News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Fentress County’s UT Extension Office will hosting a free garlic festival Friday.
Extension Director John Gunter said the event will have food trucks, garlic tastings, and speakers talking about different aspects of garlic productions. Gunter said the festival is a good opportunity for local farmers and homesteaders looking to learn about how to grow and sell garlic themselves.
“We’ve found that there’s never a shortage of people looking for garlic, especially home-grown garlic,” Gunter said. “And this is just another viable option that these folks can, producers can plant and, you know, then hopefully have a decent return on their resources.”
Gunter said the event is a collaboration with local garlic producer Laszlo Marton as he participated in such festivals in the past and wanted to bring it to Fentress County. Gunter said they will also have a demonstration on how to braid garlic and a producer panel about the marketing of garlic products featuring local growers and extension specialists.
Gunter said the event will take place at the extension office from 9am to 2pm.
“At 9:00 we’ll have a welcome then we’ll have economic considerations and commercial garlic production, that’s by Ms. Rachel Painter there, our Ag manager here in Middle Tennessee,” Gunter said. “And then we’ll have a produce safety segment there where Cathy Rubin from the Tennessee Department of Ag will be talking. We’ll have a short break, and then we’ll talk about basic garlic production, that’ll be Annette Wszelaki there from UT, she’s our extension specialist.”
He said garlic is becoming more popular across the region because it is sees a lot of use in both rural and urban settings.
“Many people have caught onto garlic and are using it various ways,” Gunter said. “Of course it’s a spice, some people (are) using it for its health benefits.”
Gunter said the event is free, but those interested in coming need to register online at the following site: Tiny Dot UTK Dot Edu Slash Garlic Fest. Gunter said Marton has several stores throughout Tennessee and in other areas up north where he sells garlic and other spices.
“He is a garlic guru and has spread that passion and love of garlic around here, and we thought it’d be fitting we put on (an) educational program that would kind of suit that,” Gunter said.
