In 2018, the Center for Profitable Agriculture conducted 98 educational presentations with 2,489 participants, 22 farm visits, and 1,503 consultations and developed 29 fact sheets and 3 Extension publications. The Center released 9 news articles, 4 newsletters and 9 program brochures and submitted 15 new funding proposals with more than $320,000 awarded.

2018HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR

▶ Made ninety-eight educational presentations to 2,489 participants from 69 counties.

▶ Consulted with 1,503 people using email, phone, and direct mail.

▶ Conducted twenty-two farm visits in 16 counties.

▶ Made 2,078 direct contacts through our educational exhibit featured at sixteen trade show events.

▶ Developed twenty-nine fact sheets and three Extension educational publications.

▶ Released nine news articles and four newsletters.

▶ Prepared nine program brochures for statewide distribution.

▶ Submitted fifteen new funding proposals/requests for a total of $301,663 in awards and generated $19,449 in program fees and sponsorships from approximately eight different events/sponsors.

▶ Sent numerous email blasts, updates, and program promotions to the Center’s four email groups for: (1) value-added beef, (2) farmers markets, (3) agritourism, (4) value-added dairy.

▶ Center staff participated in more than 150 hours of professional development in some thirty-four events.

▶ Staff members represented the Center on five different search committees in the Institute and served on more than twenty-five boards, advisory committees, and planning teams inside and external to the University.

▶ Center staff members were recognized with the Downen Award, Hicks Award, Goan Award, twenty-five years of Extension service, NACAA Communications Award, National SRMEC Award, invited to make presentations at National Meetings and honored in the “Troy Dugger Night” at the Hickman County Fair.

Over the past nine years, the Center for Profitable Agriculture conducted an average of 101 educational presentations, thirty-six farm visits, and 1,821 consultations and developed six publications and sixteen fact sheets per year. The Center has a 62 percent success rate on external funding requests, generated over $1.47 million in external funds, and received an average of $163,000 per year.

“The Center has helped transform value-added agriculture in Tennessee and has contributed to the development of successful alternative

income streams for farmers.” – Program Collaborator

“The folks in the Center for Profitable Agriculture do great work. They develop effective programs and provide valuable

information that impacts the bottom line of family farms.” – Workshop Participant

Programs in agriculture and natural resources, 4-H youth development, family and consumer sciences, and resource development. University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture and county

governments cooperating. UT Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment.

AG.TENNESSEE.EDU

Annual Report

Center for Profitable Agriculture

2018

Educational workshop to

teach farmers basic

recordkeeping for direct

marketing, food processing

and agritourism enterprises

Register Today

Check-in and networking will begin at 8:30 am

local time. Sessions will begin at 9:00 am and

end at 4:00 pm.

Space is limited and registration is required

no later than five business days prior to each

workshop. The registration fee is $20 per person.

Lunch is provided.

Register online now at tiny.utk.edu/farmrecords.

Questions? Contact Hal Pepper at

931-486-2777 or email hal.pepper@utk.edu.

This workshop fulfills a TAEP educational

requirement in ONLY the following Producer

Diversification sectors: Agritourism, Fruits &

Vegetables and Value-Added. For additional

information regarding educational programs for TAEP

requirements, please contact Clay Dunivan at the

Tennessee Department of Agriculture,

615-387-5348.

Dates & Locations

Participants will be introduced to

QuickBooks accounting software

and learn about:

• Setting up a chart of accounts, items,

customers and vendors

• Entering sales and making deposits

• Paying bills and writing checks

• Creating reports

This workshop is designed for operators

of a value-added farm business.

Participants will be shown how to use a

desktop version of QuickBooks for an

“example farm.” A workshop manual for

home reference will be provided.

December 12, 2017 Martin, TN

December 13, 2017 Carthage, TN

December 14, 2017 Chattanooga, TN

March 13, 2018 Memphis, TN

March 14, 2018 Franklin, TN

March 15, 2018 Knoxville, TN

What to Expect

This material is based upon work supported by

USDA/NIFA under Award Number 2015-49200-24228.

