Why Give to Discovery Park of America?

Oct. 1, 2020 – Gifts to Discovery Park go to support and strengthen every area of the museum and park. From regular maintenance and day-to-day operations to allowing the Discovery Park educators to create new life-changing exhibits, programs and classes. Gifts go to work immediately inspiring children and adults to see beyond.

Recently, we sat down with Mary Nita Bondurant, director of development, and asked her a few questions about the importance of giving to Discovery Park.

Question: Why should I give to Discovery Park of America? 

Discovery Park of America was a great gift to this region by Robert and Jenny Kirkland. It is amazing to have such a world-class museum and heritage park in such a rural area.  Discovery Park is a 501(c)3 public charity with a mission to inspire children and adults to see beyond.  The park relies on gifts from generous organizations and individuals to continue its mission.

Question: What will my gift support?

Gifts to Discovery Park support every aspect of the museum and park.  From regular maintenance and day-to-day operations to allowing our educators to create new interactive exhibits, programs and classes: your gifts further STEAM and history education and help deliver a transformational experience to guests of all ages.

Question: How do I give? 

• Online – Visit discoveryparkofamerica.flywheelstaging.com and click “give.”
• By phone – Call 731-885-5455 and ask for the development office.
• By check – Mail your donation to:

Discovery Park of America
Attention:  Development
830 Everett Blvd.
Union City, TN  38261

• At the ticket counter – Stop by the ticket counter at the park to make a donation. 

Question: Can I give as a memorial or tribute? 

Absolutely!  We love memorial and tribute gifts.  A gift to Discovery Park when a loved one or friend passes is a great way to memorialize them.  You will receive an acknowledgment of your tax-deductible gift and the family of the deceased will receive a nice letter informing them of your contribution.  A gift to the park is also a great way to honor a teacher, friend or other special person in your life while they are still alive.

Question: Can I select the area that I would like my gift to impact?

While gifts that support the parks’ over all mission are wonderful, you are welcome to designate your gift for something special.  In addition, we occasionally have fundraising campaigns to help with the addition of something new at the park.  You might like to designate your gift to go into the Kirkland Scholarship Fund, which helps support field trips for schools that have a high number of students on the free and reduced lunch program.  Most recently, we have been raising money to build a new agriculture exhibit, and you might like to give a gift to help support this new exhibit.

Question: Is there anything else you would like to mention?

Literally millions of people have been impacted by something they have experienced or learned at Discovery Park.  Every dollar you generously give to the annual fund goes directly into furthering STEAM education and delivering an amazing experience to visitors of all ages.  Financial gifts are essential to the museum’s efforts to inspire the dreamers and thinkers of tomorrow.  I would just like to encourage anyone who has a heart for this community or education to consider making a gift to Discovery Park.

For more information or further questions about giving to Discovery Park of America, email mbondurant@discoveryparkofamerica.flywheelstaging.com or call 731-885-5455 and ask to speak with Mary Nita.

Exciting Stories of Innovation will be told in the New Agriculture Exhibit

Sept. 25, 2020 – Discovery Park of America is excited to share a glimpse of the new agriculture exhibit, “AgriCulture: Innovating for Our Survival,” that will open Dec. 5, 2020. This mind-blowing, myth-busting exhibit will help visitors of all ages gain a better understanding of how food, fuel and fiber get from the farm to the family and the role technological, scientific and genetic innovation in agriculture plays in society and culture around the world.

This exhibit will feature farming innovation in the past, present—and especially—future in a fun and interactive way. Stories of individuals who are leaders in the field of agriculture will also be shared.

NASCAR Driver Ross Chastain

Eighth-generation watermelon farmer and professional NASCAR driver Ross Chastain, the busiest driver in NASCAR, uses much of his time in the spotlight to educate the public about the important role of agriculture today. Nicknamed the “Melon Man,” he’s known for smashing a watermelon to the ground in the Victory Lane when he celebrates race wins. Chastain drives for Kaulig Racing in the No. 10 Nutrien Ag Solutions Chevrolet Camaro in the Xfinity Series. He’s featured in the Nutrien Ag Solutions – and NASCAR-produced docuseries Two-Track Mind, which follows Chastain as he races around the country and visits farms along the way, educating a broader audience about modern production agriculture.

