Frank Niceley is running for State Senate in Tennessee's 8th district after serving four consecutive terms in the state General Assembly.

In his last term in the Assembly, Niceley served as chair of the Agriculture Committee. Niceley is facing a run-off against three other opponents in the Republican primary on August 2nd; if he is successful, he will run unopposed in the general election in November.

There are few legislators anywhere that are a better friend to small farms and local food than Frank Niceley.  

• He was the lead sponsor of a bill signed into law that legalized the distribution of raw milk through herdshare contracts.

• He was subsequently able to obtain an opinion from the state Attorney General that the distribution of other raw milk products was legal as well.

• When the Tennessee Department of Agriculture tried to impose a licensing fee on egg producers who only sold eggs produced by their own flocks, Niceley was able to get an opinion from the Attorney General that the department did not have the legal authority to impose the fee.

Nicely has also worked to enable farmers to be able to legally slaughter and process poultry on the farm. In his position as chair of the General Assembly Agriculture Committee, Niceley has used his oversight powers over the department of agriculture to create a more favorable regulatory climate for small farmers.

If Niceley is elected to the Senate, he plans on working for passage of a Family Farm Freedom bill that would further reduce the regulatory burden on family farms.