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An Official Publication of Your Locally Owned Municipal Electric System
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Float On
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Up in the Air
Professional pilots show off their sky-high skills at the annual Wings Over Halls Air Show. Spectators can see a team aerodynamics show and historic warbirds. The event features more than 30 World War II-era planes, including the B-17 Yankee Lady and other models. Its a return to the time when country meant everything, says Pat Higdon, director of the Veterans Museum, which organizes the event. The air show soars into West Tennessee Aug. 17-18 at Dyersburg Army Air Base. Gates open daily at 10 a.m. with shows beginning at 1:30 p.m. Spectators are invited to visit the aircraft on the ramp before and after the show. Advance tickets cost $8 and are available after July 1 at area banks and through mail. Admission at the gate is $15. To request tickets through mail, call (731) 836-7400 or order them from Wings Over Halls, 100 Veterans Drive, Halls, TN 38040. For more details on the air show, visit dyaab.us.
contents
tnconnections
Summer 2013 Edition Content Director Jessy Yancey Contributing Writers Rebecca Denton, Roben Mounger, Cassandra M. Vanhooser Proofreading Manager Raven Petty Content Coordinator Rachel Bertone Photography Director Jeffrey S. Otto Senior Photographers Jeff Adkins, Brian McCord Staff Photographers Michael Conti, Wendy Jo OBarr, Frank Ordonez Creative Services Director Christina Carden Graphic Designer Kara Leiby Ad Production Manager Katie Middendorf Ad Traffic Assistants Krystin Lemmon, Patricia Moisan Chairman Greg Thurman President/Publisher Bob Schwartzman Executive Vice President Ray Langen Sr. V.P./Sales Todd Potter Sr. V.P./Operations Casey Hester Sr. V.P./Agribusiness Publishing Kim Holmberg V.P./External Communications Teree Caruthers V.P./Visual Content Mark Forester V.P./Content Operations Natasha Lorens Controller Chris Dudley Integrated Media Manager Robin Robertson Distribution Director Gary Smith Receptionist Linda Bishop Tennessee Connections is published quarterly by Journal Communications Inc. for participating members of the Tennessee Municipal Electric Power Association. TMEPA represents 61 municipal power distributors in Tennessee, which serve more than 2 million customers. For advertising information or to direct questions or comments about the magazine, contact Journal Communications Inc., 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067. Phone: 615-771-0080. Email: info@jnlcom.com. For information about TMEPA, contact: Tennessee Municipal Electric Power Association Paddock 1, Suite C-13, 229 Ward Circle Brentwood, TN 37027 Phone 615-373-5738, Fax 615-373-1901 tmepa.org Executive Director Mike Vinson
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Features
4 Float On
Webb Brothers Float Service helps families make memories on the Hiwassee River Williamson County family adds value to dairy farm by offering tours and opening country store Recipes use fresh produce to highlight summer flavors
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summer 2013
Departments
2 Municipal Power Perspective 3 Tennessee in Focus 12 Taste of Tennessee 14 Summer Activities in Tennessee 17 Connect to Tennessee Products
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Membership
Alcoa Electric Department Athens Utilities Board Benton County Electric System Bolivar Energy Authority Bristol Tennessee Essential Services Brownsville Utility Department Carroll County Electrical Department Electric Power Board of Chattanooga CDE Lightband Clarksville Cleveland Utilities Clinton Utilities Board Columbia Power & Water System Cookeville Department of Electricity Covington Electric System Dayton Electric Department Dickson Electric System Dyersburg Electric System Elizabethton Electric Department Erwin Utilities Etowah Utilities Department Gallatin Department of Electricity Greeneville Light & Power System Harriman Utility Board Humboldt Utilities Jackson Energy Authority Jellico Electric & Water Systems Johnson City Power Board Knoxville Utilities Board LaFollette Utilities Lawrenceburg Utility Systems Lenoir City Utilities Board Lewisburg Electric System Lexington Electric