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Tennessee Lawmakers Tip Their Hat To Agriculture Sector With Annual Competition

Hear the radio version of this story.

Some might think that feeding milk to a calf couldn't be all that hard. But ask state Sen. Jim Tracy.

"Easy, easy," the Shelbyville Republican said as he attempted to steady a hungry, month-old Holstein named Raven. "Go baby go. That's good stuff, man, come on."

With some coaching from East Tennessee Senator Frank Niceley, a cattleman, Tracy was up to the task. It took Raven about five minutes to drain a two-quart bottle of enriched formula, giving the Senate a victory over their House counterparts in the state legislature's annual Ag Day competition. Their prize was a gold-colored bottle.

The Golden Bottle Trophy
Credit Chas Sisk / WPLN
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WPLN
The Golden Bottle Trophy

Calf-feeding was a new twist. Past years have seen the House and Senate speakers square off in a milking contest and teams compete to shuck the most corn.

More than three dozen organizations took part in this year's Ag Day, including college agriculture programs, conservation groups and an association of beekeepers. A pair of goats and a sheep joined the calves outside Legislative Plaza's front entrance, as scores of farmers and agribusiness supporters lined the hallways.

The state estimates farms generate about $70 billion a year in economic activity.

State Rep. Andy Holt, right, presents state Sens. Jim Tracy, Frank Niceley and Paul Bailey with the Golden Bottle Trophy.
Chas Sisk / WPLN
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WPLN
State Rep. Andy Holt, right, presents state Sens. Jim Tracy, Frank Niceley and Paul Bailey with the Golden Bottle Trophy.
Raven and January, a pair of Holsteins born earlier this year, wait outside Legislative Plaza.
Chas Sisk / WPLN
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WPLN
Raven and January, a pair of Holsteins born earlier this year, wait outside Legislative Plaza.

Copyright 2017 WPLN News

Chas joined WPLN in 2015 after eight years with The Tennessean, including more than five years as the newspaper's statehouse reporter.Chas has also covered communities, politics and business in Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. Chas grew up in South Carolina and attended Columbia University in New York, where he studied economics and journalism. Outside of work, he's a dedicated distance runner, having completed a dozen marathons