N.C. MarketReady Newsletter
Special Issue, Winter 2010
N.C. MarketReady Announces New Leader
Rod Gurganus, Extension associate, entrepreneurial horticulture, assumed the leadership role of the N.C. MarketReady team on November 1, 2009. Dr. Blake Brown, founding director of the Program for Value-Added & Alternative Agriculture in 2006 (which changed to N.C. MarketReady in October 2009), is stepping down due to increased responsibilities in addressing FDA regulation of tobacco, which will have a dramatic effect on our state. He will continue to be part of the N.C. MarketReady team by assisting producer groups across the state.
The N.C. MarketReady team is a partner of the Plants for Human Health Institute at the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis. While we are located in Kannapolis, we also work closely with and rely upon the expertise of our colleagues in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and N.C. Cooperative Extension.
The Extension Faculty Team
Dr. Blake Brown, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, initiated the program in 2006 when he received a grant from the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission to help tobacco-farm families transition to new enterprises. Brown, the Hugh C. Kiger Professor in Agricultural and Resource Economics, served as the director of the program through October 2009. blake_brown@ncsu.edu or 704-250-5404.
Gary Bullen, Extension associate, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, specializes in new enterprise evaluation, business skills development, direct marketing and financial management. He provides in-service training, programs and supporting resources for Cooperative Extension and community and government agencies. gary_bullen@ncsu.edu or 919-515-6096.
Leah Chester-Davis, coordinator of communications and community outreach, and Extension communication specialist with the Department of Communication Services, provides team leadership for strategic marketing communications, including program delivery, packaging and marketing programs, Website development, media relations and crisis communications. She produces The Produce Lady videos. leah_chester-davis@ncsu.edu or 704-250-5406.
Diane Ducharme, GAPs program coordinator and Extension associate, horticulture and food safety, shares leadership of the N.C. Fresh Produce Safety Task Force. The fresh produce safety focus area offers a comprehensive educational program on fresh produce safety, including a Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) training curriculum, food safety plans and resource materials. diane_ducharme@ncsu.edu or 704-250-5402.
Rod Gurganus, Extension associate, entrepreneurial horticulture, works with agribusinesses, economic development officials and farmers to identify and develop horticultural opportunities for value-added and innovative agriculture. He co-chairs the education working group of the N.C. Fresh Produce Safety Task Force. Rod assumed leadership of the N.C. MarketReady team on November 1, 2009. rod_gurganus@ncsu.edu or 252-793-4428, ext. 129.
Brittany Whitmire, N.C. Value-Added Cost Share (NCVACS) program coordinator and Extension associate, works with Extension agents, producers and grant writers. brittany_whitmire@ncsu.edu or 919-830-9557.
$1.2 Million Value-Added Cost Share Program Helps Farmers
N.C. MarketReady, with a $1.2 million grant from the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, has initiated the N.C. Value-Added Cost Share (NCVACS) program, which is designed to enhance rural economic development and strengthen farm families.
The program supports the development of value-added agricultural enterprises by complementing the USDA Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG). The grant provides funds to agricultural producers, producer groups and cooperatives. They must meet any of the following “value-added” eligibility requirements: a change in the physical state of an agricultural commodity, such as packaged beef; utilization of differentiated production methods, such as “organic;” and the specialized marketing of locally produced food products.
The NCVACS program specifically complements the USDA VAPG by reducing the costs associated with professional services, such as grant writing and enterprise feasibility assessment, as well as equipment purchases that are not covered by the USDA grant. By helping more N.C. producers successfully apply for VAPG awards, the agricultural industry in the state will benefit from an influx of federal dollars designed specifically to boost rural economic development through entrepreneurship and agricultural enterprise development.
Brittany Whitmire has joined the N.C. MarketReady team to coordinate the NCVACS program through 2011. She has developed a set of informational materials about both the VAPG and NCVACS programs for Cooperative Extension agents, grant writers and producers. Find these materials at www.ncmarketready.org. Click Value-Added Cost Share in the left column.
The first set of 10 NCVACS grant recipients were awarded in late 2009. The 10 enterprises will receive funding to help with the VAPG grant writing and enterprise feasibility assessment. Watch for an announcement in early 2010 about an opportunity to apply for equipment cost share funding.
“We are excited that our state has this project in place so that our producers can effectively apply for and receive these grants,” said William Upchurch, executive director of the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission. “The N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission is very pleased to be a partner with the N.C. MarketReady program.”
