The Countryside of Tennessee

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It is only natural to expect an invigorating experience in Tennessee, a state known for its scenic beauty and hearty farmland.

Tennessee is home to tantalizing fares sure to whet just about anyone’s appetite. Throughout the state, visitors can experience the season’s best by picking fruits and vegetables or visiting a collection of local farmers’ markets.

Each of the three grand regions – East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee and West Tennessee – offers a tractor load of agricultural adventures only found in
Tennessee. Tennessee’s agritourism features farm tours, pick-your-own pumpkin patches, strawberry fields and blueberry farms. After picking all day, wind down and feel right at home at a farm bed and breakfast. Tennessee’s agricultural history includes century-old farms and historic gardens, at places like Cheekwood and The Carnton Plantation. The fall season on a Tennessee farm is a place to get lost in a corn maze or experience an old-fashioned hayride.

Tennessee has more than 84,000 farms selling crops, livestock and a variety of products. These farms include the only freshwater pearl culturing farm in North America – the Tennessee River Freshwater Pearl Farm – and two working sheep farms – Rockin’ R Sheep Farm and Quae Tae Me. The Sweetwater Valley Farm is another favorite, offering homemade cheese and dairy products. From riding stables and dude ranches, to the famed Tennessee Walking Horse Association, Tennessee offers a vast array of equine activities.

Farming is as old as the world and as current as the bowl of apples on your table. Learn the ways of farming at the Tennessee Agricultural Museum, located on the spacious grounds of the Ellington Agricultural Center in Nashville. The museum holds an extensive collection of home and farm artifacts from the 19th and early 20th centuries, along with rural Tennessee prints and fold art sculptures. Log cabins, a small farmhouse, a perennial and herb garden, and nature trails are included in the museum tour.

Become an expert in the field of agriculture and harvest a few memories at the West Tennessee Agricultural Museum. Visit the home of the award-winning Wilson County Fair at the James E. Ward Agricultural Center, or learn the art of making milk and ice cream at the Mayfield Dairy Farms Visitor Center in Athens. Learn about sustainable agriculture as well as organic food at Crabtree Farms in Chattanooga.

In 1919, prohibition ended wine production in Tennessee, and the industry did not recover until 1973 when the Tennessee Viticulture and Oenological Society formed to encourage wine operation as an agri-business. Today, award-winning table wines from 24 Tennessee wineries are served worldwide.

Enjoy the spirits of the state by visiting Beachaven Vineyards & Winery in Clarksville and the award-winning Holly Ridge Winery & Vineyard in Livingston. Visit the newly-opened Arrington Winery in Franklin, owned by famous country music artist Kix Brooks of the duo Brooks & Dunn.

The state is also home to distinct distilleries, including George Dickel Distillery in Tullahoma and Prichard’s Distillery in Kelso. Jack Daniel Distillery is the oldest registered distillery in Tennessee and has been licensed at no. 1 since 1886. It is also one of Tennessee’s top 50 attractions with more than 200,000 visitors annually. Jack Daniel’s brand is so famous that the black labeled bottles appear in Hollywood movies as often as references to Elvis Presley.

For more information on agritourism, visit tnvacation.com/agritourism, or for a listing of wineries and distilleries in Tennessee, visit tnvacation.com/listing/wineries-distilleries.