🎃 Sunny Saturday on the Farm: Pony Rides in Dunlap Today, Help Your Mums Make It Through Winter and a Steadier Week at the Sale Barn

Or: One More Frosty Night Near 28 Before a Climb Toward 70, a Farm Fundraiser at the Ranch, Simple Mum Care, a Calm Cattle Market Update, Thursday’s Tree Planting Class and the Farm Dates Worth a Fridge Magnet

By Thomas Seest, Dunlap.Today · Saturday, November 14, 2026

Good morning. It’s a bright, cold Saturday in the valley. The National Weather Service forecast for Dunlap, updated at 5:06 a.m. CST, calls for sunshine and a high near 50 today, with tonight the coldest of the week.

Yesterday’s report covered the state ag commissioner, conservation money and bird feeders. Today brings new things to know. First, a quick weather update that now reaches 70 by next Friday. Next, a farm fundraiser in Dunlap today. Then UT Extension’s pointer on keeping garden mums alive for next year. After that, a calm look at this week’s cattle prices. Then a free tree planting class in Dunlap on Thursday. Last, the farm dates coming up. A short checklist is at the end.

⏱️ What this means for you in 30 seconds

• Weather (local): Tonight is the coldest, near 28. Lows stay near 29 to 30 through Tuesday night, while afternoons climb to 70 by Friday. No rain and no alerts for Dunlap.
• Today (local): The Pony Pumpkin Patch runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. CST at A Tennessee Guest Ranch in Dunlap. $15 a person, kids 3 and under free. It helps the Sequatchie Valley Program of Agriculture.
• Mums (garden advice): Leave the stems on until after a hard frost, then tuck 3 to 4 inches of loose mulch over the plant.
• Cattle (statewide): Tennessee steer prices were about steady this week and heifers $1 to $2 lower. UT says calf prices are similar to a year ago.
• Thursday, Nov. 19 (local): Free tree planting class, 4:30 p.m. CST, Fair Building in Dunlap. RSVP online.

☀️ One More Frosty Night, Then a Slow Climb Toward 70

This is local for the Dunlap forecast from the National Weather Service, as of its 5:06 a.m. CST update.

• Today: Sunny, high near 50, with a light north wind. Tonight: Clear and calm, low around 28. That’s the coldest night in the forecast.
• Sunday: Sunny, high near 55. Sunday night: Low around 30.
• Monday: Sunny, high near 58. Monday night: Clear, low around 29.
• Tuesday: Sunny, high near 62. Tuesday night: Clear, low around 29.
• Wednesday: Sunny, high near 64. Wednesday night: Low around 33.
• Thursday: Mostly sunny, high near 67. Thursday night: Low around 38.
• Friday: Mostly sunny, high near 70. Friday night: Low around 39.

There are no weather alerts for Dunlap this morning. Thursday and Friday are six and seven days out, so those numbers could still shift a few degrees.

What it means for you: This week is like a pot of beans on low. Cold at the start, but warming a little more every day. Expect frost on the windshield Sunday through Wednesday mornings, so keep tender porch plants tucked in a few more nights and check stock water early. With no rain in sight, the warm afternoons are good ones for outdoor chores, and a good time to keep an eye on ponds and troughs.

👉 Read more (NWS Dunlap forecast)

🎃 Pony Rides and Hayrides Today, for a Good Farm Cause

This is local, happening today in Dunlap.

• What: The 5th Annual Pony Pumpkin Patch, a family farm day and charity fundraiser.
• When: Today, Saturday, Nov. 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. CST, according to the Sequatchie.com event listing. It’s the second of two Saturdays this fall.
• Where: A Tennessee Guest Ranch, 1050 Ray Hixson Road, Dunlap.
• What’s there: The listing includes pony rides for kids 12 and under, a hands-on farm animal tour, a photo with a real American Mustang for ages 13 and up, hayrides, face painting and a photo booth.
• Cost: $15 per person. Kids 3 and under are free.
• Who it helps: The money supports the Sequatchie Valley Program of Agriculture. As Dunlap.Today reported last month, the event is organized by F.A.R.M. Degree students.

