EXPANDING THE POSSIBILITIES: - The University of Tennessee

EXPANDING THE 

POSSIBILITIES: 

The UT-TDA Organic and 

Marketing Initiative 

Organic and Sustainable 

Crop Production Team 

University of Tennessee 

A

FOREWORD 

ORGANIC AND SUSTAINABLE CROP PRODUCTION TEAM 

Gary Bates, Professor, Plant Sciences 

Megan Bruch, Marketing Specialist, 

Center for Profitable Agriculture 

David Butler, Assistant Professor, Plant 

Sciences 

Faith Critzer, Assistant Professor, Food 

Science & Technology 

P. Michael Davidson, Head & Professor, 

Food Science & Technology 

Neal Eash, Associate Professor, 

Biosystems Engineering & Soil Science 

(BESS) 

Sarah Eichler-Inwood, Research 

Associate, Plant Sciences 

Lee Ellis, Research Associate, East 

Tennessee AgResearch & Education 

Center (ETREC) 

Doug Hayes, Professor, Biosystems 

Engineering & Soil Science 

Rob Holland, Director, Center for 

Profitable Agriculture 

Shasta Hubbs, Former Extension 

Assistant, Center for Profitable 

Agriculture 

Kim Jensen, Professor, Agricultural & 

Resource Economics 

Amy Ladd, Former Extension Assistant, 


Jaehoon Lee, Associate Professor, 


Brian Leib, Associate Professor, 


Bill Lively, Service Supervisor, Organic 

Crops Unit (OCU), ETREC 

David Lockwood, Professor, Plant 

Sciences 

Kim Martinez, Administrative Assistant, 


Fiona McAnally, UT Farmers Market 

Manager, Plant Sciences 

David McIntosh, Research Associate, 

Plant Sciences 

Katheryne Nix, UT Farmers Market 

Event Coordinator, Entomology & 

Plant Pathology 

Bonnie Ownley, Professor, Entomology 

and Plant Pathology 

Hal Pepper, Value-Added Financial 

Analysis Specialist, Center for 

Profitable Agriculture 

Mary Rogers, Postdoctoral Researcher, 


Carl Sams, Professor, Plant Sciences 

Dana Saywell, Former Organic 

Extension Specialist, Plant Sciences 

Hannah Schrum, Former Organic 

Extension Assistant, Plant Sciences 

Bobby Simpson, Director, East 

Tennessee AgResearch & Education 

Center 

John Skinner, Professor, Entomology 

and Plant Pathology 

Brandon Smith, Former Assistant 

Professor, Plant Sciences 

Jane Howell Starnes, Research 

Associate, Agricultural & Resource 

Economics 

Bobby Terry, Former Light Equipment 

Operator, OCU ETREC 

Heather Toler, Research Associate, Plant 

Sciences 

Margarita Velandia, Assistant Professor, 

Agricultural & Resource Economics 

Forbes Walker, Associate Professor, 


Michael Wilcox, Former Associate 

Professor, Agricultural & Resource 

Economics 

Michael Wilson, Research Associate, 

Entomology and Plant Pathology 

Annette Wszelaki, Associate Professor, 


Qixin Zhong, Associate Professor, Food 

Science & Technology 

As you read this report that outlines the many accomplishments of the Organic and Sustainable Crop 

Production Initiative, it becomes very clear that this initiative has been a driving force in advancing 

knowledge of organic production at the local, state and national levels. As interest in local, organic food 

production has increased, the initiative has played a crucial role in providing Tennesseans with practical 

science based information on this topic. Thousands of individuals in all 95 counties of Tennessee have 

been reached through hundreds of educational events and thousands of direct contacts. Since this joint 

University of Tennessee/Tennessee Department of Agriculture Initiative began in 2007, the number of 

certified organic farms in Tennessee has increased by 158%. We are also very proud that the efforts of 

this team have helped the University of Tennessee receive recognition by the Organic Farming Research 

Foundation as one of six top Land-Grant University organic production programs. We congratulate this 

team on successfully delivering high quality, science based information on organic production, certification 

and marketing to producers and consumers across the state and beyond. We also thank the Tennessee 

Department of Agriculture for the support to undertake this work, and we extend sincere appreciation to 

all the partners who have contributed to the success of this initiative. 

