Environmental Conservation
The “RC” in our acronym stands for “Resource Conservation.” Resource conservation entails land preservation, soil health, water conservation, and more. In our farming and gardening education courses we encourage organic practices and educate growers about the hazards involved with common pesticides. More broadly, our work in land preservation, soil health, and water conservation help to keep Northeast Tennessee the safe, healthy, and beautiful region that it is.
The spaces below provide an overview of our work in this sector as well as our articles related to this work.
Land Preservation
The need for a regional land conservation initiative began when Appalachian RC&D Council members working in Northeast Tennessee started to notice the accelerating disappearance of farmland in the area, and the desire for many residents to take action and protect their family landholdings before it was sold and developed. The Tennessee Chapter of the Nature Conservancy and the Southern Appalachian Highland Conservancy had been active in the region for many years, but had specific missions that focused on conservation of the high mountain areas and unique and imperiled ecosystems. There was no organization working to protect the family farm.
The Appalachian RC&D Council approached the Land Trust for Tennessee to create a satellite office in Northeast Tennessee to serve land owners in Northeast Tennessee to address to disappearance of farmland and open spaces in the region. In the partnership agreement, The ARC&D staff would work on the ground with landowners and communities and raise their own operating costs, while Land Trust for Tennessee would provide the technical and legal expertise needed to complete conservation easement agreements. Read on about this project here.
Water Conservation
Twenty years of responsible fiscal management has made us a regional go-to for administration of environmental state funds that must be implemented through a nonprofit. From 2015-2018 the ARC&D is proud to have been awarded a second “319” grant from the Environmental Protection Agency and TN Dept. of Agriculture to continue eliminating E.Coli and nitrogen pollution problems in Roan Creek watershed of Johnson County.
Year 2014 marked the close of a five-year “319” grant on Roan Watershed, working closely with Brushy Fork Environmental Consulting. This project benefited many landowners by providing cost-share to stabilize stream banks, leading to less erosion and more filtration of sediment, nitrogen, and pollutants, and make healthier aquatic species habitat. The grant was also used to stabilize streams in advance of installing Doe Mountain’s Adventure Trails system. We were able to repair 15 stream sites. Read on about this project here.
Envirothon
Envirothon is a national educational program and competition that advocates for high school students to learn about conservation and various environmental subjects. Each year, Appalachian RC&D hosts the regional competition for Environthon. The first place winner from the regional competition goes on to compete at the state level. Read about the latest competition here.
News from Mt. Harvest Kitchen, Unicoi TN — Meet the Director, Lee Manning
Mountain Harvest Kitchen has a Director! Lee Manning has been working in the food industry for the past 9 years, from small start-ups to large corporations. Her passion is bringing good food to a larger table, and when not helping others achieve this goal, she is...
Farmer Spotlight: Kari & Curtis of Forest Grown Farm, Washington County TN
Forest Grown Farm, Washington County, TN Nature-lovers and husband and wife team, Kari and Curtis, dreamed up Forest Grown as they explored the Cherokee National Forest that borders their property. The desire to understand the mysterious magic housed within the...
Quilt Turning, 3rd annual, for the Quilt Trail
Every quilt has a story... Of the heart that designed it, the hands that stitched it, and the family who was warmed underneath it. Come to our 3rd annual special storytelling performance, with lunch, featuring the antique and heirloom quilts behind the Quilt Trail,...
From Soil to $old
From Soil to $old: A daylong workshop for commercial produce growers, market gardeners, and agriculture professionals to teach practices for increasing yields, quality, and storage shelf-life for locally grown fruits and vegetables. Saturday, April 29th two regional...
Feb. Field School – Markets for Farm Products
by Marie Ann Tipton Farmers are skilled at growing food, but knowing how to choose the right market for a product can be a real challenge. Luckily, there are a lot different types of markets farmers can access locally. At the February Field School, we had a series...
Farm Subscriptions: It’s CSA Fair time in the Tricities
Come on out and meet your farmer: This Saturday, February 25th, from 1pm-4pm in the King Center Johnson City Thank you to the Johnson City Food Coop interest group and Three Rivers Market for sponsoring the Fair. Folks looking to eat healthier this year have another...
Farming Financially: How to Get Started
The January Field School session was all about how to farm financially and getting started on the right foot. Starting to farm can be difficult. The future can seem gloomy when taking a look at start-up costs, loan and financial assistance applications, and figuring...
Spotlight: Roan Mountain Future
In 2013 Ethan Gouge traded his career as a U. S. Marine officer for a chance to put a newly formed passion into practice: restoring his grandparents’ overgrown farm property in Roan Mountain. Ethan married Katie in October of 2014 and together they are bringing Roan...
Connecting Youth, Farms, Food, and Community: End of 2016 Report
Committed to outdoor youth empowerment for 20 years Conservation Camp, 4th graders, 1995
Spotlight: Local Food at Local Businesses
Thanks to Leah Matson at AccelNow who profiled new farm entrepreneurs, including Katie, at their online blog. Katie Bashor is the Farm Operation Manager at River Creek Farm, a five-acre farm in Limestone, TN owned by Jamie Dove and Elise Clair. In addition to being a...