UT Extension - Rhea County

10/09/2026

🌟 Happy National 4-H Week! 🌟

Behind the Rhea County 4-H Program are dedicated 4-H agents who show up, build relationships, create opportunities, and empower young people to reach their full potential. 💚 From hands-on learning to leadership development, our agents help youth grow into confident, capable leaders who are ready to make a difference in their communities.

This week, we’re celebrating the passion, commitment, and hard work of our 4-H agents. Mrs. Felicia, Miss Hailey and Miss Chasity make the best better every day! 🍀

10/06/2026

Registration is now open for coaches for the Rhea County 4-H Shooting Sports Program! This consists of one day of training and an online training portion that allows adults to learn how to teach 4-H members proper fundamentals of marksmanship, safety, and life skill building.

November 7th, 2026
Crossville,TN

Be sure to register by October 16th! See the flyer below for full details and registeration information.

You could be coaching shooting sports next year, helping 4-H'ers learn responsible markmanship skills, and seeing 4-H members thrive in competition.

You will need to apply before October 16th deadline!

Training Date: November 7th, 2026 Clyde York 4-H Center, Crossville,TN

Contact Chasity Phillips at 423-775-7807 or email [email protected] for details and the application.

10/02/2026

Pre-register for a chance to win door prizes!! https://tiny.utk.edu/FallintheFoothills

09/30/2026

Mason Middlebrook, a 6th grader at Spring City Middle School, recently won First Place at the TN State Fair and was named a State Winner in the Poster Art Contest. In addition, Mason received a cash award from the TN 4-H Foundation. Congratulations Mason!

09/28/2026

The application window for the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP) opens soon.

Producers may apply online only from Oct. 1-7.

TAEP helps Tennessee farmers improve their operations, strengthen the state’s agricultural economy and support a reliable local food supply.

Updates for the 2026-27 program year include:

• Reduced minimum requirements for certain sectors
• A new Livestock Fencing program for livestock producers
• A name change from Livestock Solutions to Farming Solutions

Learn more about the program and apply at tn.gov/TAEP.

09/28/2026

You could be coaching shooting sports next year, helping 4-H'ers learn responsible markmanship skills, and seeing 4-H members thrive in competition.

You will need to apply before October 16th deadline!

Training Date: November 7th, 2026 Clyde York 4-H Center, Crossville,TN

Contact Chasity Phillips at 423-775-7807 or email [email protected] for details and the application.

09/24/2026

🌱 New Opportunity for Veterans in AG 🌱

AgVols has created a regional conference to help veterans interested in agriculture to connect them with knowledge, people, and resources to grow their operation.

This two day conference features farm tours, workshops, and demos. Veterans will get hands-on agriculture training, learn about crop and livestock production, build a farm business plan, get one-on-one support from agricultural experts, and more!

Conference begins on November 5th! We’re excited to see where your Ag adventures take you!

📆Dates: November 5th and 6th
📍Ellington Ag Center (416 Hogan Rd Nashville, TN 37220)
💲Cost: $25

Registeration: https://tinyurl.com/TN-AgVols-conference

09/24/2026

09/14/2026

Make sure you are on time for our first homeschool meeting of the year from 12:00-1:00 this Thursday!

** This meeting will be held at the Rhea County Extension Office located at 125 Court Street, Suite 3. We will NOT be meeting at the Rhea County Fairgrounds.

Don't miss out!

Thursday, September 17th will be the first meeting for the Rhea County 4-H Homeschool Club. This program is designed for Homeschool students in Rhea County in grades 4th-12th.

Program will meet at the Rhea County Extension Office from 12:00-1:00PM.

09/09/2026

Changes coming to TAEP for producers to be mindful when applying. Reminder the application period is October 1-October 7th, 2026.

⚠️TAEP 2026–2027 Updates: Quick Summary

The Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP) has made several changes for the 2026–2027 program year, including lower minimum requirements, new eligible programs and equipment, and expanded opportunities for producers.

🔸Hay producers: Minimum requirement drops from 100 to 50 acres of hay production (first cutting only). Eligible programs include Farming Solutions, Hay Equipment, and Hay Storage.
🔸Swine producers: Minimum requirement drops from 1,000 to 100 head, and the commercial producer requirement is removed. Eligible programs include Farming Solutions, Livestock Equipment, Livestock Fencing, and Swine Producer.
🔸Farming Solutions: Formerly Livestock Solutions, the program now includes additional sectors such as row crop, hay, and swine producers. Single bale wrappers are now eligible.
🔸Hay Storage: Eligible projects now include new structures and additions to existing structures.
🔸Herd Health: The previous lifetime limit of three reimbursements has been removed.
🔸Livestock Fencing: A new program for cattle, equids, goats/sheep, and swine. Permanent perimeter and cross-fencing are eligible, with reimbursement based on $2 per linear foot, up to the program maximum. It is also available through the Beginning Farmer Option.
🔸Livestock Equipment: New eligible items include automatic waterers, hay feeders, and virtual fencing.
🔸Poultry Grower: New eligible items include composters, incinerators, and whole-farm water sanitation/treatment systems.
🔸Swine Producer: New eligible items include composters and incinerators.

Reimbursement maximums: Final reimbursement amounts will be determined based on overall demand for cost-share funding and listed on approval documentation. The program's application period is Oct. 1-7, online only.