Tim L. Cross, Dean UT Extension 

CONTENTS 

Robert T. Burns, Assistant Dean, UT Extension 

GRADUATE STUDENTS 

Sarah Broughton, Former Graduate 

Student, Plant Sciences 

Matt Bruns, Former Graduate Student, 

Biosystems Engineering & Soil 

Science 

Constance Marie Hugo, Former 

Graduate Student, BESS 

Kathryn Allen 

Elias Attea 

Jess Blackwell 

Ryan Bolcar 

Josh Cantrell 

Kelly Corum 

BJ Delozier 

Kirsten Eisele 

Sarah Elias 

Bobby Evans 

Jessica Gates 

Wendy Jones Bruns, Former Graduate 

Student, Biosystems Engineering & 

Soil Science 

Jeff Martin, Graduate Student, Plant 

Sciences 

Grant McCarty, Former Graduate 


UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT ASSISTANTS AND INTERNS 

Tim Grant 

Emily Hennelly 

Nora Hutchison 

Mechelle Kneidinger 

Andrea Menendez 

Alex Mindermann 

DJ Mitchell 

Philip Moore 

Tiffany Morrison 

Liz Newnam 

Jordan Norton 

Jonathan Moss, Former Graduate 

Student, Agricultural & Resource 

Economics 

Gitika Shrivastava, Former Graduate 


Daniel Priddy 

Ann Ramsey 

Becca Smith 

Dara Smith 

Mary Clare Smith 

Alexandra Spaulding 

Javier Vargas 

Clint Wayman 

Brenna Wright 

Initiative Summary: 

Building the Foundation 

Introduction 

Development of the Tennessee 

Organic Production Network 

Building Relationships Across Tennessee 

Regional Organic Partnerships 

Organic and Sustainable Crop Program 

Producers Survey 

Organic Extension Publications 

Organic Crop Production Workshops 

UT Organic and Sustainable Crop Production 

Website and Facebook Page 

2 

4 

6 

8 

9 

10 

14 

15 

16 

18 

UT AgResearch and Education Center and 

On-farm Organic Demonstration Plots 

Speciality Crops 

Forage Crops 

Field Crops 

Connecting Farmers to Buyers 

Evaluation of Existing Networks 

Enhancing Farmer to Buyer Connection 

Evaluating and Enhancing Value-Added 

Opportunities 

20 

22 

29 

30 

32 

34 

37 

40 

B 

Expanding the Possibilities: UT-TDA Organic and Marketing Initiative 


1

INITIATIVE SUMMARY: 

BUILDING THE 

FOUNDATION 

In 2007, the University of Tennessee, in cooperation with the 

Tennessee Department of Agriculture, launched a statewide 

organic agriculture initiative. The goals of the initiative were to: 

Engage more traditional Tennessee farmers in organic 

production by coordinating the development of the Tennessee 

Organic Production Network; 

Enhance the delivery of information on organic opportunities for 

production, certification and marketing to Extension agents and 

TN producers; 

Create statewide on-farm and UT AgResearch and Education 

Center demonstration trials; 

Evaluate systems for connecting producers to buyers for their 

fresh farm products. 

From 2007 to 2012, the UT Organic and Sustainable Crop 

Production (OSCP) Program become one of the top programs 

in organic agriculture among land-grant universities across 

the country (OFRF, 2012). The OSCP Program has reached 

stakeholders in every county of the state, as well as in all 50 

states and 145 countries, through direct contact, on-farm 

workshops and/or the program Facebook page or website (http:// 

organics.tennessee.edu). During the initiative, over 150 grower 

meetings and workshops were conducted on organic production 

and marketing opportunities, reaching over 8,000 contacts. 

Additionally, over 100 educational resources were created, 

disseminated and used in producer educational programs. 

The Tennessee Organic Production Network (TOPN) was 

created to bring together representatives of different sectors 

of the agriculture industry. The TOPN created opportunities 

for communication and collaboration aimed at expanding 

organic crop production in Tennessee. The network fostered 

the development of lasting in-state and regional relationships to 

address critical needs in organic and sustainable agriculture. 

