COOKEVILLE, TN—Martin Grissom of the Warren County Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter is Tennessee FFA’s 2016 Star Farmer. The Star Farmer is considered the highest recognition in the state for an aspiring young farmer, and is awarded to the top student who best demonstrates achievement in production agriculture and career and leadership development. His Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) project is Diversified Crop Production. The Star Farmer is sponsored by the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation, Tennessee Farm Bureau Health Plans and Farm Bureau Insurance of Tennessee.
Martin operates and maintains a family farm with a variety of agricultural products to sell and donate within his community. His five hundred acre operation consists of: soybeans, sweet corn, wheat, produce, nursery stock, a greenhouse, livestock and honeybees. His two most recent additions are feeder pigs and a roadside farm store to sell his products.
Martin is the son of Mike and Holly Grissom of Rock Island. He plans on attending the University of Tennessee at Martin majoring in Agribusiness with hopes of returning to the farm and bettering is operation.
For his achievement, Martin was honored last week during the Second Annual Tennessee FFA Star Tour presented by Farm Credit Mid-America. The trip was centered on Tennessee agriculture; students got a once in a lifetime opportunity to visit agribusinesses, meet key industry leaders and showcase their superior projects.
The tour began in Doyle at Camp Clements: Tennessee FFA Leadership Training Camp where Farm Credit Mid-America presented each of the Stars with $1,000 scholarships. The tour included visits to First Farmers and Merchants Bank in Columbia, the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation, and Hatcher Family Dairy in College Grove, Batey Farms in Murfreesboro, Warren County FFA, and the farm of Joe Moore, former American Star Farmer in Granville. The Stars also visited Wampler’s Farm Sausage, met with Farm Credit Mid-America in Dandridge, visited the Appalachian Electric Cooperative, and was hosted by the Daniel Boone FFA chapter for dinner in East Tennessee. The tour ended with a day spent at Dollywood.
Martin was named the Tennessee FFA Star Farmer in March at the Tennessee FFA State Convention in Gatlinburg. Having received his State FFA Degree, Martin is now eligible to earn his American FFA Degree and represent Tennessee in the competition to become the National Star Farmer. Likewise, Tennessee will have a Star in Agribusiness, Star in Agricultural Placement and Star in Agriscience candidate.
FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. Nationally, there are 629,367 FFA members, aged 12-21. The Tennessee FFA Association is comprised of 14,084 members from 214 high school chapters, 7 middle school chapters, and 8 collegiate chapters across the state of Tennessee.
(Photo caption: Martin Grissom, Tennessee Future Farmers of America Star Farmer, pictured just before the Star Tour Kick Off at FFA Camp Clements in Doyle.)