Shows / Reelfoot Forward
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Reelfoot ForwardEP 182: Berkley Bryant: Miss Volunteer America 2025
Berkley Bryant, the reigning Miss South Carolina Volunteer, captured the prestigious title of Miss Volunteer America 2025. The organization honors young women…
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EP 180: Ross Houghton: Simply the Best
Ross Houghton is the marketing manager for Visit Brownsville, the destination marketing organization that promotes Haywood County, Tennessee. It’s the home of…
Reelfoot ForwardEP 179: Cole Bizwell: Life on the Mississippi River
Cole Bizwell, a fourth-generation towboater from Reeves, Tennessee, is carrying on a family legacy on the Mississippi River as a senior deckhand with Ingram…
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EP 178: Jenny Gillihan: The Obion River Regional Library
Tennessee’s regional library system is composed of nine multi-county regions—named for major local rivers— serving 211 small and medium-sized public libraries…
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EP 177: Brooke Simmons: First Love Farms
Brooke Simmons is an agtrepreneur from Hickman, Kentucky who has incorporated her family’s farm into numerous businesses. The most recent is First Love Farms…
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EP 176: Jessica Duncan: How Does Your Garden Grow?
A row of buttercups growing along a fence row at her new house in Newbern, Tennessee inspired Jessica Duncan to create her very first small business, Lily’s…
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EP 175: Derek Giffin: The Fifth Generation of Giffin Farms
Derek Giffin is a fifth-generation farmer who, alongside his wife Micayla, runs Giffin Farms in Union City, Tennessee. The Giffins manage over 1,000 acres…
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EP 174: Bill Gray and Darren Doss: A Passion for the History of the Twin Cities
Bill Gray is an educator, real estate guru, auctioneer and much more. The Gray family has been in the auction and real estate business since 1950. Bill has…
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EP 173: Roger and Prentice Colson: Fulton Winery
Fulton Winery, located in Fulton, Kentucky, is a proud veteran-owned small farm winery and wine bar, specializing in sweet, fruit-flavored wines. Owned and…
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EP 172: Al Santos: From the Powwow Grounds to the Big Screen
Al Santos is the founder and Head Singer of Ottertrail, a celebrated Southern style drum group that has played a vital role in the Native American powwow world…
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EP 171: Jason Reeves: A Passion for Plants
Jason Reeves is the curator of the University of Tennessee Gardens at the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Jackson, Tennessee. His influence…
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EP 170: Bob Ford: The Hatchie State Scenic River
Wildlife biologist Bob Ford is executive director of The Hatchie River Conservancy, a West Tennessee organization with the mission of conserving and sustaining…
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EP 169: Jon Nesbitt: The Davy Crockett Hunting Club
The Davy Crockett Hunting Club is a waterfowl hunting club in Northwest Tennessee. It began in the 1940’s when respected duck hunt guide and chief clerk of…
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EP 168: Jerry Schilling: Me and a Guy Named Elvis
In 1954, twelve-year-old Jerry Schilling wandered into a Memphis touch football game, only to discover that his team was quarterbacked by nineteen-year-old…
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EP 167: Kirstan Blanchard: Creating an Online Lifestyle Brand
Kirstan Blanchard is a social media influencer from Symsonia, Kentucky. During the 2020 pandemic, Blanchard took advantage of her time in quarantine to launch…
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EP 166: Grant Saum: The Flockstar
Grant Saum has dedicated his career and life to agriculture, driven by a deep-seated passion for multiple sectors of the field. Saum is the co-owner of Saum…
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EP 165: Ted Franklin Belue: Bringing History to Life
Ted Franklin Belue, a 2021 winner of the Western Writers of America’s prestigious Spur Award, has written numerous books including “Finding Daniel Boone,” “The…
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EP 164: Brady Weldon: The Rock ‘n’ Roll Reverend