The UT East Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center 

dedicated a 90-acre farm to organic production, now known as the 

UT Organic Crops Unit (OCU). The OCU serves as the center for 

organic production demonstration trials in the state of Tennessee 

with 21 acres under cultivation, and 14 acres certified organic. 

In the past 5 years, the OCU has supported nearly 30 organic 

demonstration trials in new and innovative farming practices and 

served as the nucleus for 17 additional grants totaling nearly $9 

million. Furthermore, through this initiative nearly 35 on-farm trials 

and demonstrations were conducted with grower cooperators on 

such topics as anaerobic soil disinfestation, insect and pollinator 

habitat, cover cropping, forage production, and fruit and 

vegetable production. 

Since 2007, the number of certified organic farms in Tennessee 

has more than doubled, covering over 2,500 acres across the 

state. Moreover, more than 50 farms are potentially in transition 

to organic certification, adding an additional 1,500 acres of land 

dedicated to organic production. 

capacity and absence of other marketing institutions have 

contributed to this result; however, several new market conditions 

are emerging that may suggest selected opportunities for 

produce growers in Tennessee. The most significant of these is 

consumer interest in locally-grown products and responses to this 

consumer interest across the produce supply chain. 

With the purpose of expanding the opportunities in which 

Tennessee farmers can connect to buyers, OSCP efforts were 

focused on evaluating, identifying, and enhancing possible 

ways that farmers and buyers can be linked. MarketReady 

and Breakfast at the Farm educational workshops provided 

participants with information on communication, relationship 

building, packaging and labeling, pricing, invoicing, insurance, 

certifications and audits, quality assurance, and working 

cooperatively. They learned new ways to market their products 

to retail stores and restaurants and were given the opportunity 

to hear first-hand from a panel of chefs and retail and restaurant 

owners about their likes, dislikes, and preferences when working 

with local producers to acquire local foods. 

Through the Farmers Market Bootcamp, farmers market vendors, 

managers, and board members received training on sales tax 

issues, marketing and merchandising, and food safety regulations. 

The Farm-to-School Working Group helped shape Farm-to- 

School guidance materials in Tennessee, including information 

on food safety & packaging requirements, product liability, 

procurement, bid process, contract growing and production 

planning, delivery logistics, food preparation within the school 

systems, food waste within the school systems, and “Local Food” 

recognition within the schools. 

Additionally, value-added opportunities for both dairy and cattle 

producers were explored. The cattle industry is one of the most 

significant enterprises in Tennessee’s economy. In recent years, an 

increased number of Tennessee cattle producers have considered 

finishing, harvesting, processing and marketing. A series of 

“Scratching the Surface” workshops have been conducted 

throughout the state, where participants learned about live animal 

sales for custom harvesting, marketing, profit potential and 

retail and non-retail meat sales. Value-added dairy educational 

materials have been developed and workshops utilizing these 

resources have also been conducted. 

In essence, the marketing component of the initiative generated 

the development of multiple marketing reports and served 

as the impetus for the creation of the UT Farmers’ Market to 

provide first-hand marketing experiences for thousands of local 

growers, students, University faculty and consumers; foundation 

for the multi-year Tennessee value-added beef initiative which 

has already provided marketing training to 646 producers; 

underpinning structure for the training of 409 farmers in Market 

Ready, Farmers Market Boot Camp Workshops, Breakfast at 

the Farm, and other market education programs; incubation 

marketing information to dairy producers; creation of scores of 

specialty crop programs reaching hundreds of farmers; and the 

seeds of groundwork for various unique local foods activities in 

communities across the state. 

In the past 5 years, the Organic and Sustainable Crop Production 

Program has far exceeded the benchmarks that were established 

to guide the effort. Because of the program: 

215 agricultural leaders are better connected and working 

together in on-going efforts involved with organic agriculture 

43,222 contacts have been made by the delivery of information 

on organic opportunities 

29 organic demonstration trials have been developed 

102 educational materials have been developed and 172 

educational workshops have been conducted on organic 

production and marketing topics 

The number of certified organic farms in Tennessee has 

increased by 158% 

The number of certified organic acres as increased by over 500 

acres in Tennessee 

We are pleased with the foundation that the OSCP has 

developed. Building on the momentum gained in the past 

five years, Tennessee producers will innovate, adapt and 

evolve to continue Tennessee’s rich history of agriculture well 

into the future. 

