Andy Holt on Tennessee Agriculture
Andy Holt serves as Deputy Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, overseeing operations, policy, and statewide programs supporting food safety, animal and plant health, consumer protection, forestry, and agricultural development.
About Andy Holt
Andy Holt serves as Deputy Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA), where he helps lead statewide efforts to support and strengthen one of Tennessee’s most vital industries. In this role, Holt oversees day-to-day operations, shapes agricultural policy, and supports a wide range of programs—from food safety and animal health to pesticide regulation, forestry, and agricultural development.
Appointed after a decade of legislative service, Holt brings a unique perspective to the department. As a former member of the Tennessee General Assembly, he represented House District 76, advocating for rural communities across Weakley, Carroll, and Obion Counties. Following his time in the legislature, he served as Assistant Commissioner for Business Development at TDA, working to grow markets and opportunities for Tennessee’s agricultural producers.
Holt holds a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics and Business with a minor in Animal Science from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, and an MBA from the University of Tennessee at Martin.
He and his wife, Ellie, are raising their seven children on a working farm outside of Dresden. Their family is raising beef cattle, goats, and swine, offering custom hay and straw baling, and welcoming thousands of visitors each fall to their agritourism business. While Holt is a first-generation farmer, Ellie’s roots run deep: her family has farmed in West Tennessee for four generations.
Andy Holt is working to preserve farmland, support innovation, and expand markets in Tennessee, where he sees firsthand the threat of farmland loss as both a farmer and policymaker. With a focus on agritourism, global demand for Tennessee goods, and agricultural technology, he’s shaping the future of the state’s economy through modernization and public service.
Resources
Holt Family Farms
Tennessee Department of Agriculture
4-H Youth Development
Tennessee Forestry
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Spencer: Deputy Commissioner Andy Holt. For the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, welcome to Signature Required.
Andy: Well, thank you so much for the opportunity to be here with you. I'm looking forward to it.
Spencer: We're really excited to have you. Most people, if they met a Deputy [00:01:00] commissioner of Agriculture for the state of Tennessee might be able to talk for like five seconds about what they think it is that you might do, but who have, Carli and I managed to land on our podcast today? What do you do? So.
Andy: I'm relatively new to this position. Um, have spent some time at the department about four years at the department, a couple of different roles, but now Landon is this position with, uh, deputy Commissioner as my new title. Um, I'm really an assistant to Commissioner Hatcher and I help him manage everything from HR to, um, different issues that are gonna arise over time, uh, really across the state.
Andy: So from Mountain City to Memphis and as we say from Copper Hill to Tipton, there's, uh, agriculture in every county and forestry in every county here in the state of Tennessee, which is one of the great things, uh, about Tennessee. One of the things that makes us unique and as a result, you know. Different folks within the industry have different needs, different concerns, different wants, [00:02:00] different desires.
Andy: And so I try to help the commissioner manage those and address issues as they arise. And I know that sounds probably like a pretty nebulous description, but from one day to the next, um, I could be in Chattanooga talking to a group there about agriculture, or next month I'll be in Hong Kong for seven days promoting Tennessee agriculture and forestry.
Andy: So, wow. One day to the next never looks the same. And do you wear the hat? I like that. Do you wear the hat in Hong Kong too? So, you know, I've, I'm gonna need a
Carli: photo if you do. Yeah, I,
Andy: I, I do it, it actually kind of makes me, um. No matter where I travel India, I've been in India several times over the last two years and also Vietnam.
Andy: And uh, every time I go it's almost kind of like a navigational beacon for the folks that we've built relationships with. When they see me, um, it's something they've come to expect and now I kind of feel like I've worked myself into a box. 'cause if I don't have a hat on, then people are like, Hey, who's the fat bald guy over there?
Andy: But they know who I am with the hat, so it really [00:03:00] helps.
Carli: It's branding. We're gonna call it branding. It's branding.
Andy: There you go. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Carli: Okay. Before we move on, I do wanna ask, you're traveling the world. Yes. And I think a lot of people would assume you would just be traveling our state maybe end up in DC sometimes.
Carli: So what is it about what we do in Tennessee that you're promoting all over the world?
Andy: So, good question. So I'm gonna, I'm gonna give some precursory information and then answer your question. So Tennessee is literally one of the most unique agriculture and wood baskets in. In the world, um, from East Tennessee, which is obviously a lot more mountainous, a lot more, uh, topography throughout Middle Tennessee, which has its own, you know, type of geological and topography, you know, characteristics all the way to West Tennessee.
Andy: We, we really kind of, for the three stars that are on our, on our flag, have these almost like three unique, almost sub states that combine to make one define wood
Spencer: basket real quick too, [00:04:00] because I know what you mean, but, okay. People in here, wood basket, they might be thinking something very different than what you're thinking when you say wood baskett.
Spencer: Yeah.
Andy: So
Spencer: wood
Andy: baskett is kind of what we describe as a forested area. Yeah. So kind of like the collective characteristics of a patch of forested area. Mm-hmm. And so we have some pretty unique wood baskets, uh, here in the state of Tennessee as a result of that. A lot of timber potential of all different types.
Andy: Tons. Actually, hopefully we get into the details about that. Um, but over half of our state is actually forested, and so that's one of the. Biggest, um, commodities that we're producing on a, on a daily basis is wood. Um, but because we've got these three very unique regions and we have three very unique opportunities for people to produce different types of agricultural commodities, we really are kind of known around the world as a supplier of lots of food, food products.
