Since 2017, the state of Tennessee has lost nearly 10 acres of farmland per hour. Despite this challenge, the average farmer in 2024 could feed 166 people in addition to themselves — a significant increase from the 18 people the average farmer could sustain in 1927.
Though our East Tennessee farmers continue this incredible resilience, they need the support of our community to maintain their operations and combat the loss of farm land. That’s why our chief operating officer, Rachael Ellis, is a member of the UT/TSU Tennessee Extension Advisory Council, working to strengthen Extension programs for new and emerging issues.
Second Harvest also purchases food from East Tennessee farmers, to increase the accessibility of farm fresh foods for our neighbors.
If you’d like to support these efforts, please visit SecondHarvestETN.org/give, or head to the link in our bio to donate.
KnoxTNToday’s goal is to inform, uplift and entertain. Send stories or comments to news@knoxtntoday.com.
Follow KnoxTNToday on Facebook and Instagram. Get all KnoxTNToday articles in one place with our Free Newsletter.