You may be able to pull gravel from a creek, but make sure it falls within guidelines of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). For more guidance call the TDEC office in Columbia at 931-490-3941 or visit their website: www.tennessee.gov/environment/permits/arapgps

Most work on streams, stream banks, waterways, or drainage areas should be reviewed by TDEC. If you have questions concerning permits you should contact the TDEC office in Columbia at 931-490-3941, or visit their website: www.tennessee.gov/environment/permits/arapgps

The agency to call for a burn permit is the Tennessee Department of Agriculture “Division of Forestry”, their number is 1-877-350-(BURN) 2876 or online: www.BurnSafeTN.org. Burn permits are required from October 15 thru May 15 and at other times during certain weather conditions.

The USDA-NRCS website provides aerial photography & soils information: http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov.

Before you DIG call “Tennessee One Call” at 811 or go to their website: www.tnonecall.com. A person can be held liable for damages incurred if they dig and do not call Tennessee One Call.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has a great deal of flood information on their website. We have the ability in our office to generate maps for landowners with aerial imagery that has a flood plain map overlaid. Contact us to get a map of your property.

Tillage breaks down soil aggregates resulting in destruction of soil structure. Soil structure provides channels and macro pores that allow water, air, and root movement. When structure is destroyed, compacted zones form restricting air, water, and root penetration. Tillage can be used to remove the zone of compaction temporarily. The long-term solution is to plant cover crops to increase organic matter, soil organisms, and aggregate stability, thus improving soil structure.

Increasing soil cover leads to increase of active soil organic matter as soil microbes begin to break down organic material. Also, maintaining good cover on soil surface protects break down of soil aggregates that leads to soil erosion.

Diverse plants above the soil equals diverse soil life, both macro and microorganisms. Healthy soil life reduces pressures of soil disease, weed, and insect pressures. Good diversity also has a rotation effect that leads to increase in crop yields.

It depends on a lot of factors... think about what crop are you planning to plant after the cover crop? Do you need more soil cover? A nitrogen fixer or scavenger? Need to mitigate soil compaction? These are all things that need to be planned, which we can help you with!

Plant diversity is one of the pillars of soil health. Diversity provides different rooting structures, and different root exudates (sugars) that feed a diversity of soil biology. Plant diversity can increase biomass produced and help insure against cover crop failure. The mix should not contain too high of a rate of early growth species like brassicas, or they can smother the rest of the species.

There are benefits to planting cool and warm season cover crop species together but don’t plant too high of a rate of a warm season going into the cool season or too high a rate of a cool season species going into the warm season. Typically 20% or less is enough of the cover crop planted at the end of its normal growing season. Planting date is important too, with a cool season planting you don’t want more than 60 days growth of the warm season prior to the first frost.

Yes! Earthworms are a very important ally in improving soil health. They improve aeration and water infiltration by developing macropores, channels for water and air movement and they improve aggregate stability. Earthworm castings are five to six times more fertile than surrounding soil.