Andy: Uh, also, you know, we're part of the, what we call the Southern Corn Belt now. Mm-hmm. Jack Daniels. So around the world, [00:05:00] when I introduce myself even to, you know, diplomats from foreign nations and you know, they want me to introduce myself to say, Andy, hold. I'm from the land of Dolly Parton, Jack Daniels and Elvis Presley, and they instantly know, they know Tennessee.
Andy: Um, and so as a result of us producing all these different commodities, and because we have this really, really great hardwood, uh, potential people around the world want these products, I think, you know, Spencer, you and I and Carli, I know you said you're, you know, born and bred Tennessee, probably a lot of people.
Andy: That were like us and grew up here, probably thought everybody grew up with these kind of trees around them, and that's just not the case. Yeah. Um, around the world, Tennessee hardwood is really sought after it's in demand. And so that's one of the products amongst food products and amongst livestock and genetics and other things that we can produce here in, in Tennessee, that's what we're out promoting around the world, um, in all these different countries.
Mm-hmm.
Spencer: What is it that you're looking for, let's talk about it for a second. [00:06:00] Why is the hardwood from Tennessee unique like you would think as a outsider that doesn't have much involvement in timber, like what makes it special versus all the other trees that you could chop down?
Andy: So around the world, what makes us special is that our silvi cultural practices and silviculture is the, is the practice kinda like agriculture is growing crops and livestock.
Andy: So silviculture is the practice of growing. Trees. Um, and our SVI cultural practices here in Tennessee are the most sustainable that you'll find anywhere in the world. And so that in and of itself is attractive to a certain group, certain demographic of buyers. They wanna make sure that we're not going through taking a rainforest and depleting that rainforest.
Andy: Mm-hmm. Taking those fiber resources that would be ascertained through that process and selling that into a market as a, as an unsustainable forestry product. So what we know is that. Any tree that's cut here in Tennessee has been [00:07:00] managed in a Silva, culturally acceptable practice because most importantly it's native.
Andy: So you look at the topography of our state, there's a lot of places across the state right now where you're not gonna cut the trees down and say plant wheat, and then come back behind that and graze cattle. Um, the topography limits that the potential of the ground would limit that. But, um, on a craggy north facing slope with that's on a 40 degree that's covered with limestone, you can produce one of the best wide oak trees in the world.
Andy: Wow. And that's what we had the habit of doing here in Tennessee. And that, and the quality of that hardwood, the sustainability of that hardwood, the fact that we have an infrastructure of folks that can carefully cut that tree down. Take it and haul it to a mill. That mill can manufacture that log into lumber and other byproduct material and then have that ready to send out around the world.
Andy: That makes us unique, and that's something that is a real core [00:08:00] competency for us here in Tennessee.
Carli: So when it's spring and my allergies are killing me mm-hmm. I should actually rejoice because you means, means that our trees are flowering and that's what makes Tennessee so special, right? Yeah.
Andy: And, and all that yellow dust that's all over your car.
Andy: Just think like, Hey, you know what that is profit for. Sure. It's gold dust. It's gold dust. It's a good way to, it's yellow brick road. Yes, we
Carli: are on our way to, okay. There you go. I got it. All right. I will reframe my Claritin usage.
Spencer: We've gotten some real vocabulary so far today. Carli, I'm telling you,
Carli: I feel like our design team needs to put together like a cheat sheet of all of the words.
Spencer: Silver cultural wood basket. I mean we're really good wood basket's my favorite though. Yeah.
Spencer: well, we can automatically see that your knowledge and education and sophistication related to Tennessee agriculture, like you've wowed us already in just like five minutes worth of, of hearing it.
Spencer: So help us learn a little bit about you. Um, you're Deputy Commissioner Andy [00:09:00] Holt, but who's Andy? Outside of your role, how did you get to the place that you are?
Andy: Well, yeah, that's a big question. So I'll start kind of from the beginning and, and hopefully this will be something that encourages people who are listening, especially if you have young people that are listening or if you have folks that are saying, man, I'd really like to get into agriculture, but like, I'm not really from that kind of group.
Andy: You know, my parents don't farm, or I don't know enough about agriculture to feel like I can be a participant. So, um, actually grew up in a completely non agricultural family and I grew up. Really, to be honest, in a ghetto, um, in Knoxville. So I grew up in a, poverty stricken home.
Andy: Yeah and until I was about 10 years old, not a lot of real emphasis on education, not a lot of, uh, plenty of support. Don't get me wrong. I had great parents, and to this day, they're still some of the greatest people that I've ever met my entire life. But as a kid, [00:10:00] um, I just did not grow up on the trajectory to be sitting here with you all talking about this topic.
Andy: Yeah. Um, and, and I hope that's an encouragement for anybody because, you know, um, people can learn new skills and do new things and like. You know, charter a path for themselves that maybe others would not have expected. And I think I'm living proof of that and so, you know, early on I was a struggling reader in elementary school.
Andy: I had a teacher that was just, ugh, literally a godsend. Mm-hmm who forced me to kind of learn how to read instead of going to recess which was a good trade off. I didn't think it was at the time. So, we were reading books about agriculture and I didn't even know it at the time, but I was like being drawn in as, I think really a lot of kids are drawn into the idea of like, living on a farm and being around animals, you know, for some, for some, for some kids.
