OLD_SERA45: Crop diversification opportunities to enhance the viability of small farms

(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)

Status: Inactive/Terminating

Project Menu

SAES-422 Reports

Annual/Termination Reports:

[12/20/2016] [11/28/2017] [11/30/2018]

Date of Annual Report: 12/20/2016

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 10/21/2016 - 10/21/2016
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2015 - 09/30/2016

Participants

Aly, Bronwyn (baly@illinois.edu) - University of Illinois; Bergefurd, Brad (bergefurd.1@osu.edu) - The Ohio State University; Bordelon, Bruce (bordelon@purdue.edu) - Purdue University; Cassady, Christy (cgcass0@uky.edu) - University of Kentucky; Guan, Wenjing (guan40@purdue.edu) - Purdue University; Johanning, Nathan (njohann@illinois.edu) - University of Illinois; Kleinhenz, Matt (kleinhenz@osu.edu) - The Ohio State University; Langenhoven, Petrus (plangenh@purdue.edu) - Purdue University; Maynard, Liz (emaynard@purdue.edu) - Purdue University; Nair, Ajay (nairajay@iastate.edu) - Iowa State University; O’Connell, Suzanne (suzanne.oconnell@gmail.com) - University of Georgia; Oliver, Lesley (AA) (lesley.oliver@uky.edu) - University of Kentucky; Strang, John (jstrang@uky.edu) - University of Kentucky; Torres, Ariana (torres2@purdue.edu) - Purdue University; Velandia, Margarita (Secretary) (mvelandia@utk.edu) - University of Tennessee; Wolff, Brett (brett.wolff@uky.edu) - University of Kentucky; Woods, Tim (Chair) (tim.woods@uky.edu) - University of Kentucky; Wright, Shawn (shawn.wright@uky.edu) - University of Kentucky; Wszelaki, Annette (annettew@utk.edu) - University of Tennessee; Eric Young (eric_young@ncsu.edu) – N.C. State University

Brief Summary of Minutes

Please see attached minutes.

Minutes Attachment:

SERA45_2016_minutes_statereports.pdf

Accomplishments

A website for this project was established in 2016 at <a href="http://www.uky.edu/ccd/sera45">http://www.uky.edu/ccd/sera45</a>.  Objective 1: developing research-based production information about crops and systems that have potential to be profitable for small farms  Activities: The first year of an organic transition project was conducted in 2016 by Iowa State University in collaboration with the University of Kentucky. It investigated the effect of Protek net on winter squash and melon production. Protek nets are three to four times more expensive than typical row covers but have extended shelf life and reduce temperature stress under low tunnels.  In 2016, the University of Kentucky, Purdue University and the University of Delaware established a combined multistate watermelon variety trial in an industry-supported project.  The group intends to develop specific high tunnel resources that would be valuable to growers in the participating states. These resources will focus on: <ol> <li>General winter production</li> <li>Planting dates guidance/chart</li> <li>Growing degree days-based information</li> <li>Pricing for early and late season crops (when is season extension worth it?)</li> <li>Alternative high tunnel crops (beyond tomatoes, etc.)</li> </ol> Participants also plan to explore funding sources to conduct more variety trials and coordinate them throughout the region. Participants from Purdue and Kentucky are exploring collaborating on high tunnel melon production research.  Objective 2: coordinating research and extension activities among participants  Activities: The University of Kentucky’s Center for Crop Diversification (CCD) has promoted extension activities in other participating states through its website and/or monthly newsletter. These include webinar series (Purdue Small Farm Webinar Series and the Illinois Small Farms Winter Webinar Series, both in 2016), cover crop information (University of Illinois article on buckwheat), and conferences, field days and workshops in the participating states. The group plans to develop a winter speaker and topic list to allow for better coordination of 2018 events; develop a directory of contact people, facilities and resources from the participating universities to facilitate coordination of activities across the region; share newsletter articles as content for other newsletters in the participating states; and develop a system to regionalize resources such as crop budgets and publications.  Objective 3: expanding the activities of the Center for Crop Diversification to include price reports (farmers markets, produce auctions, farm to school, retail) from the participating states  Activities: Participants from Illinois and Tennessee are partnering with the Center for Crop Diversification at the University of Kentucky to provide price reports from farmers markets in their states. Illinois also provides price reports from a produce auction. The CCD continues coordinating price reporting from farmers markets and produce auctions around Kentucky, and the CCD website is used to host price reports from all three states. The CCD began posting farmers market prices from West Virginia in 2016. Purdue is interested in developing a price reporting system in Indiana. The CCD is exploring expansion of its price reporting to include farm to school and retail prices.  Objective 4: conducting research in the participating states on consumer preferences and marketing channels that are most effective and profitable for small farms  Activities: The University of Kentucky plans to produce a wine grape price summary based on a survey of the region. The group plans to develop regional versions of CCD publications on marketing channels such as food hubs, farmers markets, community supported agriculture, etc., as these publications undergo revisions.