System Loudon Utilities City of Maryville Electric Department McMinnville Electric System Memphis Light, Gas & Water Division Milan Department of Public Utilities Morristown Utility Commission Mount Pleasant Power System Murfreesboro Electric Department Nashville Electric Service Newbern Electric Department Newport Utilities City of Oak Ridge Electric Department Paris Board of Public Utilities Pulaski Electric System Ripley Power and Light Company Rockwood Electric Utility Sevier County Electric System Shelbyville Power System Smithville Electric System Sparta Electric System Springfield Electric Department Sweetwater Utilities Board Trenton Light & Water Department Tullahoma Utilities Board Union City Electric System Weakley County Municipal Electric System Winchester Utilities
Spring arrived in March, and along with the new season, other changes are worth noting. The legislature took on many important issues this session, including several that impact your local municipal electric utility. Pole attachments fees and operational issues are a perennial issue at the legislature. Usually we take a defensive role, but this year, we turned the tables on the cable companies (the attaching parties) and filed our own legislation. Our bill, House Bill 1111 by Rep. Jimmy Matlock, R-Lenoir City, and Senate Bill 1222 by Speaker Pro Tempore Bo Watson, R-Chattanooga, sought to put in place an operational working group, best practices and a dispute resolution process for entities who attach their cables to our power poles. We received extensive feedback from legislators across the state. While the bill did not become law this session, pole attachments are an issue the legislature intends to address this summer via a study committee. As pole owners, we believe that anyone attaching to our poles should share the cost. House Bill 51 by Rep. David Alexander, R-Winchester, and Senate Bill 78 by Senator Jim Tracy, R-Shelbyville, passed through the legislative process and became Public
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Chapter 2 this session (see details at http://state.tn.us/sos/acts/108pub/ pc0002.pdf).This legislation was filed early and passed early. The initiative was brought by the Office of the Comptroller of the Treasury. The previous law limited participation in the rural economic development loan and grant program to municipalities in six counties. Under the new law, all municipally owned electric systems who wish to participate may do so. The purpose of the program is to promote economic and industrial development. Municipal electric utilities may participate as both a borrower and a lender in the rural economic development loan and grant program established and administered by the federal rural development administration. As you know, electricity is a vital part of economic development. Our local utilities work with economic development officials on a routine basis. This program provides yet another avenue for municipal electric systems to help the communities they serve. This is an optional program and does not require any electric system to participate. Its inevitable that changes will continue. Well also continue do what we can to protect your local municipal electric system and their ratepayers.
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Tennessee Connections
tn in focus
Staff Photo
Summer 2013
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feature
Float
Soak up memories on the Hiwassee River with Webb Brothers Float Service
On
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Tennessee Connections
o it, she says, a glimmer of devilment dancing in her eyes. I dare you. Never one to ignore a challenge, especially from a sassy teenager, I saunter to the edge of the Hiwassee River and plunge my sandaled feet ankle-deep in the rushing water. Before I can edit my response, I jump back and squeal: Brrrrr! Thats frigid! My friends laugh as I hop about trying to warm my blue toes. So does our driver, Jamie, as he unloads the rafts we rented at Webb Brothers Float Service and Country Store. I cant tell you why, he says, but the water here seems to be colder somehow. Its clearer, too. Yall have a good trip. With that, he waves goodbye. We stand forlornly by our rafts, trying to figure out how to launch our watercraft without getting wet.
