Patrick Jaynes is no stranger to public service. He grew up in rural East Tennessee and later served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Senator Lamar Alexander. Jaynes is now the the USDA State Director for Rural Development in Tennessee. On this episode we chat

Robert Hill is the 2025 Tennessee Young Farmer of the Year. Robert farms alongside his dad, sister, and brother in-law in Lauderdale County. They farm around 5,000 acres of cotton, corn, and soybeans. On this episode Robert talks about why farming is more

Gabe Harville of Smith County is is the 2025 Tennessee 4-H Council President. On this episode of Root of The Matter Gabe talks about his 4-H career and the lasting impact it'll have on him as he heads off to college in the fall.

Obion County, Tennessee native Stephen Vaden is the newly sworn in U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. Lee Maddox sits down with Vaden to talk about his journey to the number two position at USDA, and how he's bringing his Tennessee agriculture roots wi

One in seven people in the United States struggle with hunger. For decades Second Harvest Food Bank has been working in Middle Tennessee to help end hunger, and now they're getting help from local farmers through their Farm to Families program. On this ep

On this episode of Root of the Matter Dr. Bruno Pedreira talks with Lee Maddox about UT's Master Forage program & how he hopes it will help livestock producers across Tennessee better feed their animals.

Upper East Tennessee was devastated by the damage left behind from Hurricane Helene in the fall of 2024. Farmers in the area had structures, hay, and fields washed away from the flooding. The agriculture community came together to raise money to help farm

After serving as the interim for over a year, Dr. Justin Rhinehart has been named the permanent Dean of UT Extension. Rhinehart has been a part of the UT system for 15 years serving as a professor, beef cattle specialist, assistant dean of agriculture, an

Laura Purtle is the fifth Generation on her family's dairy farm, Cleburne Jersey Farm, in Spring Hill, TN. While many dairy farms have been forced to sell their herd and get out of the businesses, Purtle and her family have committed themselves to keeping

Memorial Day is a day we pause as a Nation to honor and remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice defending our freedom. Rory Williams is an Army Veteran who now farms in Marshall County. He helps remind us the importance of Memorial Day & how he's h