Agriculture Programs

The major agricultural enterprises in Cheatham County are tobacco, beef cattle, row crops (corn and soybeans), and small-scale fruit and vegetable production. The county ranks 3rd in Tennessee for Dark-Fired Tobacco production and 7th for overall total tobacco production. Dark and Burley type tobaccos are grown on approximately 900 acres and account for almost two-thirds of the total agricultural income for the county. Our Dark-Fired tobacco is considered some of the best grown anywhere in the U.S. and much of it is exported all over the world. The county also produces 12,000 head of beef cattle and 14,000 acres of hay annually. 

4,000 acres of corn and soybeans are produced annually, primarily in the Cumberland and Harpeth river bottoms. Small-scale fruit and vegetable are also on the increase throughout the county as a growing number of consumers look to purchase locally grown produce.

UT/TSU Cheatham County Extension provides educational programs for farmers and homeowners. Agents work closely with many organizations and businesses, such as the USDA Farm Services Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Cheatham County Farm Bureau, and local agri-businesses, in conducting educational programming. Other key partners include University of Tennessee, University of Kentucky, and Tennessee State University specialists.

Extension programs cover a wide range of subject matter at various meetings, workshops, on-farm demonstrations, farm visits, tours, and field days. Participants are informed of these programs through newsletters, local media, and through electronic media.