Programs educate farmers and homeowners and other agricultural and horticultural producers on the latest management practices needed to solve problems and improve production and marketing.
Programs also help Tennesseans protect the environment and improve the management, marketing, and use of natural resources. For more detailed information about these programs provided in your area please contact the County Extension Office.
Tennessee Master Beef Producer Course
The Master Beef Producer Program is an educational program designed to provide information to cow-calf producers to help them be the very best in the country, improve their profitability and position the industry to be competitive with other states. The Master Beef Producer Program in Stewart County is led by County Director Joe Griffy, and a team of University of Tennessee Extension specialists and agents, with the support and involvement of representatives of state level agencies, and businesses and organizations that have an interest in the state’s cattle industry.
This training meets the requirements of the TN Ag Enhancement Program.
Topics Covered Include:
- Management/Marketing Beef Operations
- Planning for Success / Food Safety
- Reproduction / Herd Health
- Genetics / Nutrition
- Forage / Carcass Merit
- Cattle Handing / Environmental Concerns
Tennessee Master Small Ruminant Course
The Master Small Ruminant Producer program is designed to service the educational needs of sheep and goat producers in Tennessee. The program gives sheep and goat producers a combination of classroom teaching and hands-on learning experiences. The learning sessions provide opportunities for producers to increase knowledge and skills needed to apply management practices necessary for profitability and sustainability of the sheep and goat industry. Educational sessions are delivered by your local UT-TSU Extension county agent.
Any sheep or goat producer is welcome to attend! Beginning and advanced producers will find the program useful to help with their operations. The Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP) provides cost-share assistance for long-term investments in Tennessee’s farming operations. A current University of Tennessee Master Producer Certificate is one of the qualifications needed for producers to be eligible for the maximum 50 percent cost-share assistance.
Contact Information
Joe Griffy
Ext Agent III & Co Dir
Phone: 931-232-5682
Email: jgriffy1@tennessee.edu
Tennessee Master Farm Manager
Tennessee Master Farm Manager will focus on solid business principles and efficiently utilizing resources on the farm. The Summer Master Farm Manager Course will utilize a hybrid method, with both prerecorded videos and live webinars. Zoom based webinar sessions will be held on Tuesday and Thursday nights for two weeks starting June 14 , 202 2 at 7PM EST/6PM CST. Registered participants will be emailed a Zoom link and instructions the day before each session. Shortly after registering for the webinars you will receive an email with links to the recordings. Watch the recordings as your schedule allows.
To attend online classes this winter please go to the following link to register:
To complete the course eight of the eight sessions must be completed.
Master Meat Goat Producer
The Master Meat Goat Producer Program is designed as an educational tool to provide information and insight to broaden production management skills and improve the competitiveness in the market place in order to increase profitability for meat goat producers.
The Master Meat Goat Producer Program will be led by a team of specialists and agents from Tennessee State University and the University of Tennessee with the support and involvement from representatives of state-level agencies, businesses and organizations that have an interest in the states’ meat goat industry.
The Master Meat Goat Producer Program will:
- Include 13 educational topics that focus on meat goat production and issues facing the meat goat industry.
- Enhance the profitability and competitiveness of meat goat producers by providing essential, technical and practical information.
- Provide participants with a meat goat reference manual that covers in detail the educational (technical and practical) information presented in the sessions.
- Encourage producers to interact with trained facilitators and encourages the sharing of ideas with other producers.
Master Horse Owner Program
The Master Horse Owner Program is an educational program designed to provide information to Tennessee horse owners of all ages to help them be the very best in the country, improve their profitability and position the industry to be competitive with other states.
The master horse program will be led by a team of University of Tennessee Extension Specialists and Agents, with the support and involvement of industry professionals and organizations that have an interest in the state’s horse industry.
The Master Horse Owner Program will:
- Include 8 educational sessions that focus on horse ownership and issues facing the industry.
- Provide participants with a horse ownership manual that covers in detail the material covered in the sessions
- Provide a custom plaque certifying completion of the course.
Beef Quality Assurance
Funding for the Beef Quality Assurance Program was provided, in part, by a grant from the Tennessee Beef Industry Council.
The initial concept of Tennessee’s BQA program will center around using live cattle in a hands on workshop. Producers can learn about the vital importance of injection site selection, proper injection techniques and see the results of improper injection techniques. Record keeping will be stressed because it helps producers track their costs and also provides a documented paper trail to prove to your buyers what treatments your calves have had. Proper cattle handling to reduce stress and bruises will also be emphasized.
BQA Certification. The reason we are offering BQA Certification is simple. Many buyers of feeder cattle are seeking out BQA Certified, source verified calves. As a matter of fact, with some of the most highly regarded branded beef product lines, such as Nebraska Corn Fed Beef, the only cattle eligible for enrollment are BQA Certified calves. By establishing the BQA Certified program here, we are opening up a market outlet for those progressive cattlemen who become “Certified”.