Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

On June 4 and 5, the 2024 WERA-72 Annual Meeting was held in Tucson Arizona on the University of Arizona campus. The annual meeting gathered more than twenty Agribusiness scholars, educators, extension specialists, and industry practitioners across the U.S. and beyond. Javier Badillo, the managing member of Fresh International and Chairman of the Tomato Division at the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, kicked off the meeting with the Keynote Talk on the New State of the Tomato Industry. The participants further engaged in an Industry & Academic panel discussion focusing on the challenges, opportunities, and talent gaps of agribusinesses in uncertain times. Professor and Extension Specialist, Dr. George Frisvold, gave an invited talk on Water Challenges Facing Arizona. In addition, eight papers and five posters were presented and discussed, with topics from food consumer behavior, food brand positions, diary risk management, and e-commerce stockouts, to agribusiness case studies, teaching pedagogies, and curriculum development. The meeting concluded with a local agribusiness tour, visiting the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Port of Entry and a warehouse distributor at Nogales, Arizona. Participants experienced and learned firsthand about the fresh produce trade across the borderland in southern Arizona. A detailed meeting agenda is updated and attached to the meeting approval.

The WERA-72 Business Meeting was taken place on June 4, 2024, from 3 to 5 pm during the annual meeting. Fifteen members attended in person and three members participated virtually on Zoom. Key Takeaways from the business meeting are summarized below and a detailed business meeting minute is attached with the report.

Key Takeaways from the 2024 business meeting:

1. Approval of Previous Minutes:
   • The 2023 business meeting minutes were approved.
2. Change in Administrative Advisor:
   • Ivory Lyles was honored posthumously for his contributions.
   • Eric Belasco was introduced as the new Administrative Advisor.
3. Vision and Direction (Dr. Eric Belasco):
   • Emphasis on supporting WERA-72 and linking agribusiness scholarship to teaching and extension.
   • Annual meeting location planning to increase participation.
   • Urgent revisions are required by July 15th.
4. 2024 Annual Report Request:
   • Members to contribute to the publication list.
   • Suggestion to use a Qualtrics survey to gather information.
5. Five-Year Renewal Proposal:
   • The renewal proposal for 2024-2029 is under review with minor revisions needed.
   • Discussion on recruiting new members and improving communication strategies.
6. Recruitment Strategies:
   • Addressing the inefficacy of Mailchimp for reaching all members.
   • Importance of personal invitations and leveraging the WERA website.
   • Proposal for a communication officer to manage outreach.
7. Treasurer’s Report (David Ripplinger):
   • Attendance is similar to last year; slight financial deficit covered by existing funds.
   • The current balance is approximately $4k.
8. Communication Report (Jennifer Clark):
   • Proposal to purchase a domain name and improve the website.
   • Emphasis on messaging to junior faculty and graduate students.
9. Election of Secretary:
   • Ana Claudia Santanna was elected as the new secretary.
10. 2025 Annual Meeting:
    • Proposed location: Fresno, CA.
    • Tentative dates: June 4-5, 2025.
11. Announcements:
    • Special issue proposal deadline at the end of the month.
    • AAEA Teaching Academy pre-conference workshop.

Adjournment: The meeting concluded at 5:11 p.m. PT.

As stated in the project objectives:  the WERA-72 Coordinating Committee plays a key role in facilitating, promoting, and advancing agribusiness scholarship by providing an educational, research, and extension forum for focusing on fundamental issues in agribusiness. The WERA-72 milestones identified in our project include providing forums in teaching, research, and extension scholarship activities related to information exchange between academia, industry, and affiliated external associations serving agribusiness stakeholders. To this end, the WERA-72 committee has contributed significantly to linking the internal project efforts to external peer groups, stakeholders, and clientele. The specific short-term outcomes, outputs, and activities of 2023-2024 are summarized below.

