News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Van Buren County Extension Office is partnering with the state Department of Agriculture to host a Business Opportunities in Rural Tennessee event on Tuesday, January 25th.
Ag Extension Agent Chris Binkley said that agriculture is an $8 million industry in Van Buren County. He said that events like this can help those in the industry make the most of their products.
“You might be leaving money on the table, so programs like this get that information out there to producers in how to do that,” Binkley said. “And some of this stuff might be just real easy, just one little thing that you could do differently that might add a few more dollars in your pocket. And as we know, everybody could use a few more dollars in your pocket.”
Binkley said that the seminar will teach vegetable producers how to best get their product to farmer’s markets, or how to get beef producers directly to a customer instead of to a stockyard. He said that they hope to help the agriculture industry overcome hurdles in the workforce.
Binkley said that Van Buren County is considered economically distressed. He said that’s why the state has reached out to them and other economically distressed counties to try and set up events like these.
“To help farmers, any ag producers, to help amybe add value to their crop and to what they produce,” Binkley said. “That way there’s more money that’s generated in the county, and more money genrerated in the county means more job opportunities and things like that.”
Binkley said that the free event starts at 6 p.m. and includes supper. He said that they ask those interested in attending to RSVP by calling the extension office at 931-946-2435.
