| PROJECT SUMMARY |
| This project addressed the need for multidiscilinary fruit and vegetable-related professional development training for recently employed or reassigned Extension agents in the Southern region. The UT Agricultural Extension Service developed a hands-on, intensive in-service training to bridge the gap between theory and practice. In this training project, Extension agents learned about production and marketing risks by performing many of the tasks associated with fruit and vegetable production and marketing in addition to participating in specialized management-related workshops. The training also appled results from a multi-state marketing research project designed to address distribution barriers faced by small volume fruit and vegetable growers. This project involved the selection of county agents and marketing specialists from University of Kentucky, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Services and North Carolina Cooperative Extension to participate along with the University of Tennessee agents. They also contributed towards the development of a market development manual that addresses the production, marketing and financials risks associated with fruit and vegetable production. |
| NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: 57 |
| TOPICS COVERED |
| Insurance products |
| Product and enterprise diversification |
| Market analysis and outlook |
| Marketing strategies, plans and clubs |
| Direct, wholesale, and processing markets |
| Contract production, branded or certified marketing, and value-added enterprises |
| Financial records, analysis, and bench-marking |
| Tools for managing legal liability |
| Leases, contracts and negotiation |
| Understanding of economic risks associated with new production technologies |
| Business and strategic planning |
| Ability to manage changes in policy and regulation |
