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WASHINGTON COUNTY, Tenn. — Helene’s flooding wreaked havoc on farms across the region, in many cases washing away fertile land.
Farmers gathered in rural Washington County, Tennessee for a field day hosted by the University of Tennessee. They’re learning the results of the latest research into how to recover their land impacted by flooding.
Farmer Will Runion said the community has been a lifeline.
“We had just a tremendous amount of people in the community who helped us, friends, people up and down this riverbank who came in and helped us. That keeps you motivated,” Runion said.
Runion’s farm, like many impacted by the storm, was covered in 10 feet of water. Silt and dust covered the land in addition to all the debris.
They had to get massive amounts of hay from other states to keep cattle alive.
“There’s a certain percentage that it’s just gone. It washed away,” state agriculture commissioner Charlie Hatcher said. “So you’ve got that situation, and then you’ve got this situation. Look at the ground here. It’s like a beach.”
University of Tennessee Forge Specialist Bruno Pedreira said, “Some of these areas with somewhere from four to six feet of sediment on top of the topsoil.”
Even 11 months later, much of the ground is still bare. Adapting to that new reality means planting differently. Events like this are teaching farmers what works.
“We’ll need to work harder,” Pedreira said. “It’s going to cost a little bit more. But we’re farmers. That’s what do. We farm for a living. So I don’t see us giving up on land unless we have rocks on it that you can’t work anymore.”