Houston County UT Extension and 4-H Club

09/22/2026

📢 Houston County UT Extension Office Closure

The Houston County UT Extension Office will closed on Thursday, September 24, due to ongoing courthouse construction.

Even though the office is closed , all staff will be at Sugg Farm participating in annual 4th Grade Farm Day .

We plan to reopen on Friday, September 25, during our regular office hours.

09/16/2026

Congratulations to our Senior High team!

09/15/2026

Today is the first day to get your entries in at the fair! Be sure to get ya a t-shirt while you’re there!

We have T-Shirts!! Come by the Fairgrounds Today from 3PM-7PM and get yours!

09/15/2026

We are so proud of our very one Elijah Dunavant!

09/14/2026

09/13/2026

We had a great turnout for our Fall Stewart Houston Master Beef Producer Program. We had great discussions on marketing , estate planning, herd health , reproduction, forages, carcass, and an update on the upcoming TAEP program.

Special thanks to our meal sponsors , Rye Engineering and United Co op , for providing Friday night supper and Saturday lunch and snacks.

Special thanks to Cumberland City Fire Hall for the use of their building and kitchen… you are always such a pleasure to work with!

09/12/2026

Houston County 4-H brought home some hardware from the Western Region Grill master Challenge!

Jr. High member, Elijah Dunavant was the overall high scoring beef grilling of the day!

Our senior high A team - Reese Baggett, Ella Coleman, Johnathan Holbrook, and Alyssa Dennis took home the Senior High Reserve Grand Champion Award and will be advancing to the state competition!

Our senior high B team- Kaitlyn Holbrook, Romy Rye, Canaan Schmidt, and Colton Reynolds took 5th overall! With about 100 youth competing today, we are incredibly proud of all of these kids.

I want to extend this congratulations and a HUGE thank you to volunteer coach, Jeremy Dennis! He has dedicated so much of his time and resources to this team and we could not have achieved this without him! I would also like to thank Amanda Dennis - our expert communicator and organizer! And to all of the other parents for making this such a fun contest every year!

09/08/2026

TAEP!!!!!!!!!

⚠️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.

09/02/2026

Congress 2027 is right around the corner! This is one of the most highly favored events amongst our senior high 4-H members! Students will stay in Murfreesboro and take trips to the Capitol building in Nashville where they will have a chance to meet with state senators and representatives and debate bills. This is an event for 9th and 10th graders. Contact Mrs. Brooke for more information on this event!

08/26/2026

Another Western Region Forestry Judging Contest in the books!

This year, our Jr. High Team took home the title of Reserve Grand Champions! With Natalee Harrison - First time competitor- taking 4 overall high scoring individual, Charley Lyle was 5th overall high scoring individual and Lorien Rosado was 9 overall high scoring individual!

Our senior high team took 4th overall and qualified for the state competition. Ella Coleman placed in the top 10 with Julian Rosado and Colton Reynolds closely at her heels!

It was another great year for the Houston County Forestry Team!