This month on Feeding Traditions, host Mary Jane Arnette sits down with her dad, Paul Arnette.

For nearly 40 years, Paul has been part of the Co-op system, serving farmers, supporting rural communities, and helping agriculture thrive. Throughout his career, he has built lasting relationships in agriculture while maintaining a lifelong passion for raising cattle.

In this special episode, Paul reflects on the experiences that shaped his career, the lessons he's learned along the way, and the values that have guided both his work and his family.

From stories of hard work and perseverance to reflections on faith, leadership, and raising the next generation, this conversation explores the principles that endure long after the workday is done.

Some lessons are learned in the field. Others are learned from your father. This episode is about both.

This month on Feeding Traditions, host Mary Jane Arnette sits down with West Tennessee farmer and longtime Co-op leader Amos Huey for a conversation about farming, leadership, and the values that continue to shape agriculture today.

A primary row crop producer, Amos shares the story of growing his family operation over the years while also maintaining a Red Angus cattle herd rooted in quality and tradition. Throughout the episode, he reflects on the importance of trust, planning ahead, and treating farming like both a business and a responsibility.

Amos also discusses his years of service on both local and Tennessee Farmers Cooperative boards, offering honest perspective on the future of the cooperative system and why relationships still matter in agriculture. From crop marketing and technology to cattle, family, and leadership, his insight is grounded in decades of experience and hard-earned wisdom.

Join us for a conversation about integrity, resilience, and carrying agricultural traditions forward for the next generation.

This month on Feeding Traditions, host Mary Jane Arnette sits down with Claire Hill, Executive Director of the Tennessee Farmers Co-op Foundation, whose work is centered around investing in the next generation of agricultural leaders.

From her own roots in FFA to her role today, Claire shares how her passion for serving others has shaped her career and continues to drive the mission of the foundation. Through programs like Round & Raise, Co-op scholarships, the Case Knife program, and Auction Barn, she gives insight into how the Co-op is supporting youth, strengthening communities, and making a lasting impact across Tennessee—including stepping in to support disaster relief efforts when communities need it most.

Claire also offers a behind-the-scenes look at the foundation’s work and why investing in young people—through leadership, opportunity, and connection—matters now more than ever.

Join us for a conversation about purpose, community, and what it really means to carry traditions forward.

This month on Feeding Traditions, we’re heading to White Bluff, Tennessee, to meet Beth and Phil Dawson, a husband and wife farming team who have built their life around hard work, faith, and community. From raising row crops and cattle to facing floods and changing times, their story is full of determination, grit, and heart.
Over the years, their farm has grown and evolved, from 1,200 acres of corn and soybeans to a smaller, focused cattle operation, showing how farming is as much about care and stewardship as it is about strategy. Beth and Phil share what it’s like running a farm together, the lessons they’ve learned from mentors and neighbors, and the values that have guided their work for decades.

This month on Feeding Traditions, our guest is Dani Morrison, a team member at First Farmers Cooperative, whose story is one of resilience, faith, and the power of community. In honor of October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Dani opens up about her personal journey through multiple cancer battles and the strength she found in her Co-op family along the way.

Raised in a true Co-op family in Hardin County, Dani’s connection to agriculture runs deep, from her early days feeding livestock on the farm to her career serving farmers across West Tennessee. Her story ties perfectly into Co-op’s Feed Strong, Fight Strong campaign, which is supporting breast cancer awareness this October. Through this effort, ProTrition Feed is donating a portion of sales from specially marked Co-op and Cumberland Mills feed bags to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, a cause that holds special meaning for Dani and many within the Co-op system.

Tune in to Feeding Traditions to hear Dani’s inspiring story of courage, community, and hope, and learn how your feed purchases this month help make a difference.

Mike Richardson has dedicated more than 40 years to the Co-op system, starting in a temporary role at the fertilizer plant, moving into the warehouse and bagging room at the feed mill, and ultimately finishing his career as the LaVergne plant manager. Known for his integrity, leadership, and commitment to farmers, he has guided the LaVergne mills through decades of change while building lasting friendships along the way. This November, Mike will lay down his hard hat and step into retirement, leaving behind a legacy of hard work, loyalty, and service to Co-op. Tune into Feeding Traditions to hear Mike’s story.

Marty and Mark Tolley of Darden, Tennessee, are a father-and-son duo carrying on a family cattle tradition that began in the late 1940s. From Marty’s early start raising pigs with $20 earned picking cotton to today’s partnership in a 45,000-head Kansas feedyard, the Tolley family has built an operation rooted in hard work, faith, and generational values.

Now managing both their Henderson County herd and a growing beef business serving customers in more than 25 states, Marty and Mark share how family, farming, and Co-op have shaped their story—and how they’re preparing the next generation to carry it forward.

Benjie Daniel of Charlotte, Tennessee, carries on a remarkable family tradition spanning over 150 years. As the sixth generation on a century farm, Benjie has seen the operation evolve—from its start as a row crop and dairy farm into a thriving stocker and cow-calf beef business. Today, the farm manages about 150 cow-calf pairs, a few hundred stockers, and takes care of roughly 1,800 acres of stock, hay, pasture, and crops. With the eighth generation now joining the legacy, Benjie shares a story of resilience and adaptation that has kept their heritage strong through the decades.

Deeply rooted in the Co-op system, Benjie follows in his father’s footsteps—who served as a TFC board member—and now chairs the Tennessee Farmers Cooperative board of directors. Listen now to discover how family, farming, and community leadership come together on this historic Tennessee farm.