lot of hands-on experience.” She said they’ll learn about gardening, from starting a seed to harvesting, as well as livestock.

“I definitely want them to have an opportunity to interact with the potbellied pig and the rabbits and the dairy cow,” she said.

She added, “I guess another aspect of it is bringing in my love for the arts. and being able to do some gardening projects that are creative I'm really excited about being able to weave that together and then of course, time in the creek.”

Plans are also in the works to have horses available for children to interact with and there will also be opportunities for fun and learning off the farm, including a hike to a popular local waterfall.

“The older kids we're looking to them to Margarette falls, weather permitting, and if everything goes as planned, on Friday we will get to take them on the hike and take them into a different atmosphere on the trail than on the farm,” she said. “I'm going to do a scavenger hunt along the way to identify different plants and critters.”

Buchanan said she likes to use any kind of opportunity as a learning experience for kids.

“Part of it is influenced by my background. of being in Johnson City and not really having those opportunities for agricultural activities, working with animals or having someone who could teach me about plant sciences,” she said. “We spent a lot of time outside, did the hiking and camping, but the educational part, I'd say was lacking. I just kind of stumbled upon it a couple years ago. and fell in love with it.”

She added, “I think you learn lots of different aspects of just working through life, by learning how to care for animals and plants, and their growth cycle. I think can be applied to our own lives and being able to care for ourselves.”

Faelyn Campbell, a former participant in Rural Resources’ Farm and Food Teen Training Program who is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Berea College in Kentucky, is Buchanan’s assistant for the 2017 Farm Day Camp season.

“Having her experience there is phenomenal,” said Buchanan. “She’s familiar with the program and the farm. I think she'll be great. I'm very grateful to have her.”

Buchanan’s ultimate my goal is to become a 4-H extension agent working so she can combine her loves for art, being outdoors and agriculture. She’s planning to continue her education at UT in the agricultural leadership communications and education program to earn a master’s degree.

Farm Day Camp is an opportunity for children ages four to 12 to enjoy a full week of hands-on activities on the farm, learning about food's journey from soil to table while building relationships with the land, plants, animals and each other.

The week-long camps run from June 5 to July 28 at  Rural Resources' Holly Creek Farm, 2870 Holly Creek Rd., Greeneville, TN 37745. Visit the ruralresources.net website for more information and to register.

Rural Resources is nonprofit working to connect farms, food and families through community education, youth programs and sustainable agriculture.

Organic Certification Cost Share Program

Do you know about the Organic Certification Cost Share Program? Here are some facts from the USDA:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
National Organic Certification Cost Share Program
(NOCCSP), administered by the USDA Farm Service
Agency (FSA), provides organic producers and
handlers with financial assistance to reduce the cost
of organic certification. The program reimburses
producers and handlers for a portion of their paid
certification costs. Once certified, organic producers
and handlers are eligible to receive reimbursement for
up to 75 percent of certification costs each year, up to
a maximum of $750 per certification scope—crops,
livestock, wild crops and handling. Additional scopes
include transition certification and state program fees.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
Certified organic producers and handlers who have
paid certification fees may apply for reimbursement
of the incurred costs.

IS CERTIFICATION REQUIRED TO
PARTICIPATE?
Yes. Organic certification cost share funds are only
available to certified organic or certified transitional
producers and handlers. Certification must be
provided by a USDA-accredited certifying agent. If
your operation is not currently certified organic and
you would like to learn more about the certification
process, please visit www.fsa.usda.gov/organic.

WHAT COSTS ARE REIMBURSABLE?
Eligible costs include application fees, inspection
costs, fees related to equivalency agreement/
arrangement requirements, travel/per diem for
inspectors, user fees, sales assessments and postage.

WHAT COSTS ARE NOT REIMBURSABLE?
Ineligible costs include equipment, materials,
supplies, late fees, and inspections necessary to
address National Organic Program regulatory
violations.

WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM REIMBURSEMENT
AMOUNT?
The maximum per certification scope (crops,
livestock, wild crops and handling) is $750.
Transition and state certification reimbursements
will be processed separately.

HOW DO I APPLY FOR REIMBURSEMENT?
You may apply to a participating state agency
according to their deadlines, or beginning March 20,
2017, you may apply directly to one of over 2,100
FSA offices. Applicants must typically submit a onepage
application form, W-9 tax form (to participating
state agencies), proof of certification and an itemized
invoice of certification expenses.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
This fact sheet is provided for informational purposes
only; other eligible requirements may apply. For more
information, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/organic contact
your local FSA county office. To find an office
nearest you, visit http://offices.usda.gov.

Farm Day Camp Registration!

 Register here for Farm Day Camp!

Register Now!

The

Incredible Farm Dinner on Main!

JUNE 23, 2017

Photo of Farm to Table Dinner in Jonesborough is courtesy of Woven Creative Studio

Tickets are on sale now for the Incredible Farm Dinner on Main!

Meet us downtown on June 23rd at 7:00 p.m. for dinner and live music on Main Street in Greeneville, Tenn. Reserve your place at the table now!

The Incredible Farm Dinner on Main is the “don’t miss” event of the summer in Greeneville, TN.  Enjoy local fare around one community table set to perfection right in the middle of Main Street!  We will gather at 7pm in the lobby of the Capitol Theatre for hors d’oeuvres and drinks and then be seated on Main for a four course meal.  

This event benefits Rural Resources and the Capitol Theatre and is made possible with generous sponsorship from: Eastman Credit Union, Jost, Inc, Meco, Rogers Family Dentistry, TEVET, The Well Stocked Bar, Towne Square Package Store, Consumer Credit Union, JD Metals,The General Morgan Inn, Through the Eyes of Sam Photography, and others. Special thanks to Catalyst Coffee Company, Joneborough Locally Grown and First Presbyterian Church.

Special thanks to our lead sponsor:

Schedule Change and More Events!

Third Time's the Charm?
We Hope So!

The
ANNUAL MEETING & DINNER ON THE FARM

Has Been Rescheduled (Again) for May 11th Due to Weather

Same time, same place, different day! The public is invited to attend Rural Resources Annual Meeting and Dinner on May 11^th at 6:00 p.m. at Holly Creek Farm. The event is free but donations will be gratefully accepted to help offset the cost.
Guests will be able to tour the new Farm & Food Learning Center, currently under construction, and see the progress on the Farm and Food Teen Training program’s spring garden.


The Farm & Food Learning Center will provide space for programs, community workshops, offices and a commercial kitchen. The Rural Resources staff has been working out of a small trailer, without indoor plumbing, since a fire destroyed the building in 2009. Youth programs have been held in out buildings and a Pavilion donated by the Rotary Club. Thanks to funding from the USDA, the Appalachian Regional Commission, East Tennessee Foundation and many other generous local donors, progress on the learning center is continuing.



Rural Resources is nonprofit working to connect farms, food and families through community education, youth programs and sustainable agriculture.
Holly Creek Farm is located at 2870 Holly Creek Rd, Greeneville. For more information call Rural Resources at 423-636-8171 or register here.

The
Incredible Farm Dinner on Main!

Photo of Farm to Table Dinner in Jonesborough is courtesy of Woven Creative Studios

Tickets are on sale now for the Incredible Farm Dinner on Main!

Meet us downtown on July 23rd at 7:00 p.m. for dinner and live music on Main Street in Greeneville, Tenn. Reserve your place at the table now!
The Incredible Farm Dinner on Main is the “don’t miss” event of the summer in Greeneville, TN.  Enjoy local fare around one community table set to perfection right in the middle of Main Street!  We will gather at 7pm in the lobby of the Capital Theatre for hors d’oeuvres and drinks and then be seated on Main for a 4 course meal.  End the night with more fun inside the Capital.
This event benefits Rural Resources and the Capital Theatre and is made possible with generous sponsorship from Edward Jones Investments with Lee House, Jost, Inc., Tracey Solomon, and others.

