Beardsley Farm

09/02/2026

As summer winds down, your garden might be looking a little tired—but that doesn't mean you have to leave your garden beds empty all fall and winter!

Cover crops are plants grown primarily to protect and improve the soil. Think of them as a winter blanket for your garden beds! Cover crops can help everyday gardeners:
🌱 Protect soil from erosion during fall and winter rains
🌱 Reduce weeds while your garden beds are resting
🌱 Add nutrients back into the soil for spring and summer harvesting

Not sure which crop to plant or how to get started? Join the Knox County Master Gardeners at Beardsley Farm for an afternoon of practical gardening knowledge! We'll cover cover crops, hot composting, and what to plant in your fall vegetable garden. Come learn from the Master Gardeners, get your fall garden questions answered, and head into winter with healthier, happier soil. 🌻🥕🥬🌱

Friday, September 18th, 1:00–3:00 PM
CAC Beardsley Community Farm, 1741 Reynolds Street
👉 FREE! Registration is required due to limited space. Register online here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScil1bAOgECMO2JIMa0JGWrmU3r1okYmRo6dQTsNaraRwWqnw/viewform

08/31/2026

08/28/2026

We don't know about your trees, but 2026 has been an ✨AMAZING✨ year for pears!! We've harvested over 2,500 lbs of pears from just TWO trees located here at Beardsley. Can you believe it? We can't... Catch us baking all the pear goodies this fall for the kids in our after-school programming and seniors at our distribution sites!

Want to learn how to care for your fruit trees? We host FREE tree-pruning workshops every spring with Lee Rumble from , who'll discuss proper pruning methods, cultivar selection specific to Knoxville, how to pick the best planting location, and so much more!

08/25/2026

While the kids are away… the garden elves will play! 🧚‍♀️🌻

Check out these before & after shots of the garden beds at Beaumont Magnet Academy! While students were away for the summer, our Education Team was hard at work getting their pollinator flower and veggie beds back in shape. 🌸🥕🌿

Now the beds are freshly weeded, tidied up, and ready for students to get their hands in the soil and learn! We can’t wait to see what they discover, grow, and harvest throughout the season. 🐝💚

08/24/2026

We had a great time at West View Elementary’s Open House this month!

Our Produce Specialist, "Ms. Price," had a special opportunity to return to the school just down the road from CAC Beardsley Community Farm—this time to reconnect with students and families she once taught!

We loved seeing familiar faces, meeting new families, and sharing a little taste of the farm with some fresh pears from our trees.🍐🌳

A big thank you to United Way of Greater Knoxville Community Schools for hosting such a great event and bringing families and community partners together!

08/20/2026

🐞 Don’t let this ladybug look-alike fool you! While most lady beetles are helpful garden predators, the Mexican bean beetle is a pest that feeds on all kinds of bean plants—so if you spot one, smash ’em on sight 🎯

Adult bean beetles are yellow to copper-colored with 16 black spots, while the bright yellow, spiky larvae are often mistaken for tiny sea urchins. Both the adults and larvae feed on the undersides of leaves, leaving behind a delicate, lace-like skeleton of leaf veins.

Have you spotted Mexican bean beetles in your bean patch this summer? Share what has worked best for your garden!

08/17/2026

It's hard to believe, but it's almost time for us to switch to FALL VOLUNTEER HOURS!? Starting August 24, our volunteer hours are:

Monday 1p - 4p
Wednesday 9a -1 2p & 1p - 4p
Friday 9p - 12p

We hope this helps everyone have the chance to visit the farm throughout the week and get their hands dirty! We also have a few Saturday workdays this fall, which are great for large groups or families to volunteer with us! Interested in volunteering? Visit our website at www.beardsleyfarm.org to sign up!

08/14/2026

Would you like to learn more about composting, what to plant this fall, or what on earth a cover crop is?? We've got you! 🌱🌱

The Knox County Master Gardeners have designed a class to cover both topics and will lead a workshop at Beardsley on Friday, September 18th from 1-3 pm. This is a ✨free class✨, but due to limited space, we ask that you pre-register on our website or through the link in our bio. Come take advantage of the Master Gardeners' knowledge and resources! We hope to see you there!

08/11/2026

We're looking for 🍂 fall interns to join us at the farm to work now through November! Have you ever wanted to work on a small farm or need hours for your college classes?? We're the place for you!

We offer two types of internships:

◾UNPAID internships that are supplemented with a share of produce each week you work with us. Interested?? Email us your resume at [email protected].

◾PAID internships through the University of Tennessee's Federal Work Study Program. FWS Interns can work up to 29.5 hours outside of their class schedule. **Applications are now open. Interested students must apply through the UT website and qualify for the work-study program. **

Interested in working with us this fall? Visit our website or email us at [email protected] with all your questions!