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Members of the Coffee County agricultural community were joined by local and state officials for its annual Legislative Breakfast Saturday, March 16.

“It is always nice to have at least one get together a year to thank our elected officials,” Coffee County Farm Bureau President A.J. Teal said. “The sacrifice that you all do to serve our community and the many ups and downs that you all go through, we want to let you all know we thank you and we thank you for your service.”

During the event, Coffee County 4-H agent Neil Sloan introduced the five delegates that represented Coffee County in the 4-H Congress this year.

“For those of you that don’t know the 4-H Congress is a state event where students are able to go visit the state capital,” Sloan said. “They can sit in and visit with state legislators, they learn how a bill is passed into law and even go into some mock proceedings about how that works.”

“I am very proud to have five amazing delegates represent us this year,” Sloan added. “It has been a while since we had this many students represent us at one time.”

4-H member Brayden Kesling spoke of his experience participating in the event.

“It is a three-day event from Sunday to Tuesday where we go to the capital, and we also sit through many educational sessions learning about how our state and local government systems work,” Kesling said.

As one of the Senators from Coffee County, Kesling was able to participate in a mock debate, and was able to introduce a bill in the 4-H Congress.

“That was overall a really cool experience getting to debate and sit in those chairs that all of our Senate members sit in when they pass the real laws,” he said.

Elaine Weaver of the Coffee County Farm Bureau Women Committee spoke of its efforts to promote agriculture education in the classroom.

“At this time I would like to send Dr. Charles Lawson my thanks and Dr. Joey Vaughn for allowing us to come to the schools and participate and promote agriculture,” she said.

Weaver said the group donates a book to Coffee County, Manchester City and Tullahoma schools from its Ag in the Classroom Library to help the students learn about agriculture.

The event was also attended by State Sen. Janice Bowling and State Rep. Rush Bricken, who both spoke and answered questions from the audience.

“We are doing our best to make sure the rights of the farmers, the rights of the people of Tennessee, the rights of the students of Tennessee all come under the Constitution of the State of Tennessee and the United States,” Bowling said. “Our oath of office is very simple, we promise to uphold those constitutions and in reading those constitutions that is the trick, we have to make sure everybody that goes to Nashville, Tennessee has read them. They are not difficult; they are not long but they are very straightforward as to what God has given the people and what the state will protect.”

Bricken said it was great to see so many FFA and 4-H students making their way through the State Capital recently.

“During this session certainly the FFA and 4-H folks came through my office and that is just so impressive to see these young folks coming through the capital learning what we do and getting that exposure,” he said.

Bricken said Farm Bureau has excellent representation in Nashville, with people fighting on behalf of agriculture and Tennessee farmers.

“I think there are four or five bills that you all are supporting, and I think they are moving well through and a couple that you are opposed to, I know one of them has already gone away,” he said.

According to Farm Bureau statistics, Tennessee farms produce $4.4 billion in cash crop receipts, employ more than 366,154 workers with 281,894 in farming and have an economic impact of $89 billion.