Andy: Mm-hmm. Some people, animals are the draw to agriculture for some people. And I've got a daughter, my oldest [00:11:00] daughter, Josie's 16 years old. The draw for her is plants. I mean, she just loves to watch plants grow and to learn more about why plants grow, why they succeed, why they thrive. And so, I just remember reading through some of those books and then making my mind up, you know, like, I think this is what I wanna do for a living.
Andy: sometimes we box ourselves into this ideology that, well, you know, you, you're not equipped for that you, you can't do that. And, and sometimes we're told that enough that we start to believe it ourselves. But I have forever, always, and I hope I never lose this, always sort of.
Andy: I had, my own intentions in life and kind of danced to my own music or whatever. And, just made this, I can remember very affirmative decision. And I just thought, well, I'm gonna learn how to farm and I'm gonna live on a farm and I'm gonna have a farm one day. Wow. And so happy to report that, you know, like that dream came true and, and it can come true for others.
Andy: And whether that's, you know, whether you're as an elementary school kid [00:12:00] that's making that decision or maybe you're somebody that's moving from another state who's landing in Tennessee and for the first time you've kind of looked around and said like, wow, this ag thing is really something that I really like.
Andy: And so, you know, fast forward now, my wife and I, um, Ellie, we were. College sweethearts. She was from West Tennessee. I was obviously from East Tennessee growing up in Knoxville. And we got hitched after, after college. I won't tell you how much of a struggle that was for me because I had a managerial accounting class that I didn't think I was gonna pass, but I knew like I got a job lined up on this.
Andy: I've got a marriage lined up on this. Like I have to get through. And you've made
Carli: it?
Andy: I made it. Thankfully we got a curve in that class and I was good. Yeah. Well, so
Carli: you went, you did your undergrad in agriculture, correct? Right at ut Yep. Knoxville. And then you went on and got an MBA also
Andy: Correct. At UT Martin.
Andy: So once we moved to West Tennessee, which is again where Ellie was from, and um, you know, her parents farmed in west Tennessee. Of [00:13:00] course West Tennessee is a big row crop area. Her parents had cattle and had row crops and everything. Uh, and so that's where I naturally wanted to be anyway, but. It was just a great place.
Andy: But I found a job there. I started working for Farm Credit Services. I was in the ag lending, uh, industry early on and so we had, you know, all these great things lined up.
Andy: And then while I was there, I, I did, I felt like this draw to sort of continue my education and actually have intentions to start a PhD this fall with, with UT Knoxville, with the ALEC program, which is AG leadership. Wow. So, yeah. But we have seven kids from five to 16 and,
Andy: We're book ended with girls. I think every, every man kind of has that like, man, I really want to have a boy. And then you have a girl and you realize like, wow, maybe I just need all girls because they're, because they're amazing.
Spencer: It's just like you come home and it's a daddy explosion. Yeah. It's just like whatever's happened that day, it just falls away pretty quickly because in their eyes [00:14:00] it's like I want to be half the person that they think that I am.
Spencer: That I look into those eyes and man, it's really. It's really something being, I agree
Andy: with you a hundred percent, and I think that's one of the draws for me, I think that was so positive about agriculture is these are family oriented businesses. So 98% of all farming operations in the state of Tennessee, logging operations, civil cultural operations, they're just built around family.
Andy: Like that's the nuclear element of every one of these businesses. And I think that's something that's really attractive to me as well.
Spencer: That was exactly where I was going with my next question is, we've had the opportunity to interview a number of people from the agricultural industry, but they're always, you know, fifth generation, seventh generation, 12th generation. I mean, just stuff that is kind of mind blowing, isn't it? It's so, it's so intimidating.
Spencer: It's awe inspiring. It's uniquely American. It is historically tennesseean, all things that you love and someone in [00:15:00] agriculture has to learn to communicate agriculture to someone that's starting at the beginning. So how did that work for you? Because it sounds like that you had, at least for a moment, some intimidation of what it would be like to really go all into that ag space.
Spencer: How was that for you and what was a moment? Was it a mentor, was it an education? How did you
Andy: break into it? Great question. And I think you are so right. I think sometimes as industry professionals, no matter what that industry is, um, and we do, you know, we wanna come across professionally mm-hmm. We wanna come across with this image of like, Hey, I kind of know what I'm doing.
Andy: so, you know, in the process of learning though, kind of like what you're talking about for me, and this might be a surprise, but it was four H
Hmm. Okay.
Andy: As this like, you know, second, third grade kid learning about like this new career opportunity, this new path in life that seems so attractive.
Andy: Animals and plants and [00:16:00] tractors and all the cool stuff that, like, I literally get to live out every day now as an adult kid, I'll be honest, the, the self-confidence skills that I think.
Andy: Kids are so in need of right now. Mm-hmm. Was really furnished to me through my relationship with four H later that transition to FFA.
Spencer: Yeah. So for four H, there's a lot of people listening that won't know what that means. Yep. So help understand what it was, what it is today, and just how they might. Learn more about
Andy: it.
Andy: So four H, which I actually was representing four H today with my lapel pen. Nice. Um, is a, it's a, it's a club for kids that is focused on, and it's, Tennessee has the largest four H club in the United States actually. Um, it is a youth leadership development agency. It's like a group that really teaches kids about leadership citizenship.
