Appalachian Resource Conservation & Development Council to Hold 2024 Land Conservation Workshop for Women Farmers and Landowners in Hawkins County

The Appalachian Resource Conservation & Development Council (ARCD) is hosting a workshop series for women farmers and farm landowners in Hawkins County, TN entitled “Women Preserving Farmland for the Future.” 

The workshop will be hosted over three days. Location information follows below :

DATES:  Monday, October 21 through Wednesday, October 23, 2024
TIMES:  11:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m daily 
LOCATION:  Hawkins County Extension Office, 3815 Highway 66-S Suite 9, Rogersville, TN 37857 

Registration is $30 and lunch will be provided each day, 11:30 – 12:15 pm. Space is limited and attendees must register online in advance at https://bit.ly/wpffoct24.

The workshop is targeted toward women farmers, widowed farm landowners, daughters who have inherited farmland, and other women who make management decisions on Hawkins County forest or farmland. 

Women Preserving Farmland for the Future will help to conserve the farmland that is integral to the strength of the agriculture industry in Northeast Tennessee. Tennessee is losing farmland at an alarming rate; from 2001 through 2016, 659,000 acres of farmland was paved over, fragmented, or otherwise developed. This loss of farmland can be prevented by protecting farmland today through succession planning and land conservation easements or trusts.

These workshops provide the opportunity to talk with conservation, extension, and estate planning professionals to help plan the future of your farmland to prevent farmland loss. Participants will join a group of over 20 women landowners as well as women conservation and extension staff from Hawkins County. Participants will leave with the information, confidence, and contacts needed to make informed decisions for their land and to obtain technical and financial assistance to protect and improve their natural resources. 

The workshop schedule is as follows:

Session 1: Monday, October 21, 2024 — “Conservation Planning: You and Your Land”

  • Introducing Ourselves and Our Farm
  • Overview of Conservation on your Land

Session 2: Tuesday, October 22, 2024 — “Caring for Your Land: Who Can Help?”

  • Conservation Programs and Practices

Session 3: Wednesday, October 23, 2024 — “The Future of Your Farm: Planning a Legacy”

  • Leasing as a Woman Landowner
  • Conservation Easements
  • Succession Planning – Will, Trust, and Important Documents

All meetings will be held at the Hawkins County Extension Office. Check-in begins at 11:15 and complimentary lunch begins at 11:30PM. The cost for the entire program includes lunch, a program notebook and a copy of “Planning Today for Tomorrow’s Farms – A Workbook for Tennessee Farm Families” for you to sit down with your family to make plans for the future.

ARCD is collaborating with local conservation sponsors, including the United States Department of Agriculture, Tennessee Valley Authority,  Natural Resources Conservation Service, Hawkins County Soil and Water Conservation District, First Bank and Trust, Farm Bureau Insurance, Grand Oak Farm and Green Earth Connection to provide this unique program, conservation, discussion and networking opportunity.

Demand is expected to be high, so interested people should register as soon as possible at https://bit.ly/wpffoct24. All registrants will be contacted by Monday, October 14, 2024 and provided with more information about attendance and what will be needed to bring to the workshop. Attendance at all three sessions is strongly encouraged since participants will decide what will be discussed at each session and will develop mutually beneficial relationships with other outstanding women and natural resource organizations and businesses. 

This workshop in Hawkins County is the fifth in a series reaching each county of Northeast Tennessee. Previous counties included Washington, Greene, Sullivan, and Carter. Information about the next county to host this workshop will be announced soon. 

Program Contact:
Rachel Slaughter
slaughter@arcd.org
423-218-2068