Mitchell Mote from the Rutherford County (UT/TSU) Extension Agency is our guest. See some of the topics covered on today’s show below.
Rutherford County Extension Office
315 John R. Rice Blvd
Murfreesboro, TN 37129-4105
Phone: 615-898-7710
Farmers Market at the Lane Agri Park:
- Rutherford County Farmers’ Market reopened for the season this past Friday, May 13th.
- Producer-Only Farmers' Market
- Located in the open-air Community Center at Lane Agri Park
- Open 7AM to Noon every Tuesday and Friday (between now and the last Friday in October)
- Seasonal fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs, baked and canned goods, flowers, plants and more.
- Customers can pay with cash, credit, debit, and even use their SNAP/EBT benefit card. WIC vouchers are also accepted by participating vendors in July and August.
- FREE "Come & Go" informative sessions every market-day between 9AM and 11AM in the Lane Agri Park lobby. Topics range from sustainable gardening, cooking, food preservation, to environmental education.
- The Master Gardeners of Rutherford County are available between 9AM and Noon in the demonstration garden for questions and tours.
Location of Farmers Market:
Lane Agri-Park in Murfreesboro on John R. Rice Blvd., down from the Sam's Club and Tractor Supply.
Governor Proclaims MAY is Wine and Grape Month in TENNESSEE:
A growing agricultural sector is being highlighted this month with a proclamation by Gov. Bill Lee. According to the proclamation, May is Wine and Grape Month in Tennessee.
“The 68 wineries we have in Tennessee impact agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism,” Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, D.V.M. said. “Our wineries provide employment for more than 600 people and our vineyards and wineries provide unique travel destinations.”
One of the homes to wine in our immediate is the Big Creek Winery Tasting Room in Christiana, TN. Big Creek Winery is open daily for tastings of its selection of grape and fruit wines, which are made and sold at the winery. Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to tour their winery and learn their wine-making story.
Just past Eagleville you’ll find the 95-acres of Arrington Vineyards. There, guests are encouraged picnic under shade trees that overlook their 16 acres of vineyards. Arrington also has five tasting rooms and produces twenty-two award-winning wines onsite.
The wine and grape industry is a growing agricultural sector in the state, experiencing 250 percent growth since 2013.
As vineyards and winemaking thrive in the Volunteer State, universities like MTSU have developed programs and degrees that focus on developing vineyards, winemaking and the fermentation process.
Three years ago, Tennessee established the Wine and Grape Board for the purpose of promoting and supporting the growth of the grape and wine industry. The seven-person board works to increase the number of wineries in the state and improve the quality of wine produced by Tennessee wineries.
The Lane Agri-Park has a small Vineyard!
