Bringing a rich background in farming, leadership, and service, Lynchburg’s Sloan Stewart is stepping into his new role as director representing Zone 2 with the Tennessee Farmers Cooperative (TFC) board.

Sloan was elected to the board on January 18 to fill the vacant position left by David Rhea of Manchester, who resigned shortly after his election at the TFC 2021 Annual Meeting on November 29 for personal reasons. 

As a longtime member of the Co-op and current president of the Bedford-Moore Farmers Cooperative Board of Directors, Sloan was well-acquainted with the cooperative system.

“When I became a member of the local board in 2019, I’d always considered serving on the state board,” says Sloan. “I’m thankful that things fell into place for me to accept the position earlier than I’d envisioned, and I’m looking forward to serving Tennessee’s farmers.”

Sloan’s qualifications for the board have been accumulating since his early involvement in both the cattle industry and local government. Growing up on a beef cattle and hay operation in Moore County, he is no stranger to farming. After obtaining a degree in industrial management from Middle Tennessee State University, Sloan returned to the farm to continue working in the family business. In the late 1990s, he decided to put his education in economics and finance to use. 

“I first began my stint in the county’s executive branch as a Metro Moore County Council Member from 2002 until I was appointed to Metro Moore County Mayor in 2009,” he recalls. “I served in that role until 2018, when I decided against another term so I could spend more time on the farm and with my family.”

During his time in the county government, Sloan also served as chairman of the Moore County Agricultural Board, chairman of the South-Central Human Resources Agency, Moore County Solid Waste Director/Recycling Coordinator, and Metro Council Budget Chairman. He was also active on numerous bank and farm credit boards and continues to serve as a member of his local Farm Bureau Board and Cattlemen's Association.

Today, Sloan is the financial center manager at Farmers Bank of Lynchburg. He and his wife, Cathy, operate a cow-calf and backgrounding operation on the century farm where Sloan grew up. His father, Wayne, who served on the local Co-op board from 2010 to 2016, still resides on the farm, where Sloan says he is content to spend his retirement monitoring the cows.

“Working a full-time job and managing the farm can definitely feel like a juggling act at times,” admits Sloan. “When you grow up farming, though, it’s something you’re rarely willing to give up. My dad was a teacher, raised his children, and managed the farm, so it’s a lifestyle I’m familiar with.

Sloan manages 150 head of cattle divided between his 500-acre century farm and 500-acre rental property. Along with many local producers, he feeds the mash from the nearby Jack Daniel’s Distillery, which is a byproduct of the whiskey-making process. Sloan says that the mash is high in protein and fat and is a cost-effective alternative to silage when supplemented with hay that he grows on the farm. 

Now that his time is split between farming and banking, Sloan says that he relies on the help of his wife and farm hands to pitch in where needed. He fondly credits Cathy for her diligence in raising the bottle calves, a critical part of owning a cow-calf operation.

“Cathy’s got a real gift for working with the bottle calves,” says Sloan. “We’ve got a little barn set up at our house that she calls ‘The Rescue,’ and she’s raised about eight calves in there over the past couple of years. Most of them were heifers, and we made cows out of them.”

Sloan says that he is looking forward to bringing his experience in finance, leadership, and the cattle industry to the TFC board to better serve Tennessee farmers. He thanks his fellow farmers for entrusting him with the position and says that being able to meet other board members and farmers with diverse backgrounds has already been an eye-opening experience. 

“Moore County, with all of its hills, is cattle country,” Sloan points out. “I’ve only got one row-cropper in my area. When I came on the TFC board, I was intrigued by the other members who represent such different aspects of agriculture. It’s been eye-opening to see the big picture beyond the borders of my county.”