Inspiring tomorrow
TFC Foundation Scholars’ Summit prepares next generation of agricultural leaders
Story and photos by Page Haynes
These 17 outstanding students attended the TFC Foundation Scholars’ Summit and were selected from a competitive pool of applicants for the 2026-27 TFC Foundation Scholarship Program. Seated, from left, are Abbie Bowker, Ella Hasty, Sapana Das, Ann Thomas Lowery, Allison Thomas, Alexis Powell, and Halleigh Wunder. Standing, from left, are Matthew Graham, Jami Jordan, Ty Jones, Nate Mason, William Southall, George Wilson, Skylar Baird, Miller Moore, Dillon Parrish, and Daniel Austin.
Tennessee Farmers Cooperative (TFC) recently welcomed a new generation of agricultural leaders who are bridging the gap between innovation and Tennessee’s rich farming heritage.
On May 27, TFC hosted 17 outstanding scholarship recipients at the first Co-op Scholars’ Summit, a day of mentoring, networking, and learning about the cooperative system and TFC’s 80-year legacy of serving farmers. The students were selected from a competitive pool of applicants for the 2026-27 TFC Foundation Scholarship Program. Each recipient received a $4,000 scholarship and those that attended the summit received an additional $1,000.
Throughout the day, scholars explored cooperative business principles, heard from TFC leaders, and discussed agriculture’s future. Speakers included TFC senior leadership, Chairman of the Board Benjie Daniel, representatives from agronomy, feed, and retail operations, member Co-op general managers, and tour leaders from Ag Equipment and the ProTrition La Vergne Feed Mill.
Andy Woodard, TFC chief operations officer, traced the history of modern cooperatives, emphasizing principles that continue to define the cooperative model: people over capital, democratic member control, teamwork, and concern for community.
TFC Chief Executive Officer Joey Caldwell illustrated how those principles shaped his own career, recalling his early involvement through FFA, internships, and employment with TFC.
“Much has changed in agriculture, but little has changed in the cooperative system as far as our basic foundational principles are concerned,” Caldwell said. “One of our principles is to invest in your generation by providing educational and training opportunities. Another is to work together to accomplish things. And we want to take care of our neighbors. We think it’s important to be engaged in your community, whether it’s nonprofits, church, or civic groups.”
Caldwell also highlighted TFC’s unique structure, with member cooperatives serving as owners and a farmer-led board providing governance. Unlike traditional businesses, he explained, Co-op uses its profits to reinvest in the business, reinvest in the community, and then share the remaining profit equally with its membership based on their economic participation. He stressed that customer success and employee well-being remain the cooperative’s highest priorities.
“We can’t be successful as a cooperative business if our customers are not successful, and the same applies to our employees,” Caldwell said. “If we don’t take care of our employees, then we won’t be able to take care of our customers.”
Daniel, a full-time farmer and chairman of TFC’s board, shared the evolution of his multigenerational family farm, from his grandfather’s diversified operation to his father’s dairy farm and his own transition to beef cattle in response to changing market conditions.
He acknowledged the challenges facing agriculture but emphasized opportunities in precision agriculture, data analytics, artificial intelligence, automation, and genetics.
“Thank you for being here, for what you’re doing, and what you’ve done,” Daniel told the scholars. “I realize that all of you won’t be farmers or producers. Some of you will possibly be veterinarians, bankers, agronomists, nutritionists, work at the Co-op, be in risk management, or even crop insurance, but you all have opportunities to solve some of the challenges we’ve identified today. Whatever path you choose, be flexible and ready to take opportunities as they come.”
“Agriculture has a bright future,” he added. “That idea is emphasized by looking around this room and thinking about all the things you all can do for agriculture, for our industry, and for us older folks. I look forward to seeing where you all go in your agricultural careers.”
The scholarship recipients listen intently as Joey Caldwell, Chief Executive Officer of Tennessee Farmers Cooperative, explains the importance of our basic foundational principles, such as providing educational and training opportunities, working together, and being engaged in community events. He also stressed that customer success and employee well-being remain high priorities.