Staff Photo
Even on the hottest days of the summer, the Hiwassees chilly temperature comes as a bit of a shock. The water makes an 8.3-mile trek through a pipeline at the base of Appalachia Dam in North Carolina to a powerhouse just above Reliance, in the southeast corner of Tennessee. From here, the Tennessee Valley Authority releases the water back into the river after using it to generate hydroelectric power. Most days, TVA irrigates this natural playground from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., delighting legions of rafters, kayakers and fishermen. In drought years, the flow can be less, but with normal rainfall, recreational floaters can count on having water. The boat launch at the base of the powerhouse enjoys a steady stream of traffic from Memorial Day to Labor Day. My friends over on the Ocoee say, Why do you fool with that second-class river over there? says Harold Webb, whose family started
the rivers first rafting service. But they dont know what theyre talking about. Theyve got the whitewater, but weve got a great outdoor experience here. Its an easy paddling experience, great for families, church groups and beginning kayakers. Few people know this river valley better than Harold. He grew up in the back rooms of the old country store his father and uncle founded during the Depression. It was used for generations as a post office, supply center and general gathering spot for the community. While his parents tended the store, Harold got to know the river. After his freshman year at the University of Tennessee, Harold returned home to find that he no longer had a boat to use for floating and fishing the river. His dad was renting it to strangers. His uncle Oliver had even absconded with Harolds old inner tubes and was renting those out, too. The brothers would load folks up in the farms cattle truck, haul them up the winding Forest Service road and drop them off upriver. Harold recalls how the Hiwassee has become more regulated over the years, since becoming a State Scenic River in 1972. Alcohol was banned in 1975, he says, and life jackets became mandatory in 1976.
Whats in Store
Yet, its the Hiwassee River Valleys natural beauty that continues to attract visitors. The peaks of the Blue Ridge press against the sky. Black-eyed Susans, wild touch-me-nots, and Queen Annes lace flower the rivers banks, while trout slide through deep, rock-protected pools. Still, Harold notes that tubing is for the young and athletic (minimum age 10) and requires some skill, as you have to navigate the Class II and III rapids. With tubing, you are actually sitting in the water and the water is quite cold, he explains. Rafting, on the other hand, is suitable for all ages because you are more protected from the water. The Hiwassee turns out to be the perfect hostess for my day of fun and family. It takes only minutes for our party to adjust to the waters chill. Later in the day, when the sun chases the clouds away, a dip in the river becomes a welcome relief. We swim, play and embrace the splashing rapids as we steadily tumble toward our journeys end. We fondly remember old friends and family and share plans for the future. When at last we cross Devils Shoals, a series of rapids we hear long before we reach them, the bridge marking the end of our trip comes into view. We approach the takeout point with smiles, knowing weve already finalized plans for our next trip.
A low, flat building with benches lining the covered porch, the Webb Brothers General Store still sits at the intersection of State Roads 30 and 315. Though the rafting experience has changed some, the store continues to serve as the launching point for many a trip down the Hiwassee. In addition to gasoline, Harold sells cold drinks and snacks, as well as sunscreen and basic supplies. Lots of people sport T-shirts they buy here after their trip.
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Tennessee Connections
rom the Hatcher familys small country store on Arno Road in Williamson County, visitors can see the rolling forest and pastureland that make up the 400-acre Hatcher Family Dairy Farm. Directly across the street is a churned-up swath of earth that will soon become The Grove, an 18-hole golf course with 800 homes, a clubhouse, spa and fitness center. The new development is an all-too-tangible sign of whats happening to many dairies throughout the Southeast, the Hatchers say. But the family has no plans to sell their fifth-generation farm. Instead, in a final effort to save their dairy business and make it profitable for years to come, they have drastically changed the way they operate. We knew we had encroaching development, and the costs of fuel and fertilizer are rising, says Charlie Hatcher, a veterinarian and partner in the dairy business with
his brother, Jim. If we wanted to stay here and make a go of it and be profitable, we had to try something different some way to add value to our product.
Middle Tennessee area. They also opened their own country store right on the farm to sell milk directly to area consumers.
For decades the family sold its pasture-derived product to a milk cooperative, which combined the Hatchers milk with milk from other farms before sending it to be sold in stores. But in 2007, the Hatchers branded their own milk and started selling straight to the public, tapping into a growing niche market of consumers who prefer to buy their food directly from the source. A lot of people are concerned about where their food comes from and how the animals are treated, Charlie says. And they like to know who theyre dealing with. Hatcher Dairy sells its milk at Whole Foods Market in Nashville and Cool Springs as well as in several local grocery stores in the
The Hatchers a tight-knit farming family with an unwavering sense of loyalty to their land and heritage are ideal candidates for this sort of back-to-basics venture. Brothers Charlie and Jim have been partners in the dairy since the early 1990s, and the entire family pitches in to keep things running smoothly. Jim is the farm manager, and he also takes the lead during processing day and makes some milk deliveries. Charlies wife, Sharon, manages the country store, and his daughter, Jennifer, is a veterinarian (like her dad) who fills in where needed. Charlies son, Charles, is co-manager of the dairy and manages the milk delivery routes. Lucy Hatcher sister to Charlie and Jim is the farm tour director and chief cleaner and organizer.
