Tennessee Nominating Committee Election

James “Andy”Davis

Sparta

Davis raises corn, wheat, soybeans, and sweet corn on over 2,500 acres of land. He also operates an agritourism, trucking, and custom farming business as Managing Partner of Davis Farms. After graduating from UT-Knoxville with a Master of Science in AgEconomics, Davis went on to obtain a MBA from UT-Martin. He also worked as a Loan Officer for Farm Credit Mid-America and as a Farm Management Specialist with UT Extension. Davis currently holds leadership positions with Tennessee Corn Promotion Board and River Sparta Church. He is also a member of multiple agriculturally focused organizations, including White County Soil Conservation Board, White County Farm Bureau Board, White County Ag Committee, Tennessee Corn Growers Association, and Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association.

Robert Elliott

Cedar Hill

Elliott is a seventh-generation farmer who raises registered Angus cattle, dark fired and air cured tobacco, grass and bermuda hay, and greenhouse tobacco transplants with his family on 600 acres, of which he owns 35. His wife, Lindsay, and two daughters live on the farm today. He works full-time as the District Sales Leader for Corteva Agriscience managing 11 employees, all budgets, a large agriculture retail network of dealers, farmer success and sales numbers for Pioneer Corn and Soybean lines and PhytoGen Cotton lines covering Middle, East, and Northwest Tennessee and all of Kentucky. Elliott is a Certified Crop Adviser and works in that capacity for his family farming operation and consults with large farm operations across Tennessee and Kentucky. Robert has been an active agriculture advocate through the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation and Alpha Gamma Rho organizations. Elliott has served on the Farm Credit Mid-America Nominating committee and is a member of the Farm Credit Mid-America Advocate Council.

Hunter Grills

Newbern

Grills owns and operates a 3,000 acre corn and soybean farm under the Grills Farms, LLC entity. He also invests in rental property including mini storage, short term, and long-term rentals. Grills currently holds leadership positions with TN State Soil and Water Conservation, TN Executive Residence Board, and Pilots for Christ.

Heather Hardy

Brownsville

Hardy farms diversified grain and cotton with her family on over 6,000 acres. She previously worked off-farm for 8 years interacting with growers in West Tennessee in small grain seed production and precision agriculture capacities. Hardy has served on the Farm Credit Mid-America Nominating Committee, is a member of the Farm Credit Mid-America Advocate Council, and previously served on the Farm Credit Mid-America Young, Beginning, and Small Farmer Advisory Board. She serves on the board of directors for the Halls First Methodist Church and is a part of the Haywood County Leadership Class of 2024.

Will Hutchinson

Murfreesboro

Hutchinson co-owns and operates Hutchinson Farms, where he raises 4,200 acres of hay, corn, and soybeans. He is responsible for managing the operation’s financial recordkeeping, including planning, budgeting, and preparing financial statements. He graduated from Tennessee Tech with a Bachelor of Agriculture and holds a leadership position with the Tennessee Soybean Council.

Willis Jepson

Orlinda

Willis is a 7th-generation farmer in his family farming business. His family has farmed in Tennessee since 1806. He began a partnership with his parents after graduating from UT-Knoxville in 1999 and they currently operate 7,500 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat, watermelon, pumpkins, and dark tobacco. Willis also holds many leadership positions or participates in organizations such as the Corn Growers Association, Small Grain Association, Farm Credit Mid-America Advocate Council, Robertson County Farm Bureau Board, National Watermelon Association, Soybean Growers Association, KY AS Leadership Program, KY Corn Core Program, Top Tier Peer Group, Tennessee Agriculture Enhancement Program Board, Governor Bill Haslam Rural Challenge Committee, and the Robertson County Economic Development Board.

Mark Klepper

Greeneville

Klepper is a full-time farmer and owner of Woodlawn Farms LLC. His farm operation consists of 10 Angus beef cows, 550 acres of row crops containing corn and soybeans, small farrow to finish swine and 8 broiler houses on 820 owned and 350 leased acres. He has an Associate’s Degree in Agricultural Business from Walters State Community College. He is an FFA alumni and previously served as State Chairman of the Tennessee Young Farmers & Ranchers and Director of the Greene County Livestock Association. Klepper is President of the Greene County Farm Bureau Board of Directors and Deacon of Greeneville Church of Christ. He currently serves on the Farm Credit Mid-America Advocate Council and previously served on the local Farm Credit Advisory Committee. He has served on the Farm Credit Mid-America Nominating Committee.

Ben Sanders

Columbia

Sanders is the Executive Director of Government Affairs for Farm Bureau Insurance of Tennessee. He also runs a 150- head commercial Angus cow/calf operation and raises wheat and millet hay on 600 owned and 150 leased acres. He serves on the Farm Credit Mid-America Advocate Council and has served on the Farm Credit Mid-America Nominating Committee. He has had leadership roles with the Tennessee 4-H Foundation, Tennessee 4-H Alumni, University of Tennessee Alumni Association, University of Tennessee AGR Alumni Association, and is a member of the Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association and the National Cattlemen’s Association.

Brandon Whitt

Murfreesboro

Whitt is an eighth-generation farmer on his family farm comprised of row crops and specialty crops on 400 owned and 1,900 leased acres. His farm operation includes “you pick” strawberries, hay and custom milling and bagging. Whitt previously served on the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Farm Bureau, including serving as Young Farmer President. He received American Farm Bureau’s National Young Farmer of the Year award and served as Chairman of the Rutherford County Ag Committee. He has served on the Farm Credit Mid-America Nominating Committee.

Clint Workman

South Fulton

Workman owns and operates a 1700 acre farm where he raises corn, soybeans, wheat, and contract hogs. He began farming with his father-in-law in 2010 and helped develop and grow the hog portion of their farming operation. His next vision for growth on the farm is to build a grain storage facility. Workman has previously held several leadership positions with Young Farmer and Rancher, Obion County Farm Bureau Board, and Obion County Ag Committee. Currently, he serves as the Secretary of Obion County Farmers Co-Op.