Neale Named Executive Director of Tennessee Livestock Network . . .

The board of directors of the Tennessee Livestock Network have announced the appointment of Ben D. Neale as Executive Director of the recently formed non-profit livestock marketing organization. 

Neale, a Giles County native, will serve as TLN’s first executive director since the organization’s establishment in 2006 and will provide overall management and guidance in helping increase profitability for participating livestock producers. 

“Ben’s the man for the job.  He has the experience and the knowledge to move our organization ahead and to help us better market cattle through process verified programs,” said TLN president and Giles County cattleman Steve Scott.  “His first priority will be to listen and to learn, to work with market operators and all our partners to find out what’s working and what’s not.  Ben will provide an important and credible presence for the network in the livestock industry.”

Neale joined TLN from the University of Tennessee at Martin, where he served as assistant farm manager and primary manager of the UTM Sheep and Goat Research Facility.  He served as the Extension agent in Lauderdale County in 2005, and before that was a cattle manager for Monarch Farms, a purebred Angus cattle operation in Folsom, LA.  He also has experience as a herdsman for Deer Valley Farm in Fayetteville, TN. 

“I’ve always been involved in agriculture and the livestock industry, so I’m excited to be in a position where I can help Tennessee livestock producers,” said Neale.  “One of my goals will be to help improve the reputation of Tennessee cattle.

“Tennessee has a lot of different producers, from large to small operators, so education and coordination will be an important part of what I do.  It will be important to gear this program to help make it more acceptable to Tennessee’s smaller producers.”

Neale is a graduate of UTM with master’s degrees in business administration and in agriculture operations and management, and a bachelor’s degree in agriculture.

“Having Ben join our team is a testament to the support that we’ve had from all our partners, including Commissioner (Ken) Givens and the staff of the Department of Agriculture,” said Scott.  “Ben will help us do what’s best for the network and the livestock industry in general.  He will be responsible for working with all our partners to move age and source verification forward.”

TLN was established for the purpose of helping Tennessee livestock producers increase profitability through age and source verification.  TLN has a partnership with the Southeast Livestock Network to provide an auditable process for verifying an animal’s age and farm of origin.  More livestock producers are joining this system of marketing as the demand for age and source verified livestock products is increasing. 

TLN is a partnership among the Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association, the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation, the American Dairy Association of Tennessee, and the Tennessee Livestock Markets Association, and is supported by the University of Tennessee Extension, the Tennessee Veterinary Medical Association, the Tennessee Farmers Cooperative and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.

Neale will begin working on behalf of Tennessee livestock producers Jan. 1, 2008.  He plans to reside in the McMinnville area to be more centrally located to the state’s livestock markets and production.  For more information about TLN or age and source verification, contact Neale at (731) 413-7609.