The 2027-2028 applications are due on November 14. Visit https://www.ourcoopfoundation.org/scholarships to learn more.
A panel featuring Bryan Johnson, GreenPoint Ag vice president of crop protection and seed; John Houston, director of internal operations for ProTrition Feeds; and Vickey Stewart, chief operating officer of Stockdale’s, highlighted the variety of careers available within TFC. They described roles centered on problem-solving, servant leadership, and hands-on work while encouraging students to volunteer for new responsibilities, embrace challenges, and recognize that growth often comes through stepping outside their comfort zones.
A second panel featured Co-op managers Paul Arnette, general manager of Lincoln Bedford Moore Farmers Co-op; Randy Stubblefield, CEO of United Co-op; Deb Dunn, general manager of White Warren Farmers Co-op; and Ben Bowman, general manager of Washington Farmers Co-op. The four Co-op leaders discussed the expanding career opportunities available throughout Tennessee’s cooperative system.
The panelists emphasized that today’s Co-ops need professionals in financial planning, accounting, credit, inventory control, safety, precision agriculture, robotics, computer programming, and data analysis to support increasingly automated operations. They also discussed how mergers have strengthened member cooperatives by improving purchasing power, increasing efficiency, and helping smaller locations remain viable in a changing agricultural marketplace.
The managers also described the family-like culture of the cooperative system, noting that long-term relationships with farmers, strong community ties, and meaningful work often outweigh higher-paying opportunities elsewhere.
Participating scholars said the summit provided a deeper understanding of TFC’s faith-based mission, its F.A.I.T.H. values (Focused, Accountable, Integrity, Teamwork, and Honest Communication), and the cooperative culture.
“I’ve been involved with the Co-op system my entire life in some form or fashion,” said scholar George Wilson, a former intern at AgCentral. “I’ve had family members who worked there. This was a wonderful opportunity to come back to La Vergne, tour the facilities, and learn a bit more about the cooperative structure.”
“My biggest takeaway was learning more about the Co-op’s F.A.I.T.H. mission and understanding the acronym,” added Skylar Baird. “You can see that every part of that mission is instilled into every single aspect of the Co-op system. It was also really inspiring to learn from all the different sectors of the Co-op system. Just seeing that sense of community was really refreshing for the industry.”
Jami Jordan, who interned with United Co-op in Waverly last year, said, “It was great to be here today and to meet some of the other scholarship winners.”
Matthew Graham appreciated the opportunity to tour Ag Equipment and the Feed Mill.
“I really liked hearing Benjie Daniel’s presentation,” Graham added. “How he broke it down into four key themes — where we are right now, the biggest challenges, the opportunities, and how to be successful going forward — was very memorable.”
The TFC Foundation Scholarship Program recognizes students in three categories: Growing Leaders, honoring leadership in organizations such as FFA and 4-H; Local Red Cap, recognizing students who demonstrate leadership on their family farms; and Driven to Serve, celebrating employees of member Co-ops who have shown exceptional leadership potential.
"Our Board of Directors recognized the growing need to invest in the next generation, and our enhanced scholarship program demonstrates that commitment,” said Tennessee Farmers Cooperative Foundation Executive Director Claire Hill. “As a cooperative, we believe supporting students today helps cultivate the leaders who will continue serving Tennessee agriculture and our rural communities for generations to come."
The 2026 scholarship recipients and their colleges are: Growing Leaders: Ann Thomas Lowery and Ella Hasty, UT Martin; Sapana Das, Nate Mason, and Skylar Baird, UT Knoxville; Ty Jones, Oklahoma State; and Allison Thomas, Tennessee Tech. Local Red Cap: Daniel Austin, Wyatt Pearson, Houston Stewart, Miller Moore, and Matthew Graham, UT Martin; Alexis Powell, MTSU; and Willis Jepson, UT Knoxville. Driven to Serve: Abbie Bowker and Halleigh Wunder, MTSU; Luke Magness and Dillon Parrish, Tennessee Tech; William Southall and Jami Jordan, UT Martin; and George Wilson, UT Knoxville.
By Page Haynes,
Contact phaynes@ourcoop.com