'Everywhere you look, UT'

SPRING CITY — In 2019, UT Extension helped farmer Jason Lancaster build the L&C Cattle Co. barn in Rhea County through the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program. Today, the barn hosts the 56th mural in the “Everywhere you look, UT” campaign. Rhea is the 52nd county in Tennessee to join the mural campaign.

The 47-foot-wide L&C Cattle Co. barn is located off Tennessee State Route 68 near the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant and sees an estimated 2,713 passersby every day.

“Even in a little community like this, the University of Tennessee still has a hand,” Lancaster said.

As a lifelong fan of the Tennessee Volunteers, Lancaster was interested in joining the campaign upon learning about it through a mural story broadcast on television neews.

He hopes the mural helps the Rhea County community understand that UT’s mission goes beyond what many expect of a higher education institution.

“The roots of UT are helping farmers, which are helping to feed America,” he said. “Feeding Volunteers, feeding people of Tennessee.”

Lancaster’s wife, Brandalyn Lancaster, detailed the significant role UT played in helping her family farm and other farmers in the community.

“In this day and time, farming is a not-so-popular way of life, but the UT Extension office is doing great things to help promote how rewarding farming can be and how necessary it is,” she said. “We are so thankful that the University of Tennessee really cares about the agriculture industry. To be able to display the mural on our barn is a tremendous honor not only for ourselves but for the generations that come after us.”

The Spring City mural was painted by muralist Michael Cooper in June 2024.

“From fertile farms to new fields of study, we’re there,” UT officials said. “And we’re telling our story of statewide impact in a big way — by painting murals on barns and buildings across Tennessee. In fact, we’re on a mission to paint one in each of Tennessee’s 95 counties by 2030!”

For more information about the campaign, visit https://every where.tennessee.edu/murals.