Beyond its BlueOval City megasite, Ford is teaming up with the University of Tennessee to invest heavily in both education and conservation efforts in West Tennessee.
At the 2022 Memphis International Auto Show, Ford Motor Company and the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA) announced a partnership that would see the restoration of stream waters flowing through UT’s Lone Oaks Farm in Middleton, Tennessee, about 80 miles east of Memphis. Ford’s planned investment of $16.5 million into the project would boost UT’s plans to turn the Farm into a 1,200-acre, 4-H and STEM education center. Educational programs at Lone Oaks serve around 5,000 K-12 students annually, but Ford’s investment will allow UT to grow its offerings and provide more overnight STEM programs and camps.
“Every year, UTIA provides valuable life skills as well as STEM education opportunities to nearly 112,000 students across Tennessee,” said UT President Randy Boyd. “Ford’s investment in Lone Oaks will ensure our 4-H programs will be able to expand STEM education to Tennessee students for years to come.”
Development projects that have an impact on streams and wetlands must offset that by restoring and permanently protecting an equivalent amount of habitat in another location, per the Clean Water Act of 1972. UTIA and the property at Lone Oaks Farm provided Ford a local opportunity to meet its regulatory requirements while constructing the BlueOval City project. The $16.5 million will specifically target the restoration of 20,000 feet of streams at Lone Oaks and provide long-term financial support for the educational programs.
“At Ford, our goal is to create a positive impact on people and the planet,” said Bob Holycross, vice president of sustainability, environment, and safety engineering at Ford. “We’re proud to enter into this innovative partnership with the University of Tennessee that will help restore and protect the streams and wetlands at the Lone Oaks Farm and create educational opportunities that will inspire and benefit future generations. This is just one way we can fulfill our purpose to help build a better world.”
Other organizations involved with the restoration project are the Tennessee Wildlife Federation and the West Tennessee River Basin Authority.