LAFOLLETTE – The Sharp-Hunter Farm, a family legacy dating back to 1841, became the canvas for the latest Everywhere You Look, UT mural in Campbell County.
When approached about adding the UT emblem to a barn on their property, the co-owners—mother Billie Sue Barton Hunter (Knoxville ’58, ’85), Mary Hunter Hinson (Knoxville ’84), and Karen Hunter-Lowery (Knoxville ’83)—along with their three other sisters, knew it was something they were excited to do, Karen Hunter-Lowery said.
“My great-great-grandfather, who originally owned the farm, is given credit for a lot of the early industry in LaFollette,” Hunter-Lowery said. “We’ve been there for going on 200 years. We’re proud to be UT grads. I think it just kind of makes sense.”
This 17′ tall x 70′ wide mural, located off Highway 63, marks number 70 in the campaign and will be seen by an estimated 14,400 drivers each day. The campaign aims to place a mural in all 95 Tennessee counties by 2030.
The barn, which is used for hay storage, is a lasting part of a once-busy cattle farm. When the sisters wanted to have someone outside of the family rear cattle on the property, they sought help from their local Extension office.
“I remember when we were first looking to have somebody put cattle on the farm,” she said. “We talked to Extension Agent Steve Edwards, and he said, ‘I’d really recommend that you get a lease, and here’s a template, and here’s what you charge.’ I wouldn’t know any of that, even though my family has been farm owners for generations.”
UT Extension also has helped the Sharp-Hunter Farm with other conservation projects as they maintain the land the family has held for over 200 years.
“We needed some work on the farm from a soil conservation standpoint,” she said. “We knew to go to Steve. He gave us information on how to get the soil tested, and we currently have a project happening on the front side of the farm where we got grants through Extension.”
Hunter-Lowery hopes that UT’s latest mural will inspire drivers who pass it to think indepth about the impact of the university that reaches far beyond its campuses.
“Most people know that there is a University of Tennessee in Knoxville,” she said. “But what this will say is that UT is not just one campus. It’s in touch with every county across the state—and beyond.”
To Hunter-Lowery, the Everywhere You Look, UT campaign signifies the ways UT gives back all over the state.
“The impact that UT has on communities across the state—it’s not just kids going to one of the five campuses,” she said. “They’re continually looking for ways to give back to counties, cities and towns across the state. The ‘T’ in UT stands for Tennessee, and they’re very invested in Tennessee.”
To learn more about the Everywhere You Look, UT mural in Campbell County or to submit a location for consideration, visit the campaign website.
