Salute to local agriculture producers

Before any factories came to Lawrence County, most people earned at least part of their living from the land. Today, there is a revival among Americans who are growing their own food and selling products locally and regionally.
“Farm to Table” is the theme for Ag Week 2023, acknowledging the wide variety of homegrown foods available in Lawrence County. Local retailers, Amish producers, Plowboy Produce in Ethridge, Loretto Farmers Market and soon-to-launch Lawrenceburg Farmers Market are all places you can easily find fresh, reasonably-priced products.
To support those producers, our Extension Service is compiling a “Pick Law Co” directory of farms that will be available at the Lawrence County UT-TSU Extension website. Like the statewide directory “Pick Tennessee Products,” listings are completely free. I encourage producers and consumers to take advantage of it.
Three years ago my family launched a small cattle operation with the idea of producing our own grass-fed beef. As my children grew, it became important to know the source of their nourishment. Today, I can see a calf grow from conception to birth, then know exactly what they have eaten and any medications that have been put into their bodies.
Like many of you, I’ve also grown plenty of gardens. I hope this, and our farm operation, instills a farm-to-table culture among my children. My brother Steven started planting a garden big enough to feed my entire family when I was only four years old and he was ten. He recently moved to Summertown, buying enough land for a big garden that will feed his family and many others. Don’t tell him he can charge for his veggies, because I plan to keep getting them for free.
Today I am joining the Chamber and Extension Service to salute the economic impact of farming in Lawrence County. Numbers from 2017, the most recent we have, show that the annual market value of all farm products (livestock, crops, nursery and greenhouses) was $71 million. Agriculture is our biggest business.
Activities planned for this Salute to Agriculture week include a Farmers’ Breakfast, local farm tours, Farm-City Day, and the first-ever Farm to Table dinner on the Lawrenceburg Square. I hope you can enjoy as many of these events as possible, and continue to support local farm producers and their families.