Lone Oaks, Part 1
Take a drive down Lake Hardeman Road and you will find a remarkable property in our county.
Lone Oaks Farm encompasses a working farm, The Clays youth and adult shooting sports facility, the 4-H and Youth Development Center, hospitality and corporate retreat facilities, and other recreational opportunities.
“I fell in love with the place the first time I toured it,” says Jeremy Burnett, Director of Lone Oaks. “I knew this was a special place and I knew I wanted to be part of all the things going on at Lone Oaks.” The Hardeman County native says this was definitely a homecoming for him. “Being able to be a part of all the various parts of this outstanding operation and being back home in Hardeman County – it was a win-win situation to me.”
Burnett joined the Lone Oaks family in November 2023. He had served as the dean of Off-Campus Instructional Sites at Southwest Tennessee Community College. He was with Southwest for 23 years as a tenured faculty member in Hospitality Management and had also served in various administrative roles. Burnett holds a bachelor’s degree in Hotel and Restaurant Administration and a Master of Science in Recreation, Tourism and Hospitality, both from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Lone Oaks Farm includes more than 1,200 acres of farmland, fields, woods, trails, waterways, and lakes. The grounds are also home to residences that are available for rent as well as numerous event and meeting spaces.
The Sale Barn houses the largest collection of antique American hand tools in the United States.
Lone Oaks Farm is administered by UT Extension, a unit of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA). UT Extension has offices in every county in Tennessee and provides educational programming in agriculture and natural resources, family and consumer sciences, 4-H youth development, and community economic development. UTIA is one of five campuses with the University of Tennessee system and is comprised of UT Extension, AgResearch, College of Veterinary Medicine, and College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Since its acquisition by UT in 2015, Lone Oaks Farm has made tremendous strides toward becoming the national model for connecting youth and adults to the land. One of the Farm’s objectives is to use the outdoors to encourage a deep appreciation for the land, conservation, and agriculture.
Burnett says he thinks of Lone Oaks as having four distinct areas of operation. “We have our hospitality program; we are a functioning farm with livestock, fruit and vegetable gardens, row crop agriculture, and more. We are home to the 4-H Camp for West Tennessee. We have The Clays, our target shooting and hunter education center.
Beyond those four areas, we have to manage the property as a whole to make sure that we don’t over-stress or overwork any area of the farm. We have to protect and respect the natural resources we have here.”
The 4-H Camp recently welcomed its first group of campers for the 2024 season. “We have 4 buildings that can house up to 66 campers plus adult counselors; these are our Sunset Cabins. We do have plans to build 4 more cabins to house an additional 66 campers and counselors. We did not get funding for these in this year’s state budget but will continue to work with the state as well as look at other avenues for funding this. We would have absolutely no trouble filling up all 8 cabins for the summer if we had them,” Burnett said.
4-H campers start their week at Lone Oaks by visiting the low ropes course, the archery and rifle ranges, the craft house, and a variety of activities available at the lake. Later in the week they will have opportunities to visit the farm’s new zip line and enjoy hiking numerous trails. Learning about nature through STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math) programming allows campers to enjoy and immerse themselves and learn about the many wonders of all of the nature that surrounds them during their week at Lone Oaks.
There are residences on the property for rent – for corporate retreats, family reunions, or just a weekend trip. “Each property is thoughtfully designed for our guests,” Burnett said. “We try to include special touches in each residence, so that guests can relax and enjoy their time on the grounds.” The Sale Barn is a popular place for meetings, corporate retreats and trainings, weddings, and other events. “We have hosted a widerange of events at the Sale Barn. A section of it is actually still a working cattle sale barn a few times a year, so we have kept its original use in operation.”
To learn more about renting one of the residences at Lone Oaks, visit their website at loneoaksfarm.com Lone Oaks Farm will be partnering with Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) as part of Tennessee Free Fishing Day on Saturday, June 8, from 8:00 a.m. – Noon. Several lakes at the farm will be open for fishing, and Lone Oaks Farm staff will be on hand to assist with bass, brim, and catfishing; loaner fishing tackle will be available if needed. Participants can also learn how to clean and cook fish. Youth must bring an adult to fish. Registration is required and can be completed by visiting TN.Wildlife.Org and clicking on the Events Page.
In part 2 of our Lone Oaks visit, we will learn more about The Clays and the overall operations of the farm.