Martin, Tennessee native Brady Weldon is a man of many hats. Minister, consultant, author and life-coach to name a few. Brady has helped start a few churches…
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EP 163: John Watkins: Planting Seeds of Discovery
John Watkins has been planting seeds and watching them grow at Discovery Park since the 50-acre heritage park was first built in an empty field more than a…
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EP 162: Chef Dylan Costantino: What’s Cooking at the Lodge at Paris Landing State Park
Chef Dylan Costantino has prepared meals in kitchens from Colorado to Mackinac Island to Nashville. Here in Northwest Tennessee, we’re lucky he’s now calling…
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EP 161: Sean Kenney: Lego Artist
A collection of 19 sculptures created by Lego artist Sean Kenney will be on display throughout Discovery Park’s 50 acres from May 3 to Sept. 2, 2024. This…
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EP 160: The 2024 Discovery Awards
On Saturday evening, March 2, 2024, Discovery Park of America honored four individuals who, like the museum and heritage park, inspire others to see beyond…
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EP 159: Norma Pruitt: Piloting Economic Growth
Norma Pruitt is the “Pilot” of the board of directors of the organization that oversees the operations of the Mississippi River Parkway Commission. The…
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EP 159: Sean Kenney: LEGO® Artist
A collection of 19 sculptures created by Lego artist Sean Kenny will be on display throughout Discovery Park’s 50 acres from May 3 to Sept. 2, 2024. This…
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EP 158: Dr. Elaine Harriss: A Musical Life
Dr. Elaine Harriss, a professor in the University of Tennessee at Martin Department of Music and recent inductee into the Steinway & Sons Teachers Hall of…
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EP 157: Derek Purvis: The Ballad of Davy Crockett
Filmmaker Derek Purvis is the producer-director of the just released action pic “The Ballad of Davy Crockett.” In this episode, Purvis shares a little about…
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EP 156: Randall Kendrick: The Steel Garden: A Documentary
Documentary filmmaker Randall Kendrick grew up in Brownsville, Tennessee in the shadow of The Mindfield, a “you-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it” outdoor art…
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Ep 155: Sean Gasaway: Changing Young Lives with Music
Sean Gasaway is an entertainer who wears many hats. His titles include songwriter, producer, music mogul, record producer, actor and entrepreneur. On this…
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Ep: 154: Ann Martin: Path to Patti’s
Ann Martin is a leader of one of the most unique attractions in the nation, Patti’s 1880’s Settlement in Grand Rivers, Kentucky. A cancer survivor…
Reelfoot ForwardEp 153: Jeremy Powell: Cultivating Hope
Jeremy Powell, a pastor and teacher in Union City, Tennessee, was born with an autoimmune deficiency that rendered his body incapable of defeating bacterial…
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EP 152: Rodney McConnell: Bike Life, Episode 2 of 2
In this second two-part episode about road and mountain biking in Tennessee, we welcome Rodney McConnell, founder of the popular Ride the Fault Line bike ride…
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EP 151: Jenni Veal: Bike Life, Episode 1 of 2
We kick off a new year of podcast episodes from Discovery Park with a special two-part look at road and mountain biking in Tennessee. Jenny Veal, rural…
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EP 150: Sarah Conley: Access to Art in a Rural Community
As chairperson of the Arts Council of Crockett County, Tennessee Sarah Conley champions fine arts in the rural community named in honor of David Crockett. In…
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EP 149: Tosha Gurley and Michael Avery: Southland Safari
Tosha and Chris Gurley’s love story began with their “first child” Jack, a pet black-capped capuchin monkey. After Chris sold his cattle and goats, he decided…
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EP 148: Dr. Yancy Freeman: UTM Chancellor
Originally from Memphis, Dr. Yancy Freeman is the new chancellor at the University of Tennessee at Martin. In this episode, we discuss his path back to West…
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EP 148: Miss Volunteer America 2024, Hannah Perrigin: “Defined by me.”
