Pick Tennessee Products is set to hold its largest conference in organization history this week in Lebanon.
This year’s Pick Tennessee Conference will be held at the Farm Bureau Expo Center at Wilson County Fairgrounds from Thursday, January 15 through Saturday, January 17.
The organization, which serves as the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s producer-focused marketing program, said registrations for the conference have surpassed 950 attendees as of Sunday, which sets the upcoming event to be the largest agriculture conference in Volunteer State history.
Pick Tennessee’s annual conference is held to “bring together producers, agribusiness leaders, policymakers, educators, and partner organizations to support the state’s largest employment sector and advance a resilient, competitive agricultural economy for Tennessee,” according to the organization.
This year’s conference will be hosted and presided over by Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Andy Holt, who began his tenure as commissioner last year.
Notably, the conference will feature U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden, who is a native Tennessean.
“[Vaden’s] decision to prioritize time at the conference, alongside representatives of the current administration, reflects focused federal interest in producers, markets, and policy discussions shaping the future of American agriculture,” Pick Tennessee said in a press release.
The conference will also feature Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackurn (R-TN), U.S. Representatives Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) and John Rose (R-TN-06), Secretary of State Tre Hargett, Comptroller of the Treasury Jason Mumpower, and president of the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation Eric Mayberry.
Further, state directors from USDA and leadership from the USDA Farm Service Agency will be onsite at the conference as well as representatives from state departments of agriculture in Texas, Georgia, Kentucky, and other states.
“This multi-state presence positions Tennessee as a convening point for agricultural leadership, policy exchange, and producer collaboration across the Southeast and beyond,” the organization said.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Pick Tennessee” by Pick Tennessee.
