Tennessee's two land-grant institutions comprise the tennessee agricultural research and extension system

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded $2,045,246 to the University of Tennessee on October 1, 2025, under the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP, CFDA 10.514), a formula grant supporting nutrition education for low-income families and youth.

UT Agriculture Extensions Service will deliver virtual and in-person nutrition education lessons through peer educators across all 95 Tennessee counties to low-income families, pregnant teens, and youth, using evidence-based curricula tailored to audience needs. The program targets improvements in diet quality, physical activity, food resource management, food safety, and food security for limited-resource Tennesseans.

The award period runs through September 30, 2030, with place of performance in Knoxville, Tennessee. EFNEP operates through land-grant universities nationwide and combines hands-on learning, applied science, and program data to ensure effectiveness and accountability. The University of Tennessee, a 1862 land-grant institution, conducts research and extension programs across five key areas including food, fiber, and energy systems; environmental quality; economic development; workforce development; and health strengthening. The funding flows to a single recipient; no sub-recipients are identified in the source.

They work independently and collaboratively to conduct research and extension programs in all 95 counties and to serve the state's 6.9 million people. Tennessee's land-grant institutions conduct research and provide outreach in five key areas to address critical issues affecting the state: supporting food, fiber, and energy systems; enhancing biodiversity and environmental quality; enriching our economy; developing our workforce; and strengthening our health. Extension will continue to provide programs to address the ongoing needs of citizens and agriculture producers across the state. Health issues are a top concern for residents. Extension will strengthen health programming by offering the health and nutrition programs and provide resources for improving dietary and physical activity for limited-resource tennesseans. The expanded food and nutrition education program (efnep) operates nationally through cooperative extension and is funded by the USDA's national institute of food and agriculture (nifa). Since 1969, efnep has addressed critical societal concerns by influencing nutrition and physical activity behaviors of low-income families, particularly parents and other adult caregivers who have primary responsibility for feeding young children, as well as pregnant teen and youth. Efnep improves the nutritional health of vulnerable populations by teaching skills and guiding them to make better decisions. In tennessee, efnep program assistants (peer educators) deliver a series of virtual or in-person interactive lessons to program participants using evidence-based curricula tailored to meet the needs of the audience. Efnep uses a holistic nutrition educational approach resulting in individuals and families experiencing improvements in diet quality, physical activity, food resource management, food safety, and food security. The program contributes to the health of participants by helping low income families improve their nutritional well-being. Efnep's programmatic content and methodology are evidence- and research-based. Efnep uses knowledge gained from social, behavioral, and biological sciences to continually improve the program and to address emerging issues. Content and methodology help bridge practical applications of nutrition education with science. Efnep uses an integrated local, state/territory, and federal data collection and reporting system to guide participant education, inform program management, and assess program impact. Grant recipients submit a 5-year program plan-and annual updates in intervening years-to outline state/territory and local needs/opportunities, priorities, plans, and any other adjustments they intend to make to their programming. Program outcomes are tracked through an integrated local, state, and federal data system, which informs continuous improvement and demonstrates statewide impact. By combining scientific research, community engagement, and data-driven evaluation, tennessee's efnep strengthens the health and resilience of vulnerable tennesseans and contributes to the state's broader extension mission.