McDonald

A new Everywhere You Look, UT mural in Bradley County celebrates the role UT Extension has played in transforming the lives of small farmers across Tennessee.

For Charles Garrett Jr., Deborah Garrett (Chattanooga ’12), and their daughter Samantha Garrett (Chattanooga ’12), the mural painted on the side of their family’s heritage barn represents their connection to agriculture and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

The Garretts operate a small cattle farm on their property, where they have embraced UT Extension resources to support their agricultural journey.

“We’re proud to have our barn used as a canvas to help commemorate the impact UT Extension has had on our journey into becoming small farmers in Tennessee and the impact that agriculture continues to play in our state,” Samantha said.

The Garrett family shares a unique bond with the University. Both Deborah and Samantha graduated from UT Chattanooga in 2012, Deborah earning a Master of Education and Samantha a Bachelor of Arts in History. Today, Deborah teaches English at Cleveland Middle School, while Samantha teaches language arts at Bradley Central High School.

The 55-foot-wide mural is displayed on the Garrett property located along Harris Creek Road in McDonald, a main thoroughfare near Interstate 75. Seasonally, it is visible to approximately 51,000 passersby from the interstate.

Painted by Troy Freeman of Free Sky Studios, the mural marks county number 58 in the Everywhere You Look, UT campaign. The campaign aims to add a mural in each of Tennessee’s 95 counties by 2030. Since its launch in 2018, the campaign has created 64 total murals across the state. The University covers the cost of the first mural in each county.