Short-term Outcomes:

• Increased awareness of the regional food supply chain for the annual meeting participants. We recognize that relevant and key issues facing agribusiness evolve temporally and vary regionally. To meet new needs in agribusiness, WERA-72 continues the strong tradition of building industry connections and bridging the gap between industry and academia. In the 2024 annual meeting, industry partners from the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas (FPAA) were actively engaging in the meeting program through the Keynote Talk on the new state of the tomato industry, the industry-academia panel discussion on challenges, opportunities, and talent gaps of agribusinesses in uncertain times, and facilitating a local agribusiness tour in Southern Arizona, exploring the trade flow of fresh produce across the southwest borderland.
• Identification of critical/key research and education issues. The annual meeting continues the tradition of discussing critical issues and works in progress. In the 2024 annual meeting, key research and education issues were identified and discussed including Water Challenges Facing Arizona and Southwest, Shaping Agribusiness Management Programs through Program Learning Outcomes (Targets), Curriculum Mapping (Process), and Challenges (Experiences), Growers’ Experience, Perceptions and Behavioral Adaptation towards Climate Change, and consumer behaviors related to novel food products such as CRISPR-edited Beef and Try Cultured Meat.
• Address the talent gap in Agribusiness through teaching scholarship and innovations in agribusiness education programs. The enrollment or demographic cliff has been predicted with a significant multiyear decline in the number of traditional-age college students starting 2025. Efforts continue to update the data associated with the AGRI-MASS survey (Liztenberg and Schneider, 1988) and include additional items relevant to changing technologies.  Stakeholder engagement continues to leverage increased involvement through Cooperative Extension with our faculty supporting Case Study methodology as an approach for conducting agribusiness research, connecting industry professionals’ concerns and strategic decisions with agribusiness faculty and their students in the classroom. New case study, Cooperative Growth in the Agri-Food Value Chain: The Case of SSK Cooperative, and innovative pedagogy methods, Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE): A Case in a Food Economy Course, were presented and discussed in the 2024 annual meeting.
• Greater coordination of agribusiness research projects, educational programs, and extension programs across states and regions as well as greater and more timely dissemination of research results and information. WERA-72 committee also has a deep culture to be intentional in their invitational process to invite diversity within our meetings, specifically focusing on outreach for graduate students and new faculty across Land-grant, non-Land grant, and HBCU to present new research ideas, discuss works in progress, and for professional development experiences, including peer-feedback, before attending other national conferences. Professional relationships developed between attendees are evidenced through increased engagement with participants at other national academic and industry-related conferences.  In the 2023 annual meeting, a communication officer position was added to the WERA-72 executive council group, and Jennifer Clark has stepped up and been voted into the role to further deploy effective communication strategies in facilitating coordination and dissemination. The Communications Officer will manage communication needs, develop the WERA-72 website to include a historical context of the organization and enhance outreach to increase member participation. Strategies include leveraging personal invitations, improving the website, and targeted messaging to junior faculty and graduate students. This targeted messaging will focus on sharing information about other agribusiness teaching, research, and extension program opportunities to keep members informed and engaged. Additionally, the officer will create a calendar-based communication outreach plan to ensure regular engagement through online meetings with other agribusiness organizations and opportunities to engage in scholarly collaborative networks. These efforts are expected to significantly increase interest and membership in the organization​

Outputs:

• August 2023 and ongoing: WERA-72 participant, Jason Bergtold, faculty from Kansas State University, serves as editor for a special issue in Applied Economics Teaching Resource (AETR), an AAEA journal, on the topic of Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics in the Classroom and the Academy. The special issue has attracted 17 manuscript submissions, and the full issue is scheduled to be published in 2025
• March 2024 and ongoing: WERA-72 participants, Aaron Johnson, faculty from Kansas State University, and Tanner McCarty, faculty from Utah State University serve as co-editors for a special issue in Applied Economics Teaching Resource (AETR), an AAEA journal, on the topic of Designing Agribusiness Education for Changing Student Demographics and Employer Needs. The special issue has attracted 21 abstracts by June 2024 and aims to be published in 2025-26.
• June 4-5 2024, the 2024 annual meeting of WERA-72 was successfully held at Tucson Arizona. More information and meeting pictures can be found at this story of 2024 WERA-72 Annual Meeting.
• July 2024 and ongoing: WERA-72 participants, Na Zuo, faculty from the University of Arizona, Jason Bergtold, faculty from Kansas State University, and Jennifer Clark, faculty from University of Floria, collaborating with faculty from Tuskegee University, North Carolina A&T University, Oklahoma State University, and University of Tennessee, Martin have launched the inaugural AAEA Teaching Academy. The 2024 AAEA Teaching Academy includes a full-day workshop on July 27, 2024, at the New Orleans pre-AAEA annual meeting, and year-round periodical virtual workshops and webinars for disseminating teaching methodology, theory, and practice specific to agricultural economics that would include agribusiness teaching. The 2024 Teaching Academy has attracted 44 participants as trainees and 10 experienced agribusiness educators serving as primary mentors. The trainees are the majority of graduate students and early career professionals in Agricultural Economics. For example, 22 graduate students, 6 post-docs, and 11 assistant professors are among the 44 participants. With intentional outreach, the participants are from diverse institutions such as land grant universities (29), HBCUs (5), non-land grant regional universities (5), community colleges (1), private institutions (1), and foreign universities (3). The 2024 AAEA Teaching Academy is sponsored by the AAEA Trust Funds and an Association of Public Land-grant University (APLU) Interinstitutional Innovative Teaching Award.
• Thirty-three publications, twelve awarded grants and research/extension reports, and fifty-one invited presentations from WERA-72 participants are included in the publication list.  Efforts will be made to develop and synthesize a more comprehensive list of research project outputs associated with WERA-72 milestones and include them in the 2024 five-year report.

