February 21 , 2005
“NUMBER OF TENNESSEE FARMERS SELLING DIRECT TO CONSUMERS INCREASES”
“The number of Tennessee farmers marketing direct to consumers keeps inching upward” says Marketing Specialist, Amanda Ziehl, with the UT Center for Profitable Agriculture. Since 1997, the number has increased by almost 26 percent and the value of farm products sold direct to consumers now exceeds $11 million each year. “In recent years, we’ve seen many Tennessee farmers becoming interested in new enterprises, activities and procedures to direct market and generate more farm income” added Rob Holland, Feasibility Specialist with the Center.
Holland and Ziehl have summarized recent statistics on direct marketing in a fact sheet titled “Signals of Success” which can be found on the Center for Profitable Agriculture Web site at http://cpa.utk.edu/pdffiles/cpa107.pdf
While the number of Tennessee farmers marketing directly to consumers has increased in recent years, Ziehl and Holland caution that not every farm operation can be successful at it. “Even though direct marketing allows farmers to obtain a larger portion of consumer expenditures, more than just a commodity is needed to be a successful value-added enterprise” said Holland.
“We, in the Center, have found that developing a marketable product is essential for value-added enterprises – but not sufficient enough to alone lead to success” Ziehl added. “Technology, risk, markets, regulations and capital are all keys to success, but it is ultimately about people – people who develop and deliver products and those who demand products” said Holland.
Since 1998, the Center for Profitable Agriculture has been developing educational resources and tools to assist farmers and agri-entrepreneurs in the evaluation and development of value-added ideas. All of the educational resources developed by the Center are available on the Center’s website at http://cpa.utk.edu.
All of the educational resources developed by the Center are available on the Center’s website at http://cpa.utk.edu.
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Contact: Rob Holland
Center for Profitable Agriculture
University of Tennessee Extension
931-486-2777
cpa@utk.edu
http://cpa@utk.edu
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