Andy: Um, they have a pledge that talks about their hands and their health and their heart. [00:17:00] Um, and it just really, to me, it kind of embodies American greatness, kind of like as a club for kids. And, um, you know, when, I guess it would've been third or fourth grade, um, my parents were able to make a transition. We were able to move from this inner city urban.
Andy: You know, pretty poverty stricken environment. We're able to move to what I thought as a kid was the country. It was just the county. It was just, it was just John Sewer highway in Knox County. It's 20 minutes outta town. Yeah. But to me it was just like, oh man, I have like, I'm like living in the rurals of rural America, you know, because we didn't have a house sitting right beside us.
Andy: And it was there that I got to have some chickens. I started with the Chick Chain project, uh, which my kids still participate in right now. You familiar with Chick Chain? No. No. You gotta give us, you're have to identify
Carli: all the things.
Andy: So Chick chain was the. Was the opportunity for students to learn how to raise poultry.
Andy: And this was again, I mean we have to remember to view four [00:18:00] H through this a hundred plus year history of, you know, through the depression and through the recovery from the depression, these home skills that were necessary. Mm-hmm. So like I learned how to bake biscuits when I was in four H, still use the same recipe, still compete with my brother-in-law on who has the best biscuits and it's me.
Andy: Did you bring any today? I did. I was gonna say, can I have some? Well, and we learned a can and, but we learned how to raise livestock and of course one of the easiest things to learn how to raise is, is poultry. And so you get these day old chicks. We still deliver chicks in the mail. Um, but part of the, part of the deal is, is that you get these chicks, but you raise them and then you actually take them back to a competition amongst your peers to who to see who raised the best chickens.
Andy: And so you do that based on, you know, their ability to lay eggs, their, the, the formation of these birds, how well you fed them, how well you cared for them. And for me, that was the first tangible like. Wow. Like I [00:19:00] have my own birds. They're like dependent on me, which is great. You said chicks in the mail?
Andy: Yeah. Oh yeah. They mail them. Yeah. What, what, how does it arrive? So it just, you get this little box. Mm-hmm. And it's got these little vents poked in it or whatever else. And still
Carli: the kindergarten at our kids' school gets them every spring. Yeah. And they teach the kids. Yeah.
Andy: Yeah. So poultry by mail, it's, it's a whole thing with the mail, with the USPS, so yeah.
Andy: That is amazing. But that for me was the, that was the kickoff. Then it went to sheep, then it went to, actually, you know, by that time I was getting into high school and I also became a part of FFA, which is Future Farmers of America, which is a little bit more probably focused on high school. And then, uh, you know, through that process.
Andy: And I, you know, again, I gained confidence. I think that's what. I think that's what a lot of kids need early on, and maybe we don't talk about it enough, is that kids just need to do something where they can get a win in life, you know? Mm-hmm. Yeah. And for some, that's gonna be sports. For me, it was a combination of some sports.
Andy: I played a few sports. I didn't get that [00:20:00] much fulfillment out of it, but four HFFA, that was where I really felt fulfilled and, and it, it emboldened me to take another step. Maybe we can talk about that at some point, but I, I like left and went to Wyoming and worked as a cowboy, and that, that was kinda like the real, uh, epitome to me of like, I've like fulfilled what I wanted to, like starting out in elementary school.
Andy: That was really great.
Carli: Hmm. One thing you said about. Um, four H that I think we should really highlight is the public speaking mm-hmm. Component. And if you get to know my husband any better, you'll know that I have the privilege of being married to a super debate nerd.
That's great. Just,
Carli: just the greatest part about him is he did speech and debate and then taught speech and debate all of the things, and it's served him still today and chose that over sports because mm-hmm.
Carli: Of the future impact. Can you talk a little bit about four H and how it gives kids opportunities to develop speaking skills, because that's near and dear to our hearts. Yeah.
Andy: So we had, uh, [00:21:00] prepared speaking and then we also had extemporaneous speaking. And for me, the extemporaneous was more of a challenge and a little bit more fun.
Andy: Sure. You know, you're just given this topic and then you're just told All right. Tell, tell us what you know about it. And, you know, it was a really good opportunity for me to, again, sort of challenge myself. Obviously speaking, um, is, is something that I enjoy doing. I like doing. Um, and I feel like that kinda kickoff there early on sort of gave me the.
Andy: The skills that were necessary to continue to, to gain opportunities, to now do this great thing, get to sit down and talk to you all and share more about my, my love, my passion for ag and forestry, because again, I want to attract people into this industry and, and the best way that we can do that is by effectively communicating.
Andy: And I appreciate you all. Hosting me here so that we can communicate more about this.
Spencer: Well, I can't let the cowboy in Wyoming go. So [00:22:00] now we're gonna have to really go into that story because I want to know, were you casted for Yellowstone or considered for casting? Uh, you know, did you go to the Quad six Ranch?
Spencer: Like, tell me through what, what that was like out there.
Andy: Well, it was, you know, there's, I, I don't watch Yellowstone. I just don't, I don't have enough time in life. Oh, man. But I did catch some one time on an international flight, and there were some things there that were just, uh, you know, the Western lifestyle is just different Yeah.
Andy: Than, than what we live. Um, you know, the, the landscape and the, the. You know, just a lot of things are different. But for me, um, and I don't wanna say that I like, you know, lied to anybody, but I probably, you know, I probably gave myself a little more credit than I should have on my knowledge of livestock and horses and cattle.
