Program Endowed to Honor Fredonia Natives Charlie and Mattie Elrod
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Nina Puckett, a Lebanon, Tennessee, native is the inaugural intern for the Charlie and Mattie Elrod Small Farms Extension Internship Program. This new program provides students in the University of Tennessee Herbert College of Agriculture a unique educational experience supporting small farms in Tennessee. Marilyn Elrod, the granddaughter of Charlie and Mattie Elrod, endowed this program in their honor.
Known as pillars of their community, the Elrod family farmed row crops, fruit and livestock for almost a hundred years. Charlie and Mattie Elrod cultivated 106 acres in Fredonia, Tennessee, where they built local roads, churches, schools and the community center. The Fredonia community regarded the Elrods for their dedication to their family, community and agriculture.
Students in this internship program link their classroom learning with professional work experience by observing and participating in county UT Extension programs under the direction and supervision of experienced Extension agents or specialists. Interns complete an e-portfolio and an educational project, such as developing curriculum, educational materials, exhibits or other deliverables.
Puckett, a junior in food and agricultural business in the Herbert College of Agriculture, worked throught the summer with Wilson County Extension director and agent Lucas Holman and gained valuable experience teaching classes, visiting farms and interacting with youth development through 4-H.
Puckett’s largest project this summer involved developing a kit called “Farm-Forward.” The program helps families going through farm transitions through inheritance by providing worksheets and other beneficial resources to ease the changes. She is proud of the effort and says, “This internship has not only given me new experiences and knowledge, but created a pathway and toolkit to make a lasting impact on my community.”
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.