Publications

Publications Journal articles Vassalos, Michael, Wuyang Hu, Timothy Woods, Jack Schieffer and Carl Dillon. 2016. Risk Preferences, Transaction Costs and Choice of Marketing Contracts: Evidence from a Choice Experiment with Fresh Vegetable Producers. Agribusiness 32(3):379-396. <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/agr.21450/full">http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/agr.21450/full</a> Woods, Timothy and Debra Tropp. 2015. CSAs and the Battle for the Local Food Dollar. Journal of Food Distribution Research 46(2):17-29. <a href="https://www.fdrsinc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/2-113-Tim-Woods.pdf">https://www.fdrsinc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/2-113-Tim-Woods.pdf</a> Woods, Timothy A., Xueting Deng, Lia Nogueira, and Bruce Yang. 2015. Local Wine Expenditure Determinants in the Northern Appalachian States. Journal of Food Distribution Research 46(2):30-50. <a href="https://www.fdrsinc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/3-108-Tim-Woods.pdf">https://www.fdrsinc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/3-108-Tim-Woods.pdf</a> Extension publications Lamie, David, Matt Ernst, Tim Woods, Gary Bullen, and Blake Lansford. “Choosing Wholesale Markets for Local Food Products,” eXtension series on wholesaling, September, 2015. <a href="http://articles.extension.org/pages/71021/choosing-wholesale-markets-for-local-food-products">http://articles.extension.org/pages/71021/choosing-wholesale-markets-for-local-food-products</a> Midwest Fruit Pest Management Guide 2016 Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers 2016 <a href="https://www.purdue.edu/dffs/beginningfarmers/links/midwest-vegetable-production-guide-for-commercial-growers-2016/">https://www.purdue.edu/dffs/beginningfarmers/links/midwest-vegetable-production-guide-for-commercial-growers-2016/</a> Midwest Vegetable Trial Report for 2015 <a href="https://ag.purdue.edu/hla/fruitveg/Pages/mvtr2015.aspx">https://ag.purdue.edu/hla/fruitveg/Pages/mvtr2015.aspx</a> Sample Budget for Small-Scale Commercial Tomato Operations - 2015 <a href="http://economics.ag.utk.edu/budgets/2015/Tomato/SampleBudgetforSmallScaleCommercialTomatoOperations2015.pdf">http://economics.ag.utk.edu/budgets/2015/Tomato/SampleBudgetforSmallScaleCommercialTomatoOperations2015.pdf</a> Southeastern U.S. 2016 Vegetable Crop Handbook <a href="http://www.thepacker.com/sites/produce/files/SEVegGuide_2016.pdf">http://www.thepacker.com/sites/produce/files/SEVegGuide_2016.pdf</a> Velandia, M., C.O. Trejo-Pech, D. Morris, A. Wszelaki, K. Niewolny, and L. MacAuley. 2016. Evaluating Financial and Economic Factors Contributing to the Sustainability of Beginning Farms in Tennessee and Virginia. Extension Publication, University of Tennessee Extension.

Impact Statements

Expanded price reporting resulting from this project will help fulfill the need for direct market prices for the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP).

Date of Annual Report: 11/28/2017

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 09/29/2017 - 09/29/2017
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2016 - 09/30/2017

Participants

Aly, Bronwyn (baly@illinois.edu) - University of Illinois; Bergefurd, Brad (bergefurd.1@osu.edu) - The Ohio State University; Cassady, Christy (cgcass0@uky.edu) - University of Kentucky; Guan, Wenjing (guan40@purdue.edu) - Purdue University; Langenhoven, Petrus (plangenh@purdue.edu) - Purdue University; Maynard, Liz (emaynard@purdue.edu) - Purdue University; Oliver, Lesley (AA) (lesley.oliver@uky.edu) - University of Kentucky; Strang, John (jstrang@uky.edu) - University of Kentucky; Velandia, Margarita (Vice-Chair) (mvelandia@utk.edu) - University of Tennessee; Wolff, Brett (brett.wolff@uky.edu) - University of Kentucky; Woods, Tim (tim.woods@uky.edu) - University of Kentucky; Wszelaki, Annette (annettew@utk.edu) - University of Tennessee

Brief Summary of Minutes

Please see attachment for detailed minutes and state reports.