 Farm Day Camp Registration is Open!

It's Time for Summer Fun on the Farm!

Farm Day Camp is an opportunity for children ages 4 to 12 to enjoy a full week of hands-on activities on the farm, learning about food's journey from soil to table while building relationships with the land, plants, animals and each other!

The week-long camps run from June 5 to July 28 at  Rural Resources' Holly Creek Farm, 2870 Holly Creek Rd., Greeneville, TN 37745.

The 2017 sessions:
Li'l Sprouts 1, ages 4-5, June 5 - 10; meets 9-noon,
Li'l Sprouts 2, ages 4-5, June 12 - 16; meets 9-noon,
Farm Explorers1, 1st - 3rd Grades, June 19 - 23; 9-3pm
Farm Explorers 2, 1st - 3rd Grades, June 26 - 30; 9-3pm
Farm Explorers 3, 1st - 3rd Grades, July 17 - 21; 9-3pm
Discover Natural Resources Camp, Grades 4-6 or experienced Farm Day
Campers, July 24 - 28; 9-5 M-W, overnight Thurs., and dismisses at noon on Friday

Sprouts $85; Explorers $160; Discovery $225
A limited number of scholarships are available.

Spaces are limited. Register HERE!
Or Contact Sharon at 423-636-8171
or sharon@ruralresources.net

Growing Dreams!

Our Farm and Food Teen Training Program Coordinator Debbie Strickland published a blog on the Grow Appalachia website about the program and one of this year's new participants. Check it out here at this link.

In the Farm and Food Teen Training Program, Food-insecure teens raise produce and livestock, train with local chefs, learn business and leadership skills, and start a food related business. They then have an option for an internship.

The Program follows a 4-year rotation. In year one, teens learn all about growing food, from planting and harvesting to composting and livestock management, and much more! Year two get the teens into the kitchen to learn kitchen safety, cooking and catering. The third and fourth years focus on business planning and organization, implementation of a farm- or food-related enterprise, creating a resume and public speaking. After completing four years of training, teens move on to an internship with a local farmer or chef.

For more information about the program, call Debbie Strickland at Debbie@ruralresources.net or call the office at 423-636-8171.

Local, Naturally-raised, Pastured Pork for Sale!

The Rural Resources Farm and Food Teen Training (FFTT) program has naturally-raised, pastured pork for sale! This is a great opportunity to not only get healthy, local food but to also support the teen program.

The teens bred and cared for the pigs as part of their livestock rotation in the FFTT program. All the proceeds from the pork they sell will go back into the program.

Don't miss out! Order soon!

The FFTT program teaches the teens about livestock, business practices Teens use the knowledge and skills gained in the first two years of the program to earn money for the program during years three and four.

Over a two year period, they explore the basics of business planning and organization. Teens team up to create a business plan for their own farm or food-related enterprise! In the process, they create resumes and develop critical job skills such as teamwork, public speaking, creating business plans, marketing principles and more.

For more information about the program contact Debbie Strickland at Debbie@ruralresources.net or call the office at 423-636-8171.

Profitable Ground ... what does it look like?

Eddie Yokley To Host Foraging Workshop

The Four Seasons Grazing Club will meet for a Grazing for Profit Pasture Walk titled “Profitable Ground … what does it look like?” at Eddie Yokley’s farm on April 13 from 5:30-8:00 p.m. The farm is located at 1046 Old Kentucky Rd., South, Greeneville, TN. The event is free and a free hamburger dinner will follow the pasture walk.

Yokely is using an innovative rotational grazing and forage management method. Practices include rolling out hay in the fall, using a sacrifice field for winter grazing and moving to grass in February or March, using temporary fencing, and grazing areas on the margins of streams or rivers on dry winter days.

