Aim, adjust, and fire! Those are the motions that 37 team members from across the state made on April 28 at the first Agriculture, Kids, & Clays event held at the Crossville Shooting Sports Park.
The event was co-sponsored by Tennessee Farmers Cooperative, Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation, Tennessee Farm Bureau Insurance, Rural 1st, and Farm Credit Mid-America. The event raised money in support of Tennessee FFA, 4-H, and Ag in the Classroom.
“I’m thankful for the belief that the sponsoring organizations have in young people and their futures,” said 4-H member and Cherokee High School senior Jim Jenkins after the event. “These organizations are welcoming young people like me into careers in agriculture and helping lay the foundation for their future success.”
Planning to attend the University of Tennessee and major in agriculture business this fall, Jim said that he’s “forever thankful” for his time in 4-H and the life lessons that he’s learned.
Attendees gathered for a safety discussion at the beginning of the event before heading out to the course. Lunch was provided by the Tennessee Pork Producers, and there was a brief program honoring the winners following the meal.
Maury Ford, executive vice president of sales and operations at Case Knives, showcased the commemorative Agriculture, Kids, & Clays knife along with a one-of-a-kind version that was auctioned off during the program. Jimmy Ogilvie, TFC event and sales support manager, won the knife for the cooperative with the highest bid. Cumberland Farmers Co-op Board President Kenny Carey served as auctioneer.
“This is a great way to raise money for the youth in Tennessee,” said Carey. “Agriculture is vital for our future success, and empowering young people with tools and lessons learned through FFA, 4-H, and Ag in the Classroom is beneficial to both rural and urban students alike.”
Top shooters were recognized after the luncheon. The first-place team, winning four Milwaukee drills with a score of 179, was the Cumberland County Youth Shooting Team, sponsored by Fastenal. The second-place team, with a score of 173, was Cumberland Farmers Co-op. Those team members won four $50 Co-op gift certificates. The third-place team, with a score of 163, was Bledsoe County 4-H. The team was sponsored by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture and won four Yeti tumblers.
Farm Credit Mid-America and Rural 1st provided a $500 scholarship to the top scoring youth shooter. The winner was required to have been currently enrolled in elementary, middle, or high school, or a 2022 high school graduate with plans to attend a two-year college or four-year university or trade school. Wyatt Freels of Anderson County won the $500 scholarship.
Taylor Hillard of Carroll County was the youth female high overall shooter and Wyatt Freels was the youth male high overall shooter.
The Tennessee FFA State Officer Team for 2022-2023 assisted with scoring, delivering refreshments, and engaging with present and future FFA members throughout the shoot.
“I was extremely impressed with the event and the students that I talked to,” says TFC Chief Executive Officer Shannon Huff. “I am proud of what our organization does and will continue to do to support the future of agriculture in Tennessee and surrounding states.”
For those interested in sporting clays events, Shooting Hunger 2022 is scheduled for June 24 in West Tennessee, September 15 in Middle Tennessee, and October 13 in East Tennessee. These events raise money to help feed hungry Tennesseans through regional food banks. For more information regarding Shooting Hunger, visit
www.shootinghunger.com.
There is a limited inventory of 2022 Agriculture, Kids, & Clays knives available for purchase. Contact Jimmy Ogilvie at jogilvie@ourcoop.com or 615-793-8453 to purchase.
For more information about the event or to donate to Agriculture, Kids and Clays, visit https://agriculturekidsandclays.com.