Minutes Attachment:

SERA45_2017_minutes_statereports.pdf

Accomplishments

A website for this project was established in 2016 at <a href="http://www.uky.edu/ccd/sera45">http://www.uky.edu/ccd/sera45</a>. The website was updated in October of 2017 to include a list of facilities and contacts at the participating universities.  Objective 1: developing research-based production information about crops and systems that have potential to be profitable for small farms  Activities: The second year of an organic transition project was conducted in 2017 by Iowa State University in collaboration with the University of Kentucky. It investigated the effect of Protek net on winter squash and melon production. Protek nets are three to four times more expensive than typical row covers but have extended shelf life and reduce temperature stress under low tunnels.  Brad Bergefurd (Ohio State) has been working with John Strang (Kentucky) and Lewis Jett (West Virginia) to establish a tri-state strawberry growers co-op to enable growers to buy supplies at lower costs. They are trying to educate growers about the benefits of a co-op. The region could also benefit from establishment of a regional co-op for hop growers.  The University of Kentucky, Purdue University and the University of Delaware have been conducting combined watermelon variety trials in an industry-supported project since 2016. SERA 45 participant Wenjing Guan (Purdue) reported in February of 2017 in Purdue’s <a href="https://vegcropshotline.org/article/watermelon-variety-considerations-notes-from-watermelon-research-and-development-group-annual-meeting-and-2016-indiana-watermelon-variety-trial/">Vegetable Crops Hotline</a> that seedless watermelon varieties that yielded well in Kentucky, Indiana and Delaware were Talca, Crunchy Red and Wolverine.  Multiple participants in SERA 45, Krista Jacobsen and Tim Woods (Kentucky), Annette Wszelaki (Tennessee) and Suzanne O’Connell (Georgia) are currently involved in a Southern SARE-funded project, Cover Crops Under Cover: Evaluating Costs, Benefits, and Ecosystem Services of Cover Crops in Year-Round High Tunnel Production. A progress report is available at <a href="https://projects.sare.org/project-reports/ls16-272/">https://projects.sare.org/project-reports/ls16-272/</a>.  SERA 45 participants plan to better coordinate variety trials throughout the region. Participants are invited to join radish trials to be conducted in 2018 by the Southeast Vegetable Extension Workers Conference group. The trials will include all types of radishes for spring production, and will involve both high tunnel and field production.  The group is considering other crops with potential for variety trials to be conducted across states. These include chickpea, watermelon, pumpkin, sweet corn, and Asian vegetables.  The group intends to conduct high tunnel research that would be valuable to growers in the participating states. Focus areas include: <ol> <li>Cover crops in high tunnels</li> <li>Planting dates guidelines for high and low tunnels</li> <li>Fertigation and irrigation in high tunnels, for organic and conventional production.</li> <li>Compost applications in high tunnels and their effect on soils</li> <li>Recommendations for spraying in high tunnels</li> <li>Organic options for high tunnel production</li> </ol> SERA 45 participants were invited to join a project on biodegradable mulch currently involving University of Tennessee participants and Washington State University. Annette Wszelaki of UT indicated the current biodegradable mulch project is at a point where coordinated research with SERA 45 participants in other states would be welcome. This project has potential to receive funding through regional IPM grants.  The group will explore opportunities for multistate specialty crop block grant proposals, which would include research on multiple crops. Cucumbers would likely be among the crops included in such a proposal. Participants were encouraged to have conversations with their state departments of agriculture before deciding where to submit grant proposals.  Objective 2: coordinating research and extension activities among participants  Activities: The University of Kentucky’s Center for Crop Diversification (CCD) has promoted extension activities in the participating states through its website and/or monthly newsletter. These include webinars, conferences, field days and workshops.  The CCD developed lists of facilities/contacts and resources available at the participating universities to facilitate coordination of activities across the region. This information has been posted on the SERA 45 website at <a href="http://www.uky.edu/ccd/content/sera-45-facilities-and-contacts">http://www.uky.edu/ccd/content/sera-45-facilities-and-contacts</a>.  SERA 45 participants from Ohio State, Purdue, Iowa State, Tennessee and West Virginia have reviewed or are reviewing specialty crop fact sheets for the CCD. Participants from the University of Kentucky and the University of Tennessee plan to collaborate on extension agent trainings, and on online training on specialty crop pricing, using information from UK and UT work on farmers market price reports. UK and UT participants plan to collaborate through Tennessee’s Center for Profitable Agriculture to provide resources and trainings on marketing topics.  The CCD will pull together information on state level Specialty Crop Block Grants for which SERA 45 participants have received funding during the past five years, and will organize thematic activities in state reports to facilitate collaboration.  All SERA 45 participants have been added to the email list for the CCD monthly newsletter. The CCD will be proactive in including field days and other activities coming up in the participating states in its newsletter. Links to any regional newsletters not already available on the SERA 45 website will be added.  The group plans to conduct quarterly conference calls to better coordinate research and extension activities among the participants, in addition to annual face-to-face meetings.  Objective 3: expanding the activities of the Center for Crop Diversification to include price reports (farmers markets, produce auctions, farm to school, retail) from the participating states  Activities: Participants from Illinois and Tennessee continued partnering with the Center for Crop Diversification at the University of Kentucky to provide price reports from farmers markets in their states. Illinois also provides price reports from a produce auction. The CCD continues coordinating price reporting from farmers markets and produce auctions around Kentucky, and the CCD website is used to host price reports from all three states. Purdue developed a price reporting system in Indiana in 2017; the Indiana Farmers Market Price Report is available online at <a href="https://www.purdue.edu/hla/sites/hortbusiness/price-reports/">https://www.purdue.edu/hla/sites/hortbusiness/price-reports/</a>. Price reports from Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and a link to the Indiana price report, are available on the CCD website at <a href="http://www.uky.edu/ccd/pricereports">http://www.uky.edu/ccd/pricereports</a>. The CCD is developing Farm to School and retail price reports from Kentucky, and developed publications in 2017 showing pricing trends at Kentucky farmers markets and produce auctions from 2014-2016. The CCD plans to update these three-year reports annually.  Tennessee’s Center for Profitable Agriculture has an older publication on pricing that SERA 45 participants plan to update collaboratively. Tennessee is also testing an app for price reporters that will streamline the price collecting process. Purdue is working to set up a website to analyze pricing data. Objective 4: conducting research in the participating states on consumer preferences and marketing channels that are most effective and profitable for small farms  Activities: UK’s Tim Woods was the lead author on a national survey of Community Supported Agriculture enterprises to determine how the CSA model has evolved over time. This work resulted in a research report published online in April of 2017 by the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service. The report is available at <a href="https://www.ams.usda.gov/publications/content/community-supported-agriculture-new-models-changing-markets">https://www.ams.usda.gov/publications/content/community-supported-agriculture-new-models-changing-markets</a>.  Tennessee is assessing farmers’ interest in using a new mobile app (the Farm Spotter) designed to help producers connect with restaurants and wholesalers and facilitate transactions between these parties (“The Use of Internet, Mobile Websites and Apps among Specialty Crop Farmers”).