Andy: And, uh, but once I got there, again, I, I, I worked for some really great people who mm-hmm um, really took the time to help me and help me learn. And I was an asset to them as well. [00:23:00] Uh, but I worked on two different ranches over there and went back for, for off and on for three years, in essence, between high school and college.
Andy: But I went my first year between junior and high school year, junior and senior year of high school. And, uh, and that was my first kind of introductory, uh, trip to Wyoming. And it was great. It was my first chance to be out on my own. It also helped me realize that I. My mom, who was just again, the greatest, she's been the greatest, you know, influence in my life in, in many ways.
Andy: But she was terrible to me. She never taught me any life skills. And so I got there and I had taken some Kool-Aid with me, some purple Kool-Aid. And I remember I went to Walmart and I got my own like pitcher. Mm-hmm. And I put the water in there and I put that packet of, of, you know, grape lemon grape Kool-Aid in there, mixed it up.
Andy: And I drank it and I was like, what? Something is, my mom's [00:24:00] Kool-Aid is, something's gone horribly wrong. What seemed better? Yeah. I didn't realize you had to put sugar in it. And I didn't know how to cook anything. I didn't know how to wash clothes. I didn't know how to make a bed. And so I've also told myself that my kids will never leave the house.
Andy: Boys, girls, everybody equal opportunity. We're all gonna know how to cook, we're all gonna know how to clean, we're all gonna know how to process the chicken. We're all gonna know how to process the hog. We're all gonna know how to change a tire. You know, do all these different things. That was one thing that I realized while I was there, is that my mom had done so much for me, um, that life skills are necessary, especially when you're off on your own as a 17-year-old for the first time.
Andy: So,
Carli: wow. I love what you're saying there. 'cause I do think it's really hard in our generation of parenting is you have all the Pinterest parties and you have all the moms that are like, well, I'm gonna do this and I'm gonna do that. And you can fall prey to wanting to do everything For all your kids and to make their life easy.
Carli: And I think what no one tells you is that when they have a hard day. It comes back at [00:25:00] you. Oh, yeah. So sometimes it's easier to make the path EAs easier for them because it's easier for you. You have to be willing to have a hard day alongside of them as they're learning those skills. And they're perhaps a little grumpy with me.
Carli: Never with daddy. Of course not with daddy, but Yeah. Hero But with mama. But I think it serves them long term. So I agree that you're saying that.
Andy: I agree. But that experience was certainly influential for me and, and mostly for this reason. I learned a lot about horsemanship, I learned a lot about cattle and those were all great things.
Andy: But while I was there, I also, and this is the part that I'll never forget from being in Wyoming, is it was the first time I realized that bad policy. Hmm. Will have an impact on humans and on their life and on their livelihood and on their ability to make a living on their own property. And, um, what was already probably forged in me, a very independent spirit and a very sort of, [00:26:00] again, this is as a person who works for a government agency, but, um, skeptical of government.
Andy: I think there always needs to be a healthy level of skepticism, always needs to be a healthy balance of, um, us being mindful that bad policy can have a really bad impact on people. And I, I, I was able to see that there. I won't go into the details, but, um, the Federal Government's Bureau of Land Management in the area of Wyoming where I was at, was pretty intense.
Andy: And they, um. The ranchers that I worked for suffered the consequences of what I think is pretty poor land management practices in that area. And, uh, and I was able to talk to that, to the rancher that I worked for and gain a better understanding of how if some relatively small mm-hmm minor policy changes would were instituted how much it would benefit him and the ranch that we worked on.
Andy: And so that's probably the most important thing that I took back with me from Wyoming.
Spencer: one of the things that I love in your story in [00:27:00] Wyoming is that there was a degree of fake it till you make it. Mm-hmm. You had to go out there and learn new stuff and kind of probably get embarrassed, get tricked on.
Spencer: Oh yeah. You know, like all that stuff was happening, so, yeah. One of the other parts to move your career forward is you were elected to the house and had the chance to be a legislator. So how much faking it to you making it? Was it there when you got and showed up there? It's like, okay, I've come a long way from East Tennessee to be here as a legislator.
Andy: Oh wow. I mean, we don't have enough time.
Carli: You may not wanna answer that question.
Andy: So the, uh, you know, just that whole fake it till you make it is, is, is very true. And, and again, I would encourage everybody to force yourself into a situation where you have to do that. 'cause I think it kind of forces you to make the best of that situation.
Andy: So for me, um, so I was 28 years old. I had no real. Yeah, [00:28:00] disposable income to really put toward an elected campaign. Um, but I had something that I felt like I needed to do. I felt like, honestly it was the Lord's calling on my life. There's a lot more backstory to that. Um. And if I had known then what I know now about politics, I would've been far too scared to have ever run.
Andy: Mm. Because had I lost that race, my life would've really turned out differently. And I don't mean for that to sound weird or morbid or anything, but it would have, and I didn't know it was the innocence of youthful inexperience that led me to, and my wife and I were actually talking about this last night and I said something to her, I said, can you believe I actually got elected that first time?
Andy: And she said, yeah, I can. 'cause it was the Lord's will. Yeah. And, and, and that's, that is something that I, it's a non-negotiable. That's the truth. Um, but it was a surprise to me. [00:29:00] And, um, and, and that said. You know, it put me in a position to run for five terms, a state representative. I look back on that time and there's things that, because I didn't have anybody to tell me, Hey, this is, you know, you're in this position now.
