Tennessee has one of the oldest agricultural specialty license plates in the country, having started in the mid-1990s.
The state, which has a stunning landscape of western highlands, charming rolling hills in the middle, and large, fertile, flat lowlands toward the western boundary with the Mississippi River, is well-known for being a leading producer of cotton and tobacco. Roughly 79,000 farms totaling nearly 11 million acres are spread across that time.
The Ag Tag, a speciality plate for agriculture, has an equally extensive history. Cynthia Kent, a former creative director at the Tennessee Department of Agriculture's Agriculture Advancement Division, produced the design, which was first introduced in 1996. Despite the somewhat reduced size of the photographs, the design remains in use today. It was created using a sketch of her grandfather's Pickett County barn.
According to Kim Doddridge, Public Information Officer at TDA, "The Ag Tag with its recognizable red barn conveys Tennessee's rural heritage and the value our citizens place on farming families." The license plate significantly affects youth agricultural programs as well as local farmer initiatives. By placing the Ag Tag on their car, a person contributes to the continuation of leadership and development initiatives in forestry and agriculture.
The plate costs $35 more than a standard plate and is available for passenger cars. Ag Tag sales generate funds that TDA manages through the Tennessee Agricultural Development Fund. These funds are used to assist farmers markets, education and marketing initiatives, youth organizations focused on agriculture and forestry, and agricultural and forestry awareness.
According to Doddridge, since 1996, $9.1 million has been gathered. Donations include yearly gifts of $55,000 to the Tennessee 4-H Foundation, Tennessee FFA Foundation, and the Governor's School for the Agricultural Sciences of the Tennessee Department of Education. Each year, the Tennessee Foundation for Ag in the Classroom is awarded $65,000.
Tennessee Farm Bureau's director of communications Lee Maddox stated, "We have been fortunate to receive funding for the Ag in the Classroom program since its inception, as it continues to help us share the message about agriculture with young people in grades K–12." "The funds that we receive are reinvested in the program to support the provision of educational resources for teachers to enhance students' understanding of our most significant industry."
"It looks fantastic and is a great talking point to share the important message of agriculture with anyone I come in contact with," he continued.
Tennessee is known for its tobacco and cotton crops, yet the state's main commodities are cattle, broilers, and soybeans; corn and nursery goods hardly register on the radar. Roughly 80% of Tennessee's land is utilized for agriculture, not counting forestry.
Tennessee's Ag Tag was the fourth most popular specialty license plate in the state for the 2022–2023 fiscal year. Up till 2023, 19,685 Ag Tag plates have been issued since its introduction.
