STEM Education

Lone Oaks Farm’s Ron Blair Named Conservation Educator of the Year

June 13, 2018

Ron Blair, 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/

Year in Review: A Look at 2017

February 1, 2018

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

Rob Carter, Chair of the Advisory Committee

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 >>

4-H and STEM at the Heart of Lone Oaks

April 24, 2017

Kids are at the center of Lone Oaks Farm’s mission. Lone Oaks Farm is a place where kids are connected to the land and to agriculture, and through outdoor experiences they learn about science and build life skills. While our audience is every K-12 student in the region and beyond, 4-H is at the very root of Lone Oaks Farm’s origins and mission. Our vision for the farm is broad, but filling a void left by the closure of West Tennessee’s only 4-H camp was a foundational objective.

Since its inception over a century ago, 4-H has engaged youth with STEM Education (science, technology, engineering, and math) activities. The two were made for one another.

Hiring a Director of STEM Education

To further STEM literacy, the farm has developed a partnership with the Hardeman County school system to fund and hire a Director of STEM Education position.

This position will be responsible for developing, conducting, and evaluating a STEM Education program at the Farm that will engage K-12 public, private, and homeschool students, as well as support STEM Education programs at 4-H camps.

Plans include having the director in place by July 1, 2017-just in time for 2017 4-H STEM camps.

4-H STEM Camps

Dates of the camps are: July 5-8 (Male only camp) and July 10-13 (Female only camp). Activities will focus on:

Agriculture – Soil Science, Water Quality
Science – Micro-invertebrates, Astronomy, Fisheries
Technology – Drones
Engineering – Construct GaGa Pits, Shade Tents, Eno Circle, Amphitheater
Outdoor activities will include kayaking, paddle boards, horseback riding, archery/trap, dutch oven cooking, and others

To apply, contact your local University of Tennessee Extension office. For a list of all Extension offices in the state, see: https://tiny.utk.edu/offices