Gov. Lee, General Assembly Invest in Tennessee Agriculture Through 2026–2027 Budget

NASHVILLE - The Tennessee Department of Agriculture recognizes Gov. Bill Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly for significant investments in agriculture included in the 2026-2027 state budget.

The approved budget includes key recurring investments that support agricultural innovation, education and food access, including $1 million for the Representative Johnny Shaw Tennessee Agricultural Innovation and Education Initiative and $500,000 for Cul2vate.

The budget also maintains recurring support the General Assembly provides each year for the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program, the Agricultural Enterprise Fund, departmental programs and staffing that provide services to farmers, forest landowners and consumers across the state.

Additional non-recurring investments include $1.5 million for the Tennessee Association of Fairs and $250,000 for Urban Roots of Tennessee to expand agricultural outreach and community engagement in rural and urban communities.

"This budget reflects Tennessee's strong commitment to agriculture and the families and communities these industries support every day," Agriculture Commissioner Andy Holt said. "From grants and marketing opportunities to expanded services and food access initiatives, these investments support producers and help the department serve more Tennesseans more effectively. Agriculture and forestry contribute $103.8 billion annually to our state's economy and remain our top industry, making these investments important to the future of our rural communities and the state as a whole."

The budget also funds nine new Consumer and Industry Services inspector positions and nine new Forestry positions. The Consumer and Industry Services positions will strengthen regulatory oversight and support the integrity of agricultural markets across the state. Forestry funding will establish a Wildfire Resiliency Team to enhance protection of forest resources, property and public safety.

Additional capital investments include a Division of Forestry cooler in East Tennessee, along with improvements to the Porter Building and the L.H. "Cotton" Ivy Laboratory at the Ellington Agricultural Center in Nashville, to help the department meet current and future operational needs.

TDA also recognized the benefits of the passage of voluntary truth-in-labeling legislation and expressed appreciation to lawmakers for supporting the measure, which allows producers to certify that meat and meat products marketed as Tennessee-sourced come from livestock raised in Tennessee. The legislation is designed to provide added transparency and increase consumer confidence.

The mission of TDA is to serve, support, and promote agriculture and forestry.