Andy: This is how you should treat this office. These are the things that you should do. Again, I, I didn't come from a agricultural family, but I also did not come from a political family at all. Yeah. And so I didn't really have anybody to counsel me. There's things I wish I had done differently, so bad. I, I don't regret a lot of things in life, but there are some things that I said, there's some things, some attitudes that I held that I just think, man, if you had just had somebody to tell you don't do this, it would've made my political career more fulfilling.
Andy: It would've made it more impactful. Um, and so. As a result, I, I take lots of new, or in many cases, young legislators sort of under my wing and counsel them a lot [00:30:00] and say, don't make the mistakes I did. These are some of the mistakes that I made, and here are some things that I did that were very successful and made me successful.
Andy: And, and I try to share that with them. But
Carli: at that point in, in all honesty, could someone have told you or did you have to kind of figure it out?
Andy: Yeah. Yeah. Thanks for that. Uh, I don't
Carli: know. The cowboy that went to Wyoming, it sounds to me like maybe you had to learn it that way. I think one of God's greatest gifts he gives us is not telling us the future.
That's true.
Carli: Because if we knew there have been several periods of our entrepreneurial journey, our family journey, that if I had knew what was gonna happen six months ahead, I would not have taken that step. I've been too afraid and I'm so grateful I wouldn't have traded any of those. Moments that were really bitterly hard because I wouldn't be able to sit here and talk to you today and have the conversation we're having.
Carli: But I don't think I would've had the courage to choose it had I known all the data.
Andy: No, I, I agree with you a thousand percent. Yeah. you're [00:31:00] exactly right.
Andy: My wife says this all the time, recognize the need and meet it.
Spencer: So then take us into the bridge from the five terms in the legislative body to becoming deputy commissioner.
Spencer: What was, what was that like.
Andy: Well, I gotta back up and just say that Governor Lee is a great governor. He is, in my opinion, the greatest governor. Currently in office in the United States. And, and I don't say that, and they're like, oh, well, you work for the guy.
Andy: That's why you're, no, I, and I do, but I will say it's because I know him as a, as a human, I know him as a man and, uh, I have just an inordinate amount of respect for him. I don't know if y'all have read Governor Lee's book., if you have not, I would encourage you to read it., governor Lee has experienced some, just like we were talking about some pretty difficult things in life.
Andy: Mm-hmm. he's also experienced a lot of success in life. He's a successful guy. but he and I. Struck a relationship up early on, when he was [00:32:00] running for governor. And it was one of those times where when you're, I'll just let you behind the curtain, when you're a member of the general assembly, everybody wants to talk to you about everything.
Andy: Mm-hmm. And of course, when the governor races start coming on, ugh, everybody wants to talk to you about being governor, why they're gonna be the best governor.
They're gonna be the
Andy: best you've ever, ever seen or heard. And, um, had a friend that was working for Governor Lee's campaign and he said, Hey, he said, you think you could set aside, you know, 15, 30 minutes and, and meet with, with this guy Bill Lee?
Andy: And I was like, man, I mean, I've had this with all the other ones. You know, I mean, I'm sure you know, he loves, he loves the Lord, he loves agriculture. You know, he loves business. You know, it's just what everybody loves when they're running for governor. And I took the time to sit down with Governor Lee, and I made the most foolish political decision I've ever made in my entire life.
Andy: After about 30 minutes of sitting down and talking with him, I stood up and I said, [00:33:00] man, I'm with you. I. A hundred percent. Wow. What can I do to help you? Can I give you money? Do you want me to like, endorse you? And I think it scared him because I was this first legislative endorsement and here's this guy that's kind of a political lightning rod.
Andy: You know, like, do I want his endorsement? Do I not? Um, but from that day forward, we've, we've, we've been friends and, uh, and I knew that I could probably assist him better in this type of role than I could have in the general assembly. And so two years after he was elected, I, I started kind of working my way out of the general assembly and then, um, you know, kind of made it known that I'd, I'd love to work for the, for the, for the governor at the Department of Agriculture.
Andy: And thankfully, uh, a job was available and I, I was able to get started there kind of to actually, you know, pretty low position and, and just had the chance to sort of, you know, work my way up as availabilities came available.
Spencer: One of the amazing things about Tennessee is we have a lot of people [00:34:00] moving here, and it's the whole theme behind why we do this podcast is to help people learn what makes Tennessee so special. Whether they've lived here for generations with their family, or whether they're brand new here.
Spencer: And the agriculture statistics are. Surprising, I think. Mm-hmm. Um, people don't know how to quantify what it really means to our state. So you're the guy sitting in the seat that gets to see it from end to end of the state. So can you just help us learn a little bit about where Tennessee is at, just from a, a number of perspective or anything that comes to mind that you would help paint the picture for agriculture in Tennessee?
Andy: Yeah, so, uh, great question. And one of the things that we always try to do with the department is talk about agriculture and forestry together. So, uh, it's hard to separate the two and functionally we think they're kinda like two inseparable sisters, you know, I mean, they just, [00:35:00] where you find one, a lot of times you find the other.
