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NACD’s 72nd 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.

Photo Carol Edwards
Carol Edwards, Davidson County SCD

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.

Photo Kelly Stockton
TACD President, Kelly Stockton

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.

The Sunshine Girls at the Leadership Luncheon

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.

Franklin County Farmer Changes Soil with No-till, applying Cover Crops, and Grazing Cover Crops

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I had the privilege on June 12, 2018 to visit the farming operation of Dusty Matlock with LaDonna Caldwell, NRCS District Conservationist along with her staff in Winchester, Tennessee. Dusty farms in Franklin County, Tennessee. Dusty is our Profiles of Soil Health Hero number 44. The area near the Alabama border and some areas in Franklin County farms using conventional tillage. Dusty and some others in Franklin County have decided to farm differently by no-tilling and using cover crops. I asked Dusty if he IMG 4261newwas from a farming background family. His father was in the auto body business. His grandfather was a full-time farmer, and he operated a cow-calf operation. As Dusty was IMG 4263newa junior in high school, his grandfather had a stroke in the fall of 1998. This was beginning of a career altering change for Dusty. He began to assist his grandfather with the farming operation in the spring of 1999. Dusty was given the opportunity to partner with his grandfather with Dusty receiving one-third of the proceeds from the farm. Dusty rented a farm as a senior in high school and built the farming operation from there. Later, his grandfather became disabled due to dementia and Dusty's part of the farm went to 50-50 cash-rent. Most of his farming operation is in the Oak Grove and Estill Springs communities.

Dusty's farming operation includes 1,800 acres of cropland and grazing 450-500 pounds stocker calves. The NRCS has assisted the farm on watering systems. They graze steers up to 850 pounds and heifers are grazed up to 750-775 pounds. They practice some prescribe grazing, that is rotating pastures to provide recovery of forage.  They had previously been growing hay with annual wheat. For the last 15 years, they have planted wheat and crimson clover.

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

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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.

IMG 3947newIn 2013, Kevin provided soil health leadership for Tennessee NRCS and partners. There were three priorities for Tennessee, Soil Health, Soil Health, Soil HealthIMG 3933new. 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. 

West Tennessee Farmer Making a Difference in Soil Properties

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Alex Johnson of Henderson County, Tennessee is our 43rd Profiles of Soil Health Heroes. On May 3, 2018, I had the privilege of spending some time visiting with Alex, his father, Mr. Johnson, and Meredith Crosby, NRCS District Conservationist, Henderson and Decatur Counties. Alex is a retired physician who also farmed his final 10 years of his medical career, which was quite challenging. He now farms full-time with his father. Alex became interested in changing farming practices to improve soil health by reading about nutrient management and soil health changes. Once he tried it; he was hooked and has been consistently growing covers for the last five years. IMG 3904new

IMG 3899newThe Johnson farm is located in eastern Henderson county near Lexington, Tennessee. They farm upland loess fields (windblown silt) and creek and river bottoms. When we first went to the field for the interview for this article, Alex remarked that recent flooding on the Beech river showed muddy water coming off a nearby neighbor who uses tillage. In contrast, the water running off Alex's farm was clear. Many of the covers that we walked in were head high (6 feet) and some that were chest high (4.5 half feet). Alex told us that the cover crops are suppressing weeds, and he has reduced one herbicide spraying per year. He also uses IPM (Integrated Pest Management). He has reduced annual foliar fungicides. If scouting shows the need, he will apply them. He said that he is saving conservatively $34.00 per acre on herbicide and fungicide savings.