Nashville, TN – Disabled veteran and outdoorsman Jason Seaton of East Tennessee dreamed of hearing the distinctive call of bob white quail on his farm again. He ordered trees from the Sevier County Soil Conservation District back in 2008, but they didn’t survive due the drought.
Not one to give up, Seaton and his mother, Beverly, went to the Sevierville Field Office and met with Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Soil Conservationist Mitchell Aman, who helped him develop a comprehensive conservation plan. Seaton then applied for and was funded through NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program.
During this time, news articles in the local paper brought nationwide attention to the project.
People from all over the nation contacted Seaton and Aman. Seaton used this event to encourage others who have been disabled to not give up but to trust in God and live life to the fullest.
Jason was elated to have people visit his farm to see what was going. Though the project was just getting under way, he was excited about his wildlife plan and eager to show others what he was doing. Aman wanted people to meet Seaton and see what a positive attitude he had.
A lot of people became part of Seaton’s team. Jefferson Farmers COOP assisted with spraying his fields eliminating unwanted species.
Aman, who is now working in middle Tennessee, returned to Sevierville for a Field Day where he introduced Seaton to UT Agribility personnel who spent the entire day with him.
Last year, neighbors, family, TWRA and NRCS employees and their families, helped plant over 500 trees on his farm—just one of the conservation practices that will help complete his goal of improving wildlife habitat.
Today, Seaton’s dream is unfolding right before his eyes! He has touched so many people on his journey to make his dream a reality. Seaton’s success has been lauded by Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She visited with Seaton on a recent trip to Tennessee.
Seaton says his success can be attributed to his “can do” attitude. And he is not finished; he recently purchased another farm and has remodeled the house to make it accessible to the disabled. He says it is only a matter of time until he begins implementing wildlife practices on this farm, too.
For more information, producers and landowners can visit the NRCS website at www.nrcs.usda.gov or their local NRCS office.
