Scenic Roots

"Scenic Roots" offers conversations that matter in the heart of Chattanooga and the Tennessee Valley.From the mountains to the river, our conversations are rooted deep within every corner of our community - reflecting who we are, who we were and who we can become.We engage with the news that affects our community, behind and beyond the headlines. We build bridges that span from creators and innovators to storytellers and the outdoors. We focus on our challenges as many communities in one - as we celebrate what inspires us. We resonate with countless voices - in words and spaces, sounds and songs.We are "Scenic Roots."Ray Bassett hosts and produces "Scenic Roots" at WUTC.

Food As A Verb: Farming And Food In Southeast Tennessee

WUTC | By Ray Bassett

Published October 16, 2024 at 12:12 AM EDT

Old timey corn picked the old timey way at Sequatchie Cove Farm.

Drive about an hour west of Chattanooga - and you’ll find an emerging generation of farmers passionate about locally grown food here in Southeast Tennessee.

Kelsey Keener is a third-generation farmer at Sequatchie Cove Farm, along the Sequatchie River in Sequatchie.

Jess Wilson is president of the Southeast Tennessee Young Farmers Coalition, a collaboration among farmers on the Cumberland Plateau and in Chattanooga. She and her husband Nate own the Summer Fields sheep farm and In-Town Organics in Monteagle.

Over the summer, we spoke with Kelsey and Jess - along with David Cook of the Chattanooga media startup Food As A Verb, who arranged our conversation.

The Southeast Tennessee Young Farmers Coalition is conducting a Soil Carbon Analysis study to provide data on the benefits of regenerative agriculture in Southeast Tennessee.

Food As A Verb