Jon Frady Tennessee Department of Agriculture 

Dan Strasser Tennessee Department of Agriculture 

Rob Holland UT Extension Center for Profitable Agriculture 

David Lockwood UT Extension Plant Sciences 

While organic production is on the rise in Tennessee, overall 

produce sales in the state have edged down slightly over the 

past 20 years. Relatively high labor costs, limitations to wholesale 

of the value-added dairy programs which provides critical 

Annette Wszelaki UT Extension Plant Sciences 

2 Expanding the Possibilities: UT-TDA Organic and Marketing Initiative 


3

INTRODUCTION Figure 1. USDA Certified Organic Farms in Tennessee (by farm type), July 2012 

Fruits & Vegetables 

Lifestock & Dairy 

Poultry & Egg 

Hay & Pasture 

In 2007, the University of Tennessee, in cooperation with the 

Tennessee Department of Agriculture, launched a statewide 

organic agriculture initiative. The intent of this initiative was 

to involve more Tennessee farmers in organic production in 

order to increase farm income and provide an alternative to 

keep the family farm in the family. Organic production has 

the potential to enhance farm income by reducing the use of 

off-farm inputs and providing consumers with locally-grown, 

high-quality organic products in a rapidly growing market where 

the demand is greater than the supply. Consumer interest in 

organic products is increasing at a rate of 20% a year across the 

country and Tennessee is no exception. This growing interest 

in organic products provides an opportunity for Tennessee 

growers to transition to organic production and gain access to 

new income streams and specialty markets. The goals of this 

initiative were to involve more traditional Tennessee farmers in 

organic production by enhancing the delivery of information on 

organic opportunities for production, certification and marketing 

to Extension agents and TN producers, creating statewide onfarm 

and UT AgResearch and Education Center demonstration 

plots, coordinating the development of the Tennessee Organic 

Production Network, and evaluating systems for connecting 

producers to buyers for their fresh farm products. 

Organic Land Grant Assessment 

In May 2012, the Organic Farming and Research Foundation 

released the 2012 Organic Land Grant Assessment. This 

assessment is an inventory of land grant organic activity using 

unbiased methods to assess an institution’s level of involvement 

in organic agriculture. Each institution was assessed using an 

8-point system that integrates all three elements — organic 

research, Extension , and education — into a single score that 

provides a solid basis on which to compare organic activity at 

each institution. 

OFRF Land Grant Assessment 8-point System: 

1. Certified organic research or student farm ground 

2. Organic experiment station ground 

3. A student organic or “sustainable” farm—a training site 

4. An organic major, minor or certificate program 

5. An organic course of any kind 

6. A dedicated organic staff or faculty person 

7. Organic Extension resources 

8. An annual organic field day 

Six received a perfect score, meeting all eight criteria. Due in 

large part to the organic agriculture initiative, the University of 

Tennessee was the newest and fastest-growing among these 

six, which also included Michigan State University, Washington 

State University, University of Florida, Colorado State University 

and University of Minnesota. The full report can be viewed here: 

http://ofrf.org/publications/2012-LGU-Assess.pdf. 

State of the State 

The organic industry has experienced measurable growth 

in the last few years. This can be attributed in part to the 

increased demand from consumers across the country. The 

2007 Census of Agriculture reported more than 20,000 

farms in organic production with sales over $1.7 billion in the 

United States. Because these results exceeded expectations, 

the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) conducted the 

2008 Organic Production Survey (OPS), to collect additional 

information on organic farming for that year. It is the first 

organic production and practices survey conducted on the 

national level by the USDA. 

The survey found 14,540 U.S. farms and ranches that were 

either USDA certified organic or were exempt from certification 

because their sales totaled less than $5,000 per year. These 

farms and ranches comprised almost 4.1 million acres of land, of 

which 39.2 percent were harvested cropland and 45.3 percent 

were pasture or rangeland. In Tennessee, the survey identified 

19 farms and ranches across 18 counties as USDA certified 

organic and an additional 64 farms as organic but exempt from 

certification because their sales totaled less than $5,000 per 

year. Among the certified operations were two dairies, one egg, 

one meat, and nineteen crop operations. These certified and 

exempt farms and ranches comprised 2,000 acres of land, of 

which 37.0 percent were harvested cropland and 58.2 percent 

were pasture or rangeland. 