The Hatchers put a custom label on their farm-fresh milk. The milk is sold in grocery stores and farmers markets around Middle Tennessee. Summer 2013 tnconnections.com
Part of the farm has been in the Hatcher family since 1831, and theyve been milking cows continuously since that time either by hand or by machine. These days the Hatchers have about 60 adult milk cows, including Holsteins, Jerseys, cross-breeds and two Brown Swiss heifers. The cows graze in pastures year-round, rotating among 11 paddock lots planted with seasonal grasses a major selling point. Our cows get clean, fresh pasture on a daily basis, and that is the huge thing that sets our milk apart, Jim says. Its strictly Hatcher milk, and were with it every step of the way from growing the grasses and milking the cows to processing. Its ensured quality. Visitors to the dairys website, hatcherfamilydairy.com, can see photos and read about the cows. We wanted to let milk drinkers know a little bit about the cows that are working so hard, Charlie says. We wanted to personalize it. The majority are named, and theyre all part of the Hatcher family. The Hatchers signature chocolate milk is named Brownies Best after a beloved Brown Swiss cow that lived on the farm for many years before she died. The farm also produces whole, two percent and skim milk, along with butter, cream, half-and-half and gelato.
Its been so rewarding because of the people who drink our milk, Charlie says. On a daily basis people say, We appreciate what youre doing, were glad its local and were glad its family. The Hatchers are counting on loyal customers like Dawn Redlin of College Grove, who comes in every week to buy three half-gallon jugs of whole milk, and new customers like Sally Lewis of Thompsons Station. I like the idea of local products and supporting local agriculture, says Lewis, who stopped in after hearing from coworkers that she should check out the store. In addition to milk, the Hatchers sell other all-natural,
Loyal Customers
locally made products including soaps, candles, salsas, jellies, barbecue sauces and cheeses. The store also offers sandwiches on locally baked bread, Hatcherbranded tote bags and T-shirts and visitors can check email using the free Wi-Fi. Farm tours are available on Thursdays by reservation for $6 per person. Some days Im overwhelmed, Sharon says of business at the store, and its mostly been word of mouth. Theyre hoping the momentum continues. We all work very hard, and theres still not a lot of profit involved, Jim says. But selling the land is not an option. We feel its not really ours to sell. Were just going to try to pass it on to the next generation.
Got Dairy?
Since the 1990s, weve seen our favorite celebrities wearing milk mustaches to promote the health benefits of milk. But June Dairy Month has been keeping the importance of dairy in the forefront of peoples minds for much longer since 1937. Seventy-six years ago, the promotion launched as National Milk Month supported by the National Dairy Council and was dubbed June Dairy Month in 1939. It was originally designed to increase dairy demand during the summer months of peak production, but June Dairy Month transformed into promoting the overall use of dairy foods in the mid-1950s.
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In Tennessee, communities celebrate with parades and festivals, such as Greene County Partnerships June Dairy Days Celebration and National MooFest in Athens. The Tennessee 4-H Club sponsors a poster contest for members and honors the winners at a luncheon in Nashville. Visit southeastdairy.org to learn about ways to celebrate June Dairy Month. For more information about the Hatchers, call (615) 368-3405 or go to hatcherfamilydairy.com.
