Farmer & Gardener Training Hub
Your resource for all the farming and gardening workshops, programs, and training opportunities ARCD offers.
Farmer Focused
ARCD is committed to providing high quality, actionable, and relevant education and training for beginning farmers and gardeners in Northeast Tennessee so they can start or expand their farming businesses effectively.
We offer a number of intensive-style workshops as well as longer, more broad programs. Specialty crop workshops focus on one specific subject, while our Field School and Build It Up programs offer a broad foundation for new farmers and gardeners respectively.
Build It Up
Backyard Gardening Program
Build It Up provides organic gardening supplies and education from seed to harvest. Learn how to grow, prepare, and preserve food from your own backyard. Build It Up applications open in January of each year, and the program runs from March through September.
The Field School
Beginning Farmer Training Program
The Field School is a beginning farmer training program that provides students with an overview of small-scale farming in East Tennessee. Field School is comprised of two sessions: Winter Business Intensive and Summer Field School.
Workshops
Specialty Crops & Conservation
ARCD is proud to offer a series of intensive workshops and other one-time events for farmers and gardeners wishing to learn about a specific topic. Workshops are added frequently; subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date.
Production Plans
Customized Consultations
Our Beginning Farmer Training staff provide customized production plans for beginning farmers to help them maximize the space and resources their farm has in a way that meets their production goals. For more information, click the link below to email us.
Women Farmer Circles
Focused Workshops in a Friendly Atmosphere
Women Farmer Circles are women-led workshops focusing on a particular area of interest for other women farmers. Past topics have included everything from rotational grazing to chicken processing. Workshops are announced via an email list. If you would like to be added to this list, click below to send an email to Rosie to request updates.
TN FarmLink
Lease or Buy Farmland in Tennessee
TN FarmLink is a land search database owned by ARCD to aid farmers who are searching for land to farm, and to help land owners looking to sell or lease their land.
Build It Up Blog
As part of their participation in Build It Up, our gardeners submit periodic blogs throughout the season. These entries help program staff make sure the program is operating effectively, and they help our funder, Grow Appalachia, see the impact of our work.
Featured Chef: Aliceson Bales on why you can cook and love a whole chicken
Why do I support local? There are better, tastier, more nutritious and more sustainable ways to purchase meat and to enjoy meat. Pasture-raised chicken is the most delicious and nutritious chicken you can find. There is simply no comparison between pasture-raised...
Farm Profile: Creag Creek Farm Celebrates First Christmas
[Photo above: A family gets ready to take home their Creag Creek Farm Christmas Tree.]Andy and Joyce Brown of Creag Creek Farms Andy Brown was appointed Executive Director of the Appalachian RC&D Council in July, 2024. In addition to bringing decades of...
A Look at Our 30th Year with Andy Brown, Executive Director
Wow - what a year! We started off 2024 knowing we had much to do - and with your partnership, program participation, financial support and good will - we have delivered, making Northeast Tennessee’s local farm to food scene more prosperous, resilient and accessible...