As of July 2012, 49 farms and ranches across 31 counties in 

Tennessee were USDA certified organic, with more than forty 

crop operations, two dairies, seven meat operations and two 

egg operations (Fig. 1). This shows a greater than 150 percent 

increase in the number of USDA certified organic farms and 

ranches in TN from 2008 to 2012. These certified farms and 

ranches encompassed over 2,500 acres of land (acreage 

obtained through phone calls with certified producers). 

The current number of operations organic but exempt from 

certification is unknown, as reporting is not required; however, it 

is estimated that the number of exempt operations has grown 

comparably to the certified operations. Moreover, based on 

inquiries during the 5-year initiative, the potential increase in 

farms transitioning to organic production numbers over 50, with 

the potential increase in land of over 1,500 acres. 



5

DEVELOPMENT 

OF THE 

TENNESSEE 

ORGANIC 

PRODUCTION 

NETWORK 

The Tennessee Organic Production Network (TOPN), formerly 

known as the Tennessee Organic Agriculture Consortium, was 

created to bring together different sectors of the agriculture 

industry in Tennessee to support communication and 

collaboration to expand organic crop production in Tennessee. 

The lasting impacts of the network were: 

1. The building of strong relationships with contacts in the 

state that are interested in or currently involved with 

organic agriculture; 

2. Development of extensive regional partnerships 

with other successful state organic development and 

Extension programs. 

6 Expanding the Possibilities: UT-TDA Organic and Marketing Initiative University of Tennessee 

7

BUILDING 

RELATIONSHIPS 

ACROSS TENNESSEE 

REGIONAL 

ORGANIC 

PARTNERSHIPS 

The network is composed of: 

Growers; 

Producer organizations (Tennessee Organic Growers 

Association, Appalachian Sustainable Development and 

former CAFÉ Growers); 

Industry (Tennessee Farmer’s Coop, Organic Valley Dairy 

Coop, The Turnip Truck, Grow Farms and Tennessee Crop 

Improvement Association); 

Government officials and agencies (Chairman of the 

Tennessee House of Representatives Agricultural Committee, 

Representative of Senator Alexander’s, Tennessee Department 

of Agriculture, USDA Farm Services Agency, USDA Natural 

Resources Conservation Service, USDA Rural Development); 

University research and Extension (University of Tennessee, 

Tennessee State University, Tennessee Tech University, and the 

Center for Profitable Agriculture), and; 

Not-for-profit and/or agricultural organizations (Crabtree Farms, 

Community Food Advocates, Cumberland River Compact, Rural 

Resources and Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation). 

The Tennessee Organic Production Network has an open 

membership policy and new network members are added 

continuously. 

In the initial meeting in December 2008, the focus was on 

assessing the status of organic agriculture in Tennessee, and 

learning about the organic work and programs of various 

groups around the state in order to establish common 

ground and identify needs. Subsequent meetings focused on 

updates of the activities of TOPN partners and collaborations 

to address the critical issues in organic agriculture throughout 

Tennessee, including access to organic inputs, assistance 

with organic certification, food safety in organic systems, and 

securing farm loans. 

A positive outcome of the network was increased access to 

organic inputs through the Tennessee Farmer’s Cooperative, 

a TOPN partner. Through the initiative’s survey activities, a 

list of inputs that are most requested was constructed and 

the TN Coop responded by having organic inputs available 

in Coops in counties accessible by the greatest number of 

organic producers. Furthermore, any grower can have the 

inputs delivered to their home county Coop within a few 

days. An active campaign to increase awareness of this local 

access to organic inputs in on-going for both producers and 

Coop managers. 

Through network partnerships, the USDA Farm Service Agency 

has become more aware of the unique challenges organic 

producers face, such as the transition period for organic 

certification, lack of reliable yield data and pricing information, 

and thereby, more difficulty in obtaining farm loans. The FSA 

now works through TOPN partners to obtain information to aid 

in the loan process. 

