Dr. Charlie Hatcher is a fifth-generation dairy farmer, veterinarian, and former Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture, and he’s running for U.S. House in Tennessee’s 5th District. He joins Spencer and Carli to talk about his decade as the state’s veterinarian, the family businesses he and his wife, Sharon, built, and why he says there wouldn’t be a Texas without Tennessee.
About Dr. Charlie Hatcher
Dr. Hatcher is a fifth-generation Tennessee farmer and a veterinarian who spent a decade as Tennessee’s State Veterinarian before serving as Commissioner of Agriculture from 2019 to 2025. He lives on the family farm in College Grove with his wife, Sharon, and is the Republican nominee for U.S. House in Tennessee’s 5th District.
A Farm That Stays in the Family
For Hatcher, the farm is a family business in every sense. His daughter, Jennifer, a veterinarian, runs the animal practice he started, Rock-N-Country Veterinary Services, and his son, Charles, and daughter-in-law, Mary Morgan, handle the dairy’s processing, marketing, and distribution. Hatcher calls his wife, Sharon, “the big boss” and “the fixer,” the one who holds everything together. He says the farm has taken years of sacrifice, and that he has already asked his four-year-old grandson, Cannon, not to sell it when he’s gone.
“We are land rich and cash poor. I’ve poured every dime into the farm because we’re stewards of the land, and I want it to stay in the family.”
- Dr. Charlie Hatcher
About Hatcher Family Dairy
Hatcher Family Dairy is a multi-generation dairy farm in College Grove, in Williamson County. The Hatchers bottle and sell their own milk across Middle Tennessee, run a veterinary practice, and host weddings and events at Battle Mountain Farm. The family’s life on the farm was also featured in a Nat Geo Wild docuseries.
Resources
Hatcher Family Dairy
Charlie Hatcher
Tennessee Department of Agriculture
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Spencer Patton: [00:00:00] Welcome to Signature Required. It is intended for Tennesseans by Tennesseans.
Dr. Charlie Hatcher, welcome to Signature Required. Doc Hatcher is a fifth-generation Tennessee dairy farmer and a veterinarian who spent a decade as Tennessee's state veterinarian before serving as Commissioner of Agriculture from 2019 to 2025. He runs the Hatcher Family Dairy Farm in College Grove with his wife Sharon, and is the author of a book on faith, family, farm, and fitness.
He is also the Republican nominee for US House in Tennessee's fifth district, with the general election a couple days away on November 3rd. You got a lot going on, sir.
Charlie Hatcher: I do. It's, you know, it's... You know, you can do anything in a short period of time, but this, this, uh, political run has been quite [00:01:00] the education.
It's been a year process, and I'm looking forward to election night.
Carli Patton: Hmm.
Spencer Patton: This is a special opportunity for Carli and I to have you on here, because you are just a handful of days away from having, in meaningful part, the next couple years of your life determined of what you're gonna be doing. And that has to be a surreal feeling, because I, like, I can compare it to a moment where, you know, when Carli and I were expecting, and you go in and you're about to find if it's a boy or a girl, you know?
And for me, it's like, this moment is gonna be meaningfully determinate of a lot of the years of my life here. And so, talk to us about your head space as you sit here, because we're just thankful to have you. Every hour is precious between now and the election, so what's your head space right now?
Charlie Hatcher: You [00:02:00] know, I, I think you hit the nail on the head.
It, it, it was... It's surreal because, you know, I've, uh... My mother always told me that, that God has a plan for every one of us. Hmm. And we have freedom of choice- Right ... but God knows the outcome before. And so I, you know, I kinda feel like I, I was called to run- Mm ... and it feels right. And the night of the primary was like an out-of-body experience, because I wasn't supposed to win.
Spencer Patton: Yeah.
Charlie Hatcher: And I was surrounded by my family, and it was just very, very special.
Spencer Patton: Mm. Mm.
Charlie Hatcher: And, you know, I don't... A good farmer doesn't count their chickens before they hatch, but I'm running strong. I'm working hard. I'm gonna work across the finish line, and then let God's will [00:03:00] be done.
Carli Patton: Mm. Mm. I wanna ask you, 'cause it's relatively rare, especially in Tennessee, for somebody to run against an incumbent and then win.
That was, that's been a really big deal. If you're kind of a politics geek like we have become in the last couple years, like, this is kind of a huge deal. And I love the faith aspect of how you're making these decisions. So could you talk a little bit, just in an affirming way, of what made you feel in your spirit like, "Whatever happens, I feel like I'm called to step forward in this moment"?
Charlie Hatcher: Well, it's... I'll try to explain that. I had been asked several years ago to run against Andy Ogles- Mm-hmm ... for Tennessee's 5th District. I had committed to the governor that I was gonna be the Commissioner of Agriculture. Mm. And I was having a great run, so I was... It was just wasn't the right time several years ago.
And then some people asked me again.
Carli Patton: Mm.
Charlie Hatcher: I had [00:04:00] entered my last... I'd turned my last budget in- Mm ... entering my last year, 'cause Governor Lee was termed out. We'd had a fantastic run. The governor is a pretty special friend and, and boss. You know, he never told me what to do. As long as I lined up with his goals and objectives, and it was a good pairing because he ran on rural matters, and many of those rural communities were agriculture and forestry- Mm
and that was my wheelhouse. And so it allowed me to, to help with his goals and objectives and, and that worked out extremely well. But it's ... And then, you know, it, it came up again. People were asking me, "Would you consider running?" And then the first thing that I did was pray about it, talk to the family about it [00:05:00] Pray about it again, and then son Charles.
