Project Overview
FS02-155
Project Type: Farmer/Rancher
Funds awarded in 2002: $15,000.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2005
Region: Southern
State: Tennessee
Principal Investigator:
Paul Miller
Appalachian Spring Cooperative
Annual Reports
Commodities
- Fruits: berries (strawberries)
- Vegetables: cucurbits, garlic, onions, peppers, tomatoes
- Additional Plants: herbs
- Animals: bees
Practices
- Farm Business Management: new enterprise development, cooperatives, market study, value added
Summary:
Appalachian Spring Cooperative’s Producer Grant Project, “Cooperating for Success: Building a Value-added Marketing Cooperative for Advantage in the Marketplace”, was intended to demonstrate that sustainable alternatives exist to the traditional agricultural enterprises in the region (i.e., tobacco, cattle, and hay). Also that value-added processing of raw agricultural inputs can maximize the potential returns from alternative crops and that effective cooperative marketing of members’ value-added food products can maximize the profitability and sustainability of small farm operations. They conducted market research to gage the demand for the types of value-added foods most likely to be manufactured in the project region.
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.