“You do not have to be defined by your circumstances, but you’re defined by the choices that you make every single day.” These are words that Miss Volunteer…
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EP 146: Kim Bugg: Northwest Tennessee Native American Educational Powwow
Obion County resident Kimberly Green Bugg is an award-winning artist and member of the Oneida Nation on the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario, Canada. She began…
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EP 145: Popeye Jones: From Dresden to Denver
The Denver Nuggets won the NBA Championship on June 12, 2023. The cameras caught Assistant Coach Popeye Jones hugging Finals MVP Nikola Jokic afterward and…
Reelfoot ForwardEP. 144: Stacie Overman: Lavender Kisses
Stacie and Larry Overton visited Tennessee and discovered what Stacie calls “heaven on earth.” After purchasing a farm in Hollow Rock, they embarked on an…
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Ep. 143: Wade Dillon: David Crockett
In anticipation of the David Crockett Birthday Celebration at Discovery Park on Sat. August 12, 2023, this special episode features Wade Dillon, a professional…
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Ep. 142: Rev. Brad Barton: The Enchanted Bell Tower
Rev. Brad Barton is the author of the popular young-adult Enchanted Bell Tower series. After spending time in full-time ministry, Brad and his wife Susan, also…
Reelfoot ForwardEP 141: Marsh Naidoo: Raising Kellan
Marsh Naidoo of Dyersburg, Tennessee is an author, physical therapist, blogger and host of the “Raising Kellan” podcast. Her son, Kellan, was diagnosed with…
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EP 140: Steve Watkins: Champion of Authentic Southern Culture
Steve Watkins has spent time as a journalist, capitol hill press secretary, rancher, publisher, marketer, author of two award-winning books and is an excellent…
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EP 139: Philip Jett: Stranded in the Sky
Obion County, Tennessee native Philip Jett has released his third book, “Stranded in the Sky: The Untold Story of Pan Am Luxury Airliners Trapped on the Day of…
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EP 138: Lisa Smartt: Making People Laugh
Lisa Smartt of Dresden, Tennessee loves to make people laugh. A motivational humorist and writer, she travels nationally speaking to groups on a variety of fun…
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Episode 137: Making a Difference in Young Lives
This week's episode features two guests who have the unique opportunity to impact the lives of young people every single day—Chase Treece, the current youth…
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EP 136: Slay or No Way?
The popular Cooper family, led by father Josh, recently visited Discovery Park and created content already receiving thousands of views. The family is well…
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EP 135 Al Claiborne: An Advocate of Untold Stories
On the morning of Friday, April 5, 1968, West Tennessean Norman Lane, a recent casualty of the Vietnam War, lay in repose in a government-issued casket at the…
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EP 134: Discovery Park of America's Special 10th Anniversary Episode
Get ready to be inspired by this episode with segments recorded at the third annual Robert E. and Jenny D. Kirkland Discovery Awards. At this special annual…
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EP 133 Scott Guymon: Baseball, Legacy and Culture
Are you ready to dive into the fascinating world of baseball history and heritage? In this episode, we sit down with Scott Guyman, the owner of the Fulton…
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EP 131 Katie Burke: Ducks Unlimited, Conservation and Duck Duck Goose
Museum curator Katie Burke was a key member in the development and design of the Ducks Unlimited Waterfowling Heritage Center located in Bass Pro Shops'…
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Ep 130 Lane Walker: Award-winning Educator, Writer and Outdoorsman
Lane Walker is an award-winning educator, writer and outdoorsman. For 25 years, he has dedicated his life to inspiring children to get out of the house and…
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EP 129 Jason Pate: A Sharer of Forgotten Stories
After his wife’s diagnosis with schizophrenia, Jason Pate began learning to process his own grief through the lens of history by diving into the forgotten…
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EP 128 Zac Elliott: Mad Cow Defenses
Zac Elliott is the founder of Mad Cow Defenses, a firearm customization shop in Union City, Tennessee. In this episode, Elliott discusses his unconventional…
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EP 127 Tim Brady, Terri Brady, & Randy Stark: Write Up The Road
EP 127 Tim Brady, Terri Brady, & Randy Stark: Write Up The Road by Reelfoot Forward
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EP 126 Kevin Adelsberger: Youth Ministry to Advertising
Kevin Adelsberger is the founder and managing partner of Adelsberger Marketing in Jackson Tennessee. In 2019, Adelsberger Marketing sold partial ownership of…
Reelfoot Forwardep. 125 Cathy Trost and Patty Rhule: Fun, Freedom and Fellowship
The Freedom Forum, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a mission of fostering First Amendment freedoms for all, will be at Discovery Park on Sept. 23…
Reelfoot ForwardEp. 124 Sam Thompson: Special Elvis Week 2022 Episode
Sam Thompson first met Elvis Presley in 1972 when his sister Linda began dating the wildly popular entertainer. In this special Elvis Week 2022 episode, Sam…
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Ep. 123 Hattie Marshall-Duncan: Southern Artist Showcase
Self-taught sculptor, Hattie Marshall-Duncan of Jackson, Tenn., turns common household items and found objects that are often overlooked into distinguished…