Activities: 

• The fresh produce industry across the borderland was the central focus of the 2024 WERA-72 annual meeting. Javier Badillo, the managing member of Fresh International and Chairman of the Tomato Division at the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, gave the Keynote Talk on the New State of the Tomato Industry. Mr. Badillo first overviewed the supply chain of fresh tomatoes expanding from Mexico to the US and Canada. Then, Mr. Badillo unpacked the production evolutions of fresh tomatoes in response to climate events and changes, as well as production technology advances. Mr. Badillo concluded the talk with his observations on the COVID-19 impacts on the tomato industry and the most recent Tomato Suspension Agreement.  Meeting participants discussed with Mr. Badillo on how universities could work together to identify and investigate major challenges in the tomato industry.
• Georgina Felix Berrueto, Director of Operations & International Affairs of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas (FPAA). Moderated an industry and academia panel on challenges, opportunities, and talent gaps of Agribusinesses in uncertain times. The panel includes John Pandol from the Pandol Brothers,  Javier (JJ) Badillo from Fresh International LLC, Allison Moore, the Executive Vice President of Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, and Prof. George Frisvold, Professor and Extension Specialist at the University of Arizona. Meeting participants discussed with the panel on how universities could work together to help prepare students for careers in agriculture in light of concerns about dropping enrollments in agricultural economics programs and increased demand from employers for industry-ready hiring candidates.
• Thirteen selected papers were presented and discussed at the 2024 WERA-72 annual meeting, among which five were poster presentations. Topics range from consumer Willingness to Pay studies on novel food products, Agricultural Marketing related to local, state brand, and/or climate-smart food, growers’ experience, perceptions, and behavioral adaptation to climate change and case studies on cooperative growth in the Agri-Food value chain. 
• Ten annual meeting participants joined the local Agribusiness Tour, visiting the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Port of Entry and a warehouse distributor at Nogales, Arizona. Participants experienced and learned firsthand about the fresh produce trade across the borderland in southern Arizona.
• Beyond the annual meeting, WERA-72 participants continue advancing the Agribusiness scholarship by serving editors and co-editors of special issues in journals with topics related to Agribusiness research, teaching, and extensions. For example, the special issues of “Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics in the Classroom and the Academy”, and “Designing Agribusiness Education for Changing Student Demographics and Employer Needs” in AETR.
• Beyond the annual meeting, WERA-72 participants continue leading the AAEA Teaching Academy in enhancing teaching in Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics education.

Milestones: 

• The WERA-72 committee will continue to host a multi-day WERA-72 annual meeting in 2025.

• The WERA-72 committee will explore and identify effective communication channels in further engaging the participants, facilitating coordination and dissemination in 2025. Develop new ways to disseminate Case study-related information and research project findings involving agribusiness research, extension projects, and scholarly teaching to interested parties. This will include greater use of the project website that catalogs past and ongoing research, as well as the potential utilization of new tools that may provide for greater discussion of current issues and the dissemination of research results.
• WERA-72 participants will continue working to propose and lead special issues of peer-reviewed journals related to specific themes from the WERA-72 objectives in 2025.
• WERA-72 participants will continue to facilitate the development of collaboration and scholarly output reflecting quality research, teaching and extension programs in agribusiness and economic development through collaboration in integrated and multi-state work in 2025.

Publications

Lone, T., P. Xu, Q. Sun, L. Davis, and A. Levi. (2023). An Empirical Analysis of Agricultural College Students’ Perceptions of Virtual Learning. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 23-13: 1-18. https://doi.org/10.33423/jhetp.v23i13.

