LEBANON, Tenn. – The Eighth Annual Tennessee State Fair FFA Ham Breakfast was a sold-out event with more than 1,200 business leaders, government officials, farmers, and members of the Future Farmers of America (FFA) present. The event raised $200,000 for FFA and was presented by Farm Credit Mid-America. Tennesse Valley Authority (TVA) CEO Jeff Lyash headlined the event with other guest speakers: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, United States Republican Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, both of Tennessee; Congressman Andy Ogles (R-5th district), and Congressman John Rose (R-6th district).

Lee Todd, of Germantown, was recognized with the prestigious Tennessee FFA Lifetime Achievement Award. Todd was a state and national FFA officer in the 1950s who carried his love of agriculture into a successful career as the executive director of the Cotton Ginners Association. Todd is a member of the Tennessee FFA Sponsoring Committee.

Each year, the event highlights the Tennessee Century Farm Program, administered by the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. One of Tennessee’s oldest farms, the Glenn Acres Farm in College Grove, was recognized.

The FFA program is one component of agricultural education, which is a course offered in some 230 middle and high schools across Tennessee. The administration of the FFA program is an effort between the Tennessee Departments of Agriculture and Education. Both Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher and newly appointed Education Commissioner Lizzette Gonzalez Reynolds were in attendance.

Lieutenant Gov. Randy McNally, a sponsor of the event, and House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-25th) were among the more than 40 state legislators in attendance. Other representatives of the state legislature that participated as sponsors of the event included State Sen. Jack Johnson (R-27th), the House Democrat Caucus led by State Rep. John Ray Clemmons (55th district), and State Reps. Michael Hale (R-40th district), Pat Marsh (R-62nd district), and William Lamberth (R-44th district).

Supporters of the event included agricultural household names such as the Tennessee Farm Bureau, the Farmers Co-op, and Tractor Supply Company. Other non-agricultural supporters were as varied as Meta, J&S Construction, Bristol Motor Speedway, and the Nashville Superspeedway. More than 150 sponsors participated in the event. All proceeds go to the non-profit Tennessee FFA Foundation to support the students involved in the agricultural youth leadership program.

The event was capped off, as is tradition, with the auction of the two Grand Champion Hams – the Country Ham and the Packer Style Ham. The two winning entries came from Bobby Parker, of Woodbury (Country Ham), and Anna Whitt, from Spring Hill (Packer Style Ham). The Country Ham sold for a record $20,000 to bidding partners H&R Agri-Power, an agricultural equipment dealer, and Catesa Farms, owned by George McDonald, of Riddleton, Tenn. The Packer Style Ham went for $18,500 to the Tennessee Farm Bureau, well-known seed company Beck’s, and John Deere dealer TriGreen Equipment.

To learn more about Tennessee FFA, visit tnffa.org.