We talk to Jaqueline Harp of SmokiesLife about what the fundraising organization does to support The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. From the gift shops they opperate to the educational programs they provide to visitors of the Park, they make sure our most-visited National Park is one that guests want to come back and visit time after time.

We talked with Chuck Childers, Head Miller of The Old Mill for more than 17 years now. We recorded this last year in anticipation of starting our podcast, so you'll hear him refer to his 15 years with the mill.

In our conversation, Chuck gives us the ins and outs of running a nearly 200-year-old grist mill, a responsibility he takes seriously, but his laugh often tells you he's rarely a serious guy. As a former Marine, he still keeps a regimen to each day, starting well before sunup, with a plan to get the job done. But, as he explains, there is rarely a typical day, so plans have to change quickly sometimes.

And, yes, we discuss the sugar in his cornbread! (Well, and mine, but there's a reason for it!!)

Welcome to the Foothills Of The Smokies podcast, brought to you by The Old Mill in Pigeon Forge, TN. In each 30 minute episode we will talk to the folks who help shape The Old Mill, such as our Makers, Owners, and Managers. But, we will also talk to folks throughout the Smokies region and all across the South.

Tune in for each episode to learn a little bit more about what makes The Old Mill turn, and get the inside scoop on what makes The Great Smoky Mountains a destination for more that 12 million folks each year.