Zheng, S., X. Lyu, J. Wang, and C. Wachenheim. (2023). Enhancing sales of green agricultural products through live streaming in China: What affects purchase intention? Sustainability15,5858, https://doi.org/10.3390/su15075858.

Iwodu, A., C. Wachenheim, E. Hanson, and A. Sickler. (2023). The disposition of data from precision agricultural technologies: What do young agriculturalists think? Technology in Society 75, 102398. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2023.102389.

Wachenheim, C., Parman, B., Idowu, A., and Hanson, E. (2023). Data: What Farmers Need to Know. Choices, 38(1): 1-5.

Wachenheim, C. J., Idowu, A., and Hanson, E. (2023). Student Feedback on Use of Breakout Rooms. NACTA Journal, 67: 117-123.

Jahan, M., Wachenheim, C., Hanson, E., Sun, X., and Parman, B. (2023). Returns to Zone Management Under Varying Conditions. Journal of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, 129-139.

Tewari, R., N. Zuo, J.  Mehlhorn, and M. Bampasidou. Learning by the Hour: Student perceptions on single-credit-hour agribusiness and agricultural economics courses. Journal of Agribusiness. Forthcoming.

Codjia, C., T. Woods, and Y. Zheng. (2024). Mandatory nutrition attributes labeling and consumer demand: a structural approach analysis of the U.S. soft drink market, Agricultural and Food Economics, JAFE-D-23-00450R2 accepted for publication May 2024.

Rossi, J. and T. Woods. (2024). Placing Community Supported Agriculture in Local Food Systems, International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, accepted for publication, February, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2024.2318936

Yang, S., K. Ujiie, and T. Woods (2023), The Impact of Visiting Local Winery on Non-Wine Products Purchasing Behavior in the Northern Appalachian States, Journal of Wine Economics, (18):315-331, doi:10.1017/jwe.2023.28

Rossi J. and T. Woods. (2023). How do residents perceive local food system activity? Perspectives of system performance and awareness using the local food vitality survey, Local Development & Society, Published online Nov 6, 2023 DOI: 10.1080/26883597.2023.2275208

Biddle, M. J., J. Kang, J. Derringer, A. Rose, D. P. Brewer, M. Chung, T.A. Lennie, G. Mudd-Martin and T. A. Woods (2023). Examining Food Security, Choices and Barriers among Community Supported Agriculture Participants during COVID- 19 in Kentucky, Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition, 18(6): 878-888, DOI: 10.1080/19320248.2021.1994084

Packer, J., Feuz, R., and McCarty, T. (2024). Western Safflower Contracting Strategies. Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, 56(2), 216-233.

Packer, J., McCarty, T., and Feuz, R. (2024). Mountain States Oilseeds: Can Contracts Enhance Safflower Seed Procurement. Applied Economics Teaching Resources (AETR), 6(1), TBD-TBD.

Westover, C., and McCarty, T. (2024). Renaissance Ag: Identifying the Who, How, and Where of Marketing a New Technology. Applied Economics Teaching Resources (AETR), 6(2), 47-62.

Stacanelli-Pires-Chagas-Scott, I., Scott, F., McCarty, T., and Penn. C. (2023). Techno-economic Analysis of Various Phosphorus Removal Structures Environmental Science and Technology, 57(34), 12858-12868.

Brown, R., Clark, J., and Tewari, R. (2024). We Need to Talk About Curriculum Innovation. Applied Economics Teaching Resources (AETR), 6(1), TBD-TBD.

Sant'Anna, A. C., Kim, K. N., and Demko, I. (2023). Limits to capital: Assessing the role of race on the Paycheck Protection Program for African American farmers in America. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy.

Sant' Anna, A.C., Spolador, H, Bergtold, J.S. (2023). Cost efficiency and land rental cost of sugar and ethanol producing plants – an analysis for 2021/2022 harvest year. Anais do 61º Congresso da Sociedade Brasileira de Economia, Administração e Sociologia Rural (SOBER). Anais. Piracicaba(SP) ESALQ/USP, 2023

Mahmoudi, M.; H. Mohammadi, H.; S. Saghaian; A. Karbasi. (2024). Factors Affecting the Waste of Selected Agricultural Products with an Emphasis on the Marketing Mix. Agriculture, 14, 857; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14060857.

Karamian, F., and S. Saghaian. (2024). Analysis of Barriers Facing Rural Women's Entrepreneurship in Kermanshah Province: An Application of the Grounded Theory.

