TNACD

NACD’s Nashville Meeting a Resounding Success

NACD’s 72^nd Annual Meeting in Nashville was a great success.  With over 1,000 in attendance, the most in many years, TACD’s role from the Service Project at McGavock High School on Friday, the tour and Opry on Saturday, our booth on Soil Health and Grazing, the opening session on Monday to the TACD tours on Wednesday, TACD’s role was noted and successful.

First, I want to say a very big “thank you” to Carol Edwards from the Davidson County Soil Conservation District.  Carol and I have worked together since last summer assisting NACD and have worked intensely since November to ensure the success of the convention and TACD’s role.  I also want to thank Amy Dishner from Hawkins County and Daniel Rogers from Tipton County for volunteering with NACD and working from Saturday through Wednesday on the many tasks supporting the convention.

The NACD Executive Committee Service Project was with the McGavock High School FFA installing raised beds for use in the ag science classes.  Providing financial support was the Davidson County SCD, Five Rivers RC&D and the Davidson County Farm Bureau.  NACD Board Member Ray Weaver and President Kelly Stockton were also on hand to support the project.  Jeanne Eastham and Carter Harris also attended to capture photos and video of the event. See a photo gallery of the Service Project at the end of this article.

Our tours were sold out and we received many comments on the value and enjoyment attendees experienced.  On Saturday we had 56 for the Belmont and Travelers Rest tour and transported over 225 conventioneers to the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman Theater in downtown Nashville that evening.  On Wednesday we had a full bus, 56, to both the Belle Mont tour and lunch and another to Lynchburg for lunch at Miss Mary Bobo’s and tour of the Jack Daniel’s distillery.  Helping with the tours we had TACD Vice President Jim Bledsoe for the Opry and the Lynchburg trip, Shorty Beaty from Hamilton, Donna Knox from Sequatchie, Amy Dishner and TCDEA President Janice Gilispie on all the tours.  Last but not least, Mendel Wade of Crocket County traveled as host on the Lynchburg trip on Wednesday before representing TN in the National Conservation Planning Partnership meeting on Thursday.  Also, Sara Steelman met the group in Lynchburg and assisted with lunch and the tour.  Sara also assisted with the Service Project at McGavock High School.

I must mention the Opening Ceremony on Monday.  President Stockton opened the meeting with the invocation, the award-winning Nashville Police Color Guard came next then the national anthem by Ashley Brooks from MTSU and three FFA members from McGavock High School led us in the pledge. To complete the opening Bob Strasser from the Davidson County Board provided a welcome to their District with a very well received history of his family farm in Davidson County and the history of agriculture and conservation in the county.  Bob then introduced Commissioner Jai Templeton doing the welcome to Tennessee.  It is always a pleasure to have the Commissioner support us with his background in ag in west Tennessee.  He just relates well to our group and we really appreciate him being there on a busy day for the administration with the state of the state address Monday evening.

One of the biggest hits was the Sunshine Girls, Aspen and Nova Northcutt, who preformed during the Leadership Luncheon on Monday.  They are even better than when they were at the TACD convention in Franklin last year and we got hundreds of great comments on their performance.  These young performers are something and their dad and music teacher were pretty good too!

The Tennessee District employees decorated the tables for Monday Night’s Auction in Tennessee style with 275 Moon Pies donated by Hamilton County SCD, and enjoyed by all I’ll add, Nashville Guitar Picks and free Educational DVD’s by Cowboy Dan which were donated by Davidson County SCD.

Read more: NACD’s Nashville Meeting a Resounding Success

Holt and Randal Tapp

Fayette County Farmers Saving Dollars and Improving their Productivity by No-till and use of Cover Crops

Our Profiles of Soil Health Heroes number 49 are Holt and Randal Tapp from Fayette County, Tennessee. I met with Fred Walker, District Conservationist, NRCS, Memphis, Tennessee, whom is acting in the Somerville Field Office, Sonny Jewell, County District Soil Conservation Technician, Somerville, Tennessee, and Holt and Randal on October 23, 2018. Holt and Randal shared how they are improving their soils with cover crops.

Like many farmers, the Tapp brothers progressed in conservation due to economics and labor. They described the amount of time involved in field preparations when they formerly used tillage and produced wheat for grain and a cover crop. They formerly produced wheat. The brothers would use 3-4 tillage passes to prepare seedbed for wheat. In their corn, wheat, soybeans, and cotton conventional tillage system would use 3 tractors with 400-600 hours each season and would consume 16,000 gallons of diesel. Compared to now, they use 6,000 gallons on similar number of acres. Using $2.60 per gallon as price of fuel, they are now saving $26,000 dollars by switching from conventional tillage to no-till.

Read more: Holt and Randal Tapp

Kevin Brown

Kevin Brown, Former NRCS Tennessee State Conservationist, Gardening to Improve Soil Health

Conservation partners reading this newsroom article are no strangers to Kevin Brown. Kevin, recently retired as Tennessee's NRCS' State Conservationist. Kevin came to Tennessee in 2007 as the State Conservationist. He began with the USDA Soil Conservation Service, later changed to NRCS in June, 1977. He served in many positions over 41.5 years, including State Conservationist in Ohio and Deputy Chief of Management in headquarters. Kevin assisted in writing the 2002 Farm Bill. Because of his passion for Soil Health, he assisted NRCS in setting up the foundation of the current NRCS' National Soil Health Division.

In 2013, Kevin provided soil health leadership for Tennessee NRCS and partners. There were three priorities for Tennessee, Soil Health, Soil Health, Soil Health. Kevin is responsible for Yours Truly working with TACD as a Soil Health Specialist. At my retirement with NRCS, he asked me to take the position, and he worked with TACD to set up a cooperative agreement to fund my position. With his background, it is not surprising that Kevin practices soil health on his home garden. Kevin has moved 16 times during his 41.5 years. He has always had a garden. He has never tilled a garden. That is a testimony we do not hear very often with home gardeners. As I drive across the state, one area that I still see considerable tillage being practiced is in home gardening. I want to use this news article to say there are ways to improve soil health in gardening. Kevin's way is a way out of many ways to improve soil health. Following the principles of soil health will help gardeners improve soil health. 

Read more: Kevin Brown

2019 TACD Convention -- Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Welcome to the TACD

Annual Convention Webpage

Join TACD and Tennessee’s 95 Soil Conservation Districts in celebrating 75 years of protecting Tennessee’s Natural Resources!

Saturday, March 2nd through Tuesday, March 5th, 2019

Park Vista by Hilton, Gatlinburg, Tennessee

The Cover Letter provides additional information:

For the Convention Registration Form with the Credit Card Form, click below:

Make your hotel reservations at the Park Vista:

Be sure and check back for additional information on the agenda, speakers and other information as it is added over the next month!

To get back to this page, click again on this symbol- -in the letter you received or from the TACD homepage, http://www.tnacd.org, click on this symbol on the right hand side of the main page.

The theme for this convention is: "From Foundation to Future Generations - 75 Years of Championing Conservation"