In April, Ford Motor Company and UTIA announced a historic agreement that will propel economic development, education and conservation throughout the Mid-South. The two signed a stream mitigation and restoration agreement that will restore the stream waters flowing through UT Extension’s Lone Oaks Farm to offset water impacts that may occur through the development of Ford’s upcoming BlueOval City. Additional partners to the project include the Tennessee Wildlife Federation and the West Tennessee River Basin Authority. Ford’s investment will help ensure that 4-H programs and STEM education opportunities are provided to youth visiting Lone Oaks for years to come.
Carrie Castille Joins UTIA
Carrie Castille, former director of USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, assumed a new role in higher education on July 1. She joined UTIA as the institute’s new senior vice chancellor and senior vice president. Castille leads the statewide UT Institute of Agriculture, which includes the Herbert College of Agriculture, the College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and its 10 research and education centers, as well as UT Extension with offices in all 95 Tennessee counties, three regional Extension offices and four 4-H centers.
Castille, a native of Louisiana, holds a Ph.D. in renewable natural resources (with emphasis on environmental and public policy) from Louisiana State University, an M.S. degree in environmental studies from Louisiana State University and a B.S. degree in industrial engineering from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Among her first tasks will be a series of visits with UTIA faculty, staff and stakeholders across the state, including an appearance at the world-renowned Milan No-Till Field Day.
Field Days and Featured Tours
UT AgResearch facilities expect to host thousands in July, August and beyond at the Summer Celebration in Jackson, the Milan No-Till Field Day, the Fall Gardeners’ Festival in Crossville and the Butterfly Festival in Oak Ridge at the UT Arboretum. Check out the schedule online at agresearch.tennessee.edu/field-days.
A UT Gardens’ Gala to Remember
UT System President Randy Boyd and his wife, Jenny, hosted the most successful UT Gardens’ Gala to date on April 29. The event was themed “Home Sweet Home” and raised funds in support of the activities of the UT Gardens, Knoxville—just one of the locations of the State Botanical Garden of Tennessee. More than 350 guests joined the Boyds in celebrating the gardens and all things spring.