My wife was, she was, the, the first day or two she was considering it, and then she was all in. And then son Charles was a little bit slower. He- He said, you know, politics can be nasty.
Carli Patton: Mm-hmm.
Charlie Hatcher: And he didn't want to do anything to affect the Hatcher name and the Hatcher family dairy business. And then it took a week or two, and then he was aboard.
Carli Patton: Hmm.
Charlie Hatcher: And, uh, and so we, we talked about it again as a family and prayed about it another time, and then The doors did not close, they just kept opening. And so like in a week's time, it just seemed like it was... And then it felt like I was called to do it. I mean, that may sound corny to some people. I [00:06:00] didn't have an audible voice.
Spencer Patton: Mm.
Charlie Hatcher: But I just get encouraged every day, especially when-
Carli Patton: Mm ...
Charlie Hatcher: I'm out in the community and people say, "Well, I'm, I'm praying for you."
Carli Patton: Mm-hmm.
Spencer Patton: Yeah.
Charlie Hatcher: And that, that's pretty special when you have people doing that.
Carli Patton: Mm. Mm. I think that's really relatable, 'cause there's a lot of people listening that are trying to make a big decision, or figuring out how to walk forward in faith.
And I think there's this wish we all have that God would send a lightning bolt, or like send a parachute-
Charlie Hatcher: Well, sometimes that happens, but sometimes it doesn't ... but usually not I mean, you just have to do prayerful consideration.
Carli Patton: Yeah.
Charlie Hatcher: Right?
Carli Patton: Yeah. I mean, I think He affirms things through His word, and through His people, and through circumstances.
100%. And it seems like you had those things encouraging your spirit to move forward here.
Spencer Patton: Mm.
Charlie Hatcher: Yeah, that's right.
Spencer Patton: So for some listeners that are trying to get their bearings that haven't followed a Congressional race, uh, and are just trying to understand the, the basics, a, a [00:07:00] couple pieces to Tennessee.
There's nine Congressional districts in Tennessee, and so you're running in one of those nine, the 5th District for Tennessee. You're running to be a Congressman to represent us in DC. Um, how long are those terms that you would serve? Um, you're gonna be two years in DC. And then as you think about the 5th District, one of the unique parts of Tennessee is that there's been a complete redrawing of what has been the 5th District and what it is now.
And so there's probably a reasonable number of people that live in Tennessee that can't necessarily say which Congressional district they live in. Yeah. So can you give us just a little bit of an idea of the 5th Congressional District, and just give us some landmarks, some [00:08:00] pieces so we can get our bearings?
Charlie Hatcher: Oh, yeah, yeah, certainly. And the redistricting, you know, it, it's, it's happened before, so that wasn't historical. But the fact that it happened 60 days before the primary, that was historical. And when I first saw that, I said, "What in the world am I gonna do?" I'd ran for six months in the old district, and then this ca- this came up.
Mm-hmm. Got to looking at it and talking to some friends, and they said, "Charlie" There's half a dozen of the highest ag revenue counties in the state of Tennessee are in the new fifth district. Furthermore, it's a new, 72% of the district is new. So it took away pro- part of the incumbency advantage. But to back up just one second, I'll, was talking about that primary win.
It was the third time in Tennessee history that a challenger had beat an incumbent in a Tennessee House of Representative primary. [00:09:00]
Carli Patton: It's- It's a huge deal.
Charlie Hatcher: Yeah. Yeah. It was like... Yes, so it was. But back to the, to the new fifth district, it, it fit me, it fits me well because of the, the ag component. But it is, it's like a C, like this, and it's from Lewis County, Hohenwald, up through West Murray, West Williamson, Hickman, up to Fort Campbell proper.
Carli Patton: Hmm.
Charlie Hatcher: Not much of Montgomery County, but that Fort Campbell base. Over to Lake County- Hmm ... the most northwest county in the, in the state of Tennessee, and down to West Shelby. 400 miles around the loop.
Carli Patton: Hmm.
Charlie Hatcher: So I've put 50,000 miles on my wife's car. I bet. She is not too happy- ... with me about that. So that, [00:10:00] you know, that's a challenge.
Carli Patton: Mm.
Charlie Hatcher: You know, people... W- you have the, you have the wealthiest county in the, in the state, and the poorest county in the state, in Lake County, and then you have the diversity from hole-in-wall rural counties to downtown Memphis. I mean, that's quite the, the diversity. But it was, uh, it was one of the things that got me across the finish line in primary.
Carli Patton: Hm.
Spencer Patton: It's something really unique about our state, that it's so wide that there's, at a minimum, three states in the state of Tennessee, and arguably there's four. I mean, when you think- Tri-Star. Mm. Yeah. And so I would imagine through your travels, you've driven to a lot of places in Tennessee that you haven't been to before, even being a fifth-generation Tennessean, right?
Like, you've covered some new ground over the last [00:11:00] handful of months.
Charlie Hatcher: Yeah. W- yeah. Absolutely. You know, I was, uh, when I was Commissioner of Agriculture, I was Commissioner of Agriculture for all 95 counties, so I've been to, been to all the counties. But, uh, this was different in that, you know, delving into the communities, in the small towns, and the no towns, and, and meeting people where they were, was something-
Carli Patton: Hm
Charlie Hatcher: you know, I, I'd never run for office. I'd never done that specifically. You know, I, I was a lot of places when I was commissioner, a lot of rural communities, but this was different in the fact this was, this was people in urban areas, this is people in rural areas. The, these are farmers and non-farmers, and these are people of all walks of life, and that w- that, that was different.