Mike McElroy of the Greene County Soil Conservation District said the method is nontraditional but effective.

“It boils down to grazing management and the landowner being in control,” McElroy said. “A lot of the complaints that we get during winter time are, ‘There's nothing but mud around the hay rings,’ or ‘I lost a calf because of the mud.’  To get away from that, you've got to change your management. You've got to do something different to get around it.”

The pasture walk will include seeing a stream crossing with a water access point, freeze proof waterers, additional quick connects, even manure distribution in the sacrifice field and learning about how farms can qualify for cost sharing opportunities.

One of the keys to successfully implementing this method is unrolling hay on the ground when the weather is dry.

“You put out what they can eat in three to four hours, the next day you unroll the hay again,” said McElroy. “But you pick those days and you do it on dry days. If it's nasty, wet, cold, rainy, snowy, and all that, walk out there and open up the gate handle and turn them into a pasture field that has been sitting there and growing all winter long. We call that stockpiled forages.”

McElroy said the event will bring together people to find new solutions to old problems.

“We'll get ideas from Eddie on things that he's tried that did not work, and things that he tried that did work,” McElroy said. He adds, “In the winter of 2015, Eddie fed 148 rolls of hay. In the winter of 2016, he fed 26. Same number of animals, same number of acres of land, everything was the same except for how it was managed.”

McElroy says proper forage management also improves soil health, reduces water run-off, eliminates the need to spray costly herbicides or bush hog, and increases the amount of protein available to livestock from what are commonly considered weeds.

  

One thing I’ve told Eddie and everybody else, these land owners are going to have to decide,” McElroy said. “Do you want a pasture field or do you want a golf course?”

To register for this free event, go to ruralresources.net and click on the Four Seasons Grazing Club under the Programs tab, or call Rural Resources at 423-636-8171 or the Greene County Soil Conservation District at 423-638-4771 extension 3.

The Four Seasons Grazing Club is an educational and networking organization dedicated to encouraging better forage production through grazing management. This Grazing for Profit Pasture Walk is sponsored by Rural Resources, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.

We Need You!

Rural Resources relies on volunteers to help us do what we do. At times we have lots of volunteers in our data base that we can call on when we need a couple of extra hands. At other times, the pool dwindles down a bit. People’s schedules change. They move. They develop new interests. We understand that and we appreciate the time and energy they have given us. But that means that we need to recruit new volunteers at times to fill their places. It’s that time again!

We need volunteers of all kinds and all abilities. Do you like to work in the garden? Are you experienced with livestock? Are you good with computer hardware or installing and troubleshooting software? Fixing fences? Can you stuff envelopes? Is art or cooking your thing? Would you like to beautify our farm or teach our youth? We always need someone to help our farm manager keep all the maintenance and repairs up to date. If you would like to be a part of our mission, we have a place for you!

We welcome groups, individuals, families, Tennessee Promise Students and those wanting to serve community service hours by helping out a worthy cause.

Volunteer Morgan Jones will graduate
from Tusculum College in May with a
  criminal justice degree and a minor in
 chemistry. 

In May, Morgan Jones, a volunteer who has been helping me with communications, will be graduating from Tusculum College. With a criminal justice degree and a minor in chemistry under her belt, she will then move on to graduate school for a master’s degree in forensic science. We are very proud of Morgan, who is a Bonner Leader Student and a member of the Criminal Justice Association. We will miss her!

With Morgan moving on to new adventures with chemistry and cadavers, I’m looking for people who might be interested in helping out with our communications. That could be anything from preparing mailouts or helping with photography and graphic design to writing blogs or doing data entry.

If you are interested in volunteering in any capacity, please contact Sharon, our volunteer coordinator, at Sharon@ruralresources.net. If you specifically want to help out with communications, please contact me at lorelei@ruralresources.net. You can also reach both of us at 423-636-8171.