Soltani, S., S.H. Mosavi, S. Saghaian, S. Azhdari, H.N. Alamdarlo, and S. Khalilian. (2023). Climate Change and Energy Use Efficiency in Arid and Semiarid Agricultural Areas: A Case Study of Hamadan-Bahar Plain in Iran. Energy. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2022.126553.

Ansarinasab, M. and S. Saghaian. (2023). The Relationship between Environmental Quality, Sustainable Health, and Coronavirus Pandemic in the European Countries. Sustainability, 15(15), 11683; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511683.

Mohammadi, H., S. Saghaian, and F. Boccia. (2023). Antibiotic-Free Poultry Meat Consumption and Its Determinants. Foods, 12(9), 1776. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12091776.

Ansarinasab, M. and S. Saghaian. (2023). Outbound, Inbound and Domestic Tourism in the Post-COVID-19 Era in OECD Countries. Sustainability, 15(12), 9412; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129412.

Firoozzare, A. S. Saghaian, S. Esfandiari-Bahraseman, M. Dehghani-Dashtabi. (2023). Identifying the Best Strategies for Improving and Developing Sustainable Rain-Fed Agriculture: An Integrated SWOT-BWM-WASPAS Approach. Agriculture, 13(6), 1215; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13061215.

Zhang, W., S. Saghaian, and M. Reed. (2023). Investigation of Export-Driving Forces and Trade Potentials of the U.S. Bourbon Whiskey Industry. Applied Economics; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2023.2178626.

Saghaian, S., H. Mohammadi, and M.S. Jafari. (2023). Factors Affecting Sales of Selected Agricultural Products in Network Marketing. Journal of Food Distribution Research, Volume 54, Issue 1, pp. 1–7.

Mohammadi, H., S. Saghaian, and B. ZandiDareGharibi. (2023). Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy Consumption and its Impact on Economic Growth. Sustainability, 15(4), 3822; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043822.

Herchenbach, J. S., Briggeman, B. C., Bergtold, J., Shanoyan, A., Low, S., Miller, B. (2023). A Qualitative Assessment of Farmer Director Skills in Agricultural Cooperatives. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 26(4), 655-672. 

Hovhannisyan, V., and S. Asci, (2024). “Urbanization and economic growth in China: empirical evidence based on a SIVQR approach.” China Agricultural Economic Review. doi: 10.1108/CAER-08-2023-0234.

Reddy, K., V. Paramesha, K. Kumar, S. Asci, et al. (2024) “Econometric Modeling of Tobacco Exports in the Milieu of Changing Global and National Policy Regimes: Repercussions on the Indian Tobacco Sector.” Frontiers in Environmental Economics, 2:1216153. doi: 10.3389/frevc.2023.1216153.

Koc, A., S. Asci, and P. Uysal, (2023), “The Alcoholic Beverages Demand and Evaluation of Tax Policies in Turkey.” Eastern European Economics, 1-19; doi: 10.1080/00128775.2023.2169165.

Grants and Research/Extension Reports

Vang, K., G. Banuelos, T. Lone, and T. Centofanti. "The organic production of agretti in poor-quality soils with poor-quality water." CSU, Fresno ARI Final Report, California State University, Fresno, September 2023.

Zuo, Na (PI). “AAEA Teaching Academy: Opportunities to Improve Pedagogy and Teaching in Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness”, Funded $20,000 proposal to the AAEA Trust Fund, 2024

Shear, Hannah, Jason Bergtold, and Na Zuo (PIs). “Cultivating Impactful Teaching:  An Innovative Agricultural Economics Teaching Academy.”, Funded $7,000 proposal of an Association of Public Land-grant University (APLU) Interinstitutional Innovative Teaching Award, 2024-2025

Baro, Mamadou (PI), Na Zuo (specialist) “USAID Niger Resilience and Agribusiness Master’s Program (N-RAMP)”, a team of UA faculty and partners, where Na Zuo serves as the Agribusiness curriculum and teaching specialist. Funded $6,836,460 proposal to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), October 2023 – September 2028

Zuo, Na (PI), Satheesh Aradhyula(Co-PI). “Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience in Agricultural Economics”, Funded $6,600 course proposal to faculty grant at UA, 2023-2024

Josephson, Anna (PI), Na Zuo and Katherine Speirs (Co-PIs). “Food Insecurity Among College Students: Understanding Hunger at the University of Arizona”, Funded $35,000 proposal to the Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Faculty Seed Grants at UA, 2022-2023.