But it was so... The best benefit about running, and a unintended [00:12:00] good thing was I met, I've made lifelong friends all across- Mm ... the state, which I didn't expect that. Mm. And you'll have people that, I've had people that I've met that believe in me enough so that they're supporting me and working for the campaign as a volunteer, which just, it's a lot of pressure.
Carli Patton: Mm.
Spencer Patton: Mm.
Charlie Hatcher: You know, what, what can one person do, especially in DC, what can one person do, you know? Mm. That's heavy on me.
Carli Patton: I bet.
Spencer Patton: Will you talk for a minute about traveling the state, running as a candidate for Congress, and how you relate to so many different people? Because I would imagine that would be really intimidating.
Like, as I [00:13:00] think about if the shoes were reversed, right, and I was traveling across the state, there's certain groups where I'd feel really comfortable standing up in front and very authentically saying, "I've walked your journey." Mm-hmm. "We are the same." And then I think there are some groups that I'd stand up in front of, and I could feel tempted to feel like an imposter, right?
Like, I don't know your story as well. It's different than my story. How have you had that experience? What have you learned? Like, what have you found is something that connects with everybody as you're traveling? Because I have to imagine there's moments where it's a pretty intimidating experience.
Charlie Hatcher: No, that's, that's, that's right.
But g- but people love authenticity.
Carli Patton: Mm-hmm.
Spencer Patton: Mm-hmm. Talk
Charlie Hatcher: about that. Yeah. And that they can, they [00:14:00] can, and they can see through it when you're not. And, and I guess one advantage I have is Charlie's just Charlie, so what you see is what you get. So I'm- I'm gonna be the same with you guys as I am with my family, whoop, as I would be with the president or a president.
It's just, it's maybe it's a fault, but I'm pretty straightforward and I sometimes I just say what comes to mind and pe- people seem to like that. Mm. And, and then, then the, the hire of the farmer is resonating with people that may not even know where their food comes from. But they, they trust, they trust a farmer.
They probably trust a farmer more than they do almost anybody.
Spencer Patton: Hmm. Hmm.[00:15:00]
Let's take a second and pull us out of the race and help us get to know you a little bit better. So in your bio, being the state veterinarian, I could come up with a lot of very creative stories about what you do as state veterinarian. Like, if I just got to kind of imagine, I could spin a pretty good tale.
Probably none of it is true. So what did you do as state veterinarian?
Charlie Hatcher: Well, pe- that's, a lot of people don't know what that is. Uh, the- there's one veterinarian for every state.
Carli Patton: Hmm. I had no idea.
Charlie Hatcher: Yeah. The, that's a, it's a state government position, and it, the state veterinarian is responsible for the health and welfare of all the animals in the state.
And the- That
Carli Patton: is no small task.
Charlie Hatcher: No, it's not, and the reason it's, it- it's- it's- [00:16:00] it's so important is Tennessee, the number one industry is agriculture.
Carli Patton: Mm-hmm.
Charlie Hatcher: Sure. Do y'all know that? By a long shot. Mm-hmm. It's over $100 billion. Second place is tourism, hospitality, at 40 billion or something like that. But the state veterinarian is responsible for all the animals, and part of that large economic driver engine of agriculture, guess what?
There's a good portion of that is livestock.
Spencer Patton: Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Charlie Hatcher: We're a c- we're a beef cow calf state, Tennessee is. We're a poultry genetic state The state of Tennessee, there are companies that supply a large portion of the poultry meat genetics to the world. So when you're eating Chick-fil-A, KFC, whatever it is, there's a good chance that that meat genetics, you know what I mean by that, [00:17:00] the, the, the breeding lines for those chickens that are on your plate came from Tennessee.
Spencer Patton: See, uh, that's what I was gonna ask. Meat genetics to me sounds, uh, like a very scary
Carli Patton: term.
Spencer Patton: You need to
Carli Patton: stop imagining. Yeah. Like, do you see his brain turning over? I'm kind of like, "Just stop. Just stop imagining things right now." Yeah.
Spencer Patton: If someone told me that I was about to have chicken meat genetics- ... as I was going through Chick-fil-A, I think I would be very different in, uh, my expectation of what...
What does that mean? I don't, I don't know what
Charlie Hatcher: that means. That, that means, so the, uh, companies develop the chickens that are gonna be on the plate, and so they, through the, the hens and the roosters- Mm-hmm ... they get the right breeding. I mean, we're, you're j- you're a product of genetics. Your build is from your parents, and, and your ability, whatever your athletic ability is, is from your parents and from that genetic DNA.
So they, they work with, uh, different, uh, breeding lines and get the one that's the best to [00:18:00] put the most tender, best product of meat on the table.
Carli Patton: You learn something new every day.
Spencer Patton: I know. Okay.
Charlie Hatcher: All right, so how'd y'all end up- Yeah, but then get back to the state veterinarian just real quick So, yeah, it's Tennessee.
Yeah. Yeah. So that, uh, the state veterinarian is also responsible for all the health papers, inter- uh, international health papers, uh, watching those as well as working with USDA on those. That's a combined effort. And then the movement of animals between states is also a function of the state veterinarian.
