Catesa Farms in Tennessee: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Catesa Farms in Riddleton, Smith County, was founded in 1927 and now farms more than 9,000 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat, milo, hay, watermelons and strawberries, according to the University of Tennessee. George McDonald, who runs it, was named the 2024 Tennessee Farmer of the Year, his second time receiving the honor after first winning in 1996.
| Location | Riddleton, Smith County, Tennessee, about 50 miles northeast of Nashville |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1927, by George McDonald's great-grandfather on 257 acres (RFD-TV) |
| Sectors | Corn; soybeans; wheat; milo; hay; watermelons; strawberries; ag inputs |
| Scale | More than 9,000 acres and more than 40 full-time, part-time and contract workers (UT Institute of Agriculture) |
| Why it is elite | 2024 Tennessee Farmer of the Year, McDonald's second win after 1996 |
| Ownership | Fourth-generation family operation; McDonald farms with his daughter Sarah, his mother Linda and Kyle Cato |
| Official website | Pick Tennessee Products listing for Catesa Farms |
History of Catesa Farms
RFD-TV reports that George McDonald's great-grandfather started Catesa Farms in 1927 with 257 acres and three full-time employees. McDonald is the fourth generation. He joined the operation in 1978, according to AgWeb, and has led its growth from a diversified crop and livestock farm into a much larger enterprise. The farm formerly ran a dairy, which it has since exited.
McDonald was named Tennessee's Young Farmer of the Year in 1990, Tennessee Farmer of the Year in 1996 and again in 2024. The University of Tennessee said the family will mark 100 years of managing the farm in about three years. His daughter Sarah, the fifth generation, handles the financial side, according to AgWeb.
What Catesa Farms Grows and Raises
Catesa Farms grows corn, soybeans, wheat, milo and hay across several counties, and operates specialty crops that stand out in Middle Tennessee. AgWeb says strawberries began in 2005 on one acre and grew to 12 acres producing about 180,000 pounds a year, sold to restaurants, Nashville specialty markets, two wineries and at the farm. Watermelons followed on 35 acres, distributed through an Indiana firm to retailers such as Walmart, Sam's Club, Costco and Kroger.
McDonald also runs Cumberland Valley Ag, a related business that sells fuel, fertilizer and seed and dries and stores grain for local producers. The University of Tennessee says the farm is adopting technology to improve efficiency and stewardship, marketing products directly to capture added value, and planning for succession and vertical integration.
How Catesa Farms Makes Money
Row crops
Corn, soybeans, wheat, milo and hay form the volume base of the farm, spread across thousands of acres.
Strawberries and watermelons
Specialty crops carry more revenue per acre. AgWeb quotes McDonald as expecting profit to come from specialty crops and consumer-driven demand, since commodity grains offer limited upside.
Inputs and storage
Cumberland Valley Ag sells fuel, fertilizer and seed, and dries and stores corn, wheat and soybeans for other producers, adding service income.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Catesa Farms
The first lesson is to add specialty crops where a metropolitan market is near. Catesa Farms sells strawberries to Nashville restaurants, markets and wineries, using proximity to a growing city. The second lesson is to match supply to demand: AgWeb says McDonald aims to nearly meet demand without oversupplying.
Finally, vertical integration, through a grain-drying and input business, and early adoption of precision agriculture show how a large grain farm can add services and efficiency without abandoning its core crops.
A farm that grows both thousands of acres of corn and a few acres of strawberries needs two kinds of patience, one for the combine and one for the berry picker. If you enjoy farm satire that can switch gears that quickly, farm.FM collects farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes that treat grain farmers and berry growers with equal respect. We hope the wineries get the good strawberries and the watermelons get a fan club.
farm.FM calls itself the nation's first satirical farm site, and between the headlines it spins Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers; a good place to start reading is this farm.FM columnist's archive.
How to Contact Catesa Farms
Website: https://www.picktnproducts.org/picktn-producers/picktn-listing.2753.html
No official Catesa Farms homepage appeared in our research, so this page links to the Pick Tennessee Products producer listing, which names George McDonald as the contact. Confirm sales and visits with the farm directly, November 2026.
Catesa Farms Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Pick Tennessee Products listing - State-supported producer listing for Catesa Farms strawberries and watermelons
- UT Institute of Agriculture: 2024 Farmer of the Year - Acreage, enterprises and awards for George McDonald
- RFD-TV: Established in 1927 - History of Catesa Farms
- AgWeb: Grain producer expands into fruit - Strawberry and watermelon strategy
- USDA NASS Tennessee profile - 2022 Census of Agriculture figures for Tennessee farms and crops
Catesa Farms FAQ
Where is Catesa Farms?
Catesa Farms is in Riddleton, Smith County, Tennessee, about 50 miles northeast of Nashville.
How big is the farm?
The University of Tennessee reports more than 9,000 acres.
What does Catesa Farms grow?
Corn, soybeans, wheat, milo, hay, watermelons and strawberries.
What award did George McDonald win?
He was named the 2024 Tennessee Farmer of the Year, after first receiving the honor in 1996.
Catesa Farms shows how a 1927 family farm can combine large-scale grain with strawberries, watermelons and ag services near Nashville. For other award winners, see the Tennessee farms guide and the other profiles in this directory.