Master Certification

The University of Tennessee offers several educational programs for the agricultural industry. These programs are designed to provide hands-on experience in current management practices that are important to the profitability and sustainability of the industry.

All approved applicants are eligible for 35% (Standard Producer) cost share except for applicants approved for the Beginning Farmer Option. For applicants wanting to qualify for 50% cost share (Master Producer), an eligible master producer certificate is required at time of reimbursement (not at time of application). Courses to obtain certificates must be completed by the applicant. Certificates must be issued after January 1, 2020 to be considered current for TAEP.

Applicants qualifying for the Beginning Farmer Option will be reimbursed at 50% cost share and must complete a required educational certification (UT Farming Fundamentals or TSU New Farmer Academy) by the reimbursement deadline to qualify for reimbursement. There will not be a 35% cost share option for the Beginning Farmer Option. See pp. 10-11.

2023-2024 Eligible Master Courses by TAEP Program

Please note - Master certificates are only eligible for a certain period of time. Please refer to the Master Certificates & TAEP 50% Cost Share or the Master Producer Recertification section to determine eligibility of your Master certificate.

Master Certification & TAEP 50% Cost Share

To be eligible for 50% cost share, an approved applicant must complete an eligible Master course prior to submission of their reimbursement request.

• Certificates must be issued 2020 or after to be considered current for TAEP.
• Courses to obtain certificates must be completed by the applicant approved for TAEP cost share. No substitutions allowed.
• Copy of current certificate must be submitted with reimbursement request.

Contact your local UT/TSU Extension office to inquire about educational course offerings.

• University of Tennessee | utextension.tennessee.edu
• Tennessee State University | tnstate.edu/extension

Master Producer Recertification

If you received your master certification any time after January 1, 2020, you will be eligible for 50% cost share for the 2023-2024 TAEP program. Recertification is required if course was completed prior to 2020.

If you are unsure when you earned your master course certification, please contact your local UT/TSU Extension Agent for assistance.

Contact your local UT/TSU Extension office to inquire about your master course certification needs.
• University of Tennessee | utextension.tennessee.edu
• Tennessee State University | tnstate.edu/extension

The following chart indicates master producer certificate eligibility by TAEP program year.

Producer Diversification - To learn more about 50% cost share opportunities for Agritourism , Fruit and Vegetable, Honey Bee, Horticulture , Organic , and Value-Added sectors, please visit the Producer Diversification page here .

BQA Certification vs. Master Producer Certification

Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) certification is required at time of application for cattle producers only. Training courses are offered in-person by your local UT/TSU Extension office or online. Course focuses on cattle management and care and is approximately two hours in length.

Master Producer certification is required prior to submission of reimbursement request for applicants seeking to be eligible for 50% cost share. Master Producer certificates are issued by UT/TSU Extension. Course involves multiple education sessions focusing on production and marketing.