FOR SUCCESSFUL VALUE-ADDED ENTERPRISES

Educational workshop to teach farmers how to develop a

business plan for direct marketing, food processing and

agritourism enterprises.

What to Expect

This workshop series is designed for operators

of a value-added farm business. Participants will

learn business planning strategies and receive

training in eight sessions that will equip them

with the tools needed to complete their business

plan. Presenters will teach provided materials

from Building a Sustainable Business: A Guide

to Developing a Business Plan for Farms and

Rural Businesses. Templates from this Guide will

be assigned as homework and the completed

templates will become the framework of each

participant’s business plan.

Presenters and Extension specialists will be available

to provide one-one-one assistance in the development

of business plans over the eight weeks of the

workshop series.

The workshop series will be conducted in

Jackson, TN and at satellite locations via

Zoom in Columbia, Knoxville and

Memphis on the following dates:

Register Today

Check-in and networking will begin at

5:30 pm Central Time (6:30 pm Eastern Time).

The workshop will be conducted from 6-8 pm

Central Time (7-9 pm Eastern Time).

Space is limited and registration is required

no later than December 31. The registration

fee is $25 for the total workshop series for one

person or $20 per person for two or more

people from the same farm.

Register online now at

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

Questions? Contact Hal Pepper at

931-486-2777 or email hal.pepper@utk.edu.

This workshop fulfills a Tennessee Agricultural

Enhancement Program (TAEP) requirement in the

Agritourism, Fruit and Vegetable and Value-Added

Producer Diversification Sectors.

Producers must attend a minimum of four (4) sessions to

receive one (1) TAEP credit. Value-Added producers are

eligible to receive two (2) credits if all eight (8) sessions

are attended. For TAEP credit, missed sessions cannot

be made up.

For additional information regarding educational

programs for TAEP requirements, please contact

Jan Keyser at the Tennessee Department of

Agriculture, 615-837-5346.

This material is based upon work supported by USDA/NIFA under Award Number 2015-49200-24228.

January8, 15, 22, 29

February5, 12, 19, 26

The workshop sessions will feature different

topics each night.

Check-in and networking will begin at 9 am local time.

Sessions will begin at 9:30 am and end by 4:00 pm.

Pre-registration and pre-payment

are required 5 business days prior

to each workshop.

REGISTRATION FEE

$20 per person.

Lunch will be provided.

REGISTER ONLINE

https://tiny.utk.edu/FB101.

Megan Bruch Leffew with questions at

mleffew@utk.edu or 931-486-2777.

As Facebook continues to be a valuable marketing tool, some producers have not yet tapped its potential. This

hands-on workshop will introduce value-added agriculture entrepreneurs, agritourism operators and direct farm

marketers to marketing using Facebook.

NOVEMBER 14 IN KINGSPORT

NOVEMBER 15 IN KNOXVILLE

NOVEMBER 28 IN JACKSON

NOVEMBER 29 IN NASHVILLE

DECEMBER 5 IN MCMINNVILLE

MANAGING PAGE SETTINGS

LOADING PROFILE AND

COVER PHOTOS

COMPLETING THE

“ABOUT” SECTION TO

BEST TELL YOUR STORY

INVITING PEOPLE

TO LIKE THE PAGE

MAKING POSTS WITH TEXT

ONLY, TEXT AND IMAGES,

TEXT AND VIDEOS, TEXT

AND LINKS

SCHEDULING POSTS FOR

MAXIMUM EXPOSURE

DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE

CONTENT

SCHEDULING EVENTS

BOOSTING POSTS

CREATING ADS

VIEWING AND USING

ANALYTICS TO MAKE

MARKETING DECISIONS

ABOUT

BOOST POST

This material is based upon work supported by USDA/NIFA under Award Number 2015-49200-24228.

This workshop fulfills a Tennessee

Agricultural Enhancement

Program requirement in the

Agritourism, Fruit and Vegetable,

and Value-Added Producer

Diversification Sectors.

CANCELLATION POLICY

The entire registration fee will be

charged for educational program

cancellations made after the

registration deadline. The entire

registration fee will also be charged

for any registration participant who

does not attend the event. Educational

programs include events such as

trainings, seminars, workshops, tours,

webinars and conferences.