Throughout this 5-year initiative, University of Tennessee 

collaborations with partners outside the state have continued to 

grow. Participation in research projects and grants has helped us 

to build partnerships across the country. In the last five years, a 

total of 134 new contacts and collaborators were established in 

over twenty states and two additional countries to advance the 

efforts in organic expansion in Tennessee. 

In a collaborative effort with the University of Kentucky and 

Kentucky State University, Extension agents in both states had 

the opportunity to participate in day-long workshops on organic 

and sustainable production at the UT and UK organic farms, as 

well as a joint workshop at the Tennessee Horticultural Expo in 

Nashville. This collaborative effort culminated in a multi-day tour 

KY and TN Sustainable Farm Extension 

Agent Tour at Kenny’s Farmhouse 

Cheese, Austin, KY. 

Julie Johnston discusses organic dairy 

herd management at Skipping Rock 

Dairy, Philadelphia, TN. 

of working sustainable farming and value-added operations in 

both states. 

Partnerships with Washington State University, Texas A & M 

University and the USDA NRCS have expanded access to and 

use of high tunnels for season extension across Tennessee. 

Season extension techniques have the potential to provide 

producers with year-round income through production of cool 

season and niche crops out of season. Moreover, these crops 

command premium prices in the marketplace, as they appear 

early or late in the season when field crops are not available. 

Also, high tunnel production systems have consistently been 

shown to increase yield and crop quality. 

Cindy Delvin, of Delvin Farms in College 

Grove, TN, discussing Community 

Supported Agriculture. 



9

ORGANIC AND 

SUSTAINABLE 

CROP 

PRODUCTION 

PROGRAM 

The Organic and Sustainable Crop Production Program (OSCP) 

was launched in 2008. The program utilized multiple outreach 

methods to assess grower needs, foster networking and training 

among growers and Extension professionals, and provide upto-date 

information on organic production and local events. 

Outreach methods included: 1) program surveys of organic/ 

natural and conventional producers conducted across the state 

to obtain input information, baseline data, and improvement 

data (# of organic farmers, number of certified organic acres, 

number of “in transition” acres, barriers to certification, barriers 

to adoption of organic, willingness to transition, production 

practices, crops produced, needs, etc.), 2) publication of organic 

factsheets, certification information, and demonstration trial 

results, 3) conducting the Organic Crop Production Workshop 

Series and in-service trainings for Extension agents and 

producers, and 4) creating a UT Organic and Sustainable Crop 

Production website and Facebook page. 

During the five years of the initiative, the program has served 

nearly 30,000 clients in all 95 counties of Tennessee through 

direct contact (farm visits, phone calls, email, workshops, etc.), 

via web presence or both (Fig. 2). Additionally, we have reached 

nearly 5,000 contacts in all 50 states (Fig.3). 



11

Figure 2. Map of counties served by the OSCP Program 2008-2012. 

2,500 acres of 

land dedicated to 

organic production 

Counties with only direct 

contacts are in yellow, counties 

with only web contacts are in 

blue, counties with both direct 

and web contacts are in green. 

Figure 3. Map of states served by the OSCP Program 2008-2012. 

States with only web 

contacts are in blue, states 

with both direct and web 

contacts are in green. 


13

Examples of Organic Factsheet Series 

PRODUCER SURVEYS 

ORGANIC EXTENSION 

PUBLICATIONS 

Producer surveys were developed and deployed at 

several producer gatherings in Winter 2008. Through 

collaboration with the UT Department of Agricultural and 

Resource Economics, the survey was designed to examine 

adoption trends and barriers to organic crop production 

and certification. Of the 32 surveys returned (3 from USDA 

certified organic producers) from the survey administered 

at the Tennessee Organic Growers Association (TOGA) 

Conference, reasons for not being USDA certified, types of 

crops farmed, most and least challenging aspects of farming 

and end markets were identified that helped to shape the 

outreach curricula and materials produced from this initiative. 

The most common reasons for not pursuing organic certification 

were (respondents were instructed to check all that apply): 

1. the paperwork “hassle” (62%), 

2. the cost of certification (52%), and/or 

3. certification was not necessary for market venues (45%). 

