TN.gov Newsroom

NASHVILLE -- The Tennessee Viticulture Advisory Board will meet June 23 at 10 a.m. CDT at the DelMonaco Winery, located at 600 Lance Drive in Baxter, Tenn., about 10 miles west of Cookeville. The agenda includes a review of legislative issues, the biennial viticulture report, state reporting requirements and other business as presented.

NASHVILLE – Governor Phil Bredesen today requested a federal designation of natural disaster for agriculture for farm losses in five Middle Tennessee counties due to excessive rain and extensive flooding that occurred in May. The five counties are Bedford, Hickman, Lewis, Moore and Perry.

Oliver Presents June Dairy Month Proclamation

NASHVILLE – June 3, 2009 – June Dairy Month, the national celebration of America’s dairy farmers, kicked off today in Tennessee and brought together farm families, government officials and other state dignitaries. Tennessee Titans linebacker David Thornton, the event’s keynote speaker, educated guests on the importance of good health with “Fuel Up To Play,” the theme of this year’s June Dairy Month.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Agriculture has begun accepting applications for the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program. Most applications are accepted on a first come, first serve basis and should be filled out completely and postmarked beginning June 1. The deadline for submission is July 1.

Dr. Charles Hatcher, State Veterinarian

NASHVILLE –Tennessee Department of Agriculture Commissioner Ken Givens today announced the promotion of Dr. Charles Hatcher to the position of state veterinarian. The state veterinarian is charged with protecting and monitoring animal health in Tennessee.

“We’re excited to have Dr. Hatcher step into this new role as state veterinarian,” said Givens. “His knowledge and experience will be a continued asset to the agency.”

2008 Tennessee Walking Horse World Grand Championship

NASHVILLE – State Agriculture Commissioner Ken Givens, recently honored 2008 Tennessee Walking Horse World Grand Champion owners Michael and Ann Jones and trainers Link and Rhea Ellen Webb.

KNOXVILLE – The amount of forestland in Tennessee remains stable, but is changing in terms of species, age and ownership according to a newly released report by the U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS) Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry. The report, titled “Tennessee’s Forests, 2004,” also shows a decline in the number of wood products jobs from 1999 to 2004.

Farmland Preservation Event

NASHVILLE - Governor Phil Bredesen and state Agriculture Commissioner Ken Givens today announced the donation of more than $165,700 in private tobacco settlement funds to The Land Trust for Tennessee to support farmland preservation.    

"Farmland preservation is more than just preserving our rich agricultural legacy and the land. It's about achieving balance in our land-use planning and supporting a major component of our rural economy," said Bredesen. "I'm pleased that through this donation that we will be able to support private/public partnerships with The Land Trust to preserve working farms in Tennessee."  

NASHVILLE — State and federal authorities are responding to an indication of low-pathogenic avian influenza on a single farm in Lincoln County in Middle Tennessee. The strain poses minimal risk to human health and is not the high-pathogenic strain associated with human and poultry outbreaks in other countries. Nor is it related to the novel H1N1 flu virus, commonly referred to as swine flu. 

Strawberries

NASHVILLE - After tangling with deep freezes and dry soils for the last couple of years, Tennessee’s strawberry crop seems headed for sweet success.