Tennessee Livestock producers in partnership with UT Lone Oaks Farm will host its annual cattle sale on Saturday, October 8, 2022. The sale will take place at the Sale Barn at 12 Noon. We look forward to another successful cattle sale.
The Clays at Lone Oaks Farm to Open March 13th
The Clays at Lone Oaks Farm will open to the public on Saturday March 13th 10am-6pm, and Sunday, March 14th 1pm to 6pm. Our operating schedule will be posted soon, and we will be open Wednesdays through Sundays every week. Come out to shoot or to visit our amazing shotgun shooting and hunter education facility!
The Clays at Lone Oaks Farm is a comprehensive center for hunter education and clay target shooting. Featuring trap, skeet, 5-stand, and sporting clay ranges, and a 4,000 square foot clubhouse and pavilion for your events.
The Clays features:
- A 4,000 square-foot clubhouse with pro shop, small conference room, large classroom, catering kitchen, and restrooms.
- An open-air pavilion
- ATA (standard) Trap
- Wobble Trap
- Skeet
- 5-Stand Sporting Clays
- Traditional Sporting Clays
- Super Sporting Clays (planned)
- Olympic-style Bunker Trap (planned)
Lone Oaks Farm’s Ron Blair Named Conservation Educator of the Year
Ron Blair, Director of STEM Education at Lone Oaks Farm, has been named the Conservation Educator of the Year by the Tennessee Wildlife Federation.
This award was part of the 53rd Annual Conservation Achievement Awards which celebrate “those making a meaningful difference to Tennessee’s natural resources,” according to Michael Butler, CEO of Tennessee Wildlife Federation.
The Conservation Educator of the Year award is given ‘for outstanding achievement in education others on conservation.’ Ron’s dedication to conservation education for both young people and adults has spanned a career of nearly 40 years.
From educating youth and adults about agriculture and natural resources to assisting landowners with lakes and ponds and establishing the O.W.L.S (Outdoors, Wildlife, Leadership, Service) camp for junior high students, Ron has impacted many lives in the state of Tennessee through service that went well beyond what was expected of his position.
After nearly 40 years of service to the University of Tennessee Extension, Ron is eligible for retirement and could have easily slipped into retirement. Instead he entered into a new and final chapter of his career as the first Director of STEM Education at Lone Oaks Farm in August of 2017.
As Director of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Education at Lone Oak Farm, Ron and his team work with thousands of students each year, introducing them to hands-on outdoor experiences and learning.
“Our stem program is designed to take the concepts of science, technology, engineering, and math learned in the classroom and then demonstrate real world applications using agriculture and natural resources as our canvas,” says Blair. “I believe students retain and comprehend what they learn in the classroom when they can see and use those concepts in real life experiences.”
Through these STEM programs, Ron and his staff are teaching kids love and conserve the land of Tennessee and inspiring future biologists, farmers, natural resource professionals, and advocates for outdoor recreation and our public lands.
Hear an interview with Ron Blair on Tennessee Home and Farm Radio
More information about the STEM program at Lone Oaks Farm can be found at https://www.loneoaksfarm.com/stem/
Get to Know Lone Oaks: Meet Gail Marcum
Gail is an integral part of the Lone Oaks Farm team. She has worked at the Farm for over 8 years and 2 of those years with the University of Tennessee.
She manages the invoicing, collections, bill paying, and payroll. As Accounting Coordinator, it is up to her to make sure that all of the financial activities at Lone Oaks Farm are running smoothly. With the work that Gail does, we are able to keep Lone Oaks Farm working well and keep our master plan on track.
Gail loves working at Lone Oaks Farm. She enjoys experiencing the beauty of the land and the family feeling of the work environment.
Lone Oaks Farm is a beautiful place. Driving through the gate every morning…just the scenery is so relaxing. A great start to every work day. I love the family atmosphere that we have at Lone Oaks Farm. We aren’t just people working at the same location. We are all part of a team. Everyone here wants to see Lone Oaks Farm grow and succeed, and each and every one of us plays an important part in that success.”
How She Started at the Farm
Gail started working at Lone Oaks Farm with the original owners in September of 2007. She trained with owner Kathy Ledbetter to take over the cattle records for the Angus cattle operation.
As the first sale drew nearer, Gail’s responsibilities grew to helping with the catalog production and proofing and the billing and bookkeeping for the sale. The first inaugural Angus female production sale was held in April of 2009.
Before working at the Farm, Gail worked in the public-school system for over 10 years. She loved working with children and leaving that job was a hard decision.
Coming to Lone Oaks Farm pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me to stretch myself beyond what I had decided was my full potential. I am so glad I did.”
When Lone Oaks Farm became part of the University of Tennessee, Gail was hired as a part-time bookkeeper. In April of 2016, her position became full time. We’re happy to have her!