CONTACT

Participants will set up a business

page, if they do not already have

one, and learn fundamentals to

effective marketing using this

social media platform such as:

WORKSHOP DATES

LOCATIONS

Exact location information

will be emailed to

registered participants the

week prior to workshops.

Participants can bring their

own laptop or tablet or

use a tablet provided by

the instructors. Because of

the hands-on nature of the

workshop, space is limited.

CHECK-IN & REGISTRATION

Taught by UT Extension Marketing Specialist, Megan Bruch Leffew,

and Area Information Technology Specialist, David Yates.

LEARN

FACEBOOK 101 For Direct Farm Marketers

TAEP EDUCATIONAL CREDIT

Direct farm marketers, value-added agriculture entrepreneurs and agritourism

operators are invited to participate in a free “lunch and learn” webinar series starting in June. The series will cover a variety of topics related to marketing through websites, social media and email.

Webinars will be held the fourth Tuesday of

each month (except December) from June 2018 –

June 2019 at 11am-noon Central/noon-1pm

Eastern. Topics and speakers are scheduled for

the first six sessions.

A listing of future topics and speakers will be available on the

Center for Profitable Agriculture website

https://ag.tennessee.edu/cpa/Pages/webinars.aspx.Links to participate in the webinars will be emailed to

registered participants prior to each session. Participants will

be asked to complete an evaluation form for each session

they attend and a follow-up evaluation for the series reporting

how they have implemented the information learned.

This material is based upon work supported by USDA/NIFA under Award Number 2015-49200-24228.

Register online to receive session links at

http://tiny.utk.edu/MarketingWebinarsContact Megan Bruch Leffew with question at

mleffew@utk.edu or 931.486.2777.

WEBINAR SERIESJune 26, 2018Trends in Digital MarketingMegan Leffew, Center for Profitable AgricultureJuly 24, 2018Social Media BasicsBrett Wolff, Kentucky Center for Crop DiversificationAugust 28, 2018Basics of Web DesignBrett Wolff, Kentucky Center for Crop DiversificationSeptember 25, 2018Understanding and Using Analytics

Brett Wolff, Kentucky Center for Crop DiversificationOctober 23, 2018Using Adobe Spark to Market Your BusinessDavid Yates, UT Extension

November 27, 2018Photography Tips for Websites and Social Media

Doug Edlund, UT Institute of Agriculture

ONLINE MARKETING WEBINAR SERIESAbout the TrainingSessions by instructors Megan Leffew and Hal

Pepper will include the following NEW topics:Merchandising Methods to Make MoneyLearn how making a good first impression, designing an effective product display and creating signage that sells can increase sales and

reduce costs.Digital Marketing TrendsWith 89% of American adults using the Internet, if

you aren’t on the Web, you aren’t. Learn current

trends in online marketing tools and strategies.Business Planning BasicsIt’s important to assess your current situation and

consider your mission when setting and prioritizing goals. Take time to sharpen your business planning skills.Food Product Cost and Pricing Tools

Calculate the cost of your food products so you

can price them to make money.

When and WhereJanuary 23, 2019 Henderson, TNJanuary 28, 2019 Chattanooga, TNFebruary 7, 2019 Lebanon, TNFebruary 18, 2019 White Pine, TN9:30 am – 4:00 pm local time. The same training

will be conducted at each location. Check-in and

networking will begin at 9 am local time.

RegistrationPre-registration is required five business days prior to the workshop.Register today as space is

limited! Registration fee = $20 per person.Lunch is provided.

Register online now at: tiny.utk.edu/fmbootcamp2019Please note that registration fees are not refundable after the preregistration deadline.Questions?

Contact Hal Pepper at (931) 486-2777 or email hal.pepper@utk.edu.

Tennessee Farmers Market Vendor Boot CampsJoin us for an all-day educational workshop designed for farmers market vendors.

SponsorsAppreciation is expressed to the Tennessee Department of Agriculture,

Tennessee Association of Farmers Markets, Southern Extension Risk

Management Education, Collegedale Tomorrow Foundation and

Collegedale Market for funding to support this program.