Andy: And so when we look at, uh, agriculture and forestry together across the state of Tennessee, and this may come as a shock to some folks, but that's the number one. Industry again, when we add ag and forestry together, the largest industry in the state of Tennessee. And you know, so you look at the, you know, the founding of our state in 1796 and, and on our seal, there's two words, agriculture and commerce.
Andy: And now 227 years later, whatever the number is. It's the exact same. Wow. It's, we're still there. And, uh, so, you know, the most updated figures that we've got, uh, come from the University of Tennessee's Institute of Agriculture. We look at their sort of, uh, annual summary of, of 2024, 103 billion with a B, $103 billion industry here in the state of Tennessee.
Andy: And so. You know, when you look at that, you think, wow. So agriculture and forestry is [00:36:00] our number one industry in Tennessee. Wonder what our number two industry is. It's actually hospitality and tourism and it's just over $30 billion. So agriculture is this industry that's so big, it's three times larger.
Andy: Wow. Then our next largest industry. And you know, and, and that's again, this is something I think is important, is that a lot of folks who are never gonna really set foot on a farm, they're never gonna pick, you know, uh, they're never gonna pick a commodity. They're never gonna run a combine or drive a tractor or, you know, process a cow or a calf or anything.
Andy: But they're gonna benefit from those folks who do in manufacturing. So food manufacturing, uh, transportation and logistics marketing, um, you know, ag finance, there's so many careers. We talk about all these different careers that we have sort of out in the world. Agriculture has its own unique subset of all of those industries that just specifically represent agriculture [00:37:00] and forestry.
Andy: Partially because there's so much nuance, I guess, associated with ag and forestry. Um, but a lot of jobs are dependent on agriculture here in Tennessee, and that's something that we're really proud of.
Carli: I think that's really broadening the horizon of what people can do if they wanna stay in Tennessee.
Andy: Oh, certainly. Yeah. And
Carli: we want our talent to stay.
Andy: Yeah. No. That we do. And, and you know, and the thing is, is not everybody in agriculture looks like me and wears cowboy hat. So let's be real clear about that. I kind wish they all did. Let's be honest. I dunno. I wish
Carli: I had my hat. Um.
Andy: But it's, it's a career opportunity for, for, for any age, it's career, opportunity for, you know, for any demographic.
Andy: you know, there's a lot of really technical scientific careers and, and that's something too that, you know, when we talk about the integration of technology and agriculture, sometimes it's viewed with a little bit of, oh, skepticism or, or concern or fear. And I completely understand that. Um, and I think that's why we in, in agriculture have to be careful about how we position ourselves, what technologies we [00:38:00] include, what technologies we are kind of inviting in, because at the end of the day, we're still touching people at least three times a day and a few snacks in between.
Andy: Um. Which is more of a touch on most humans than any other industry is ever going to have.
Spencer: Yeah. We've had some real fun on this podcast talking about technology coming in, ag hatcher dairy, like the cows wearing like basically Apple watches that monitor and regulate. You can tell when they're sick, you can tell the last time that X, y, and Z has happened.
Spencer: Yeah, and and I can appreciate that anytime technology comes along. It's scary. Yeah, it's expensive. Just saying, you know, how does this fit into the future? Maybe just one last piece. When we think about some of the industries that our country knows are booming, uh, we think about artificial intelligence and computer science and the ability to participate in those industries requires a [00:39:00] certain set of skills that are usually related to some type of computer programming.
Spencer: Physics. There's a pretty narrow range of saying if you wanna participate in this part of the economy going forward, specialize in these things. Mm-hmm. Is there something in agriculture that, as you look. Okay, five years, 10 years into the future that you would coach someone to say, maybe I'm hearing some about the science side, so maybe you would say chemistry, but maybe it would be something different.
Spencer: Is, is there something that you would say, go this direction if you wanna be a real part of the future of agriculture in Tennessee?
Andy: Well, just like that bell shape curve that's present in almost every industry and almost any group of, of folks who are gonna adopt new technology, um, agriculture is, is has the same bell shape curve.
Andy: I think part of the beauty of, of agriculture is that [00:40:00] we are, in my opinion, this kind of, uh, steady, stable basis of civil society, no matter where you're at, whether it's mm-hmm. America or whether it's Nigeria, you know, everybody's gotta eat. Everybody's gotta eat. Yeah..
Andy: if you've got folks that are also on that kinda slower lifestyle, as my wife would describe, that she wants to adopt for her and for our family, is that. That the absence of that new technology is also an option in agriculture. Um, and so whether, again, whether you're this cutting edge person and you want to say, I want to adapt, I want to be the pioneer in adapting this AI technology to the selection of fully matured fruits through the use of robotic technology.
Andy: Okay. Guess what? That's an option in agriculture. Yeah. But then there's also this adoption and this mentality, and I think the market's big enough in agriculture where you say, you know what? We're gonna be a completely organic operation and we're gonna have the complete absence of [00:41:00] all of these new technologies and we're gonna do everything by hand.
Andy: And guess what? There are places in the world that are. Dying to kind of retrieve those types of, of production as well. So, uh, again, not to, not to thwart your question, but to say no matter what your level of technological adaptation is, there's a place for you in agriculture
Spencer: All right. So how we like to conclude every one of our podcasts is, I'm gonna read you three short fill in the blank sentences.
Andy: Okay.
Spencer: All right, here we go. A personal lesson I've learned from my own farming experience is blank.