Dr. Nadia Shakoor

Dr. Nadia Shakoor is a senior research scientist at The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis and recently received a grant from The National Institute for Food and Agriculture and the National Science Foundation to develop FieldDock, an integrated smart farm system. The technology Shakoor and her collaborators are developing will collect and analyze real time data from fields, allowing for effective tracking of crop performance.

Daniel Masaba

Daniel Masaba from Uganda started a poultry farm with no experience, very limited resources and no prior education on farming. On his YouTube channel, he offers free information about poultry farming “to inspire more young people to step out and start.”

He’s just one of the many farmers using social media to inform and educate the public about agriculture today.

Alexander Olesen and Graham Smith

Babylon Micro-Farms invented a vertical farming platform that uses AI, machine learning and camera vision, enabling anyone to grow fresh, nutritious produce on-site using patented technology combined with a mobile app that controls the operation of the farms. The company was co-founded in 2017 by University of Virginia students Alexander Olesen and Graham Smith after an undergraduate student project to develop low-cost micro-farms for refugee communities. Babylon is now installing vertical farms at schools, senior living communities, hotels and resorts.

Derek and Micayla Giffin

The Giffins grow row crops on the same fields that Derek’s family has farmed for more than 100 years. The couple created a more sustainable operation by adding cattle to Giffin Farms. While the Giffins’ cattle graze on grass, they are finished with grain and ready to be harvested an average of 14 months sooner than cattle fed only on grass. This reduces the land, water and energy required to produce a pound of healthy protein by 50%.

Stephen Penick

Stephen Penick is an occupational therapist, beekeeper and owner of Star Pastures Apiary, a farm that specializes in raising and selling honeybees and harvesting their honey, in Martin, Tennessee. The farm currently has 80 bee hives located around northwest Tennessee. They are used for pollination, honey production, and even research for the study of pollen collection from various plant varieties at Bethel University.

Jimmy Tosh

With nearly 400 full-time employees, Tosh Farms in Henry, Tennessee, is the state’s largest pork producer and the nation’s 28th largest pork producer. The family-owned business cares for 37,000 sows at 11 sites and produces 850,000 hogs annually. Innovation at Tosh Farms includes a state-of-the-art research barn testing new diets and animal health technology for their pigs. To make their operation sustainable, the company uses row crops grown on the farm’s 12,000 acres to produce pelleted feed rations for their pigs—5,500 tons of feed weekly.

Sarah Bellos

Sarah Bellos is the CEO and founder of Stony Creek Colors. After she discovered that a large-scale source for natural dyes for clothing didn’t exist,  Bellos knew she had to find a solution. She worked with farmers, chemists, mills and brands to create a new and profitable way to manufacture bio-based dyes. Today, Stony Creek Colors supplies natural indigo dye for denim clothing for Wrangler, Patagonia, Lucky Brands, J. Crew and others.

Major sponsors of this exhibit are Nutrien Ag Solutions and Simmons Bank.

For current list of partners, contributors, friends and Champions of Agriculture, click here.

The floorplan for “AgriCulture: Innovating for Our Survival” features different sections that tell the story of farming innovation in the past, present—and especially—future in a fun and interactive way.

Explore this computerized rendering of the look and feel of this exciting new exhibit and get a taste of what Discovery Park’s guests will experience as they explore innovation in agriculture. Watch the walkthrough.

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Now Open Next Door to Discovery Park

Discovery Park of America is excited to welcome our new next-door neighbor, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Union City. This region’s newest hotel joins Sleep Inn and Mainstay Suites in providing overnight accommodations for Discovery Park of America guests at Houser Creek Crossing.

At the new hotel, guests can enjoy a relaxing dip in the indoor pool or workout at the fitness center. They can stay connected at the business center or in their rooms, which feature complimentary high speed Wi Fi. All guest rooms feature a mini refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker and a comfortable work space.

The large outdoor patio right outside the pool includes views of Discovery Park and the Titan Missile, and for a very special experience, you can stay in one of the four themed kid suites that take design cues from Discovery Park.

Sept. 23, 2020 – A complimentary breakfast is available at the Express Start Breakfast Bar, featuring hot and cold breakfast favorites.

