Smith County Agriculture News – Katie Marin, Smith County Extension Agent
Producers who would like to become certified as “Master Producers” will have multiple options for certification over the next few months. We will be holding both Master Beef classes in Smith County and Master Farm Manager classes online. These classes not only teach essential skills, but they also serve as the educational requirement associated with the TN Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP) grants.
“Master Beef” is a multi-session course administered through University of Tennessee Extension. To date, over 12,000 producers in TN have been through the course including over 200 from Smith County. These producers have been presented with “Real Life Solutions” related to raising beef cattle with information on topics such as marketing, reproduction, genetics, nutrition, and much more. Our Master Beef classes will start on February 8th and continue on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the month. The fee for the course is $100. Your fee covers training materials and meals for each of the six nights of the course, as well as a sign and hat at graduation.
The Master Farm Manager Webinar Series will begin on January 30th and include both live zooms and prerecorded sessions. This program focuses on business principles and efficiently utilizing resources on the farm. Topics include everything from budgeting and financial statements to tax planning and farm transition planning. This program applies to all producers whether you are involved with livestock or crops and whether you are a beginning farmer or well-established. You may register online at tiny.utk.edu/MFM2024.
Producers interested in either of these programs can contact the UT Extension office at 615-735-2900 or email me at kclark54@utk.edu for more information or to register. 
