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New Agriculture Center Now Open at Wayne County Industrial Park

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The vision for Wayne County’s first Agriculture Center began several years ago when UT Extension reached out to Tennessee’s Department of Agriculture and was awarded $150,000 through the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP). With rising material costs brought on by the pandemic, wanting to build a ground level facility to house UT Extension and Soil and Conversation offices plus a large meeting room and livestock pavilion proved a difficult and costly task. Such a massive undertaking was just not feasible until individuals throughout the county began reaching out to private industries, organizations, and individuals, requesting their partnerships and pledges.

Behind the scenes, Ag Committee members and others committed to the project, got busy calling on everyone they knew to contribute. Winning Kubota’s first Hometown Proud Grant provided an additional $100,000 and placed Wayne County in the national spotlight, showing what determination and a grassroots effort could accomplish. Elected officials supported the project by allocating funding to finally get the Ag Center off the ground with the understanding the budget would be replenished as donations continued so allocated funds could be freed up for other much needed projects throughout the county.

Now, completing the vision that began so many years ago, the Wayne County Ag Center is finally open! Located at 849 McCall Drive, Collinwood, in the county’s Industrial Park, the building is not only pretty but very functional. The Wayne County UT Extension offices have all moved from the courthouse on the square to the new facility, which also houses a large assembly/classroom space that seats up to 125 people, a conference room, a fully equipped kitchen, and a livestock pavilion out back. “Best of all,” said Administrative Assistant Anita Butler, “there is plenty of outdoor space available around the facility for trailers to pull in and out, and for 4-H kiddos to have lots of room to be outside as well.”

Butler said she has already hosted a Master Beef Producer class in the assembly room, and there was plenty of room for the attendees plus many more. Extension Agent Joy Powell is already planning to hold cooking and canning classes in the large kitchen, and 4-H Agents Brenda Mills and Samantha Morrow are all set for the upcoming Public Speaking contest to be held at the facility, along with other activities for 4-H student members.

“Agriculture is such an important component of Wayne County, and Tennessee too, for that matter,” said Butler. “This new building can be used for so many things for Wayne County youth and for agriculture in general.”

Butler went on to say, “It would be wonderful if just some of the kids in Wayne County grow up to continue living here and maybe farm here in our county someday. This place (the Ag Center) and the lessons learned here could sow that seed. Everyone has heard that quote from an old movie that says, ‘Build it and they will come.’ That’s not what I’m saying. What I will say is, if you don’t build it, they can’t come.”

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