Early on in the initiative, factsheets were created and 

workshops conducted to provide information on certification 

paperwork and the TDA Organic Certification Cost-share 

program to alleviate the top two barriers to certification. 

For the types of crops farmed organically, the majority of 

producers grew vegetables (81%), followed by pasture or hay 

(50%) and fruit crops (19%). 

When asked to rate farm challenges, weed (28%) and insect 

(25%) control were rated the most challenging, while marketing 

(38%) and fertility (25%) were rated the least challenging. 

More than half of the respondents utilized more than one 

marketing venue, with farmers’ markets (38%) as the most 

popular market venue, followed by retail (28%), wholesale 

(25%) and CSA (19%). Other venues included roadside stands, 

restaurants, farm-to-school, and email subscription programs. 

Additionally, an organic input survey was conducted to provide 

feedback to the Tennessee Farmers Cooperative, to potentially 

enhance their organic product offerings. From this survey, access 

to organic cover crop seed and fertilizers were identified as two 

inputs in highest demand. From this survey and working with the 

Coop through the TN OPN, the Coop has worked to stock the 

most utilized organic inputs in one central location in Middle TN, 

but accessible to all counties through the Coop network. 

These surveys provided a better understanding of where future 

resources and outreach activities should be focused. 

A 10-part series of factsheets was developed to cover the 

principles and basics of organic production. These factsheets 

provide an introduction to the topics and provide additional 

resources for more in-depth information. The factsheets are 

distributed at grower meetings and workshops, such as TOGA 

and Southern Sustainable Agricultural Working Group, field 

days, and invited conferences, and are available on-line: 

http://organics.tennessee.edu/publications.htm. Organic 

factsheet topics include: 

Organic Certification in Tennessee 

Introduction to Organic and Sustainable Agriculture Practices: 

Defining the Terms 

Transitioning to Organic Farm Systems 

Building Healthy Soils 

Compost for Organic Systems (in review) 

Cover Crops and Green Manures 

Crop Rotations 

Increasing Farm Biodiversity 

Trap Crops, Intercropping and Companion Planting 

Producing Organic Transplants (in review) 

In addition to the organic factsheet series, nearly 175 

presentations, 100 news articles and over 75 additional 

educational resource materials were developed during the 

course of the initiative. 



15

Introduction 

Development of the Tennessee Organic Production Network 

Building Relationships Across Tennessee 

Regional Organic Partnerships 

Organic and Sustainable Crop Production Program 

Producer Surveys 

Organic Extension Publications 

Organic Crop Production Workshops 

UT Organic and Sustainable Crop Production Website and 

Facebook Page 

Forty Organic Crop 

Production Workshops 

were completed reaching 

over 3,500 participants 

UT AgResearch and Education Center and On-farm Organic 

Demonstration Plots 

Specialty Crops 

Forage and Field Crops 

ORGANIC CROP 

PRODUCTION 

WORKSHOPS 

This workshop series began in 2009 

targeting commercial producers and 

agriculture professionals interested in 

learning about organic crop production 

practices. The 10-part monthly, 3-hour 

sessions started in February and ran 

through November, consisting of 

presentations by Extension specialists 

accompanied by discussions and 

hands-on activities. Originally, the 

workshops were broadcast using 

distance delivery technology to three 

locations across the state including 

Knoxville, Nashville and Jackson. 

Over the last four years, the series has 

evolved to on-farm workshops with 

tours of working organic farms across 

the state and archived webinars to 

reach a broader audience. The on-farm 

workshops have proven popular with 

stakeholders and participants learn 

much more than just the topic at hand 

when they can see working farms and 

production practices of other growers. 

