UT Extension - Macon County

09/08/2026

⚠️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.

09/02/2026

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture is hosting the Tennessee Meat Processors Summit on Saturday, September 12! 🥩🐄

Join fellow meat processors for a day of networking, educational sessions, and helpful resources.

📍 Location: 4-H/FFA Building, Wilson County Fairgrounds, Lebanon, TN
🕘 Time: 9:00 AM–3:00 PM Central Time
💲 Registration: FREE
📅 RSVP Deadline: September 5

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and access resources for Tennessee’s meat processing industry.

If you are interested in attending please contact the UT Extension - Macon County office at 615-666-3341.

09/02/2026

🍀GET INVOLVED in 4-H by participating on the following teams: Land, Poultry and Grill Master Challenge. Check out the flyers for more information and practice dates.🍀

🥩Grill Master Challenge contest consists of a team of four 4-H’ers in which each team member creates a recipe and grills one of the following meats for judging: beef, pork, chicken, or lamb. Teams are judged on fire and food safety skills along with taste. This contest is open to current 7th-12th grade students. Bring 1-2 pieces of meat and marinade/seasoning to the next practice. All other supplies will be provided.

Land Judging trains youth in decision-making skills related to soil and water conservation. This contest is open to current 4th-12th grade students.

🐔Poultry Judging consists of evaluating a class of live birds, meat id, carcass grading, and three classes where eggs are graded. This contest is open to current 5th-12th grade students.🐓

We hope to see you some of the practices on flyer. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Kayla Jenkins,4-H Agent at [email protected] or 615-666-3341. 🍀

08/24/2026

🎉🏆 MACON COUNTY SHOWED OUT AT THE TENNESSEE STATE FAIR! 🏆🎉

Macon County producers and canners brought home an AMAZING amount of ribbons and plaques from the Tennessee State Fair! 💙🤍

🌾 500+ crop entries
🥫 300+ canning entries

We are so proud of the hard work, talent, and dedication of our Macon County producers and canners. We truly have the BEST county in the state! 🏆❤️

A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who trusted us to take your entries to the Tennessee State Fair. We appreciate you helping showcase Macon County across the state!

📍 Canning items, ribbons, and plaques are now at the UT Extension Macon County office. Please come by the office this week to pick up your items.

Congratulations to everyone, and thank you for representing MACON COUNTY! 🎉🌾🥫🏆

08/23/2026

🍀GET INVOLVED in 4-H by participating on the following teams: Land, Poultry and Grill Master Challenge. Check out the flyers for more information and practice dates.🍀

🥩Grill Master Challenge contest consists of a team of four 4-H’ers in which each team member creates a recipe and grills one of the following meats for judging: beef, pork, chicken, or lamb. Teams are judged on fire and food safety skills along with taste. This contest is open to current 7th-12th grade students. Bring 1-2 pieces of meat and marinade/seasoning to the first practice. All other supplies will be provided.

Land Judging trains youth in decision-making skills related to soil and water conservation. This contest is open to current 6th-12th grade students.

🐔Poultry Judging consists of evaluating a class of live birds, meat id, carcass grading, and three classes where eggs are graded. This contest is open to current 5th-12th grade students.🐓

We hope to see you some of the practices on flyer. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Kayla Jenkins,4-H Agent at [email protected] or 615-666-3341. 🍀

08/17/2026

Macon County is well represented at the Tennessee State Fair Field Crops Building! 🌾🏆

We took more than 500 crop entries from local producers to compete in corn, wheat, soybeans, hay, to***co, and the Patriotic Photo Contest.

A BIG THANK YOU to every producer who brought entries and to those who helped Keith gather crops from their farms. Your support helped showcase the hard work and quality of agriculture in Macon County!

We are proud to have lots of Macon County ribbons and winners at this year’s fair. Congratulations to all who participated! 🎉

08/13/2026

🐑 Tennessee State Sheep Show 🐑

One of the project areas offered through Tennessee 4-H is the Sheep Project, and today marks the beginning of the Tennessee State Sheep Show in Lebanon, held in conjunction with the Wilson County–Tennessee State Fair!

We are proud to have Jayden Hesson, Ian Johnson, Mary Ella Blankenship, Tyson Black, Owen Johnson, and Katelyn Robertson representing Macon County. These outstanding 4-H and FFA members will be exhibiting registered ewes, commercial ewes, and market lambs throughout the show.

These members have had a busy summer in the show ring, traveling and exhibiting their sheep at numerous county and regional shows. The time spent preparing animals at home, traveling to shows, and competing throughout the summer takes a great deal of dedication and hard work.

🐑 Animal projects teach youth valuable life skills that extend far beyond the show ring. Through caring for and exhibiting their animals, members develop responsibility, decision-making, communication skills, a strong work ethic, and basic animal care knowledge that they can carry with them throughout life.

The Sheep Project also gives members the opportunity to put their knowledge and skills to the test through several competitions:

🍀 Skillathon – Testing their knowledge through stations covering breeds, feeds, meats, equipment, quality assurance, and other aspects of the sheep industry.

🏆 Showmanship – Judging how well the exhibitor presents their animal and how effectively the exhibitor and animal work together in the show ring.

🐑 Breed & Market Classes – Animals compete in classes based on weight or birthdate and are evaluated on their conformation and overall quality.

Members can also showcase their communication skills and creativity through sales talk, poster, and photography contests.

We wish these hardworking and dedicated exhibitors the best of luck as they compete at the Tennessee State Sheep Show! We are proud to have them representing Macon County!🍀🐑

07/30/2026

🐔 Macon County Fair 4-H Poultry Show & Sale 🐔
Join us on Saturday, August 1 at the Steve Walker Livestock Barn for the annual Macon County Fair 4-H Poultry Show & Sale!

📍 Schedule:
• Registration: 7:30–8:30 a.m.
• Poultry Show: 9:00 a.m.
• Sale of Champions: 10:00 a.m.

The photo collages are highlights from last year's show and showcase the hard work and dedication of our outstanding 4-H members.

If you own a business or are an election candidate interested in supporting local youth, we invite you to participate in the Sale of Champions. The Grand and Reserve Champion birds in each age division will be auctioned, providing a great opportunity to recognize and encourage the hard work of our 4-H exhibitors.
We appreciate your support of Macon County 4-H and look forward to seeing you at the show!

07/27/2026

July is Beef Month! Macon County 4-H members are at the Macon County Fair Beef Show promoting the beef industry. Stop by and receive free beef promotional items.

07/22/2026

The Awards Banquet at Tennessee 4-H Roundup will be live streamed tonight at 6:30 p.m.

You can view on the Tennessee 4-H page https://www.facebook.com/Tennessee4H

Tune in to celebrate our 4-H’ers. 🍀

Official page for Tennessee 4-H. The Tennessee 4-H state office is located at 205 Morgan Hall.