This workshop fulfills a Tennessee Agricultural

Enhancement Program (TAEP) educational requirement in ONLY the following Producer Diversification sectors: Fruits & Vegetables and

Value-Added. For additional information regarding

educational programs for TAEP requirements, please contact Jan Keyser at the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, 615-837-5346.

Programs in agriculture and natural resources, 4-H youth development, family and

consumer sciences, and resource development, University of Tennessee Institute of

Agriculture, U. S. Department of Agriculture and county governments cooperating.

UT Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment.

2018 Grass-Fed Beef Workshop

Workshop DateTuesday, August 14th, 2018

Time9 AM to 4 PM local time

LocationEd Jones Agri-Plex Auditoriumc/o UT-TSU Extension Gibson County1252 Manufacturer’s RowTrenton, TN 38382

Registration Cost$25 – Cash or Check is accepted.Lunch will be provided

Pre-Registration DeadlineAugust 3, 2018

ContactUT-TSU Extension Gibson CountyDanny Morris danhmorr@utk.edu 731-855-7656

Workshop InformationHelping producers address the challenges of managing forages, finishing cattle and marketing beef using pasture-based production systems. Educational topics covered include:

▶ Considerations for grass-fed finishing. ▶ Developing a forage system for grass-fed beef. ▶ Grass-fed beef nutrition. ▶ Carcass characteristics of grass-fed beef. ▶ Marketing and labeling considerations for grass-fed beef. ▶ Production economics of grass-fed beef systems. ▶ Grass-fed beef producer experiences.

Registration Information

Name of Participant(s) Address

City State Zip

Please complete and submit form and registration fees of $25 per person.

Please make checks payable to the University of Tennessee.

Mail to: UT-TSU Extension Gibson County1252 Manufacturer’s Row Trenton, TN 38382 EmailPhone

Farm/Business Name

Pre Registration ends by August 3, 2018

The workshop qualifies as one educational course requirement for TAEP Producer Diversification Value Added Sector only.

Help Direct Farm Marketers

Manage Online PresenceThe DeviceReady Workshops will be held: - August 15, 2018 in Knoxville - August 16, 2018 in Murfreesboro

Exact location information will be emailed to registered participants the week prior to workshops.

Check-in and networking will begin at 9 a.m. local time. Sessions will begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at 4:00 p.m.

Pre-registration and pre-payment are required by August 7. Registration fee = $20 per person.

Lunch will be provided. Register online at https://tiny.utk.edu/DeviceReady.

Contact Megan Bruch Leffew with questions at mleffew@utk.edu or 931.486.2777.

This workshop fulfills a Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program requirement in the Agritourism, Fruits and Vegetables, and Value-Added diversification sectors. The workshops are made possible, in part, through a grant from the Southern Risk Management Education Center.

This material is based upon work supported by USDA/NIFA under Award Number 2015-49200-24228.

Cancellation Policy:The entire registration fee will be charged for educational program cancellations made after the registration deadline.  The entire registration fee will also be charged for any registration participant who does not attend the event. Educational programs include events such as trainings, seminars, workshops, tours, webinars and conferences.

WORKSHOP REGISTRATION

As an increasing number of consumers are using smartphones, tablets and computers to interact with businesses, direct farm marketers, including value-added agriculture entrepreneurs and agritourism operators, must learn to communicate with customers in new ways.

DeviceReady helps entrepreneurs learn how they can gain a degree of control with their owned, earned, and paid online presence. The program uses a workbook with checklists to guide group and individuals through activities using smartphones and other devices. Using the viewpoint of the customer, businesses will assess their online presence and work on a plan to improve engagement and work towards being DeviceReady into the future. Using the workbook after the program will ensure participants are keeping up with the trends in mobile media marketing.

The Center for Profitable Agriculture is proud to partner with Eric Barrett and Rob Leeds from OSU Extension to bring their workshop to Tennessee farmers in August.

THE CENTER FOR PROFITABLE AGRICULTURE

Online Marketing Webinar Series—Conducted six of twelve online sessions in 2018 with sixty-two participants, 31 whom increased knowledge of marketing fundamentals, tools or techniques and 28 whom developed goals for implementing marketing strategies.