So state veterinarians work with another state veterinarian, and they make sure that they're protecting both states 'cause you don't wanna, you don't want animals moving without required tests or vaccinations because you could spread disease that way. And so that, that protects, uh, the incoming and outgoing state and all that.
But that's, um, some food safety. Um, lots of responsibility for... In 2017 I [00:19:00] was coincident commander. We had the only high path AI outbreak in the country- Mm-hmm ... in 2017 in Tennessee.
Spencer Patton: Mm-hmm. And what is that? High path AI outbreak?
Charlie Hatcher: Yeah, that's bird flu.
Spencer Patton: Okay. Ah.
Charlie Hatcher: So we had that really, the strain that kills chickens a lot.
Mm-hmm. And so that's a, that's a something you don't want. So we, uh, we handled those. There were two flocks that had it or, or two farms that had it, and we, we got that under control and, but it affected international trade for six months becasue- Wow ... uh, you're not supposed to have that in, in the States.
And so we, we took care of that. So it's, it's a big responsibility, but I did that for a decade.
Carli Patton: Wow. And so you went from being state veterinarian to the commissioner of agriculture.
Charlie Hatcher: I did.
Carli Patton: So it sounds like one really does a good job of preparing you for the next, but how do those two jobs differ?
Charlie Hatcher: Oh, they d- Yeah
they differ a whole lot. So the, the, I mean, the state [00:20:00] veterinarian's responsible for the, for all the animals, and then the commissioner of agriculture- Everything agriculture and forestry is in the wheelhouse of the commissioner of agriculture. Those, because it, we, you have the forestry division, which is in some states is under the commissioner of agriculture.
In some states it's not, but in Tennessee it is. So it's ... Then all of a sudden you have all the divisions in anything and everything related to agriculture, like it or not, you're responsible for.
Carli Patton: So as the commissioner of agriculture- ... you're asleep and your phone is on do not disturb and somebody breaks through the do not disturb.
My, my phone- What's the 2:00 AM call you get? ...
Charlie Hatcher: is never on, it's never on do not disturb.
Carli Patton: That's just part of the job. What is the call you get at 2:00 AM that you have to triage as a department, as the c- commissioner of agriculture?
Charlie Hatcher: Well, see, the, so the commissioner of agriculture is, is, uh, over the state [00:21:00] veterinarian too, not over, but oversight.
Sure. And so the state veterinarian takes care of the ... The experts in each division take care of things, but the commissioner of agriculture is responsible. So anything in, in, uh, in, in state, uh, law or regulations related to agriculture is under the c- commissioner of agriculture. So the, the calls that you might get, I mean, the
When I was state veterinarian, and then when I had that bird flu outbreak- Mm-hmm ... my first call was to the commissioner this
Carli Patton: time. Mm-hmm. That, I mean, that makes sense.
Charlie Hatcher: Yeah. And so anything significant that happens, whether it's weights or measures, whether it's food safety, whether it's animal health, whether it's business development in ag and forestry, whether it's a f- whether it's
You know, a big one would be, uh, Gatlinburg fires.
Carli Patton: Mm.
Charlie Hatcher: Or any wild land fire across the state because the Division of Forestry, Forestry- Sure ... is responsible for all that. So might get a call, "We got, we got a bad fire [00:22:00] somewhere." And, and so that it, it'll be notification from those, um, assistant commissioners or those division leaders within the department that would notify the commissioner, "We got a problem."
Carli Patton: Well, and one of my favorite things about your story is- ... in the middle of all of this, you're a doctor, you're the veterinarian for the state, you've been a commissioner of agriculture. You're also an entrepreneur, and you own several businesses with your wife. Talk a little bit about that and how you have your family business and how that's woven through your story.
Charlie Hatcher: Oh my goodness. I, you know, I'm, I'm the most blessed, wealthiest man in the world because I ... You know, the only ... The, the, the commissioner of agriculture is ... State vet was a big job. Commissioner of agriculture is a big job, but the only, only way I could do that is because the family took care of business.
Carli Patton: Mm-hmm.
Charlie Hatcher: How many parents- [00:23:00] their children follow in their footsteps on everything.
Carli Patton: Mm-hmm.
Charlie Hatcher: So for me, that happened.
Spencer Patton: Hmm.
Charlie Hatcher: So w- I had, uh, Jennifer, firstborn, she was the first second-generation veterinarian to graduate from University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, and I got to cloak her- ... in 2005.
Spencer Patton: Wow.
Carli Patton: How special was that?
Charlie Hatcher: Oh, it was, it was amazing. It made me cry. And then, so there's Jennifer. I established Rock and Country Veterinary Services in 1992 on the farm that many years ago, built a veterinary clinic there, and people said, "You're building out in the middle of nowhere. You're gonna go broke.
Why are you doing that, Charlie?" And now we have 2,000 houses probably within two miles of us. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. It's the biggest stark comparison be- between rural and urban you'll ever see. And so Jennifer [00:24:00] is managing and take- taking the, the veterinary business, Rock and Country Veterinary Services. She runs that.
Mm. And then you have Charles, ag business degree from Mi- uh, MTSU, and he has readily accepted. He does the processing, manages the processing. He and his wife, Mary Morgan, which is- Mm-hmm ... Jimmy Gentry's granddaughter,
Carli Patton: which is- Oh, yeah, we talked about that- Which is- ... when he was on here. That was a- I
Charlie Hatcher: mean, it's like wh-
Carli Patton: farm royalty ...
