Teacher Honors UT’s Commitment to Agriculture, Education with Chester County Mural

HENDERSON —When Christopher Cherry looks out at the new mural on his family’s barn, he sees a celebration.

The words “Everywhere You Look, UT” signify the University of Tennessee’s impact on his life, as well as agriculture and education across the state. Cherry is passionate about both.

The Chester County mural in West Tennessee also represents the 55th county to join UT’s campaign. UT has a goal to paint a mural in all 95 of Tennessee’s counties by 2030.

Cherry understands the role UT plays across the state.

An agricultural teacher at Liberty Technology High School, Cherry submitted his family farm for mural consideration because of his passion for agriculture and UT’s impact on the industry across the state. The farm is run by Chris’s parents, Eddie and Kim Cherry, his brother, Chad, and his nephews, Case and Jase Cherry.

The grain bin on the 130-acre cattle and hay farm—purchased by his grandparents Peggie and Joe Cooper in 1964—on U.S. 45 sees an estimated 6,848 people pass by daily, many of whom are traveling in Tennessee’s southern counties, known for their rich agriculture.

“You can’t separate the University of Tennessee from agriculture in this state,” Cherry said.

Cherry’s connection to UT and agriculture started early. As a child, he participated in 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA) programs supported by UT.

Now, as an educator, Cherry explains the history of agricultural education in Tennessee to his students, always taking a moment to reflect on the University’s Extension impact on the industry.

Cherry always knew he wanted to be a teacher. In high school, he served as president of FFA and Future Teachers of America. He attended the University of Tennessee at Martin where he earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural teacher education in 2008 and was also a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. Although his interest in agricultural policy led him to briefly pursue a law degree at the University of Memphis, his passion for education brought him back to the classroom.

Cherry helped to build a successful FFA program at Liberty Technology High School, where all of his agriculture students are FFA members as well as participate in Madison County’s 4-H program. He is working to establish the state’s first junior Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences program. Cherry wants to build a future for his students, and he credits UT for making many goals possible for them. The agricultural education events hosted by UT’s campuses have impacted his students. He recalls UT Martin covering costs for his students to attend the Mid-South Ag Finance Conference and Knoxville covering other events like Varsity Day and AG Day, which exposed them to college life and influenced their career paths.

With UT’s dedication to agricultural education in Tennessee, Cherry is proud to host a mural of the institution he credits with making this all possible.

“You can’t look at a farm in this state that isn’t somehow affected by UT, whether that be no-till agriculture, whether that be the research they’re doing in Jackson on crops, whether that be the thousands of UT Knoxville agricultural alumni or UT Martin agricultural alumni who are the people in this state that are the movers and shakers in the agricultural industry,” Cherry said. “So everywhere you look—that’s what I’ve been marketing to the kids—you see UT or a UT alum making a difference.”

The newest mural in Henderson, painted by FreeSky Studios, marks the 59th overall mural in the Everywhere You Look, UT campaign. The University covers the cost of the first mural in each county.

To learn more about the “Everywhere You Look, UT” mural in Chester County or to submit a location for consideration, visit the campaign website.

About the University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a statewide system of higher education with campuses in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Pulaski, Martin and Memphis; the UT Institute of Agriculture with a presence in every Tennessee county; and the statewide Institute for Public Service. The UT System manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory through its UT-Battelle partnership; enrolls about 62,000 students statewide; produces about 14,000 new graduates every year; and represents more than 454,000 alumni around the world.