Tennessee receives National Agricultural Marketing Excellence Award
July 31, 2021

NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Business Development Division has won the 2021 Agricultural Marketing Excellence Award from the North American Agricultural Marketing Officials (NAAMO) organization this week during their annual meeting in Starkville, Miss.

Left to right: Kerry Wefald, 2020 NAAMO President and Agriculture Marketing Director at the Kansas Department of Agriculture; Paige Manning, 2021 NAAMO President and Director of Marketing and Public Relations at the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce; Will Freeman, Tennessee Department of Agriculture; Keith Harrison, Assistant Commissioner for Business Development at the Tennessee Department of Agriculture; Andy Holt, Director of Business Development at the Tennessee Department of Agriculture; and Joe Gaines, former NAAMO President and former Assistant Commissioner at the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. Image courtesy of Tennessee Dept. of Agriculture

The purpose of NAAMO is to provide its members with a forum to network, collaborate, and share insights to enhance the development, marketing, and promotion of North American food and agricultural products. The annual award recognizes innovative and effective agricultural marketing projects that have significant impact to the agricultural economy in a state or province.

Tennessee’s Business Development Division was recognized for their social media strategy to promote Tennessee products during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pick Tennessee Products’ social media posts reached more than 2 million people in 2020 through a Do Your Part With Pick TN campaign. This effort was coordinated by TDA Business Consultant Will Freeman, who presented during the NAAMO competition.

“The Marketing Excellence Award is the highest honor a member organization can receive,” NAAMO President Kerry Wefald said. “This award is voted on by provincial and state agricultural marketing peers, and we are so proud to recognize Will and the Tennessee team’s visionary strategy and impressive digital marketing efforts woven perfectly within a nicely packaged Pick Tennessee Products campaign.”

“This is the first time Tennessee has received the Marketing Excellence Award, and we are honored to be recognized for our effective marketing methods,” Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, D.V.M. said. “I’m proud of our Business Development team, which continues to work diligently to support our farmers, producers, and manufacturers.”

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s mission is to promote responsible use of our agricultural and forest resources, develop economic opportunities, and ensure safe and dependable food and fiber for the citizens of Tennessee. More information about NAAMO, TDA, and Pick Tennessee Products can be found at www.naamo.org, www.tn.gov/agbusinessdevelopment, and www.picktnproducts.org.