Publications

Midwest Fruit Pest Management Guide 2017 <a href="https://ag.purdue.edu/hla/Hort/Documents/ID-465.pdf">https://ag.purdue.edu/hla/Hort/Documents/ID-465.pdf</a>  Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers 2017 (ID-56). <a href="http://www.btny.purdue.edu/Pubs/ID/ID-56/">www.btny.purdue.edu/Pubs/ID/ID-56/</a>  Midwest Vegetable Trial Report for 2016 <a href="https://ag.purdue.edu/hla/fruitveg/Pages/mvtr2016.aspx">https://ag.purdue.edu/hla/fruitveg/Pages/mvtr2016.aspx</a>  Southeastern U.S. 2017 Vegetable Crop Handbook <a href="https://extension.tennessee.edu/Giles/Documents/2017%20Southeastern%20Vegetable%20Crop%20Handbook.pdf">https://extension.tennessee.edu/Giles/Documents/2017 Southeastern Vegetable Crop Handbook.pdf</a> Timothy Woods, M. Ernst and D. Tropp (2017). Community Supported Agriculture – New Models for Changing Markets. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service. <a href="https://www.ams.usda.gov/publications/content/community-supported-agriculture-new-models-changing-markets">https://www.ams.usda.gov/publications/content/community-supported-agriculture-new-models-changing-markets</a>

Impact Statements

Price information gathered from farmers markets, produce auctions, farm to school programs, and food retailers will help farmers in the region determine how to price their products.

