James Flatt

James Flatt is an accomplished agricultural leader with a broad background in farm management, agribusiness, and education. He currently serves as Director of Farm Laboratories at Middle Tennessee State University, where he oversees a complex, hands-on agricultural operation that includes a working dairy and milk processing facility, beef and swine units, and several hundred acres of crop and forage production.

Outside the university, James co-owns and operates Flatt Rock Farm near Nashville, Tennessee—a multi-generational, first-generation family farm (a unique legacy in itself) where he manages a commercial cow/calf herd, meat and dairy goats, honeybees, seasonal gardens, and forage systems.

James also brings private-sector experience to his work, having previously held roles in marketing and territory management with national lifestyle brands such as Wrangler Jeans and Lewis Cattle Oilers. A graduate of Tennessee Tech University and a former National FFA Officer, he continues to invest in the future of agriculture through his service on the American Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers National Committee, representing the voices of producers ages 18 to 35 from across the United States.

With roots in both production agriculture and agricultural education, James provides a grounded and forward-thinking perspective on the evolving challenges and opportunities facing global food systems.