About Gail
Gail is an avid gardener who loves flowers. She spends a lot of her time designing and working in her flowerbeds. She also enjoys reading, though she admits that life sometimes gets a bit too busy for her to enjoy either hobby.
Her favorite outdoor recreation activity is fishing. If she could, she would stay on the banks of a river fishing all day, whether the fish are biting or not. A bucket list item for her is to fish from a boat someday.
The next time you visit the Farm, we hope you’ll stop in to say hello to Gail!
Year in Review: A Look at 2017
2017 at Lone Oaks Farm was a year for planning and development for the future and a brand new start for a unique, hands-on learning program designed to educate K-12 youth about science, technology, engineering, and math.
We are looking forward to a great 2018 with even more events and activities. Follow us on Facebook to keep up with the changes and new additions as they happen at the Farm. We hope to see you here in 2018!
Crafting a Master Plan for the Future of Lone Oaks Farm
Lone Oaks Farm is a complex and ambitious project that stands to impact Tennesseans for a century or more. To ensure we develop the facility to maximize its potential, much effort was dedicated in 2017 to the development of a comprehensive master plan.
Under the leadership of the internationally-known firms of Nelson, Byrd, and Woltz, el dorado Inc., and W.M. Whitaker and Associates, a master plan has been developed that outlines the development of Lone Oaks Farm for the next several decades.
Over 200 people, representing many areas of expertise and interest, contributed to the master planning process through a variety of meetings, open houses, and charrettes. Read more >>
BioBlitz
An interesting facet of the master planning process was the Bioblitz event, which convened biologists and scientists from across the region to help us better understand the plants and animals that live at Lone Oaks Farm. Lone Oaks Farm is about reconnecting people to the land and our goal is to create a landscape that is rich with biological diversity, where people can experience a whole variety of plants and animals in nature. The data from the bioblitz has helped us understand the current biodiversity at the Farm and how to enhance and improve it over time. Watch videos of the BioBlitz and the flora and fauna recorded.
STEM Education Kicks off with Hundreds of K-12 Students
Through our partnership with Hardeman County schools, we kicked off our STEM Education program in 2017 with the hire of Ron Blair as our Director of STEM Education. Ron has been an UT Extension employee for 38 years and has deep experience in science, agriculture, and youth education.
Just in the first few months of operation, we have hosted several hundred K-12 students at the Farm from five different counties.
STEM Education programs at the Farm offer students the opportunity learn about core STEM topics through hands-on experiences in the outdoors. STEM programs at Lone Oaks Farm are fun, engaging, authentic, and academically rigorous – all while getting kids outside and active. Come see us! Learn more >>
Our First Heifer Sale
Lone Oaks Farm is about connecting people to agriculture and the land, and that Lone Oaks is a working Farm is central to that mission. A core part of the agricultural operation at Lone Oaks Farm is the heifer production program and sale that we initiated in 2017.
Through partnership with the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation and Tennessee Livestock Producers, our livestock operation endeavors to provide top-quality replacement heifers to farmers throughout the region.
Our first auction, on September 23, was a huge success that attracted buyers from across the region and sale prices that set the market for the region.
Creating an Advisory Council to Guide Lone Oaks Farm
We know that the success of Lone Oaks Farm depends on the input from many sectors and communities. To help us make good decisions about the Farm’s continued development and operation, we have assembled an advisory council consisting of many key leaders in business and government. Together, this group will help us develop and implement strategies to make Lone Oaks Farm a world-class center for education, agriculture, and hospitality.
We are incredibly fortunate and grateful that Rob Carter has agreed to be the founding chair of the Advisory Council.
Special Events in 2017
Lone Oaks Farm hosted 125 events in 2017, which brought nearly 3,000 people to the Farm. Events ranged from weddings to business retreats, family reunions to training sessions, fundraising banquets to antique tractor parades.
First Annual Mayor’s Trail Ride
On February 2017, Hardeman County Mayor Jimmy Said hosted the first annual “Mayor’s Ride at Lone Oaks Farm”. This trail ride corresponded with the bird dog field trials at Ames Plantation and drew over 125 riders from across the mid-south. Riders enjoyed the woods, fields, and trails of Lone Oaks Farm, and capped the day off with a steak dinner. The event was such a success that Mayor Sain is holding another ride this year on February 18th at 1:30 pm. For more information on how to register, email us at loneoaks@utk.edu
Ladies Day at the Farm
June 23rd saw female leaders from across Tennessee convene at the Farm for Ladies Day, an event hosted by Betty Ann Tanner (former University of Tennessee trustee, volunteer, and community leader) to bring influential women to Lone Oaks to learn more about our mission and vision. Ladies attending enjoyed a gourmet lunch, speakers about gardening and architecture, and a day full of friends and laughter. Read more >>