New Resources @ www.ncmarketready.org
- What do blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and tomatoes have in common? They are part of the new online resources for growers in the form of a one-stop shop. When a question about any of these crops comes to mind there’s no need to go globetrotting across the Internet. One stop at the Strawberry Growers Information Portal, the Blackberry and Raspberry Growers Information Portal or the Tomato Growers Information Portal will provide the answer. These portals were developed with a grant from the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission to bring together on one Website all the resources pertaining to business management and production of specific crops in North Carolina. Development of portals for other crops is under way with the support of a grant from the Agricultural Advancement Consortium of The N.C. Rural Economic Development Center. The N.C. MarketReady team works with faculty in the N.C. State University departments of Horticultural Science, Agricultural and Resource Economics, Plant Pathology, Entomology, Soil Science and the State Climate Office to develop the portals, which are designed to save growers and Extension agents time and effort when seeking information.
- Looking to grow your business? The Business Development Files, which are available through county Cooperative Extension Centers, are designed for small- to mid-size farmers. They offer step-by-step advice for those interested in building or expanding an agricultural business. The new information, developed by Gary Bullen, N.C. MarketReady team member, consists of seven files, or steps, each providing guidance on various aspects of developing an agricultural business, from estimating market potential to calculating operational costs. Farmers should contact an N.C. Cooperative Extension agent in their county to review these files. Other business management resources are available on our Website.
- What does it take to minimize fresh produce safety risks? The implementation of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) is an important step. The N.C. MarketReady Fresh Produce Safety – Field to Family training curriculum focuses on GAPs, including what it takes to obtain GAPs certification, and managing risks from field to market. The curriculum was sent to all county Cooperative Extension centers in late 2009 and is divided into two training tiers. Tier 1 addresses GAPs that are directly related to field production and harvest. It includes an introduction to common food-borne pathogens and diseases as well as recognizing points of potential contamination, proper use of biosolids as a nutrient source, effective hand-washing procedures, packing facility cleanliness and water quality verification for field application and postharvest handling. Tier 2 addresses risk identification and management issues including transportation and traceability, produce recalls, liability and insurance options and crisis communications. The curriculum was developed with funding from the Southern Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission and the USDA Risk Management Agency. Diane Ducharme, N.C. MarketReady team member, coordinated the development of the curriculum. Contributing authors were faculty from N.C. State and N.C. A&T State universities, along with members of the N.C. Fresh Produce Safety Task Force.
- Need ideas for selecting, preparing, storing and preserving that wonderful North Carolina produce? The Produce Lady has a series of videos to get you started. Watch them at www.theproducelady.org. Brenda Sutton, also known as The Produce Lady, teams with Leah Chester-Davis, N.C. MarketReady team member, and Ken Ellzey, Department of Communication Services, to produce the videos. The Produce Lady has received national attention through The Packer, a magazine for the fruit and vegetable industry, Vegetable Growers News and Farmers’ Market Today magazine. An Associated Press article was picked up by news media statewide. The Produce Lady videos are part of the Almanac Gardener TV show on the UNC-TV network, and you can also find them on YouTube at www.youtube.com/TheProduceLady. The Produce Lady also blogs at www.theproducelady.wordpress.com. Watch for her at farmers markets and other special events where she often gives food demonstrations on using North Carolina produce. Her tips are useful for farmers who want to use them to share with customers, or customers can go directly to the Website for ideas.
- N.C. MarketReady provides technical and business management assistance to producer groups, such as cooperatives and LLCs, through its funding and approval as a USDA Cooperative Development Center. Examples of projects include assisting with the development of the American Prawn Growers Cooperative and Farm Fresh of Sampson County, Inc. In conjunction with the fresh produce safety effort, the team has a pilot produce traceability project with East Carolina Organics (ECO) LLC, Jackson Farming Company and L&M Produce. The team also works on evaluation of business plans for producer group businesses such as YAMCO LLC, Golden Grove Candy and a Hyde County vegetable growers group.
Partnership with Plants for Human Health Institute at N.C. Research Campus
N.C. MarketReady serves as the Extension and outreach initiative to complement the research conducted by the Plants for Human Health Institute and to ensure the latest research is delivered to North Carolinians.
Through the Plants for Human Health Institute, integrated research in metabolomics, biochemistry, pharmacogenomics, plant breeding and postharvest attributes will lead to the creation of fruits and vegetables with enhanced health benefits and the introduction of new or under-appreciated crops and products. These enhanced food products will allow consumers to make proactive, responsible dietary choices that benefit their own and their family’s health. In addition to improving the health-promoting potential of fruits and vegetables, efforts in plant breeding, horticulture and postharvest technologies will result in products that enhance the local, regional and national competitiveness of agricultural families.
