Interesting Research

If you drive along Ham Smythe III Rd., and look at some the activities in the fields at the Agricenter you may see some interesting research going on.

There are paper bags on ears of corn. Why, you may ask, are there paper bags on ears of corn? Well I needed to know, so I stopped to talk to one of our client researchers.

The activity is called "hand pollenating". The researchers were shaking the pollen from the male part of the corn stock (the tassel) into the paper bags, and then covering the female part (the ear) with the pollen filled bag.

I decided to consult Wikipedia(as I am not a research professional) to get a technical answer on why this is being done....

"Another reason for hand pollination is in order to control the parents of the seed to be produced. For example, all F1 hybrids are the result of pollinating one specific variety with another specific variety, in order to produce a uniform crop."

Translation...if you develop a seed that is working for you...you can maintain the integrity of that strain by making sure that the plants are not pollinated by another nearby crop. (By bird, bee, or other insects). Additionally, you can "create" breeds (in the case of corn, say a particular variety of sweet corn...i.e. bread and butter...by cross pollinating two different types of corn)


Now to the other end of the spectrum...WEEDS!

We have a research client that does experiments with weeds. They test different products and methods that help to control weeds that typically infiltrate row crops. How you may ask, does this impact you and I?

Weed control/removal is an important step in food production. Farmer's spend time, fuel, and money on weed control. The research being done at the Agricenter, will help Farmer's reduce production costs and improve productivity in their fields. They keep their costs down...we pay less in at the grocery.

More Postcards from Agricenter International

It is often forgotten how beautiful some of the plants, that we rely on for food and and other agricultural products, can be.

Canola Flowers

Water Lillies (Okay you can't eat them, but they are beautiful to look at)

A Cotton Bloom

First Annual Shepherd's Haven Fishing Rodeo

Friday, June 27^th, 2008

The breeze was blowing, fishing gear was set up, bait was on the hook, and the sun was shining this morning at Agricenter International’s Catch’em Lake. The 35 anglers, all members of Shepherd’s Haven Ministry for Mentally Challenged Adults, patiently waited for the horn to blow to start the First Annual Shepherd’s Haven Fishing Rodeo.

When the horn blew, bait was cast, and the fish began to fly out of the water. The participants, with help from volunteers, sponsors, and Agricenter staff, began a great day of fishing. Catfish and bream seem to be the fare of the day, as the competitors tempted them with stink bait, shrimp, and nightcrawler worms.

Prizes were awarded for “ first fish out of the water”(man and woman), and then randomly throughout the day as names were drawn. Thanks to some fantastic sponsorship, every participant was able to go home with something to remember the day. Gifts such as, hats, t-shirts, fishing poles, and stringers were awarded. The host of fantastic sponsors included Walmart, Sportsman’s Warehouse, Bass Pro Shops, Calvin’s Family Bait and Tackle, and Agricenter International.

Jim Clark, from Walmart, came around with his bag of fishing gear and bait, and made sure that every participant had exactly what they needed to catch the “big one”. Shane and Cody, from Sportsman’s Warehouse, were ready on the nets to help competitors bring their fish onto the bank. In addition, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency was also on hand to give pointers on fishing.

Every Shepherd’s Haven participant had a team of volunteers, ready and waiting, to set tackle, bait hooks, and haul their fish in. The call for volunteers was answered by folks from Shepherd’s Haven Ministries, Helena Chemical, UT Extension’s Master Gardner Program, The Farm Services Agency, Baptist Memorial Hospital, UT Extension Agency, and Agricenter International’s Board of Directors.

First Place Largest Fish went to Dustin Elliston, who caught a 27 inch catfish.

Second Place, Largest Fish, went to Ben Rose, whose catfish was 26 inches.

First Place, Most Fish, went to Petey Northup, who caught 22 fish.

Second Place, Most Fish, went to the team of Stan Griggs and Karen Pitner who caught a combined total of 20 fish.

Postcards from Scenic Agricenter International Part 1

Farmer's Market tours are fun and educational...and Free.
We want to thank the boyscout troop who worked so hard on their community project here at the viewing stand. Thanks to these hard working boys, we now have a great platform to view Fall and Winter Wildlife. When we flood the cornfield in the fall, the ducks and geese pour in!
Jr. Fishing Rodeos...a blast. Not free, but $7.00 buys you all the fish you can catch

Here we have Shelby County children who came
to learn about plants and the environment. This
an example of one of our FREE educational programs.

We educate adults as well. Here you see a group of
farmers learning about some of the farm research
done here on the property, during our Farm Field Day.
Provided at no cost to farmers.















Catchem Lake at Dawn( We offer free sunrise views too.)















Postcard quality...suitable for framing!










Gorgeous Sunflowers in front of the
Agricenter Showplace Arena