Herchenbach, J. S., Briggeman, B. C. (2023). Research Series on Director Skills Gap Analysis (Paper 4 of 4): A Tool to Evaluate Director’s Skill Levels and Gaps. Research Series on Director Skills Gap Analysis. Manhattan, KS: Kansas State University Agricultural Economics - Arthur Capper Cooperative Center. https://accc.k-state.edu/research/fact_sheet_series.html

Herchenbach, J. S., Briggeman, B. C. (2023). Research Series on Director Skills Gap Analysis (Paper 3 of 4): Identifying the Most Important Director Skills. Research Series on Director Skills Gap Analysis. Manhattan, KS: Kansas State University Agricultural Economics - Arthur Capper Cooperative Center. https://accc.k-state.edu/research/fact_sheet_series.html

Herchenbach, J. S., Briggeman, B. C. (2023). Research Series on Director Skills Gap Analysis (Paper 2 of 4): Existing Skill Gaps. Research Series on Director Skills Gap Analysis. Manhattan, KS: Kansas State University Agricultural Economics - Arthur Capper Cooperative Center. https://accc.k-state.edu/research/fact_sheet_series.html

Herchenbach, J. S., Briggeman, B. C. (2023). Research Series on Director Skills Gap Analysis (Paper 1 of 4): Skills Needed to be Engaged and Knowledgeable Directors. Research Series on Director Skills Gap Analysis. Manhattan, KS: Kansas State University Agricultural Economics - Arthur Capper Cooperative Center. https://accc.k-state.edu/research/fact_sheet_series.html

UC-ANR Team, Fresno State Team - S. Asci (Co-PI) et al. “The Southwest Regional Food Business Center” USDA-NIFA Award (Fresno State Team budget - $2,200,000) 2023-2028.

Herzig L. (PI), S. Pooya, S. Konduru and S. Asci (Co-PIs). “The effect of a Comprehensive Nutrition Intervention Program emphasizing fruit and vegetable consumption on reduction of food insecurity, obesity, NAFLD with a focus on the mediatory role of BDNF” CSU-Agricultural Research Initiative-ARI ($295,252) 2023-2026.

Presentations

Jauregui, V., I. Guarduno., S. Asci, and T. Lone. "Ready-to-Serve (RTS) Grilled Eggplant" 2^nd Annual Fresno State Innovation and Entrepreneurship Summitt, Fresno, CA, April 25, 2024.

Kier, Lillian, and T. Lone. "Using drainage water to grow an alternative salt and boron tolerant crop, guayule, that produces natural latex and resin for the San Joaquin Valley in Central California, then conducting parametric analysis to investigate the economic feasibility for farmers." 45^th Annual Central California Research Symposium (Outstanding Poster Presentation Winner), Fresno, CA, April 3, 2024.

Na Zuo and Lijiao Hu, “Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL): A Case Study”, AAEA Annual Meeting, Washington DC, July 23-25, 2023

Lijiao Hu, Yuqing Zheng and Na Zuo, “Relationship-Specific Learning in Private Food Safety Certification Market”, Western Education and Research Activities Committee on Agribusiness (WERA-72) Annual Meeting, Portland OR, June 6-7, 2023.

Woods, T., Azita Varziri and Shuoli Zhao, “LCM Models for Brand Positions of Local and Climate Smart Dairy Products”, WERA-72 Annual Meeting, Tucson, AZ, June 4-5, 2024

Woods, T., Jairus Rossi and Azita Varziri,“State Brand Awareness and Purchasing Determinants in Kentucky”, WERA-72 Annual Meeting, Tucson, AZ, June 4-5, 2024

Woods, T. and Jane Eastham, “Strategies for Improving Nutritional Quality Along the Food Supply Chain”, Food Distribution Research Society annual meeting, Washington, DC, November 13, 2023.

Woods, T., Azita Varziri, Favour Esene, and Shuoli Zhao“Consumer Preferences toward Local vs Carbon: A Study of Value-Added Dairy Products”, Food Distribution Research Society annual meeting, Washington, DC, November 13, 2023.

Woods, T. and Jairus Rossi, “Understanding Consumer Values of CSA Subscribers”, Food Distribution Research Society annual meeting, Washington, DC, November 13, 2023.

