GEORGE MCDONALD NAMED 2024 TENNESSEE FARMER OF THE YEAR
Aug 2 2024
George McDonald Named 2024 Tennessee Farmer of the Year
George McDonald, owner and operator of Catesa Farms, has been named as the 2024 Tennessee Farmer of the Year. Photo by K. Martin, courtesy UTIA.
George McDonald, owner and operator of Catesa Farms has been named as the 2024 Tennessee Farmer of the Year. McDonald was also the 1996 Tennessee Farmer of the Year.
Catesa Farms is located in the community of Riddleton, Tennesse where they grow more than 9,000 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat, milo, hay, watermelons and strawberries. 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.
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.”
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.”
Today they are a 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.
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 ExpoSoutheastern 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.