As the world adjusts to new travel norms and expectations, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Union City is also committed to cleanliness and supporting guests’ wellbeing throughout their stay. They are using new science-led protocols and service measures from industry leading experts Cleveland Clinic, Ecolab and Diversey and have committed to the IHG Clean Promise.

Rates and booking information is available online or you may call 731-599-7990.

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Union City is located at 810 Bream Boulevard, Union City, TN 38261.

Looking to to enhance your visit to Discovery Park and stay at Holiday Inn & Suites Union City? Check some of our favorite local diners and dives.

Best Diners & Dives in and around Union City, Tennessee

Sept. 11, 2020 – Looking for some delicious grub you can’t find back home? We have the hookup for you. Click on the icons to check out some of the places we recommend for visitors to the Reelfoot Lake Region. And we promise they are some of the tastiest and most fun restaurants you can visit anywhere in the world! If you know of a place you think we should consider adding, email info@discoveryparkofamerica.flywheelstaging.com. Bon Appetit, y’all!

Union City

Don Sol

One of the best Mexican restaurants in town is Don Sol. The staff is extra friendly, and the food is extra delicious. Catch them on a night when they have the mariachi band for a fun evening of food and entertainment.

Hops & Barley

If you plan on spending the evening in Union City and are looking for a social outing, Hops & Barley is the place to be. It’s a local, family-owned bar and grill with a family-friendly atmosphere. Hops & Barley offers fun theme nights including Trivia Night.

PV’s Hut 

“Serving the Same Great Food since 1953” Discover one of the best secrets in Obion County. Cold sandwiches, salads, hot sandwiches, PV burgers and more! They say the homemade pies are to die for. Check website for hours. (cash only)

Sammies

Specialty sandwiches are the name of the game at Sammies, located in Union City and in Martin, Tenn. They feature the “sammies of the month,” which include the Oktoberfeast or the Turkey and Dressing Sub in November. In their own words: “If tasty sandwiches could fly, this place would be an airport.”

Ozell’s “A Taste of Home”

Ozell’s “A Taste of Home” is a warm & friendly home-cooked food restaurant. They are open 5 a.m. – 2 p.m. Monday-Saturday. On Monday-Friday they offer lunch plates. Go & enjoy a warm fresh home-cooked meal with their friendly staff!

Scott’s Grill

Scott’s Grill is located on a charming downtown street in Union City. Known for their juicy burgers, pizzas and other comfort foods, Scott’s Grill is the place where the entire family will find something they love. Open Mon. – Sat. from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Tiny Baker

Satisfy your sweet tooth at the Tiny Baker in downtown Union City. Whether you need a sweet treat to take back home for your friends or family, or want to “treat yourself” after a visit to Discovery Park, Tiny Baker is the place for you.

Yamato

For a change of pace from traditional dishes, check out Yamato Japanese Steakhouse. Yamato offers the best sushi, hibachi and shrimp tempura in West Tennessee.

Bricks and Brews

Located in downtown Union City, Bricks and Brews offers hand crafted brick oven pizza, wings and more. Bricks and Brews also offers a Trivia Night on Monday nights.

Martin, Tenn.

Martin Coffeehouse 

Located in historic downtown Martin, Tenn., the quaint Martin Coffeehouse is designed for coffee lovers in need of artisan brews, conversation and a creative environment. Very cool vibes with southern hospitality.

The Opera House

The Opera House Restaurant in Martin, Tenn., is the place to go if you’re looking for a more upscale dining experience. Open only for dinner, their menu includes a wide variety of lavish entrées for a classy night of dining.

Blake’s at Southern Milling

Blake’s at Southern Milling is a restaurant, bar and private event space offering Texas-style smoked meats, Southern sides and classic cocktails in a beautifully preserved and fully renovated historic building in Martin, Tennessee. Built in 1918, 109 S. Lindell Street has long been a landmark and gathering place for locals. Some hundred years later and now home to Blake’s, it is a special destination for locals and travelers alike.

Blue Oak Oyster Bar and Grill

Locally owned and operated, the Blue Oak Oyster Bar and Grill serves fresh seafood, hand-cut steaks, tasty fish tacos and more. Have nice adult beverage to wash it all down while enjoying the unique atmosphere.

The Grind Mac & Cheese Burger Bar

Better known to locals as “The Grind,” this burger bar is the newest and most unique restaurant within 30 miles of Union City. Located in the college town of Martin, Tenn., The Grind is a “must-do” for all foodies.