Date of Annual Report: 11/30/2018

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 10/05/2018 - 10/05/2018
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2017 - 09/30/2018

Participants

Cassady, Christy (cgcass0@uky.edu) - University of Kentucky; Dugger, Troy (pdugger2@utk.edu) - Center for Profitable Agriculture, Tennessee; Jacobsen, Krista (krista.jacobsen@uky.edu) – University of Kentucky; Kleinhenz, Matt (kleinhenz.1@osu.edu) – Ohio State University; Nair, Ajay (nairajay@IASTATE.EDU) – Iowa State University; Oliver, Lesley (AA) (lesley.oliver@uky.edu) - University of Kentucky; Velandia, Margarita (Chair) (mvelandia@utk.edu) - University of Tennessee; Wolff, Brett (brett.wolff@uky.edu) - University of Kentucky; Woods, Tim (tim.woods@uky.edu) - University of Kentucky; Wszelaki, Annette (annettew@utk.edu) - University of Tennessee.

Brief Summary of Minutes

See attachment for detailed minutes and individual state reports.

Minutes Attachment:

SERA45_2018_Minutes_State_Reports.pdf

Accomplishments

A website for this project was established in 2016 at <a href="http://www.uky.edu/ccd/sera45">http://www.uky.edu/ccd/sera45</a>. The website was updated in October of 2017 to include a list of facilities and contacts at the participating universities, and in October of 2018 to include new participants. Objective 1: developing research-based production information about crops and systems that have potential to be profitable for small farms Accomplishments: The third year of an organic transition project was conducted in 2018 by Iowa State University (Ajay Nair) in collaboration with the University of Kentucky (Mark Williams). It investigated the effect of Protek net on winter squash and melon production. Protek nets are three to four times more expensive than typical row covers but have extended shelf life and reduce temperature stress under low tunnels. Based on results so far, Protek net systems are performing well providing insect protection and microclimate modification for enhanced growth, yield and quality in winter squash and muskmelon production systems.  Multiple participants in SERA 45, Krista Jacobsen and Tim Woods (Kentucky) and Annette Wszelaki (Tennessee) are currently involved in a Southern SARE-funded project, Cover Crops Under Cover: Evaluating Costs, Benefits, and Ecosystem Services of Cover Crops in Year-Round High Tunnel Production. A progress report is available at <a href="https://projects.sare.org/project-reports/ls16-272/">https://projects.sare.org/project-reports/ls16-272/</a>.  In 2018, Extension Vegetable Specialist Rachel Rudolph (Kentucky) participated in radish variety trials along with Wszelaki and other researchers from states in the South that are part of the Southeast Vegetable Extension Workers Conference group. Seed companies donated radish seeds, and the trial involved South Carolina, Louisiana, Alabama and North Carolina in addition to Kentucky and Tennessee. Results varied significantly by state. The trials will include all types of radishes for spring production, and will involve both high tunnel and field production. Objective 2: coordinating research and extension activities among participants Accomplishments: The University of Kentucky’s Center for Crop Diversification (CCD) has promoted activities in the participating states through its website and/or monthly newsletter. These include research projects, webinars, conferences, field days and workshops. SERA 45 participants from Ohio State, Purdue, Kentucky, Kentucky State, Tennessee and West Virginia have reviewed specialty crop and marketing fact sheets for the CCD. Objective 3: expanding the activities of the Center for Crop Diversification to include price reports (farmers markets, produce auctions, farm to school, retail) from the participating states Accomplishments: Participants from Indiana and Tennessee continued partnering with the Center for Crop Diversification at the University of Kentucky to provide price reports from farmers markets in their states. Illinois continued to provide price reports from a produce auction. The CCD continues coordinating price reporting from farmers markets and produce auctions around Kentucky, and the CCD website is used to host price reports from Kentucky, Tennessee and Illinois. Purdue developed a price reporting system in Indiana in 2017; the Indiana Farmers Market Price Report is available online at <a href="https://www.purdue.edu/hla/sites/hortbusiness/price-reports/">https://www.purdue.edu/hla/sites/hortbusiness/price-reports/</a>. Price reports from Kentucky, Illinois and Tennessee, as well as a link to the Indiana price report, are available on the CCD website at <a href="http://www.uky.edu/ccd/pricereports">http://www.uky.edu/ccd/pricereports</a>. Tennessee has developed an app to facilitate reporting prices from farmers markets. Testing of the app will continue in 2019. Woods (KY) has been working with Ariana Torres (IN), Brad Bergefurd (OH), and Kathryn Boys (NC/VA) on auction data analysis. Objective 4: conducting research in the participating states on consumer preferences and marketing channels that are most effective and profitable for small farms Accomplishments: Tennessee has a new project underway with Kentucky – Extending Roots of Fresh Stop Markets across the Southeast Region, which has been funded by Southern SARE, USDA-NIFA. The project will look at the economics of Fresh Stop Markets, which have had success in Kentucky, and the goal is to expand that success throughout the Southeast. From a social justice perspective, Fresh Stop Markets allow higher income families to subsidize lower income families buying fresh food. Work still needs to be done to make the program successful from an economic perspective.  Woods (Kentucky) is working with other researchers in Kentucky and Ohio to determine consumer preferences for local foods in various restaurant formats. Plans for the coming year: The group plans to collaborate on an economic analysis across crops for high, midsize and low tunnels. This will include conducting research on sequential plantings in tunnels. The group also plans to conduct research on high tunnel economics. A high tunnel producer survey will be distributed regionally. Participants in Indiana, Kentucky and Iowa are interested in collaborating on biodegradable mulch. The group plans to submit a proposal for a multistate research project; possibilities include an SCRI proposal. There are plans to collaborate on an extension publication and a research publication on farmers market and produce auction prices. Participants also plan to collaborate to find a way to make price reports translate more readily into research publications. Tennessee’s Center for Profitable Agriculture (CPA) and the CCD plan to collaborate to develop a publication on how to translate prices into business decisions. As part of a Kentucky Specialty Crop Block Grant, the CCD will develop a system using Qualtrics to streamline the price reporting process in 2019.  Brett Wolff (Kentucky) will travel to participating states to shoot photos and video to share the activities of the SERA 45 participants with farmers and extension personnel in the participating states. Participants are encouraged to use Facebook live to share events held in their states.