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feature
njoy the freshness of your local farmers fare with these surprisingly simple treats. Shopping directly from your farmer is becoming easier than ever. Farmers markets, roadside stands and CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) present ways to partake in the trend, and crowds are flocking to take advantage of the market scenes bounty. In honor of summers seasonal produce, weve compiled a list of recipes perfect for the healthconscious, the serious foodie or the casual consumer. Its an effortless and tasty way to support your local farmers. Of course, these recipes can be enjoyed any
time of the year after a trip to your grocery store. Start off with a cold vegetable salad that marinates Tennessee tomatoes and crisp cucumbers in a sweet mustard vinaigrette. Follow that with a Southern favorite stuffed peppers but instead of traditional beef and rice, go Mediterranean by filling it with lamb and couscous. To take advantage of the seasons freshest flavors, try this easy, delicious summer succotash. Simply throw together your market favorites such as green beans, zucchini, corn and tomatoes, and saut with fresh herbs for a hearty side or main dish.
Tomato-Cucumber Salad
cup olive oil cup vegetable oil cup white wine vinegar 4 teaspoons yellow mustard 2 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoons kosher salt teaspoon black pepper 1 pound farm-fresh tomatoes 1 English cucumber Mix oils, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper together. Slice tomatoes into quarters. Halve cucumber and slice into half moons. Pour dressing over tomatoes and cucumber slices. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Let stand at room temperature about 20 minutes before serving.
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Stuffing
pound ground lamb cup small onion, diced teaspoon garlic, minced 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped teaspoon ground fennel teaspoon ground coriander teaspoon black pepper teaspoon kosher salt 4 sweet bell peppers, tops cut off with seeds removed
Couscous
Boil chicken stock, add couscous, reduce heat to a simmer and cook on very low for 8 minutes. Take off heat and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Pour out of pot, fluff and toss with olive oil. Set aside.
Stuffing
Saut onion in two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add garlic and cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Add lamb, ground fennel, coriander, salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat until thoroughly brown. Combine lamb mixture, couscous and parsley. Salt to taste. Stuff inside sweet bell peppers and bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.
Summer Succotash
1 cups onion, chopped butter (for sauting) 1 cup fresh zucchini, coarsely chopped 3 cups fresh corn kernels 1 cup fresh green beans, blanched and cut in half-inch pieces 1 cup tomatoes, coarsely chopped 2 teaspoons kosher salt teaspoon ground black pepper 3 tablespoons fresh basil, coarsely chopped 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped In a large skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat, saut onion in butter until soft, about 2 minutes. Add chopped zucchini, and saut 3 minutes. Stir in corn, tomatoes and blanched green beans. Add salt, pepper, basil and cilantro. Heat until mixture is hot.
More Online
Find other seasonally inspired recipes online at farmflavor.com.
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taste of tn
An Aubergine
Eggplant may be an acquired taste, but dont be afraid
story by Roben Mounger
Picnic
he first time that my husband introduced us, Aunt Mary embraced me with a bony, viselike grip. Mary had a curiously forced enthusiasm for all things familial, having been raised within a challenging set of alliances. Given a minister father, a somber mother, a dominating sister and a triumphant younger brother, she fought for her place in the world. On occasion, our families would meet on the Natchez Trace to picnic with Mary and her taciturn husband, Gail. She would invite us to rendezvous with internationally adopted kin, a bunch whom she and Gail had taken in. The last time I saw Mary, we scooped her up from her retirement home in Memphis en route to Jackson, Miss., to attend her brothers funeral. She noted the haste in which we traveled: This is Paul Reveres wild ride, but I am not afraid. Despite her fearlessness at that time, I later found that Mary did harbor a trepidation for something surprising the vegetable. Upon her passing, I came across a 10-cent spiral notebook in which she meticulously registered her version of good eats. Sadly for my family, it contained a plethora of variations on sugar and gelatin, no doubt, in anticipation for her favored outing, the picnic. Oddly, her penchant for other cultures did not extend into the food world, although I am sure if properly introduced, she would have appreciated the eggplant, also known
by its French name, the aubergine. Many folks who are new to the eggplant perceive a bitterness that often accompanies an undercooked or under-salted version of the fruit and they never venture another taste test. The eggplant, like the tomato, is a nightshade plant that originated in the East, possibly during the fifth century. Though it contains nicotine (as a cousin to tobacco), its health benefits reign over any disadvantages, as the eggplant provides folic acid, magnesium and a propensity for lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. Tossing it on the grill proved a foolproof positive introduction to our growing children. To this day, we find grilled eggplant useful for salads and sandwiches during the subsequent week. I discovered this barbecue dish, a favored eggplant preparation, in a 1969 cookbook, Its a Picnic by Nancy Fair McIntyre. Take a stack of eggplant, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, basil, oregano and pat of butter, folded inside individual foil packets, and place on the grill for about 15 minutes. Another preferred portable version, Moroccan Eggplant Salad is surprisingly sanctioned by my husband, a former eggplant-phobic. Delicious on its own, you can also serve it on toasted pita with additional herb-infused oil, or use it to intensify a bowl of pasta. Aunt Mary might consider it a wild ride, but I know that amidst the big reunion picnic in the sky, she would give me an appreciative hug.