Andy: Okay. A lesson I've learned from my own personal farming experience is that agriculture is the most fulfilling career option that any person can choose for themselves and for their family.
Andy: That's a great one right out of the gate. Okay. That's good.
Carli: We promise he hasn't seen these beforehand. I know. Yeah.
Spencer: Yeah, that's right.
Spencer: Here's number two. One of the most exciting developments in Tennessee [00:42:00] agriculture right now is blank.
Andy: One of the most exciting developments in Tennessee agriculture right now is the emergence of both domestic and international markets for products that were commonly and routinely producing here in the state of Tennessee.
Mm-hmm.
Andy: I really
Spencer: learned that today the international role that you play, I had no clue about. That's amazing.
Andy: Well, the market that I look to so often, and we could have a long conversation here about the bricks nations and why it's important for the United States to really pursue India, but India is a great trading partner with the United States.
Andy: There's so much capacity to continue trading with them, and they're gonna add a 300 million person increase in their middle class over the next 10 years. And I fully believe that having been there, and that's a great market for us to get ahold of,
Spencer: Hmm.
Andy: If you look at the
Spencer: demographic curve of India, it is insanely young. Yeah. Like most people are used to seeing [00:43:00] if they've seen any of those charts. Like we know that Japan is the opposite end of the spectrum. Mm-hmm. Insanely old and has a dying population if they don't figure out.
Spencer: And China is continuing to trend that direction. You're exactly right. Yes. China is not nearly as young as what people might expect. Yes. If they had to rank it. Um, okay, here's number three. Looking ahead, I hope to see Tennessee agriculture.
Andy: Blank. Looking ahead, I hope to see Tennessee agriculture remain the number one industry in the state of Tennessee.
Andy: Mm. And to continue to produce at this abundant level where we can be participants in the production of food and fiber and fuel at this like, insanely affordable, safe, abundant level. Because we have, we have certainly created a mechanism here in Tennessee to feed and fuel not only ourselves, but to be a participant in feeding and fueling the world, um, [00:44:00] as a result of what we're doing here.
Spencer: Hmm. Deputy Commissioner Andy Holt, thank you for being with us today. This was a real treat. Learned a ton. Uh, Tennessee Agriculture is in good hands, and I really appreciate the role that you're playing in this incredibly important part of our economy. Well, thank you all for letting me be here today. It was a treat for me as well.
Carli: Thank you,
Spencer: deputy Commissioner Andy Holt. We learned a lot of vocab. We learned about chicks in the mail. We learned about a lot of things that you learned
Carli: about chicks in the mail. Yeah, I,
Spencer: that is
Carli: the one thing I happen to have known, but yeah, I feel like we need almost like an index of all of the terms because. I don't know.
Carli: I sometimes wonder how many vanity degrees does it take to sit across from an Ag commissioner, but that was a lot of, that was a lot of data, but it was so fun talking to him. He made it so approachable and so [00:45:00] fun and told great stories.
Spencer: It's something consistent that we see amongst our best guests is that they have mastery level information in a topic area, but then are able to explain that to someone that knows very little or nothing about the space that they come from, and that is a trademark.
Spencer: Of first a giftedness.
Mm-hmm.
Spencer: Being able to translate from one to another isn't easy, but it also speaks to someone's understanding of the topic. Uh, Einstein famously says that if you can't explain something to a five-year-old, you don't yet understand it well enough yourself. And I love that. And I think, uh, deputy Commissioner Andy Holt absolutely understands it well enough to explain it to a five-year-old because he does.
Spencer: I was gonna 5-year-old, I was
Carli: gonna say, I think he had his own seven, [00:46:00] 5-year-old, seven different times. And so I also liked how he touched on his faith in a really approachable way. You could tell he's a man of deep faith, but he's not afraid to be vulnerable and be like, Hey, I've messed some stuff up and I'm still figuring out along the way.
Carli: 'cause I think about that in my role a lot is in the church, how often we use these big words and how people. Can get really turned off by that. But you know what, if I can't answer why my son is in the backseat, putting a happy meal in his mouth, asking me these deep questions, and every parent knows what I'm talking about, they ask you about life and death and heaven and hell and all everything in between while eating a Happy Meal nugget.
Carli: Um, if you can't explain it to your kid, then, then you don't know it well enough. Mm-hmm.
Spencer: I think it's also great to see his trajectory coming from a poverty stricken household in urban Knoxville to Wyoming, to the state legislature undergraduate degree, a master's degree about to start [00:47:00] PhD. I mean, that really is what Tennessee is all about, is that Tennessee like every other state has intense poverty, but Tennessee, unlike a lot of other states, also has intense mobility and for the ability for people.
Spencer: That want it, that really will do what it takes to pursue it can find a pathway out.
Carli: Well, and he had all of those markers, right? He had a teacher that believed in him. Right? He wasn't afraid to take risk and to do things that were hard to fake it till you make it right. He showed that he had that grit.
Carli: And I also think something that's really cool and unique about him is he's fully educated in the state of Tennessee,
Spencer: damn,
Carli: his high school, his undergrad, his graduate degree, he's found the programs he needed to be successful here. And as mom of four kids that I would, I left my home state and I would love our [00:48:00] kids to wanna stay in their home state.
Carli: I would love for them to wanna be and make Tennessee even more successful than it already is with their futures. And so seeing that that was possible. For him, I think is a really great thing for parents to see.