What it means for you: Think of it like dropping a few dollars in the plate at a church supper. You get a good time, and the young folks learning to farm get a hand up. With sunshine and a high near 50, bring a coat, a pair of gloves and the grandkids. For questions, the listing gives 423-949-7608.

👉 Read more (Sequatchie.com: Pony Pumpkin Patch) · Dunlap.Today: Pony Pumpkin Patch

🌼 Want Your Mums Back Next Fall? Leave the Stems and Tuck Them In

This is general garden advice. UT Extension in Robertson County shared it this month and pointed gardeners to a Virginia Cooperative Extension guide. It isn’t Sequatchie County news, but it fits our winters too.

• Know which mum you have: Garden mums can often come back as perennials. Florist mums, the kind sold as gifts, aren’t bred to handle freezing.
• Leave the stems: The first winter, keep the foliage and stems on until after the first hard frost. They help insulate the plant.
• Tuck them in: Add 3 to 4 inches of light, airy mulch over the crown. Pine needles, loose shredded bark, clean straw (not hay) or evergreen branches all work.
• Still in a pot? Move it to a cold frame, or a corner of an unheated basement or insulated garage where it won’t freeze.
• Water wisely: Keep watering until the hard frosts, then cut back. Don’t let the soil go bone dry, but avoid soggy spots.
• Spring: Pull the mulch back from the crown by early to mid-April. Next time, plant mums by late August or early September for better roots, in a spot with 6 or more hours of sun.

What it means for you: A mum heading into winter is like a hound on the porch. It’ll be fine if you give it a good bed. The guide says the later a mum is planted, the lower its odds, so don’t fret if a few don’t make it. A handful of pine straw is cheap insurance with several frosty nights coming.

👉 Read more (UT Extension Robertson County: Overwintering mums) · Virginia Cooperative Extension: Overwintering Mums

🐄 A Steadier Week at the Sale Barn

This is statewide market information from UT Extension livestock marketing specialist Dr. Andrew Griffith, in his Nov. 13 Livestock Comments.

• This week: Based on Tennessee weekly auction averages, steer prices were “unevenly steady” compared to last week. Heifers were $1 to $2 lower.
• Futures bounced back: Feeder cattle futures fell about $28 per hundredweight over eight days, then got back more than half of that this week.
• The big picture: He writes that the basic supply facts for cattle and beef “have not changed.” He says the price swings come from people acting uncertain, and that the ups and downs may continue.
• Compared to last year: Weekly calf prices at Tennessee auctions are similar to a year ago.
• Looking ahead: Prices are expected to rise in a seasonal pattern after the holidays, though he says it’s unlikely to be as big a run in early 2027 as in early 2026.

What it means for you: A jumpy market is like a skittish heifer in the chute. Lots of motion, but she’s still the same heifer. If you’re selling, know your calves’ weights, check Monday’s USDA report and stick to your own plan. If you’re holding calves over the winter, a good hay plan matters more than any one week’s numbers.

👉 Read more (UT: Livestock Comments, Nov. 13) · UT Beef & Forage Center: Cattle Economics

🌳 Free Tree Planting Class in Dunlap on Thursday

This is local, from UT Extension Sequatchie County.

• When: Thursday, Nov. 19, at 4:30 p.m. CST.
• Where: The Fair Building, 103 Heard St., Dunlap.
• What: The basics of planting and caring for a young tree in your yard.
• Who’s teaching: Tyler Meroney, Urban & Community Forestry Partnership Coordinator with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Division of Forestry. UT Extension Sequatchie County is the partner.
• Sign up: RSVP using the online form on the Extension page. Questions? The Extension office number is 423-949-2611.

What it means for you: Planting a tree is like starting a savings account. A little care at the start pays off for years. UT Extension Sequatchie County’s gardening newsletter lists planting trees and shrubs among November chores, so this class is a good chance to learn how before you dig.

