Smith County Producer Named to the Honor for a Second Time
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — If you have eaten a watermelon from Kroger or purchased Chattanooga Whiskey, there is a good chance you have already experienced some of what one Tennessee farm, Catesa Farms, has to offer. George McDonald, owner and operator of that exceptional farm, has been named as the 2024 Tennessee Farmer of the Year.
Catesa Farms—which is located some 50 miles northeast of Nashville in the community of Riddleton, Tennessee—grows more than 9,000 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat, milo, hay, watermelons and strawberries.
The Tennessee Farmer of the Year is chosen after a detailed and rigorous application process coordinated by University of Tennessee Extension and the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation. Katie Martin, agriculture agent and director of UT Extension Smith County, was proud to nominate McDonald for the award. “George is a smart businessman, a passionate agriculturist, and an integral part of our community,” Martin says. “I do not know anyone who is a better spokesperson for agriculture, whether he is speaking with high schoolers or members of Congress, he is an outstanding advocate for our industry. I admire his commitment to efficiency, sustainability and diversification, but most of all I admire his commitment to his employees, who he treats like family.”
McDonald is no stranger to the Tennessee Farmer of the Year Contest, as he is a past recipient in 1996.
When asked about how he got his start farming, McDonald says that he always knew he wanted to continue the family legacy. Just three years from now, the McDonald family will celebrate a centennial of caring for and managing Catesa Farms. Still, McDonald was not always sure what the legacy would look like. He credits youth organizations like the FFA with broadening his horizons and focusing his energy and passion for agriculture. There have been challenges and growing pains along the way as McDonald found his place as the youngest generation on the farm; however, as he explains, “After my dad passed, the pressure was truly on me to do the things I had dreamed of and talked about for years. Over time, we have transitioned out of the dairy business, experimented with multiple commodities, and had many learning experiences along the way, which ultimately led us to where we are today.”
Where they are today is an impressive, thriving agriculture business with continued plans for growth and vertical integration. In addition to the farm, McDonald also operates Cumberland Valley Ag, which sells fuel, fertilizer and seed in addition to drying and storing corn, wheat and soybeans for local producers. As the business looks to the future, Catesa Farms continues to focus on incorporating emerging technologies that improve efficiency and environmental stewardship and direct marketing products to capture value-added premiums as well as succession planning for the future.
With McDonald’s busy schedule on the farm, he still finds time to serve the agriculture industry at the county, state and national level, having held seats on the Smith Farmers Co-Op Board of Directors, Tennessee Corn Promotion Board and the North American Strawberry Growers Association. McDonald is also a member of the Smith County Farm Bureau and served on the Tennessee Farm Bureau State Board of Directors from 1995 until 2000. He was also the Young Farmer of the Year in 1990. The Tennessee Farm Bureau supports the Sunbelt Farmer of the Year program and the selection of the state farmer of the year.
“We couldn’t think of a better farmer to be named this year’s Tennessee Farmer of the Year,” said Eric Mayberry, president of the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation. “His farm is the epitome of what farmers strive to achieve on their operations, and we are extremely proud for him to represent the Volunteer State at the Sunbelt Ag Expo in October.”
McDonald is proud to farm alongside his daughter Sarah, his mother Linda, Kyle Cato, and more than 40 full and part-time employees and contract workers.
As the Tennessee Farmer of the Year, McDonald will be honored at the Institute of Agriculture’s annual Ag Day event, to be held September 14 in Knoxville. He will also compete in the Sunbelt Ag Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year competition, the winner of which will be announced in October at the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, Georgia. The Sunbelt Ag Expo is coordinating the Southeastern Farmer of the Year awards for the 34th consecutive year. Over the years cash awards totaling $1,324,000 and other honors have been presented to 296 southeastern farmers since the award was initiated in 1990.
Catesa Farms can be found on Facebook at Catesa Farms LLC and on Instagram at catesafarms.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.