Nominate a Small Farmer

Guidelines

About the Award

The“Tennessee Small Farmer of the Year Award” program is a joint effort by the various agriculture agencies in Tennessee. The purpose of this program is to identify and recognize exemplary efforts of small farmers throughout Tennessee. In order to assist in our efforts, the Tennessee State University, College of Agriculture invites you to support small farmers by participating in the Small Farmer of the Year Award Program. You may nominate one outstanding small farmer from your county for each of the four categories:

  • Best Management Practices
  • Alterative Enterprises
  • Innovative Marketing and
  • Most Improved Beginning Small Farmer

to compete for the “Small Farmer of the Year” award.

One nominee will be chosen as the winner from each category, and an overall winner will be awarded as the “Tennessee Small Farmer of the Year.” The award recipients will be presented at the Tennessee State University College of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Program’s Small Farm Expo awards’ Session, to be held on September 7, 2023.

The completed nomination, including any supplemental materials, must be submitted on the online form by no later than 4:30 PM on  August 4, 2023.

Eligibility

The farm operated by the nominee must:

  • Be located in the State of Tennessee;
  • Depend on family members for the majority of labor and/or management;
  • Be operated by a family who depends on farming for a significant portion (not necessarily a majority) of its income; and
  • Have direct or indirect gross annual farm sales of less than $250,000 (based on an average of the past three years). Nominations Nomination is open to any producer who meets the criteria specified for each/any category, and may be made by an agency and/or the nominee.

 

Specific Criteria Considerations of each Award Category

A. Best Management Practices

  • List environmental and conservation practices implemented, and acreage involved (e.g. field borders, riparian forest buffers, exclusion of livestock from water sources, rotational grazing, etc.).
  • Include any documentation of benefits derived from practices (on-farm and off-farm benefits).
  • Describe any involvement in research/applied research/demonstration on the farm.
  • Did the nominee overcome any obstacles to implement BMPs?
  • Has the nominee participated in a watershed conservation effort?

B. Innovative Marketing

  • Describe marketing efforts (internet, direct ads, newspaper, TV, etc).
  • Has the nominee developed his/her own product line?
  • How has the farm operation impacted the local economy? 
  • What is the estimated income growth due to marketing strategy (%)?
  • How has customer satisfaction and/or consumer feedback affected the nominee’s marketing strategy?

C. Alternative Enterprises

  • How many types of non-traditional items are produced/ marketed, and has the nominee done this through need (e.g. lost tobacco base) or to fill a foreseen niche (e.g. freshwater Prawns)?
  • Describe the alternative enterprise(s) and how long the nominee has been involved (growing/producing, processing, packaging, distribution, etc).
  • What type of consumer feedback system (if any) is implemented?

D. Most Improved Beginning Small Farmer of the Year

  • Must be at least 18 years old.
  • Must have less than 10 years of Agricultural Experience.
  • Describe improvement in production or farm management practices.
  • Provide potential reasons for the improvement in the operation.

 

Submit your nomination online >>

 

If you prefer to send a nomination package, the form is available here for downloading and return a completed form and a supplimental materials marked by August  4th, 2023 to:  

Att. Paula Wilson, Cooperative Extension, Tennessee State University, 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd. Nashville, TN, 37209