News Release
For Immediate Release — May 13, 2009
Center for Profitable Agriculture Recognized for 10 Years of Service
Tennessee Direct Farm Sales Show Sizable Increase
During a May 12 session of the State House Agriculture Committee, the Center for Profitable Agriculture was formally recognized for a decade of outstanding service to the citizens of Tennessee. Committee Chairman Stratton Bone, Jr. (center, right of podium) presented the framed copy of the proclamation to CPA Director Rob Holland (center left of podium).
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The State House Agriculture Committee has formally recognized the University of Tennessee Center for Profitable Agriculture for a decade of outstanding service to the citizens of Tennessee. Committee Chairman Stratton Bone, Jr., representative from District 46, including Lebanon, presented a framed copy of the proclamation to CPA Director Rob Holland during a May 12 session of the committee.
The Center for Profitable Agriculture was formed by the UT Institute of Agriculture to help farm families throughout Tennessee improve their income through identifying new ways to add value to their food and fiber products, for example through processing, improved packaging, and direct marketing to the public. The Center was developed in cooperation with UT Extension, the Tennessee Farm Bureau and the state Department of Agriculture.
The Center works directly with farm families and entrepreneurs to analyze value-added agriculture enterprises and to determine the viability of new products and ventures designed to directly capture consumer dollars. The Center also conducts a number of educational programs regarding value-added agriculture for Tennessee farmers and agricultural leaders as well as for county Extension agents working with the farmers and entrepreneurs.
Holland thanked the committee for the recognition, and he pledged that the Center will continue to work diligently to serve the state’s citizens. Citing the USDA 2007 Census of Agriculture, Holland said from 1997 to 2007 the number of Tennessee farmers participating in direct farm sales to consumers has increased by 33 percent.
While Holland did not claim direct responsibility for the overall growth, he pointed out that the Center has become a hub for the state’s value-added agricultural activities. Since its establishment the Center has generated more than $1.25 million in external grants that have helped provide value-added educational opportunities to more than 3,000 Tennesseans. Again citing the 2007 Census of Agriculture, Holland said that the total value of agricultural products sold directly to consumers from farmers increased by 83.5 percent – up from approximately $8.4 million in 1997 to $15.4 million in 2007.
Tennessee Farm Bureau President Lacy Upchurch, who is a Cumberland County beef farmer, also spoke before the committee reiterating the Center’s contributions to the state’s farmers and rural communities. He remarked on the necessity for farmers to operate on “tight margins” and how assistance from the Center has helped operations to become profitable and to thrive.
The Center for Profitable Agriculture is a department of UT Extension, which offers off-campus education and outreach for the UT Institute of Agriculture. Through UT Extension, the Institute brings research-based information about agriculture, family and consumer sciences, and resource development to the people of Tennessee where they live and work.
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Contact:
Patricia McDaniels, UTIA Marketing and Communications Services, 615-835-4570, pmcdaniels@tennessee.edu
Rob Holland, Center for Profitable Agriculture, 931-486-2777, rhollan4@utk.edu
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The Center for Profitable Agriculture