Work Has Begun on Stream Restoration Project at Lone Oaks Farm

Earlier this year, Ford Motor Company and the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture signed a stream mitigation and restoration agreement that will restore the stream waters flowing through the University’s Lone Oaks Farm.

The size of the BlueOval City project required Ford (Clean Water Act of 1962) to invest in a significant stream restoration project, and the UT Institute of Agriculture was prepared to meet this need through a restoration project at Lone Oaks Farm. This unique agreement allows Ford to meet its regulatory requirements while also benefiting the entire region through funding STEM education and 4-H Youth Development at Lone Oaks. The agreement totals $16.5 million, which covers the construction cost of restoring some 20,000 feet of streams on the Lone Oaks property while also providing long-term financial sustainability for Lone Oaks’ educational programs. The residual funds from the project will be invested by the UT Foundation to support education programs at Lone Oaks Farm in perpetuity. The project is expected to be completed in the spring of 2023.

“The vision for Lone Oaks Farm includes introducing young people to agriculture and conservation through STEM education programs. We are extremely excited to partner with Ford and support both their sustainability goals and the University’s and community’s education goals,” says Ben West, director of strategic partnerships with UTIA. “This investment will provide quality, hands-on education programs for students throughout the region for decades to come.”

UT Extension is developing Lone Oaks, a 1,200-acre facility, into a world-class 4-H and STEM (science, technology, education, and math) Education Center in Middleton. Lone Oaks is located just 45 minutes east of Memphis and in close proximity to Ford’s BlueOval City. Education programs at Lone Oaks already serve about 5,000 K – 12 students each year.