Anderson County 4-H

10/31/2024

The 4th Anderson County 4-H & Agriculture Hall of Fame was held on October 29. Anderson County Farm Bureau Board of Directors served as the premier sponsor for this event, which honored this year’s inductees: Tim & Sonya Jo George, Dr. James C. Kile, Jr., and the Wheeler Family.

Welcoming guests were speakers Randy McNally, Tennessee Lt. Governor, and Randy Lowe, President of the Anderson County Farm Bureau Board of Directors. Dr. Keith Carver, Senior Vice Chancellor and Sr. Vice President of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, was the keynote speaker.

Tim and Sonya Jo’s daughter, JoLeeAnn George, gave the tribute for the George’s. Deb Hotchkiss, Dr. Kile’s daughter, presented the tribute in honor of her father, Dr. James C. Kile, Jr., who passed away in 2013. Joe Hall, who served as the agriculture extension agent in Anderson County for 42 years, presented the tribute for the Wheeler Family.

Joe Hall and Bear Stephenson co-chair this event, which they helped establish in 2017. The purpose of the Anderson County 4-H and Agriculture Hall of Fame is to honor and preserve the legacy of the men and women who have provided outstanding leadership and service to Anderson County in the areas of agriculture and 4-H youth development., while growing the county’s 4-H endowment to financially support the Anderson County 4-H program now and for generations to come.

10/26/2024

Dr. James C. Kile, Jr. will be inducted into the Anderson County 4-H & Agriculture Hall of Fame on October 29. Dr. Kile received his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine in 1944 and set up his private practice in Anderson County. In 1946, he began working as a research assistant in the Biology division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. His research at ORNL involved radiation genetics and radiation recovery, yielding valuable insights in these fields of study. He also pioneered new techniques in the breeding and husbandry of mice.
Later, he returned to veterinary practice, as well as establishing Cumberland View Farms, which involved the breeding and raising of in**ed mice and registered Polled Hereford cattle. The “mouse house” produced and sold in**ed, hybrid and random bred mice, which were used in pharmaceutical, medical and cancer research, as well as in various types of radiation research.
Dr. Kile and his wife, Grace Spengler Kile, had seven children, Patrice Kile, Debbie Kile Hotchkiss, Dorn Kile, Kathleen Kile Cullen, James Kile III, Kevin Kile, and Carolyn Kile Thomas. Active in service locally and nationally, he served in a multitude of leadership roles with Oak Ridge Rotary, Anderson County Fair, TN Veterinary Medical Association, Polled Hereford associations, and many more.
Well known for supporting youth programs, he founded the Bred and Owned Award at the National Junior Polled Hereford Association Show, hosted field days, recruited speakers for youth events, and assisted with livestock judging. He was a supporter of the founding of the UT Veterinary Medical School and a member of the UT Presidential Society and the Board of Trustees of the Webb School of Knoxville.
We are excited to induct Dr. James C. Kile, Jr. into the 4-H & Agriculture Hall of Fame on Tuesday, October 29. For tickets call the Extension office at 457-6246 or purchase online at tiny.utk.edu/HOFguest

10/26/2024

Join us in congratulating Tim and Sonya Jo George for being selected as 2024 inductees into the Anderson County 4-H & Agriculture Hall of Fame. Farming has always been part of Tim and Sonya Jo George’s lives. It all began for Tim when he was seven years old working for his Uncle Bobby George, bottle-feeding calves. At just seventeen, he began milking under contract for a local dairy cooperative, Dairymen, Inc. He continued in the dairy business until 1986, when he sold out through a government buyout program.
Sonya Jo Hewitt George grew up raising horses, ponies, hogs, and cattle with her father, Mayo Hewitt. Her favorite being an Angus Bull named “A Hundred and Seven” that she would comb daily. She looked forward to 4-H and joined in the fourth grade. Sonya Jo states that Martha Jo Tolley and Joe Hall were her fearless leaders. She recalls being excited when she learned she won the 4-H Biscuit Baking Contest that year.
In 1982, Tim George and Sonya Jo Hewitt married, and were blessed with four children—Christopher, JoLeeAnn, Bobby, and JaynaMarie. After stepping away from the dairy business, the George’s got into raising beef cattle. Today, George Farms continues to manage 600 acres of land with more than 300 head of beef cattle. The George’s son, Christopher, is farming and keeps his own cattle too.
While farming is still a big part of Tim and Sonya Jo’s lives, these days, they really enjoy spending time with their grandkids—Catherine, Josie, and John Walter. They hope the farming tradition continues through them and stays alive for many generations to come.
We invite you to join us as we induct Tim and Sonya Jo George into the 4-H & Agriculture Hall of Fame on Tuesday, October 29th. For tickets call the Extension office at 457-6246 or purchase online at tiny.utk.edu/HOFguest

10/26/2024

We are honored to induct the Wheeler Family into the Anderson County 4-H & Agriculture Hall of Fame. Marion and Stella Wheeler, along with their two children Tom and Jane, raised registered Angus cattle on their family farm, Wheeler & Wheeler Farms.
As an active farm family, Tom and Jane were involved in many 4-H projects, especially beef cattle and public speaking. Like all successful 4-H projects, preparing for the cattle shows at the Anderson County Fair, TVA Fair, and other regional and state 4-H shows, was a family effort. But Marion and Stella’s Extension involvement went far beyond supporting their children’s 4-H projects.
Marion regularly participated in Extension seminars and demonstrations, and was especially interested in improvements in to***co yields and improvements in beef cattle through genetics. Stella was active in the Home Demonstration Club for 30 years. Mrs. Wheeler also worked diligently to support the Anderson County Fair in the women’s exhibits. Her favorite week of the summer was Fair Week, and she treasured time spent with her “Fair” friends. She later worked in the local Extension office, providing nearly twenty years of dedicated service.
A University of Tennessee graduate, Tom Wheeler had an accomplished career in finance with a real estate firm, and leadership in the TN General Assembly and TN State Election Commission. He and his wife Ann have two daughters, Katherine and Caroline. Jane Wheeler Kinser carried on the family tradition in education, working over 30 years in the Oak Ridge School System. She and her husband Hugh are blessed with two daughters, Kathleen and Ann Marie.
We are excited to induct the Wheeler Family into the 4-H & Agriculture Hall of Fame on Tuesday, October 29. For tickets call the Extension office at 457-6246 or purchase online at tiny.utk.edu/HOFguest

10/22/2024

Please join us for this wonderful celebration!

01/19/2024

12/11/2023

11/23/2023

🍂🦃 Happy Thanksgiving!

11/09/2023

🍀Anderson County 4-H youth have the opportunity to attend 4-H camp each summer to learn all types of skills while having fun! We would like to give the opportunity of camp to more youth, however some never apply to camp because of the expense. Please consider helping a 4-H member attend camp this summer by donating towards our county’s fund for camp. To support this effort, please go to tiny.utk.edu/Anderson/countysupport

11/07/2023

Great way to support Anderson County 4-H and have your donation matched🍀❤️🍀

Please support Anderson County through Big Orange Give! Big Orange Give (BOG) is the university’s day of giving and matching begins today, November 7th at 8:00am until midnight Wednesday, November 8th. (The first $100 of every gift will be matched until $3,000 is exhausted) To support us, go to tiny.utk.edu/AndersonBOG to donate today!