Reelfoot Lake

Blue Bank Resort 

Enjoy one of those famous Tennessee sunsets on beautiful Reelfoot Lake as you eat a tasty meal and enjoy a glass of wine at Blue Bank Resort. Visit in the spring and walk through gorgeous flowers, and come back around the holidays to see thousands of twinkling lights in their holiday display.

The Boat House Restaurant

The Boat House Restaurant on Reelfoot Lake is a great place to eat on the water and enjoy catfish, coleslaw, beans and fries. Be sure to grab some of their homemade strawberry butter with your warm rolls. Two fins up!

Boyette’s Dining Room

If you’re a lover of tasty catfish, this family-style restaurant is the spot for you. The friendly staff at Boyette’s Dining Room in Tiptonville welcomes you to enjoy your time with them at the restaurant and then walk across the street and see the scenic Reelfoot Lake. Located just 23 miles from Discovery Park of America.

Paris, Tenn.

Perrylodgic Brewing Co.

Kick back, relax and enjoy locally crafted beer in the taproom at Perrylodgic Brewing Co. While you sip on your beer, chow down on a freshly made burger or nachos.

Discovery Park President’s Update on Exhibit on Innovation in Agriculture

Dear Friends,

We’ve been hard at work on the upcoming exhibit on innovation in agriculture, “AgriCulture: Innovating for Our Survival,” and are still on track to open the doors on Dec. 5, 2020.

We will soon be pushing out a national press release announcing the additional organizations working with us. We’re very excited to announce that as of today, we’ve raised a little over $935,000 to produce this important exhibit.

New organizations working with Discovery Park on the project include Agrela Ecosystems, Babylon Micro-Farms, Bayer Fund, Blue Steel Tool, Inc., Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, EarthSense, GroGuru, Noble Research Institute, Syngenta, Tennessee Pork Producers, Tennessee Valley Authorityand the USDA Rural Development U.S. Department of Agriculture.

More than 70 individuals have also signed up as a “Champion of Agriculture” which allows them to include their name or that of a friend or loved one on the donor wall of the exhibit and to receive an invitation to be among the first to experience it on Dec. 4 when we preview it for media. The deadline to be included as a Champion of Agriculture is Sept. 30, 2020, and contributions may be made online now.

Below is just a sample of stories about a diverse and inclusive group of individuals working in agriculture today that guests will experience in the exhibit.

NASCAR driver Ross Chastain

Eighth-generation watermelon farmer and professional NASCAR driver Ross Chastain, the busiest driver in NASCAR, uses much of his time in the spotlight to educate the public about the important role of agriculture today. Nicknamed the “Melon Man,” he’s known for smashing a watermelon to the ground in the Victory Lane when he celebrates race wins. Chastain drives for Kaulig Racing in the No. 10 Nutrien Ag Solutions Chevrolet Camaro in the Xfinity Series. He’s featured in the Nutrien Ag Solutions – and NASCAR-produced docuseries Two-Track Mind, which follows Chastain as he races around the country and visits farms along the way, educating a broader audience about modern production agriculture.

Dr. Nadia Shakoor

Dr. Nadia Shakoor is a senior research scientist at The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis and recently received a grant from The National Institute for Food and Agriculture and the National Science Foundation to develop FieldDock, an integrated smart farm system. The technology Shakoor and her collaborators are developing will collect and analyze real time data from fields, allowing for effective tracking of crop performance.

Daniel Masaba

Daniel Masaba from Uganda started a poultry farm with no experience, very limited resources and no prior education on farming. On his YouTube channel, he offers free information about poultry farming “to inspire more young people to step out and start.”

He’s just one of the many farmers using social media to inform and educate the public about agriculture today.

Alexander Olesen and Graham Smith

Babylon Micro-Farms invented a vertical farming platform that uses AI, machine learning and camera vision, enabling anyone to grow fresh, nutritious produce on-site using patented technology combined with a mobile app that controls the operation of the farms. The company was co-founded in 2017 by University of Virginia students Alexander Olesen and Graham Smith after an undergraduate student project to develop low-cost micro-farms for refugee communities. Babylon is now installing vertical farms at schools, senior living communities, hotels and resorts.