Charlie Hatcher: yeah, when they got together. I mean, how... That's what I mean. I'm the, I, I'm the wealthiest- ... man in the world, or most blessed. Yeah. And so they, marketing, distribution, Hatcher Family Dairy Social, uh, I mean s- uh, m- all that stuff, Charles and Mary Morgan take care of that. Um, [00:25:00] so we have... And then we have the, the third business is Battle Mountain Farm, where we have events, where people wanna have events in a farm setting, and we have- Mm
I don't know, 70, 80 events a year out there, mostly weddings. But I mean, how cool is that? I mean- Mm-hmm ... that's the problem we're, why we're losing so many family farms is because the children may or may not want a farm. Or they may or may not, th- they can't, if the farm's not profitable, they can't. I mean, if you don't have a high-payin- a good paying wage- Sure
Carli Patton: You can't do it?
Charlie Hatcher: You c- w- why no? I mean, how are you gonna make a living if... So that's, all that was just, it's been years and years of sacrifice. And people say, "Well, the Hatchers are wealthy."
Carli Patton: Mm.
Charlie Hatcher: We are land rich and cash poor. I have, I've poured every dime- Mm-hmm ... into the [00:26:00] farm because we're stewards of the land And I want it to stay in the family.
So it's, we make that sacrifice, all of us do on the farm, so that the next generation... The grandkids have bought into this.
Carli Patton: And how many do you have at this point?
Charlie Hatcher: Four.
Carli Patton: That's great.
Charlie Hatcher: But I was talking to Cannon, Cannon Hatcher, that's Charles' oldest, and we were out walking through the field with, with a couple of grandchildren and, uh I told, I, I told him, I said, "When I die, please don't sell the farm."
And so I was... He, he's four. And so- Just
Carli Patton: laying the groundwork.
Charlie Hatcher: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, just... And so the next day Mary said, "What did you tell him?" She said, he said, "I'm not gonna sell the farm." He told Mary Morgan that. So I mean, so there, all the grandkids, [00:27:00] regardless of the age, as soon as they can walk and talk, um, they're, they're doing the same thing.
They're working alongside of us, and that builds that, that family. I mean, there's nothing like... It can be done in other businesses, it could be done in hardware, it could be done in, uh, any kind of business. It, as long as the family works together and prays together and eats together and lives together and spend time together, that's what the, that'll hold a family together, and it's worked for mine.
Carli Patton: Well, it sounds like you've been very busy, but I would- ... probably argue that your wife Sharon behind the scenes has been even busier. She- I know you've built all this together.
Charlie Hatcher: She's... Yeah, absolutely. She's the big boss. And yeah, so I, yeah. No, that's r- that's exactly right. I mean, when I'm out campaigning or a commissioner of agriculture or state vet, I mean sh- yeah, she, she's the [00:28:00] fixer.
Mm. Check writer. Holds everything together. Something goes wrong, she takes care of it, and it allows me to do this.
Spencer Patton: Mm. Mm. Charlie, I've learned over time getting to speak with a couple members that have served in Congress that one of the most important jobs that you do in Congress is actually you get assigned to a number of committees, and there's all these committees.
There may be, like, 50 or 60 different committees, and some of them make all the sense in the world. Like, there's committees for agriculture and livestock and all kinds of things. There are some pretty wild committees too that, uh, part of the wrestling match that you have is getting the best committee assignments versus getting the committee assignments that are, quote-unquote, less desirable.
So just hearing a little bit of your skill set, it seems very clear to me that the agricultural side of [00:29:00] federal policy, the policy of our nation, could be something that you would speak extraordinarily educated into. So this is a little bit of a nerdy turn to the podcast, but I just wanna spend a couple minutes on it.
As you reflect on some of the most painful policies that have come down from the federal government that you've had to wrestle with- That we'll suspend disbelief of whether it's changeable or not, but could you just give some context for something that you would educate fellow committee members that don't bring your background to say, "Hey, let's take a look at this and look at this"?
And, and I know it may be nerdy, but just educate us a little bit on a federal policy or two that you would hope to see adjusted.
Charlie Hatcher: Well, it's-- You're exactly right because the, the average American and the average congressman [00:30:00] or the average senator They don't know- Mm-hmm ... about agriculture or forestry that much.
Spencer Patton: For sure.
Charlie Hatcher: So it could be anything. I, I, I will give you an example though, is the, the recent importation of, of ground beef and trimmings from other countries.
Spencer Patton: So talk to us about it, 'cause I have no clue at all.
Charlie Hatcher: What, did you see it?
Spencer Patton: No. This is- ... totally new.
Charlie Hatcher: Y'all don't watch the news?
Spencer Patton: Not this part of the news.
Mm-hmm. So teach us
Charlie Hatcher: about it. Well, it was all over the news. So Pr- uh, President Trump, and it was a admirable goal, wanted to try to decrease the price of beef because it's, it's, it's gotten high. But the, but the, the only bright spot for, for a while now in all of agriculture has been beef cattle, because they've been
The market price- [00:31:00] Mm-hmm ... on the live weights has been really good. And-
Spencer Patton: Meaning it's been good for the farmers? Yes,
Charlie Hatcher: good for the
Spencer Patton: farmers. Like, prices have been really high. Y-
Charlie Hatcher: really high.
Spencer Patton: And so that's bringing wealth- But- ... to the farmers after-
Charlie Hatcher: Well, br- not wealth- Well. Yeah ... but-
Spencer Patton: It's bringing income. Maybe some
Carli Patton: sustainability
Charlie Hatcher: it, it was enough sustainability- Yeah ... because production costs and the cost of production was so high-
Carli Patton: Sure.