👉 Read more (UT Extension Sequatchie County: Tree Planting Class) · RSVP form

🗂️ Farm Paperwork and Dates: What’s Coming Up

This is federal and statewide information that applies here, plus one local class.

• Sunday, Nov. 15 (statewide): Last day of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s white oak acorn collection for reforestation.
• Monday, Nov. 16: USDA’s next Weekly Tennessee Cattle and Grain Summary is due. The UT Plateau AgResearch bred heifer sale preview is in Crossville, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST.
• Tuesday, Nov. 17: Online bidding on the Plateau heifers closes, with pens starting to close at 10 a.m. CST.
• Thursday, Nov. 19: Tree planting class in Dunlap, 4:30 p.m. CST. The next U.S. Drought Monitor map comes out the same day.
• Friday, Nov. 20: NRCS Tennessee’s date to apply for fiscal 2027 conservation funding, including EQIP and the Conservation Stewardship Program.
• Tuesday, Dec. 1 (statewide): Deadline for TDA water quality grant proposals.
• Monday, Dec. 7: Last day to return FSA county committee election ballots.
• Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2027: Deadline for FSA emergency loans under this year’s drought designation. Sequatchie and Marion are primary counties, and Bledsoe, Grundy, Hamilton and Van Buren are eligible as neighboring counties.
• Monday, March 1, 2027: 2027 Tennessee Farmer of the Year applications are due.

What it means for you: These dates are like fence posts down a long row. Mind the next one, and the row takes care of itself. The Jasper USDA Service Center (3709 Main St., 423-942-2244) serves Sequatchie County for FSA and NRCS questions.

👉 Read more (USDA: Weekly Tennessee Cattle and Grain Summary, PDF) · NRCS Tennessee: Nov. 20 date · FSA: Tennessee drought designation · UTIA: Plateau heifer sale

📌 Sticky Notes for the Fridge

• Today, Saturday, Nov. 14: Pony Pumpkin Patch, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. CST, 1050 Ray Hixson Road. Low near 28 tonight.
• Sunday, Nov. 15: Check stock water early. White oak acorn collection ends.
• Monday, Nov. 16: New USDA cattle report. Plateau heifer preview in Crossville.
• Tuesday, Nov. 17: Plateau heifer bidding closes, starting 10 a.m. CST.
• Thursday, Nov. 19: Tree planting class, 4:30 p.m. CST, Fair Building. New drought map.
• Friday, Nov. 20: NRCS conservation application date. Warmest day of the forecast, near 70.
• Tuesday, Dec. 1: TDA water quality grant proposals due.
• Monday, Dec. 7: FSA county committee ballots due.
• Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2027: FSA drought emergency loan deadline.
• Monday, March 1, 2027: Farmer of the Year applications due.

👉 USDA Service Center locator · Dunlap.Today

✅ Your Farm & Garden Checklist for This Week

• ✅ Bundle up and take the family to the Pony Pumpkin Patch today, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. CST.
• ✅ Keep porch plants covered or in the garage tonight, when it dips near 28.
• ✅ Check the animals’ water early Sunday through Wednesday mornings.
• ✅ Leave mum stems standing until after a hard frost, then add 3 to 4 inches of pine straw or clean straw.
• ✅ Selling calves? Look at Monday’s USDA report and stick to your own plan.
• ✅ RSVP for Thursday’s tree planting class at the Fair Building.
• ✅ Planning a conservation project? Call the Jasper USDA Service Center before Friday, Nov. 20.
• ✅ Keep an eye on ponds and troughs, since no rain is in the forecast.

Practical rule: Tuck in the tender plants, water the stock early and sell calves on your plan, not on one week’s headlines.

