Thanks to a conversation by a small group of folks, seeds of hope were dispersed across seven counties in northern East Tennessee this spring.
“A group of us got together and talked about what farmers needed most right now,” said Steven Huff, TFBF regional field director for that area. “We realized folks didn’t just lose their hay they had stored to feed through this past winter, but there was also a lot of ground that was damaged that needed to be restored in order to have a hay crop and mow to store and feed this upcoming winter.”
After that discussion, the group reached out to folks along the rivers who were impacted and asked what they could use, how many acres, etc.
“When we talked to folks and put the numbers together, fortunately, the Farm and Forest Families of Tennessee Disaster Relief Fund was there,” said Huff. “Thanks to the generous donations to that fund, there was a substantial amount of money that did a lot of good in this area.”
More than 8,500 acres of good to be precise – from fescue to white clover, orchard grass, etc. Seven counties were blessed with seed in April, and while it was a little late in the year for some counties to plant cool-season forages, because of the mountains in some of those far eastern counties where it stays cooler a little longer, it ended up being at just the right time for a lot of folks. Hopefully, many will be able to get a good establishment and have a good hay crop this year.
“Obtaining the seed was a huge help for me and will offset a lot of the costs in trying to get pastures back to where they should be,” said Chris Williams, Carter County farmer. “Hopefully our cattle operation will resume where it should be by early next year.”
Another cattle farmer thankful to receive seeds of hope was John Hilemon II of Unicoi County. He said, “We’re really appreciative of Tennessee farmers coming together to get seed sent this direction – it’s helping out a lot of people just like us.”
Doug Bowman, president of Unicoi County Farm Bureau, along with Mike Nidiffer, president of Carter County Farm Bureau, were among the group spearheading this effort. Bowman is quick to express gratitude for the folks who donated to the relief fund and made these seeds of hope possible.
“We’re so appreciate of all the farmers across the state who reached out to help us in our time of need,” said Bowman.
