affiliates
Summary 2023 — Tennessee
State Contact
Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation
P.O. Box 313
Columbia, TN 38402-0313
P: 931.388.7872
E: cfleming@tfbf.com
Website
Innovative Programming
We expanded our pre-service offerings at more universities along with one additional location for our Summer Workshop series. We now conduct eleven one day professional developments across the state.
To assist our county Farm Bureaus with their agricultural literacy efforts, we offered a cost share program to sponsor teachers to the national conference. Over thirty counties took advantage and thirty six teachers to Orlando.
We increased our funding of county farm day events from $500 per county, to $1,000 per county. We also increased the amount of AITC materials that each county could purchase from us, AFBF or the AITC store to $250.
We moved our summer Teacher Tours to the middle of June to accommodate regional school schedules. Attendance increased and plans are to continue.
Major Program Impacts or Outcomes
Not reported for 2023
Program Leader Biosketch
Chris Fleming has been involved with agriculture education/agricultural literacy almost all of his life. From his days on a small beef cattle operation Chris participated in 4-H and FFA. Upon graduation for the University of Tennessee at Martin, he began his career as an Ag teacher in West Tennessee, remaining at McNairy Central for 10 years. His young family then relocated to Middle Tennessee as he reopened an Agriculture Education program at Hampshire Unit School.
As his family grew Chris and wife Teresa decided it was time for a job change. He began his career with Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation in 1998. He has served as the AITC Program Leader for Tennessee, President of the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization (NAITCO), and Southern Region representative for NAITCO.
Chris has a Masters from Middle Tennessee State University. He returned to the small farm where he was raised, raised his own three boys (Jed, Luke and Adam) and now has three wonderful daughters in law, a grand daughter -Lucy and grand son Ira. Life is wonderful!
Chris Fleming holds a Masters Degree in Agricultural Education from Middle Tennessee State University and has represented Tennessee AITC for twenty-six years. Prior to his service with Tennessee Farm Bureau, he taught high school Agriculture for twelve years. Chris and his wife Teresa live on their family farm and have three grown sons. They are enjoying spending some time with their two grandchildren.