Facebook 101 for Direct Farm Marketers— Trained sixty-eight participants in four locations across the state in November, and 86 percent developed goals for implementing new or improved marketing strategies.

DeviceReady: Developing Your Online Presence— In collaboration with Ohio State University Extension, trained thirty participants in two Tennessee locations. One hundred percent of participants reported increased knowledge of marketing fundamentals, tools, and techniques.

Recordkeeping for Successful Value-Added Enterprises—Collaborated with five co-teachers to conduct thirteen recordkeeping workshops for 139 participants who improved financial management skills, developed written goals, and improved business relationships.

Farmers Market Manager Training—Hosted educational training for farmers market managers and leaders in two locations with forty-one participants.

Farmers Market Boot Camp Workshops—Organized and conducted educational presentations in six boot camp locations across the state for 154 vendors, managers, and Extension agents who learned about food safety regulations, requirements for commercial kitchens, growing and marketing fruit and nut crops, revenue insurance, and online marketing strategies.

Grass-fed Beef Marketing Education—Conducted an educational tour and rolling seminar for twenty participants interested in grass-fed meat marketing. Eighty-three percent indicated the educational program was excellent and 88 percent reported that the information gained on the tour had increased their knowledge and skills to increase revenue, reduce costs, prevent losses, increase payroll, or make a one-time capital purchase.

Monitoring Trends—Analyzed food trends, agriculture statistics, and direct marketing data and used this information in publications and fact sheets and in instruction at workshops, farmer meetings, and other outreach.

Securing funding resources for programs—Submitted fifteen funding requests and received $301,663 in external funds to support seven different programs, projects, and initiatives.

Collaborations—Participated in various program planning, development, and implementation activities with representatives from more than twenty-four different agencies, departments, and associations.

Sustainable Agriculture (SARE)—Provided support for twenty-five Extension agents to participate in five professional development training sessions aimed at sustaining profits, stewardship, and quality of life on Tennessee farms.

Increasing Knowledge in Rural Communities— Delivered forty-two educational programs to 993 participants in thirty-two rural and economically distressed counties. One hundred percent of participants reported that the information learned increased their understanding and skills needed to analyze and develop food businesses. In one workshop, 83 percent indicted the program helped them gain knowledge and skills to increase sales revenue, reduce costs, prevent losses, increase payroll, or make one-time capital purchases for their direct marketing enterprise. In another session, 97 percent indicated that the workshop increased their knowledge of social media/digital marketing strategies to increase and/or enhance their online marketing efforts.

Consultations—Provided various levels of consultation for 1,503 contacts on topics including egg marketing, value-added meat sales, food manufacturing, marketing techniques, labeling, agritourism, business planning, recordkeeping, sales tax, marketing regulations, e-commerce and social media marketing.

Educational Outreach—Delivered ninety-eight educational presentations to 2,265 participants, conducted twenty-two farm visits in sixteen counties, and disseminated information to 2,078 contacts at eighteen trade show events.

It is clear that we’ve been busy. It is nice to occasionally reflect on our activities, accomplishments, and impact. It refreshing and obvious that the work of our Center and the needs of those we serve have been well matched. The numbers we track clearly indicate our dedicated response to the diverse needs of farmers and agri entrepreneurs related to value-added ventures. In 2018, we conducted educational workshops across the state, we published educational information, we developed teams and collaborated with diverse groups, we secured external funds, we monitored industry trends, we evaluated our efforts, we assessed needs and we responded.

In addition, we moved our office headquarters, hosted an open house, served on five search committees within the UT Institute of Agriculture, celebrated the twenty-year anniversary of our Center and helped host a national meeting. We welcomed Troy Dugger to our staff, said goodbye to Chuck Grigsby, and celebrated ten different awards and recognitions by our staff members. Some of our activities and accomplishments for the year are provided in this report.

I S A L E A D E R I N...

2018

LOOKING BACK AT 2018

About the Training

When and Where

Registration

Questions?

The Power of Partnerships

Sponsors