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events
Summer in Tennessee
Festivals, celebrations, activities and more
more than 800 horses including hunter/ jumpers, American Saddlebreds, Roaster and Hackney ponies and Tennessee Walking Horses. CONTACT: (901) 754-0009, gchs.org
Country Musics Biggest Party brings country fans from all over the world to see some of the genres biggest artists for four days and nights of live music. CONTACT: (800) 262-3378, cmafest.com
Riverbend Festival
Make your way to this internationally award-winning 9-day music festival! Enjoy multiple stages of diverse music on the waterfront plus fireworks, a 5K and 10K run and a childrens village. CONTACT: (423) 756-2211, riverbendfestival.com
Jefferson Street Jazz & Blues Festival Bring the whole family to this lively
Jeffrey S. OTTO
music festival. Enjoy great food and see local jazz and blues musicians perform. CONTACT: (615) 726-5867, jumptojefferson.com
Miranda Lambert perfroms at the annual CMA Music Festival in downtown Nashville.
This listing includes a selection of events of statewide interest scheduled in June, July and August as provided to Tennessee Home & Farm by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. To include your local events in our listing, please contact them at www.tnvacation.com. Due to space constraints, we are unable to list all of the events provided or accept unsolicited events. However, you can find additional information and events at the departments website. Events are subject to date change or cancellation. Please call the contact listed before traveling long distances to attend.
June
June 1, Coopertown
June 1, Athens
This free educational event offers visitors a chance to learn about the production of small fruits like grapes and blueberries, and how they can easily be grown in the backyard. The field day also trains guests on maintaining the more traditional fruits of their yards, such as beautiful shrubs and lush lawns. Begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Middle Tennessee Research & Education Center. Contact: (731) 425-4768, middletennessee.tennessee.edu
This 11th annual citywide celebration commemorates the 68th anniversary ending of WWII and features the largest multi-battle WWII reenactment in the South, as well as tours of Manhattan Project sites, childrens Tennessee Connections
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July 4, Knoxville
This patriotic celebration features live entertainment, family fun and more beginning at 4:30 p.m. at Worlds Fair Park. CONTACT: (865) 215-4248, cityofknoxville.org
tours, family reunions, music, craftsmen and family fun for all ages. Its also the final weekend of the Sutton Homesteads Hats Off to Our Past exhibit. CONTACT: (931) 653-4151, granvilletn.com
July 4, Chattanooga
Tobacco Beef & More The MidSouths beef and tobacco producers will want to attend this free educational event which features the states leading experts on topics such as animal health, forage, burley and dark fired tobacco production. Tobacco Beef & More begins at 7:00 a.m. at the Highland Rim Research & Education Center. CONTACT: (731) 425-4768, highlandrim@tennessee.edu
June 28-30, Knoxville
This fun event showcases local African-American art and artists, featuring entertainers performing on three stages, live demonstrations and food vendors. CONTACT: knoxville.org
July 4, Knoxville
Kuumba Festival
Lancaster Parade
Take part in the celebration of One Nation Under God as patriots from all over Middle Tennessee come to participate in this years 9th annual Independence Day parade beginning at 6 p.m. (line up at 5). Stay for Bluegrass on the Greens, a special concert performance by the 129th Army Band, great barbecue, apple pie, homemade ice cream and a spectacular fireworks show at dark thirty. bring your lawn chairs and be a part of small town U.S.A. celebrating in a big way! CONTACT: (615) 683-6131, lancasterparade.org
