The state’s Cattlemen’s Association and the Beef Industry Council have started a new leadership program encouraging younger professionals to participate in the beef industry.
Steven Jones of Fentress County will serve. He said the Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program gives people the chance to learn how to support and advocate for the beef industry. Jones said the program was created because leaders in the beef industry realized there is an age gap in the industry that needs to be addressed.
“Little by little I think you can start to really make some change,” Jones said. “And some of the people that maybe aren’t as familiar with the industry, come in contact with those folks and maybe share some information with them. And it may not be big moments, but if all of us are doing it I think eventually we’ll make some headway.”
Jones said the program consists of six sets of meetings over the course of 2025. Jones said these meetings will feature continuing education, farm visits, and meetings with state legislators.
Jones said the program is meant for people aged twenty-five to forty.
“Policy will come into play on some of this stuff,” Jones said. “So kind of doing a little bit of everything but all kind of in the name of protecting that was of life and promoting agriculture and beef.”
Jones said the program’s first meetings took place in January. Jones said the program’s organizers did a good job selecting candidates.
“The group we’ve got’s pretty wide-ranging,” Jones said. “A few of the participants are full-time farmers. Myself, I’m actually a CPA, so my impact on the agricultural community is a little different, right? I’m not as hands-on but I deal with a lot of farmers in my day-to-day job just like a lot of these other participants do.”
Jones said he was interested in the program because he is a fourth-generation member of an Angus cattle farm in Clarkrange. Jones said he is passionate about protecting family farms, especially as development grows across Tennessee.
“I think there’s a statistic out there that Tennessee currently loses about ten acres per hour in farmland to real estate development,” Jones said. “And that’s pretty alarming to me so whatever I can do to help protect that way of life, I’m pretty passionate about trying to do it.”
The program includes thirteen total members, four of which are from the Upper Cumberland in addition to Jones: Alyssa Clements from Clay County, Nick Harper from Smith County, Josh Shoulders from Smith County, and Tara Simcox from Overton County.