Spencer Patton: Yeah ...
Charlie Hatcher: that they were ... And, and so was the price that they were getting for their beef is high, but it was enough where they could make a little bit.
Carli Patton: Mm-hmm.
Spencer Patton: I got it. I got it.
Charlie Hatcher: Okay. But the other part of that, ground beef got up to national average of six or $7 a pound, which is, you know, that's, that's pretty pricey.
Carli Patton: Mm-hmm.
Charlie Hatcher: So it di- and so the, the Trump administration wanted to see if they could lower that, and so they, they, uh, they allowed importation of thousands of tons over a period of time. They're still going through that, what, [00:32:00] what the initial, uh, program was gonna be. And so the, the, the week that that was announced, the next week, uh, we took some market cows to the livestock market and they were down $300 a head.
Spencer Patton: Wow. So what would be ... What percentage-wise would that be?
Charlie Hatcher: Oh, that's probably 25 per- 20, 25, 15 to 25%, depending on- Okay ... what, what
Spencer Patton: place.
Charlie Hatcher: So a huge- Yeah. Wow, that's a huge cut ... huge cut. Yeah. So- So that was- Yeah ... so, so livestock producers all over the country took that hit that week, and they didn't like it.
Spencer Patton: Yeah.
Charlie Hatcher: And neither did I. But it was, it was a noble attempt to try to lower that, but it, but in reality, Americans consume so much beef it may not have had a whole lot of difference, and still may not have that much difference. But it's coming back up. It's not quite where it was, but the market's coming back up.
But that's ... It was kind of the messaging was not good [00:33:00] and all that, but it was just because- I guess inner workings of the White House, they didn't actually know how all that works. They were trying to do something good and it just didn't turn out th- that well. But, uh, that's just one small example. It's just like any major policy, um, you know, experts in that subject should be the ones that, that try to recommend things that work better.
Spencer Patton: And I think that's really the spirit that I see in your campaign is, you know, hire a farmer. Mm-hmm. There is very real expertise. There's authenticity. To sit here with you is to immediately detect your authenticity, and I think most people look at DC politicians particularly. It's different than state level.
Like state level I feel like are very educated. Mm-hmm. And there's a, there's a distinct [00:34:00] Understanding that at the state level, those policies are going to be much more finely tuned to be specific to the state versus done at the federal level, it is such a big hammer that it is impacting the entire nation.
And sometimes, just to say it frankly, what feels like some of the dumbest people are making the most important decisions.
Charlie Hatcher: And- You said it, I didn't say
Carli Patton: it. Right. I'm sitting here like, "Are you allowed to say that on center?" He
Charlie Hatcher: can say whatever he wants to. Yeah.
Spencer Patton: I mean, it's, and it's, I mean- No ... but I think that's what all
Carli Patton: of us
Spencer Patton: feel.
Yeah.
Carli Patton: I mean, we do.
Charlie Hatcher: That, that's right. But I, you know, with... I, I don't wanna come across bra- uh, braggadocios, but it's an interesting mix. And when you have the dairy farming background, which, you know, is, it's one of the hardest ways to make a living there is. And, [00:35:00] and people that have been in dairy business and they're not now, they'll come up to me and they say, "Man, I've got a huge respect for you because you're a dairy farmer."
So that's- Mm-hmm ... it, it, that's, that's like the biggest street credibility you can have in agriculture, 'cause people know that's, that's every day, especially before we got the milking robots, it's like a ball and chain. Mm-hmm. It's like you're in jail. You have, somebody has to be there.
Spencer Patton: It's the most scrappy-
Charlie Hatcher: Yeah
Spencer Patton: of the role.
Charlie Hatcher: Yeah. So you have that, you have that trusted farmer thing, which has common sense, used to adversity, grounded in faith because of Mother Nature and the fact that, you know, every day on that farm, I mean, I'm humbled. God'll humble you. I mean, it'll be a drought, or it'll be a flood, or it'll be an animal die, and it just, like, you, you realize very quickly you're not in control.
Spencer Patton: Mm. Mm-hmm.
Charlie Hatcher: You and I are not in control. I don't know if you've figured it out. But so you have that dairy farmer aspect, and then the veterinarian [00:36:00] aspect, the problem-solving. I mean, I'm in a profession where my patients can't talk, so you gotta figure it out.
Carli Patton: Mm.
Charlie Hatcher: And it's multiple species. So when I was practicing, it was dogs and cats and, and cattle and sheep and goats and small ruminants and llamas and alpacas and horses and all that.
So that's a, y- you know, medicine's medicine, I believe, but still you gotta have e- enough sense-
Carli Patton: Mm ...
Charlie Hatcher: to figure out what the problem is and treat it.
Spencer Patton: See, this is why you're gonna work great in DC. Yeah. I mean, you're dealing with llamas and alpacas- Yeah ... and patients that can't speak, and I mean, th- like this is gonna be great for you.
And
Charlie Hatcher: then-
Carli Patton: Really, it's Congress. You just described Congress.
Charlie Hatcher: And, and then the, the, then the other aspect of that is before, two hours ago, I had cow manure on my hands and I was working with some cows, and I had to wash my [00:37:00] hands three times. They's probably still-
Carli Patton: Yeah. Also relatable for DC now. So,
Charlie Hatcher: uh, yeah, so I can do dirty stuff too.