Publications

Journal Articles: Holcomb, R.B., C.L. Neill, J. Lelekacs, M. Velandia, T.A. Woods, H.L. Goodwin, and R.L. Rainey. 2018. A Local Food System Glossary: A Rose by Any Other Name. Choices 33(3):1-8. Rossi, J., J.E. Allen, T.A. Woods, and A.F. Davis. 2017. CSA Shareholder Food Lifestyle Behaviors: A Comparison Across Different Consumer Groups. Journal of Agriculture and Human Values 34(4):855-869. doi:10.1007/s10460-017-9779-7, http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10460-017-9779-7 Academic Presentations: Bergefurd, Brad, Tim Woods, Martin Bechu, Alex Butler, and Brett Wolff. “Local Versus Regional Engagement in Ohio Valley Produce Auctions: A Price Analysis.” Paper presented at the Food Distribution Research Society Annual Conference, Honolulu, HI, October 20-24, 2017. Extension Publications: Midwest Fruit Pest Management Guide 2018 <a href="https://ag.purdue.edu/hla/Hort/Documents/ID-465.pdf">https://ag.purdue.edu/hla/Hort/Documents/ID-465.pdf</a> Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers 2018 (ID-56). <a href="https://ag.purdue.edu/btny/midwest-vegetable-guide/Pages/default.aspx">https://ag.purdue.edu/btny/midwest-vegetable-guide/Pages/default.aspx</a> Midwest Vegetable Trial Report for 2017. Published January 2018.<a href="https://ag.purdue.edu/hla/fruitveg/Pages/mvtr2017.aspx">https://ag.purdue.edu/hla/fruitveg/Pages/mvtr2017.aspx</a> Southeastern U.S. 2018 Vegetable Crop Handbook <a href="https://extension.tennessee.edu/Giles/Documents/2017%20Southeastern%20Vegetable%20Crop%20Handbook.pdf">https://extension.tennessee.edu/Giles/Documents/2017 Southeastern Vegetable Crop Handbook.pdf</a>

Impact Statements

Objective 4’s research on consumer preferences and marketing channels will help farmers in the region determine the most appropriate channels for selling their products.