Farmers from counties affected by last year’s Hurricane Helene flooding attended a field day in Limestone in August to learn about new, innovative solutions to restore the damaged farmland and help prevent future damage. Researchers and UT Extension specialists are working with farmers to rebuild after many fields were covered in thick layers of sand and silt. Their work includes targeted forage crops, specialized amendments to revegetate fields and stabilization of riverbanks with riparian buffers.
New Extension Dean Named
Loudon County native Justin Rhinehart (Knoxville ’99) is the new dean of UT Extension. Rhinehart began his career at UTIA in 2010 as an assistant professor and Extension beef cattle specialist. He moved up through the professorial ranks and served in UT Extension’s administration as an assistant dean and interim dean prior to his official appointment on June 1. Rhinehart earned his bachelor’s degree in agriculture and Extension education in 1999 from what is now the Herbert College of Agriculture.
Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Herbert College of Agriculture students are getting a head start in the research field. Launched last summer, the Herbert Experiential Research Opportunities (HERO) program awarded 16 grants to faculty to mentor undergraduates in their laboratories. Nine HERO awards were granted to Herbert faculty for fall 2025, and applications opened in September for the spring and summer.
The Farmer’s Dog Funds Residency
Pet food company The Farmer’s Dog is sponsoring a two-year veterinary nutrition residency program in the UT College of Veterinary Medicine, which is home to the nation’s leading veterinary obesity clinic. The sponsorship is designed to fully fund the training of a select resident in clinical nutrition under the mentorship of veterinary nutritionists Angela Rollins and Maryanne Murphy, who oversee the UTCVM Veterinary Obesity Center.
A New Sweet Tradition
A portion of sales from Sweet Traditions, a limited-release hard cider created through a partnership between UTIA and the Apple Barn Hard Cider Company, supports future field trials and UT Extension programs that help Tennessee growers through the Don Collier Viticulture Fund. The cider is made with mountain-grown apples and red muscadine grapes grown in McMinn and Monroe counties.
