TEAM Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Knoxville, will host a celebration of farm-based American values at 6 p.m. today (7/8/22) at Heartland Meadows, 5428 Salem Church Road, in Halls. The event is free to local farm families, but registration is required. Info at 865-215-2379. Space is limited.
The July 8 celebration will feature barbeque chicken with all of the trimmings, bluegrass music from Stock Creek, games for the children, a special ceremony honoring representatives of America’s Greatest Generation, and presentations on the core values:
- Faith: Richard Neal, farmer and community leader, will present.
- Family and Farm: Jeff Aiken, past president of the Tennessee Farm Bureau and current Deputy Commissioner of Agriculture, state of Tennessee, will present.
- Freedom: John Becker, news anchor with Channel 10, will close the evening with a presentation on freedom and he will lead the ceremony honoring the veterans.
Pam Stout, chair for the event, said, “Early July is a perfect time to celebrate our Rural American heritage and the values that we cherish. This will be a great event that we will long remember.”
Neal Denton, county director and extension agent at the University of Tennessee Extension, said, “TEAM normally focuses on strictly educational events. This one is different. It is a celebration of our farm values and our freedom. What better way to educate the coming next generation than by showcasing and instilling strong core values and patriotism?”
The highlight of the evening will be a ceremony honoring members of the Greatest Generation and all veterans. Special celebrity guests will be representatives of the men and women who defended our freedom in WWII and the Korean War. All veterans who attend will be presented with a gift provided by the Knox County Farm Bureau, presenting sponsor for the event.
Knox County Farm Bureau is the local extension of the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation, whose mission is “To develop, foster, promote and protect programs for the general welfare, including economic, social, educational and political well-being of farm people of the great state of Tennessee.”
According to John Jared, president of the Knox County Farm Bureau, “This is a watershed event for the local farm community. It brings families together for fun and fellowship and moves to a celebration that will uplift and inspire all who attend. As ‘the voice of agriculture,’ the Farm Bureau is delighted to be the presenting sponsor.”