ARC&D Launches Year Two of TN Stream Team Restoration and Resilient Farmer Funding

Hurricane Helene may have been over 24 months ago, but there is still locally-based direct help and funding for farmers who were flooded or had wind damages, says the Appalachian RC&D Council. 

“Some farms saw staggering damage. The work still needed to recover is complicated as well: what to do with 3 feet of sand, or how to re-grade an unstable riverbank? How to pay for it all? We don’t think the farming economy is still back to the scale of what it was pre-Helene,” says Executive Director Andy Brown of the ARCD. 

If you are a farm adjacent to the Nolichucky, Watauga, Doe, or French Broad rivers with concerns about your river bank stability, or need help planting trees after the Hurricane, or treating invasive plants, the ARCD has programs to pay for these materials and services on qualifying farms. Funding is through TN Emergency Management and Tennessee Valley Authority, supported by TN Division of Forestry and UT Institute of Agriculture. 

ARCD may even bring the helping hands. A volunteer corps, the TN Stream Team, which is now actively accepting new members, has so far stabilized 5,000 ft of streambanks and planted 6,963 trees & shrubs since September 2024. The TN Stream Team is made up of rafting guides, retirees, citizens, and volunteers from other groups like Nolichucky Restoration Partnership and Green Interchange.

Volunteers are still needed to join the TN Stream Team this year. Details and sign up is at ARCD.org. From October 2026 through March 2027, at least nine volunteer work days are scheduled to take place throughout Washington, Cocke, Greene, and Hamblen counties with a goal of working on nine farm sites with tree and native plantings, soil reclamation and stabilization, stream bank restoration, and habitat improvements.

The first work day is October 26 in Lamar.

“This second year is an opportunity to build on the incredible work already accomplished across Northeast Tennessee,” said Jillian Gorrell, Ag Lands and Business Director of the Smokies Region at ARCD. “We’re grateful to the volunteers and partners who have helped move restoration forward, and we’re excited to welcome both returning and new volunteers.”

A second source of help for farmers still rebuilding is the The Resilient Farmer Fund, now open for grant applications. The Resilient Farmer Fund has funded 35 farm projects during 2024 and in 2025 to help farms get back to producing for the local food system. Now in 2026, applications are open again for another round support for A) Equipment replacement or repair; B) Stream crossings and stabilization; C) Fencing repairs and replacement; D) Topsoil replenishment. Several other eligible expenses are outlined at the website ARCD.org. Application window closes November 30, 2026  Awards will range between $2,500 – $10,000.

There is one eligibility factor: all farms must have a connection to the local food system. “We need farmers to ask for this help so they can get back to helping feed us and the nation,” says Brown.

“Celebration is also important,” adds Brown. In order to spread the word and celebrate accomplishments of conservation programs, Saturday November 7th at 7:30PM there will be a concert from the nationally-known The Bluegrass Gentlemen. A group of grammy-nominated musicians including Casey Dreissen, Buddy Melton, and Darren Schumaker. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at www.capitolhall.com. 

Farmers seeking more information about support programs for Helene recovery can contact Jillian Gorrell at 423-427-3649 or jillian@arcd.org.