Bill Lee announces Williamson County dairy farmer, state vet as agriculture commissioner

Gov.-elect Bill Lee has announced his pick for agriculture commissioner, choosing Tennessee's current state veterinarian and well-known Middle Tennessee dairy farmer Charlie Hatcher.

Lee made the announcement of his fourth commissioner appointment Monday night at the annual Tennessee Farm Bureau convention in Franklin.

Hatcher will lead the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, where he has served as  state veterinarian since 2009. Among Hatcher's duties in most recent role were certifying and enforcing animal health standards for livestock products, as well as working with federal officials to accredit Tennessee's practicing veterinarians.

He replaces Jai Templeton, the agriculture commissioner appointed by Bill Haslam.

Hatcher also serves as general managing partner of Hatcher Family Dairy, a Williamson County-based farm established in 1831. The family in 2007 began bottling their own milk under the brand Hatcher Dairy and selling to customers in Middle Tennessee. 

More:Leap of faith: How Hatcher Dairy stayed on the farm with bottling milk

The dairy also doubles as an agriculture tourism business.

Hatcher is general managing partner for Rock-N-Roll Farms and Battle Mountain Farm, also based in Williamson County, and is the practice owner of Rock-N-Country Veterinary Services in College Grove.

“Charlie brings tremendous perspective about our state’s rural resources and agricultural way of life,” Lee said in a statement. “What happens in rural Tennessee matters to all Tennesseans and Charlie has the experience to carry out the administration’s key priorities in agriculture and rural economic development.”

Lee has listed the stimulation of Tennessee's rural economies as a priority of his in office, with agriculture playing a role in the process.

“I am honored that Governor-elect Lee has charged me with serving our state as the head of the Department of Agriculture,” Hatcher said in a statement. “Being a 10th generation farmer, I know that agriculture impacts all Tennesseans, and I will ensure that we have the best ag community in any state in the country.”

Hatcher, who has a his doctorate of veterinary medicine from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and a  bachelor of science in animal science from Middle Tennessee State University, lives in College Grove.

Lee made his first Cabinet announcements last week, bringing on Stuart McWhorter as the new leader of the Department of Finance and Administration and keeping on Marie Williams and Danielle Barnes in their current commissioner roles for the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and Department of Human Services.

Reach Natalie Allison at nallison@tennessean.com. Follow her on Twitter at @natalie_allison.