— Dunlap.Today

📚 Plain-English Farm & Garden Glossary

• Garden mum: A chrysanthemum bred to come back year after year in the yard, if it gets good winter care.
• Florist mum: A chrysanthemum grown as a gift plant. It isn’t bred to survive freezing weather.
• Crown: The spot where a plant’s stems meet its roots, right at the soil line.
• Hard frost: A cold night that freezes and kills the tender top growth of plants.
• Heaving: When freezing and thawing soil pushes a plant’s roots up and out of the ground.
• Hundredweight (cwt): 100 pounds. Cattle prices are quoted in dollars per hundredweight.
• Feeder cattle futures: Contracts traded on a market that show where buyers and sellers expect feeder calf prices to go.
• Heifer: A young female cow that hasn’t had a calf yet.
• RSVP: Letting the host know you plan to come.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How cold will it get tonight?

The Dunlap forecast shows a clear, calm night with a low around 28, the coldest of the week. Lows stay near 29 to 30 through Tuesday night, then 33, 38 and 39.

When does it warm up?

Afternoons climb each day: 55 Sunday, 58 Monday, 62 Tuesday, 64 Wednesday, 67 Thursday and near 70 Friday, with sunshine and no rain in the forecast.

Where and when is the Pony Pumpkin Patch?

Today, Saturday, Nov. 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. CST at A Tennessee Guest Ranch, 1050 Ray Hixson Road, Dunlap. It’s $15 per person, and kids 3 and under are free.

Where does the Pony Pumpkin Patch money go?

The event listing says it’s a charity fundraiser for the Sequatchie Valley Program of Agriculture.

Should I cut my mums back now?

Not yet. The Virginia Extension guide shared by UT Extension says to leave the stems and foliage on until after the first hard frost the first winter, then add 3 to 4 inches of light mulch over the crown.

Can I use hay as mulch on my mums?

The guide says clean straw, not hay. Pine needles, loose shredded bark and evergreen branches also work.

Are calf prices falling?

This week was calmer. UT’s Dr. Andrew Griffith reports Tennessee steer prices were about steady and heifers $1 to $2 lower, with calf prices similar to a year ago.

How do I sign up for the tree planting class?

Use the RSVP form on the UT Extension Sequatchie County website. For questions, call the Extension office at 423-949-2611. The class is Thursday, Nov. 19, at 4:30 p.m. CST at the Fair Building, 103 Heard St., Dunlap.

🔗 Other Resources

• National Weather Service: Dunlap forecast
• Sequatchie.com: Pony Pumpkin Patch (Nov. 14 listing)
• Dunlap.Today: 5th Annual Pony Pumpkin Patch
• UT Extension Robertson County: Thinking About Overwintering Your Mums?
• Virginia Cooperative Extension: Overwintering Mums
• UT Agricultural & Resource Economics: Livestock Comments
• UT Beef & Forage Center: Cattle Economics
• UT Extension Sequatchie County: Tree Planting Class
• UT Extension Sequatchie County: Gardening News and Notes (November chores, PDF)
• USDA: Weekly Tennessee Cattle and Grain Summary (PDF)
• U.S. Drought Monitor: Tennessee
• NRCS Tennessee: Accepting applications for conservation programs
• USDA FSA: Tennessee drought designation (Jan. 6, 2027 deadline)
• USDA FSA: County committee elections
• UTIA: UT Plateau AgResearch and Education Center Fall Heifer Sale
• UTIA: Applications Now Open for 2027 Tennessee Farmer of the Year
• Tennessee Department of Agriculture: Newsroom
• USDA: Service Center locator (Jasper Service Center, 3709 Main St. · 423-942-2244)
• UT Extension Sequatchie County (170 Church Street, Dunlap · 423-949-2611)
• Dunlap.Today

🏡 Keep Learning, Stay Calm and Come Back to the Porch

One more frosty night, and then the valley warms up a little every day. There’s farm fun at the ranch today, a simple way to save your mums, a calmer week at the sale barn and a free class to help a young tree get started. Small, steady steps keep the whole place growing.

When you want the next calm, practical update for Sequatchie Valley readers, pull up a chair at Dunlap.Today.