Local breweries across Tennessee are collaborating with the state Department of Agriculture on a farm-to-tap initiative that hooks up Volunteer State farmers with beer makers.

Why it matters: The goal is to build a pipeline of locally grown ingredients to be used in Tennessee-made beers.

• And similar to the farm-to-table craze that swept restaurants several years ago, the hope is to use the partnerships as a marketing tool to convince consumers to drink more Tennessee beers.

What's happening: Farm to Tap launched with a $350,000 state grant included in Gov. Bill Lee's budget last year.

• Kyle Hensley, a business development consultant with the state Department of Agriculture, says the agency made sense to lead the grant program because it regulates the brewing industry.

What they're saying: Farmers can't commit to adding a new crop if they don't know the market for the produce, Hensley says, while brewers can't bank on a Tennessee-based supply chain unless they know the produce quality and that farmers can meet their demand.

• "We can do a lot to help farmers to supply the inputs that go into craft beer," Hensley tells Axios. "It has not really been a thing to this point."

Details: Experts say Farm to Tap is well-positioned to help farmers because Tennessee has an ideal climate to grow barley, one of the baseline ingredients in beer.

• "We started exploring what brewers are already using that's grown in Tennessee, while also looking at what farmers are already growing that could be used in Tennessee beer," Sharon Cheek, executive director of the nonprofit Tennessee Craft Brewers Guild, tells Axios.
• One example of a farm-to-tap partnership that has worked is Nashville's Southern Grist Brewing, which Cheek says uses sugar baby watermelons grown locally in its beers.

Driving the news: Farm to Tap is in the midst of hosting beer festivals across the state. The next festival is Saturday at TailGate Brewery on Charlotte Pike.

• More than 30 in-state breweries that utilize Tennessee-grown crops and products will be showcased at the event. Tickets are $50.

Embattled state Sen. Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown), who has been indicted on federal campaign finance charges, announced last week he would not seek reelection.

Why it matters: Kelsey, 44, had been one of the Tennessee GOP's rising stars before he was accused of illegally funneling money from his state campaign to an ill-fated Congressional bid.

• Federal prosecutors revealed the charges against him last October. He denied the allegations and called the case "a political witch hunt."
• Kelsey was first elected to the General Assembly as a House representative in 2004.

What he's saying: Kelsey's federal trial is set for next January, but he did not mention the case while announcing his decision.

• "I will not be running for reelection due to a recent, exciting change to my personal life, and I look forward to spending more time with my family," Kelsey tweeted.
• Kelsey said he hoped voters would support him if he runs for elected office "in the coming years," although he did not provide more details.

Between the lines: Opponents had already lined up against Kelsey in the election set for later this year, including in the Republican primary, per the Tennessee Lookout.

Music Monday starts this week with singer-songwriter Amythyst Kiah's cover of the Joy Division song "Love Will Tear Us Apart."

• If you haven't noticed, Kiah has been blowing up. She was nominated for Americana Music awards last year for both emerging artist and song of the year.
• We paired her sultry, stripped-down version of the beloved song with the original Joy Division recording in this week's playlist.

We also added one of the biggest songs of the year in any genre, "abcdefu" by pop singer-songwriter Gayle.

Flashback: We're marking the 59th anniversary of Patsy Cline's tragic death in a plane crash in west Tennessee that also killed three others.

• Our playlist includes a batch of songs by the country icon, including two poignant classics that were released posthumously: "Sweet Dreams" and "Faded Love."

🎙 Please respond with your favorite cover songs, favorite Patsy hits, or maybe an idea for a future playlist theme.

🏀 The Belmont women's basketball team won the Ohio Valley Conference tournament to qualify for March Madness for the sixth time in seven years. (The Tennessean)

🏈 The Titans are a possible landing spot for MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers if he demands a trade. (Pro Football Talk)

🎨 Nashville art teachers are featured in a new exhibit at the Frist. (WPLN)

🎤 The ACM Awards will stream tonight exclusively on Amazon Prime, and Dolly Parton is one of the co-hosts. (Forbes)

💼 New job, new me. Check out the latest job openings.

1. Public Relations/Marketing Associate at The Strategy Group.
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3. Marketing Executive at Harris.

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Last week, we shared a map showing the CDC's guidance for masks in Tennessee based on new COVID-19 benchmarks.

• The agency recently updated its recommendations with data showing conditions are continuing to improve in the Volunteer State.

The latest: The CDC still recommends caution for high-risk individuals in Nashville, but multiple surrounding counties were cleared to drop indoor masking.