And you know, I, and I, and I've, I've started saying this and, and they say I s- need to s- say it more, but I'll be the only one in Congress, or maybe all of DC, that can milk a cow, back a hay wagon, do a C-section on a dog, a cat, and a cow, balance a farm budget, help balance a state budget, and hopefully I can balance a federal budget, and negotiate a trade deal.
Spencer Patton: I love that. I love that. Like, that's, that's the whole point, right, is bringing a level of true skill. Mm-hmm. And, and here's the other thing that I think is also really important, Charlie, and not enough people talk about this, is you also have [00:38:00] the sense to stay in your lane, where I think a lot of elected officials are gonna say, "Put me on every committee, 'cause I got ideas for all this that's gonna make it better."
And I don't sense that's gonna be you. Like, I, I feel like there's some committees that you're gonna be like, "You know what, guys? I'm probably not the right guy for that committee, but here's all kinds of ones that are." And, and that's a humility that I see you bring to the table that very few people possess.
Because in order to run for office at all, you've gotta have some level of like, "Hey, I have value that I can add." Mm-hmm. And that's important, because you've gotta have that level of, of belief to say, "I'm willing to put my name out there. I'm willing to stick my neck out there. I might lose, but I'm willing to do this anyway."
But you can't have it go so far as to say, "I got something for everybody." [00:39:00] And I really appreciate that you show that balance, and I believe that you'll have that same balance in DC.
Charlie Hatcher: Well, I hope, I hope that I'm used in the best way possible, and I, what I mean by that is, is, you know, that my wheelhouse for sure is agriculture, and everybody knows it.
But, but also it's small business, so I'm very attuned with that and federal regulations and, and, and how big a struggle it is to, for a small business to, to make any money. And so I've got that part, too. So, um, and then the 21 years of state government experience, too. Mm-hmm. And that's a, that's a good it's a good balance.
Carli Patton: Well, and it's no small feat that you've also raised a family in the midst of this.
Charlie Hatcher: Yeah.
Carli Patton: I mean, you're a fifth-generation Tennessean. You have raised kids and lived in such a way that they have wanted to follow in your footpath. And we all know we're parents, and when [00:40:00] you say you're out of control, nothing makes you feel more out of control than trying to raise kids.
And they, they come how they are, right? But at the same time, to shepherd them in such a way that they see the value as much as they do, I think is a really big deal.
Charlie Hatcher: No, no, it is. And, and it's, it's ... I, I think it's, uh ... To me, it starts with the work ethic and the, and the contribution of the family. And what I mean by that, so Jennifer, she rode with me in the vet truck on farm calls s- almost right after she learned to walk, so as a, as a toddler she would, she would be with me.
And, and in vet school she was a toddler, and was at the veterinary hospital mixing and mingling, a little bitty, tiny- ... with the, with the veterinary students. So she grew up with it. But, you know, that first, that first [00:41:00] 10 years of, of being a young veterinarian that many decades ago, for me, you know, we're trying to build a business.
I was working 100 hours a week trying to build a small business, and that sounds bad, right?
Carli Patton: I don't think so. That's real. But you're talking to, you're talking to your people over here, so.
Charlie Hatcher: Yeah. So that's what I was doing literally for 10 years. But, you know, w- my family was with me. Mm-hmm. It wasn't like I was traveling.
But the kids were with me. We worked together, we ate together, we prayed together, we lived together, and that's ... And worked, I, the work part of it I can't overemphasize. I mean- I didn't force my kids to work, they just worked alongside us. But Sharon's mother, my mother-in-law, is the best mother-in-law in the world, but she, at some point she said, "Charlie, you're working them too hard."
I said, "I'm not, I'm not working them too hard. They're just working [00:42:00] with me." So, uh, I think that it, you know, there's a lot to be said for work ethic and, and physical labor too. I think physical labor is a good... You know, digging fence posts and, and hauling hay and stacking hay and... That's, that's good. That builds character.
Carli Patton: Mm.
Spencer Patton: Charlie, the way that we land each podcast is I have a couple fill-in-the-blank questions for you. So, um, there's a, a blank at the end to finish with a, a word or a short phrase that you feel like completes the thought. Uh, so if you'll just repeat the short prompt back to me, and then fill it in with whatever you think finishes it, okay?
I got a couple for you. They're pretty short.
Charlie Hatcher: Okay.
Spencer Patton: All right. Number one, the biggest misconception about farmers is blank.
Charlie Hatcher: The biggest misconception about [00:43:00] farmers is that they are... They're smart. They're not dumb. Mm. They're resilient, they're God-fearing. They're the salt of the earth, in my opinion.
Spencer Patton: Mm. Mm.
Number two, what I hope never changes about Tennessee is blank.
Charlie Hatcher: The thing that I hope never changes about Tennessee is the Volunteer State. I th- I think that's, that's a true representation of this, of this state. I mean, it, you know, back all the way to... And I said this when I was in, uh, in Texas a few weeks back and, and talking to some of the candidates out there, and I said, "You know, there wouldn't be a Texas without Tennessee."
And they just laughed, and they got a big hoorah about it, [00:44:00] but it's true. I mean, Tennessee is, we are willing to l- lend a helping hand, and I hope that never changes.
Spencer Patton: Mm-hmm. There's good history there, and that is a true statement. There would be no Texas- Mm-hmm ... without Tennessee. All right, last one. The best thing about building a business with my spouse is blank.
Charlie Hatcher: The best thing about building a business with my spouse has been it has just improved our marriage. Improved's not the right word. I mean, it's just, uh, made me m- love my wife more. You're gonna make me cry.
