Inette Wilks has seen big changes in the tiny farming town of Stanton, Tennessee, since Ford broke ground here last year on a $5.6 billion electric truck megaplant slated to bring thousands of jobs to the region.
Trucks filled with construction debris barrel down once-quiet country roads as cranes dot the grassy skyline. At lunchtime, hungry construction workers line up at Wilks’ small business, the Variety Stop N-Go, eager for her fried chicken and homemade lasagna.
In another sign of change, Wilks said, “For Sale” signs are popping up on the surrounding farmland as farmers look to cash in on plans for future development. Some are from the area’s historically Black farming community — one of the last in Tennessee.