Woods, T., Favour Essene and Shuoli Zhao “Consumer attitudes toward state-grown promotion program: marketing implications and prospects”, FAMPS track session, American and Applied Economics Association annual meeting, Washington, DC, July 24, 2023

Woods, T., “Localisation of Local Food Systems”, Virtual symposium of local food system professionals in SW England and Kentucky, June 19, 2023

Woods, T., Favour Essene and Shuoli Zhao “A local sourcing and carbon footprint branding willingness-to-pay experiment for dairy products in Kentucky, USA”, Global Systems Institute, University of Exeter, June 14, 2023

Woods, T., “Controlled Environment Agriculture Creative Destruction?  New World for Food and Agriculture”, presentation at the University of Exeter Food Group Spring Pechakucha seminar series, May 23, 2023

Woods, T., Shang-Ho Yang and Kiyokazu Ujiie “The Impact of Visiting Local Winery on Non-Wine Products Purchasing Behavior in the Northern Appalachian States”, presentation at the American Wine Economics Association annual meeting, Stellenbosch, South Africa, June 28, 2023

Feizy, Saber, Steven Buck, Jairus Rossi, Timothy Woods, “Mean Reversion and the Impact of a Community Supported Agriculture Food Program on Diet-Related Medical Expenditures”, presented paper at the Southern Ag Economics Association annual meeting, Stillwater, OK, February, 2023 (paper awarded 3^rd place in  the SAEA job market competition)

Woods, T., Emily Spencer, Brett Wolff, Camille Stevens, Savannah Columbia, Katie Harvey Horticulture Outlook: Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Today, quarterly CCD training and outlook for Hort and ANR agents, online, March 11, 2024.

Woods, T., Retail Pricing for Profit and Customer Value at Farm Markets, KY Farm Bureau Certified Markets Annual Meeting, Louisville, KY, March 6, 2024

Woods, T., MarketReady Core Training, Train-the-trainer; producer training, Lincoln, NB, February 19-20, 2024

Woods, T., Kentucky Horticulture Outlook 2024, KY Ag Lenders, Flemingsburg, KY, February 9, 2024

Woods, T., Emerging Marketing Approaches and Opportunities for Farmers Markets, Daviess County Farmers Market, Owensboro, KY, January 25, 2024

Woods, T., Kentucky Horticulture Outlook 2024”, Hort Culture podcast (with Brett Wolff, Ray Tackett, Alexis Sheffield), January 17, 2024.

Woods, T., “Kentucky Horticulture Outlook 2024”, Economic Subject Matter agent trainings, Winchester, Columbia, Princeton, KY (with Savannah Columbia), January 8, 9, 10

Woods, T., “Britain’s Best: Tim’s Top 10 Local Consumer Connection Innovations”, Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Growers Annual Conference, Bowling Green, KY, January 4, 2024

Woods, T., “Kentucky Local Food Consumer Insights: 2024 Edition”, Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Growers Annual Conference, Bowling Green, KY (with Jairus Rossi, Emily Spencer, and Brett Wolff), January 3, 2024

Woods, T. and Emily Spencer “Farmers Market Average Prices & 2023 Production Input Survey Results”, Farmers Market Short Course, KFVG Conference, Bowling Green, KY, January 2, 2024

 Woods, T. and Joanna Coles “Marketing Kentucky Dairy Products”, Kentucky Farm and Home Morning Show (TV), December 13, 2023

 Woods, T. and Joanna Coles “Food Inflation and Kentucky Consumers”, Kentucky Farm and Home Morning Show (TV), December 13, 2023

 Woods, T. and Joanna Coles “Kentucky Horticulture Input Costs and Market Outlook”, Kentucky Farm and Home Morning Show (TV), December 13, 2023

 Woods, T. and Jairus Rossi “CSA in Workplaces and Universities”, part of a KY-WV-MI Extension In-Service training on CSA to the Workplace, Lexington, KY, August 10, 2023.

Clark, J. (2024, June 25-26) Scale of Production Differences in Farm Operators' Access to Resources and Information as an Agribusiness Teaching Tool. [Poster presentation] North American College Teachers of Agriculture, Las Cruces, NM, USA.

Sant'Anna, A. C. (2023). “Top Five Strategies for a Young or Beginning Farmer” Blog Farm Credit of the Virginias

Saghaian, S., S. Yarmand1, H. Mohammadi, and M. Dehghani1. (2024). “Export Sustainability in Small and Medium Enterprise in the Agricultural Sector.” International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE2024-IAAE), 2-7 August, New Delhi, India.