Spencer Patton: Charlie, it's been really nice to have you on the podcast. We know that every hour in these next handful of days before election is important, and so we take the opportunity to be stewards of your [00:45:00] time super seriously.
And I really am thankful that you have had the bravery and the courage to run.
Carli Patton: Mm-hmm.
Spencer Patton: I, I heard you talk earlier that, you know, there's very real considerations about how could this impact my business? How does this impact the family name? Mm. All of these considerations that it hurts my heart to think, although I know it's true, that those are part of the considerations that anyone has to take before they run to serve their country.
And so know that Carli and I appreciate your bravery. We're rooting for you, and I have a high degree of confidence that if you make it to DC, that you're gonna be very equipped to deal with all those llamas and alpacas. [00:46:00]
Charlie Hatcher: Well, I, I do truly appreciate that, and it- it's been the hardest thing I've ever done, and I've done a lot of hard things, but this i- this takes the cake.
Carli Patton: Mm.
Charlie Hatcher: Uh, but it, it's been a... I don't know if g- It's been a good experience, and it's been a quite the education over the last year, and we'll see what God has in store.
Carli Patton: Mm. We will be praying, and we will be rooting for you.
Charlie Hatcher: Thank you.
Spencer Patton: Dr. Charlie Hatcher, candidate to represent the Fifth District of Tennessee in Congress. His campaign slogan is "Hire a Farmer," and he definitely, to spend just a handful of minutes with him, gives you a level of authenticity [00:47:00] that you don't often detect-
Carli Patton: Mm-hmm ...
Spencer Patton: in candidates running for office. I really hope that Tennessee gets nine people to represent them in DC.
That's it. Nine people from Congress. And I really think that If you examine, he speaks for 12% of Tennessee, one out of nine- Mm-hmm ... that he would be an outstanding representative for Tennessee and DC, and wouldn't forget his roots-
Carli Patton: Hmm ...
Spencer Patton: while he's there.
Carli Patton: I was sitting here, all I could think about, and this is, like, a great compliment.
I don't know how else to give a better compliment. I kept thinking about my Grandpa Harold, who worked in the dairy trade, right? And you, my- Harold and Judy took you under their wing early in our relationship, and the most coveted item in our family, Harold has since passed, and he didn't want to be called Grandpa, it was Harold, [00:48:00] right, is his bullhorns that he kept above his desk, and my dad has them over the threshold of his house, and it's, like, the greatest family heirloom.
But how much what Dr. Hatcher is saying resonates. People wouldn't know that story about me, and, you know, I've lived, I lived near Detroit, and then moved to Tennessee, but how much his story resonates with so many of us, um, it's really powerful. And we were, I was driving our daughter Daphne to school today, and she's like, "You know, Mom, I'm not sure I did well on my history homework last night."
I was like, "Oh, no, what was it?" Right? She's like, "Ugh, it was all about the legislative branch." And I was like, "Daphne, you're right." Like, to a 12-year-old, that sounds confusing. There's two parts of the legislative branch, and then there's state level and federal level, and all these things I said, "But you'll never believe who I'm interviewing today.
It's somebody that we get to vote for to represent us, and like you said, it's one of [00:49:00] nine, and that we live in a place where somebody of this caliber is up for election, and we get the privilege of supporting them." As, as a woman, as someone who lives in the South, as an American, like, these are rights that not everyone has around the world, that we can't take for granted.
So our poor 12-year-old got a civics lesson before this podcast on the way to school, and she loved it, let me tell you.
Spencer Patton: It's really amazing. In political circles, we've had the privilege to sit across from people and get to know them-
Carli Patton: Yeah ...
Spencer Patton: in just 45 minutes. But prior to doing all of this, the sum total impression that you might get from someone running for office could literally be sub 60 seconds.
Carli Patton: Yep.
Spencer Patton: I mean, it could be one ad or one mailer that you get. And I've really come to appreciate how [00:50:00] it's not that you have to spend weeks with them. You kind of get a feel in less than 60 minutes. Mm-hmm. Maybe less than 30 minutes. But how important spending that time is as Americans.
Carli Patton: Mm-hmm.
Spencer Patton: For whichever way that you vote.
Having the difference between I feel really confident in the decision that I'm making and, ugh, I'm making this decision just based upon some standard that may or may not be something that aligns with the values that I want to see expressed in DC, it's just a really great opportunity and something that I hope we get to serve people by showing people who the candidates really are outside of their own ads and the attack ads.
Carli Patton: Mm-hmm. Well, and I think this generation, they're getting a bad rap, but the truth is the [00:51:00] authenticity meter in the generations that are coming is so strong. They can smell it from a mile away. And so I th- I am prayerful that the Dr. Hatchers of this world are going to prevail because authenticity is king, and people aren't just believing what they're told anymore, and I think it's really important.
And I think Dr. Hatcher drew a line in the sand, and I think this is true that everyone has to decide about themselves. Do we believe as a nation, as a voting people, that we deserve X, Y, and Z, or do we believe that it is our job to go and work our tails off and fight for X, Y, and Z? And Dr. Hatcher was nervous to even say how hard he worked to start his business at the beginning because so many people don't resonate with that level of work ethic.
And I think in this day and age, I choose to be the kind of person that says, "I'm going to work my tail off for X, Y, and Z so that I [00:52:00] can hand it to the next generation and the next generation," 'cause that's stewardship. And I think that is what he stands for, and it's truly a privilege to support him.
