New Leadership for the Tennessee Corn Promotion Board Appointed
(Dresden, Tennessee) - Tennessee Department of Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher recently appointed new members to the Tennessee Corn Promotion Board. The newly appointed board members were selected from a list of recommendations submitted by the Tennessee Corn Growers Association, the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation, and the Tennessee Farmers Cooperative to replace those members of the Board of Directors whose terms are expiring.
“We look forward to welcoming all three as new members of the Tennessee Corn Promotion Board,” said Andy Davis, Chairman of the Tennessee Corn Promotion Board. “With their passion and leadership experience in agriculture, each one has a well-rounded understanding of our industry and will bring value to our board with their knowledge and experience. I want to thank the outgoing board members Mike Brundige (Weakley County), George McDonald (Smith County), and Mark Spradlin (Madison County) for their excellent service to the Board of Directors.”
Claude Callicott
Representing the Tennessee Farmers Cooperatives is Claude Callicott, who lives in Only, Tennessee in Hickman County. Callicott produces approximately 1,000 acres of corn and soybeans in Hickman and Humphreys counties. Along with his wife, Lee Ann, and their two daughters, they manage a 70-head commercial cattle herd and raise registered Hereford show cattle. Callicott serves on the United Farm and Home Coop Board of Directors, is a Hickman County Commissioner, and works full-time in crop insurance. Callicott and his wife leave time to travel the country to watch their daughters compete in the livestock show ring.
Kyle Owen
Representing the Tennessee Farm Bureau is Kyle Owen of Carthage, Tennessee. As a first-generation farmer, Owen started farming in 2004 with 32 acres of burley tobacco. Through his passion for agriculture and strong work ethic, he has expanded his operation to more than 6,300 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat, and specialty crops. Owen and his wife, Miranda, and their two children all work together to manage the farm and the tasks that accompany running a large operation. In their leisure hours, they take occasional Sunday afternoon trips to nearby Center Hill Lake and enjoy relaxing on the beach in Florida. Owen serves on numerous boards including the Smith County Coop and was recently recognized as the 2023 Tennessee Farmer of the Year.
Shane Burchfiel
Representing the Tennessee Corn Growers Association is Shane Burchfiel. Burchfiel farms in Northwest Tennessee, growing corn, soybeans, and wheat in Dyer and Gibson counties. He and his wife Lana have three daughters and are active in the First Presbyterian Church in Dyersburg. Burchfiel serves on the Board of Directors of the Gibson Farmers Co-op and the Dyer County Farm Watch. Burchfiel previously served as a member of the Dyer County Farm Bureau Board of Directors. In his spare time, he proudly volunteers with the Special Ops Excursions (SOX), which specializes in outdoor recreation opportunities for active-duty Special Forces military members. The family enjoys traveling, water activities, Cardinals baseball, playing cards, and sharing laughs with friends over a good meal.
“I congratulate each new member of our elected leadership team as they begin the work of the new year,” said Carol Reed, Executive Director of the Tennessee Corn Promotion Board. “We have a goal of increasing the demand for one of Tennessee’s most important agricultural commodities. We believe we are well positioned to effectively continue the critical work of our mission: to increase the value of corn grown in Tennessee by creating new, scalable opportunities for the use and demand of corn.”
The Tennessee Corn Promotion Board is funded through a producer checkoff investment of ½-cent-per-bushel checkoff on all corn marketed in the state and is managed by nine farmer directors. The Tennessee Corn Promotion Board was created to implement a program of research, education, market development, and advertising to promote the increased production, consumption, and use of corn and the sale of Tennessee corn products.