UTIA Summarizes a Trying Year for Agriculture in Yearly Report to Governor
From increased agricultural commodity competition to the resumption of wheat and corn exports from Russia and Ukraine, global market forces delivered a hit to Tennessee’s agricultural sector in 2023. Researchers and Extension specialists from the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture provide an analysis of these challenges and their impact in the newly released economic report to the governor. The following AREC faculty contributed to the agricultural section of the report: Andrew Muhammad, Andrew P. Griffith, David Hughes, Charley Martinez, R. Jamey Menard, Aaron Smith, Sreedhar Upendram, and T. Edward Yu.
UT Extension Reports County-level Contributions of Tennessee Agriculture
University of Tennessee Extension recently released reports outlining the estimated agricultural contributions of all 95 counties in Tennessee. The updated reports highlight agriculture’s impact on the output and employment of each county in 2021, providing key information for local and regional policymakers, the agricultural community, and general public. David Hughes, AREC professor and Greever Chair, authored the reports.
UTIA Examines Online Grocery Shopping Attributes and Subsequent Influence on Food Choices
Researchers from the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture have received a grant to examine delivery timing and fees associated with online grocery shopping and to learn more about how these attributes are influencing consumers’ food choices. Study results will provide insight into the limitations and possibilities for using online grocery shopping to address healthy food purchases and nutrition security. Jackie Yenerall and Ricky Xuqi Chen are conducting the research.
UTIA and AT&T Partner to Provide Rural Tennessee with Digital Literacy Training
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is teaming up with AT&T Foundation to address the challenge of broadband access and education through the Tennessee Broadband Digital Literacy Training Program. The AT&T Foundation presented a check for $100,000 on September 7 to kickstart the project. Sreedhar Upendram is leading the program.
UTIA Researchers Evaluate Potential Land Use of Solar Panels on Tennessee Farmland
While the nation sharpens its focus on decarbonizing the electric grid, researchers at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture have completed a timely study to determine Tennessee’s current and projected land use for utility-scale energy production and possible impacts on the state’s farmland. Comprising the AREC research team are AREC Karen DeLong, Olivia Murphy, David Hughes, and Chris Clark, along with Harry Crissy from Pennsylvania State University.