JRTU Unit

The East Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center–Joseph E. Johnson Research and Teaching Unit, otherwise known as the JRTU Unit, is located across the Tennessee River south of the UT agricultural campus. This 196-acre tract is used to provide land, equipment, livestock, and support for faculty, staff, and graduate students to conduct agriculture-related research. This Unit also contains the Cherokee Woodlot, the Lindsay B. Young Beneficial Insects Laboratory, biodiesel production facility, hydrogen production and fueling station, and the Center’s maintenance shop.
JARTU Building Entrance Sign
Unit Research
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JARTU Unit Location Map
Location Map
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The JRTU Unit is a $9 million state-of-the-art facility funded by the University of Tennessee and the US Department of Agriculture. The facility contains 31,465 square feet of assignable space, with environmentally controlled animal rooms with the capability to house cattle, sheep, swine, equine, poultry, and aquatics. The facility also contains surgery and necropsy rooms, a feed mill, and a wing that is used by the College of Veterinary Medicine for training veterinary students and conducting continuing education for medical and veterinary professionals.


Contact the JRTU Unit:

East Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center- JRTU Unit
1750 Alcoa Highway
Knoxville, TN 37920

Alex Anderson
Cell: 865-722-1952
Email: aander21@tennessee.edu