Derek and Micayla Giffin

The Giffins grow row crops on the same fields that Derek’s family has farmed for more than 100 years. The couple created a more sustainable operation by adding cattle to Giffin Farms. While the Giffins’ cattle graze on grass, they are finished with grain and ready to be harvested an average of 14 months sooner than cattle fed only on grass. This reduces the land, water and energy required to produce a pound of healthy protein by 50%.

These are just some of the many stories of farmers and others working in agriculture today who continue applying new tools and technology, experimenting with new ideas about raising plants and animals and even introducing new crops to farms around the world.

For the most up-to-date list of individuals and organization partnering on this exhibit, click here.

If you or your organization would like to join those working with Discovery Park on this very important exhibit, feel free to contact me, and I can provide you with more information.

Sincerely,

New Chapel of Discovery Park of America

Post by Rob Finley, docent at Discovery Park of America

Sept. 3, 2020 – Discovery Park of America invites you to come and enjoy the historic church structure located at our facilities. New Chapel of Discovery Park of America, originally of Elbridge, Tennessee, reflects a two hundred year old congregation. Founded as a combination school and church in the early years of the 19th Century, Davidson’s Chapel, as it was originally known, had a dirt floor with split log benches.  Like many churches in west Tennessee and west Kentucky, the congregation was dramatically impacted by the Second Great Awakening (1790 to 1800) and the Kentucky Cane Ridge Camp Revival (near Lexington, Kentucky) of 1801 as the flames of revival spread westward over the next 60 years.

In 1900 congregations from Elbridge, Zion, Cunningham, and Minnich combined to form the New Chapel United Methodist Church. The congregation sought to be faithful to the teachings of John Wesley and the Early Methodists with their emphasis upon sincere conversion of unbelievers, scriptural convictions through the Methodist Book of Disciplines, and spiritual compassion concerning the ever challenging issues such as alcohol temperance, abolition of slavery, education and prison reforms, women’s rights, and children’s orphanages.

The church building that you see at Discovery Park of America was built in 1852. It is the third authentic building for this congregation. During the growth years around the onset of the 20th Century, the congregation reached 277 members, but with wars, diseases, and upward mobility, the congregation dwindled down to ten active members by 2013. It was then, that the members decided to preserve their heritage and the building by donating the structure to Discovery Park of America. The building was dismantled and reconstructed at the park.

This attractive house of worship is matched only by the faithfulness of its leaders and members whose names are embossed upon the stain glass windows and in the book of historic records that are on display. As you enter the sanctuary, take in the beautiful woodwork, the curved kneeling rails, the commanding podium, and the stain glass windows. Pause long enough to breathe in the history of the church. Imagine the awe-inspiring worship services with strong preaching, fervent praying, and exalted singing. Allow the hallowed structure to challenge and renew your faith. Then, with respect, express your thankfulness to the congregation for having the vision to preserve this building!

Today, Discovery Park of America seeks to breathe new life into The New Chapel Methodist Church by utilizing its facilities for weddings and worship services. We encourage you to consult with our events director for arrangements.

Local Radio Station Plays ‘Reelfoot Forward: A West Tennessee Podcast’

Aug. 12, 2020 – You can now listen to Discovery Park of America’s podcast, “Reelfoot Forward,” on WUTM 90.3 FM “The Hawk” at noon on Sundays. WUTM is housed at the University of Tennessee at Martin. This award-winning college radio station is located 15 miles from Discovery Park and is known for its sports talk show, “The Bench,” and campus life programming.

WUTM began operating in 1971. Since then, hundreds of students have either trained or worked at the station as a way to prepare for careers in broadcast writing, engineering, production or performance.

The station has accumulated numerous awards, with over 300 to date, at the regional and national level. Staff members have placed in on-site competitions at the Southeast Journalism Conference, and the station as a whole has been recognized as a top five finalist for the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System’s Best College Radio Station (Under 10,000) in New York City.

Listeners can turn the dial to 90.3 FM or listen live on the station’s website. Dr. Richard Robinson, WUTM’s faculty advisor, calls the podcast educational, interesting and informative. He says, “We try to serve our listeners, both on campus and off campus, by providing public service programming. ‘Reelfoot Forward’ helps us do that successfully.” By playing this podcast, they are delivering the spirit, culture, accomplishments and history of West Tennessee to thousands of listeners from all over the world.