Saghaian, S., H. Mohammadi, and M. Mohammadi (2024). “The Effects of Agricultural Product Exports on Environmental Quality.” IFAMA 2024 World Conference and Symposium, 17-20 June, Almeria, Spain.

Saghaian, S., R. Zhaleh1, H. Mohammadi, A. FiroozZare. (2023). “Factors Affecting Consumers' Attitudes towards Genetically Modified Food Products: The Case of Edible Oil.” 2023 IFAMA World Conference, 17-21 June, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Zhaleh1, R., H. Mohammadi, S. Saghaian, and A. FiroozZare. (2023). “Consumption of Genetically Modified Food Products and its Determinants: Evidence of GM edible oil consumption in Mashhad.” 2023 IFAMA World Conference, 17-21 June, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Saghaian, S. (2023). “International Agricultural Product Markets under the Influence of the Covid and Conflict between Russia and Ukraine.” Invited lecture, South China Agricultural University, May 29, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.

Saghaian, S. (2023). “Infrastructure, Productivity, Competitiveness, and Clusters.” Invited lecture, South China Agricultural University, May 22, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.

Saghaian, S. (2023). “Economics of Strategy.” Invited lecture, South China Agricultural University, May 19, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.

Herchenbach, J. S., Briggeman, B. C., van Rooyen, J. WERA-72 Annual Meeting, "Cooperative Growth in the Agri-Food Value Chain: The Case of SSK Cooperative," Tucson, AZ. (June 5, 2024).

Herchenbach, J. S., Briggeman, B. C., Bergtold, J., Trudo, C. Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA) Annual Conference, "Valuing Trust in an Agricultural Lending Relationship," AAEA, Washington, D.C. (July 24, 2023).

Herchenbach, J. S. Nebraska Cooperative Council (NCC) Intern Retreat, "Cooperatives' Role and Value," Nebraska Cooperative Council (NCC), Kearney, NE. (June 14, 2023).

Herchenbach, J. S. (Author & Presenter). DesignPLUS Faculty Showcase, "DesignPLUS Faculty Showcase," UNK, Kearney, NE. (April 5, 2023).

Herchenbach, J. S. Nebraska State FBLA Conference, "Building Communication for Success," Nebraska FBLA, Kearney, NE. (April 4, 2023).

Herchenbach, J. S. and Weber, R. Frenchman Valley Cooperative Board of Directors Retreat, "Director Skills - Frenchman Valley Board," Frenchman Valley Cooperative, Imperial, NE. (March 21, 2023).

Herchenbach, J. S. and Briggeman, B. C. Nebraska Cooperative Council (NCC) Graduate Director Program, "Developing the Most Important Skills for Directors," Nebraska Cooperative Council (NCC), Kearney, NE. (January 4, 2023).

Asci, S., S. Konduru, S. Pooya and L Herzig. (2024), “Comprehensive Nutrition Intervention Program emphasizing fruit and vegetable consumption to reduce food insecurity in Central Valley of California.” Selected paper presented at the WAEA annual meeting. June 2024, San Francisco, California.

Hovhannisyan V. and S. Asci. (2023), “An Empirical Examination of the Relationship Between Urbanization and Economic Growth in China.” Selected poster presented at the AAEA annual meeting. July 2023, Washington D.C.

Hovhannisyan V. and S. Asci. (2023), “An Instrumental Variables Quantile Regression Framework for Analyzing the Urbanization-Economic Growth Link.” Selected paper presented at the WAEA annual meeting. July 2023, Whistler, Canada.

Hovhannisyan, V., S. Asci and A. Khachatryan (2023), “A Quantile Regression Approach to Analyzing the Effects of Urbanization on Economic Growth in China.” Southern Agricultural Economics Association (SAEA) Annual Meeting, Feb 4-8, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Asci, S. (2024), “Global Marketing Challenges.” Panelist at a Roundtable Discussion. PAGG Growers Conference, May 18, Madera, CA.

Andrada J., S. Konduru and S. Asci, (2024), “An Analysis of Produce Consumption in Fresno County.” 45th Annual Central California Research Symposium, Apr 3, Fresno, CA.

Andrada J., S. Konduru and S. Asci, (2024), “Fresh Produce Accessibility in the County of Fresno.” World Ag Expo, Feb. 13, Tulare, CA.