Agriculture
Protecting Tennessee Farmers and the Future of Agriculture in District 3
Agriculture is not just an industry in District 3. It is a way of life. The farms of Carter, Johnson, and Washington Counties represent generations of hard work, sacrifice, and deep roots in the soil of East Tennessee.
9.8
Acres Per Hour
Tennessee is losing productive farmland at this rate — third in the nation
$1.87B
Annual Cash Receipts
Tennessee's livestock sector — at risk from disease threats without swift response authority
40 yrs
Same Senator
Crowe on the Agriculture Committee — no meaningful agriculture bills to his name
East Tennessee's Agricultural Heritage Is Under Threat
Agriculture is not just an industry in District 3. It is a way of life. The farms of Carter, Johnson, and Washington Counties represent generations of hard work, sacrifice, and deep roots in the soil of East Tennessee. But today, Tennessee farmers face serious and growing challenges that demand real leadership in Nashville, not empty slogans.
Tennessee is losing farmland
at a rate of 9.8 acres every single hour.
The state ranks third in the nation for the pace at which productive farmland is being converted out of agricultural use. Decades of sprawl, speculative development, and a legislature that has treated agriculture as an afterthought have put family farms in jeopardy. If we do not act now, future generations will inherit a Tennessee that has traded its fields for parking lots.
"District 3 farmers deserve a senator who shows up for them, not one who sits on the agriculture committee while doing nothing to protect the land and livelihoods of the people he represents."
Get InvolvedThirty Years of Missed Opportunities in District 3
Senator Rusty Crowe has served in Nashville for nearly 40 years, yet his legislative record tells a troubling story for farmers. Despite sitting on the Joint Commerce, Labor, Transportation and Agriculture Committee, Crowe has focused his chairmanship and energy almost exclusively on health care — not on the rural families and working farms of our district. He has no meaningful agriculture bills to his name from recent sessions.
Meanwhile, the issues that matter most to District 3 farmers — fair compensation when livestock is destroyed, water rights, farmland preservation, protecting the state veterinarian's authority — have largely moved forward without his leadership or have stalled entirely. Thirty-six years is a long time to wait for results.
A Platform Built for Tennessee Farmers
Dan Pohlgeers is committed to making agriculture a priority in the Tennessee State Senate. Here is where he stands on the issues that matter most to District 3 farmers:
Farmland Preservation
Robust funding for farmland preservation programs and conservation easements that allow families to keep their land in agriculture voluntarily, without government overreach.
Fair Compensation for Livestock Losses
When government orders require destruction of an animal, farmers deserve fair market value — not a discounted government estimate. Farmers should not bear the financial burden of protecting the public.
Water Rights & Clean Water Access
Dan will oppose legislation that allows utility companies or developers to drain Tennessee's rivers and streams without accountability. Clean, reliable water is a necessity, not a luxury.
Animal Disease Response Authority
Tennessee's $1.87B livestock sector cannot survive a disease outbreak without swift response. Dan will defend the state veterinarian's authority against political interference.
Property Tax Protections
Dan supports the constitutional amendment to prohibit a statewide property tax — a Tennessee Farm Bureau priority protecting farm families from tax burdens that force land sales.
Agricultural Investment & Rural Communities
Expanded investment in the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program, state meat inspection, and UT Institute of Agriculture research. Rural East Tennessee thrives when agriculture thrives.
Agriculture Is Not a Talking Point. It Is a Way of Life.
Dan Pohlgeers grew up understanding the value of hard work and community. He knows that the farmers of District 3 do not just produce food. They preserve open space, sustain local economies, and carry forward a tradition that defines who we are as Tennesseans.
What does a 36-year healthcare provider know about agriculture? He knows enough to not feed you a bunch of BULL. Dan firmly believes: "you know what you know and you better know where to go for what you don't know." When it comes to farming in District 3, he will go to the source — the hardworking families in Upper East Tennessee.
From farmland preservation to water rights to disease response, Dan will bring a fresh, focused voice for agriculture to Nashville. He will show up, speak up, and follow through for every farmer, rancher, and rural family in Carter, Johnson, and Washington Counties.
"The land shaped this district.
It is time our senator fought to protect it."
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This campaign is built on grassroots support from families across Carter, Johnson, and Washington Counties. Your involvement makes a difference — whether you have five minutes or five hours to give.
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