July
July 3-4, Gatlinburg
July 4, Nashville
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36th Annual Uncle Dave Macon Days Festival This festival honors the
memory of Uncle Dave Macon, one of the first Grand Ole Opry superstars and features music, arts and crafts, food, storytelling and competitions. CONTACT: (800) 716-7560, uncledavemacondays.com
Square dancing is the official folk dance of Tennessee. Square dancers from around the state will gather for three days of dancing, shopping and more. Spectators welcome at no charge. CONTACT: (615) 542-2866
The worlds longest yard sale stretches for 675 miles along U.S. Highway 127. CONTACT: (800) 327-3945,
Live concerts, childrens activities and hot-air balloons fill this family-friendly festival. CONTACT:
Williamson County Fair Celebrating its ninth year, the theme of this years fair is Rock Around the Fair. Guests can enjoy food, fun, competitive exhibits and more. CONTACT: williamsoncountyfair.org
Aug. 3-4, Cleveland
This artsy festival at Five Points in East Nashville celebrates the tomato as a uniter, not a divider. Events include a dog-friendly 5K, tomato fairy costume contest, New Orleans-style parade, bobbing for tomatoes, tomato recipe contest and much more. CONTACT: tomatoartfest.com
Elvis Week
This year makrs the 36th anniversary of the celebration of Elvis Presleys music, movies and life. The event includes a candlelight vigil. CONTACT: (800) 238-2000, elvis.com
August
Aug. 1-3, Gatlinburg
Annual air show held at the Dyersburg Army Air Base. See inside front cover of this issue for details. CONTACT: (731) 836-7400, dyaab.us
Rock-A-Billy Festival
Head to Jackson for the worlds largest gathering of Rock-A-Billy artists and musicians at the International Rock-A-Billy Hall of
African Street Festival Join in the celebration of African-American cultural awareness with entertainment, workshops, educational seminars and more. CONTACT: (731) 267-3212, saaca.com
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Carpool whenever possible to reduce your carbon footprint and youll also spend less money on gas.
Staying overnight? Unplug major appliances to save energy and lower your electric bill.
Support Tennessees sustainable tourism. Find green lodging, dining and attractions at tnvacation.com/green.
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connect to tn products
Succulent Seasonings
Make your cookout cuisine taste extra savory this summer with a little help from Doug Jeffords Co. in Franklin. The company has been making seasonings and spices by hand for more than 50 years, ranging from seasoning salts and barbecue rubs to ham cures, breadings and batters for cornbread, country biscuits and sweet potato pancakes. In 1961, Doug Jeffords established the company after gaining a following in Middle Tennessee for his delicious sausage seasonings. Today, the company operates out of a 12,000-square-foot facility in Cool Springs near historic downtown Franklin and supplies meat packers and restaurants near and far. To see a complete list of their products or to order, visit dougjeffords.com.
Zuzus Joy
After her home was hit by two tornado-force storms within a week in 2011, Susan Newbill of Greenfield decided to focus her life on things that are really important family and creating joy for others. She left her stressful career in software development and began capitalizing on her love for entertaining by creating handmade mixes for dips, desserts, soups, hot beverages and fruit teas. Her business, Zuzus Joy, produces the Tennessee Farm Country Gourmet line of products now sold in more than 30 stores in Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi. Newbill makes, among other things, sweet ginger and tiramisu fruit dips, fruit tea mixes in five flavors and six kinds of homestyle soups. Visit zuzusjoy.com to see more products or place an order.
Summer 2013
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