As of November 2012, forty Organic 

Crop Production Workshops were 

completed reaching over 3,500 

participants in person and via archived 

webinars with topics including: 

Introduction to Organics 

Developing an Organic Plan 

Marketing Organic Crops 

Beekeeping and Attracting Native 

Pollinators 

Building Soils & Managing Soil Fertility 

Compost Production 

Cover Crops 

Crop Rotations 

Farm Equipment Maintenance and Use 

High Tunnel Production 

Identifying & Managing Weeds 

Identifying & Managing Pests 

Identifying & Managing Diseases 

Planning and Production of Cool 

Season Crops 

Organic Asparagus Production 

Organic Mushroom Production 

Organic Tomato Production 

Organic Blueberry Production 

Organic Cane Fruit Production 

Organic Grape Production 

Organic Strawberry Production 

Organic Herb Production 

Pruning for Trees, Canes, Vines and 

Bushes 

Seed Sources & Transplants 

Seedsaving 

Water Catchment from Farm Structures 

For each workshop, participants are 

provided with a list of resources on the 

topic and additional relevant publications. 

Due to popular demand, an on-farm, 

crop production, fee-based workshop 

series will continue in 2013. 

In addition to the Organic Crop 

Production Workshop Series, over 125 

other grower meetings and workshops 

related to organic production and/or 

marketing were conducted during the 

initiative, reaching over 8,000 participants. 


17

The website has reached 

nearly 35,000 contacts in 145 

countries and all 50 states 

UT ORGANIC AND 

SUSTAINABLE CROP 

PRODUCTION WEBSITE 

AND FACEBOOK PAGE 

The UT Organic and Sustainable Crop Production 

website was created to disseminate educational 

materials, organic demonstrations and trial results, 

funding opportunities for producers, upcoming 

events, and TN OPN member contact information. 

Additionally, it offers a virtual tour of the University 

of Tennessee Organic Crops Unit, for those 

interested in the equipment we use on the farm. 

The UT Organic and Sustainable Crop Production 

Website (http://organics.tennessee.edu) 

Since the website’s inception in 2009, it has 

reached nearly 35,000 contacts in 145 countries 

and all 50 states. Within Tennessee, the website 

has reached over 20,000 contacts in over 250 

municipalities across the state. 

An OSCP Facebook page was created in 2010 to 

reach a broader audience and provide program 

updates. The Facebook page now has 500 fans 

following its posts and updates. 

18 18 Expanding the Possibilities: UT-TDA Organic and Marketing Initiative 


19

UT AGRESEARCH 

AND EDUCATION 

CENTER AND ON- 

FARM ORGANIC 

DEMONSTRATION 

PLOTS 

In 2007, the University of Tennessee East Tennessee 

AgResearch and Education Center (ETREC) 

dedicated a 90-acre farm to organic production with 

21 acres under cultivation. In 2011, the UT Organic 

Crops Unit (OCU) completed organic certification on 

14 acres. The OCU serves as the center for organic 

production demonstrations and trials in the state 

of Tennessee. In the past 5 years this has included 

nearly 30 demonstration trials in new and innovative 

farming practices, including 17 additional grants 

totaling $8,912,686 leveraged due to TDA support. 

Many growers learn best by “hands-on” experience 

and seeing results on their own farms. Nearly 35 

grower cooperators across the state participated in 

university guided on-farm trials and demonstrations. 

The following demonstrations and trials have 

been evaluated at the East Tennessee AgResearch 

and Education Center Organic Crops Unit, unless 

otherwise indicated. 



21

Organic growers often 

receive premium prices for 

organic specialty crops, 

which are in demand from 

consumers in fresh markets. 

SPECIALTY CROPS 

Evaluating sustainable tillage methods for organic 

tomato and melon production (Eash, Walker, Smith) 

This study investigated the effects of four tillage practices 

(rototilling, disking, rotary spading, and no-till) on organic 

vegetable production and soil quality. Oat and crimson clover 

were used as cover crops, and tilled prior to planting tomatoes 

and melons. In organic tomato production, a soil spader 

produced higher yields than a rototiller, an off-set disk or no-till. 

Less melon plants died from bacterial wilt, transmitted by the 

spotted cucumber beetle and the striped cucumber beetle 

under no-till management, which produced the highest melon 

yields at the end of the season when market prices were higher. 

However, the rototiller treatment produced the highest overall 

melon harvest for the season. This project was conducted in 

2007 and 2008. 

Development of next generation biodegradable 

mulch nonwovens to replace polyethylene plastic 

(Wadsworth, Smith, Hayes, Sams, Wszelaki) 

Plastic mulch offers a number of benefits to farmers, such as 

weed control, disease protection, and optimization of soil 

temperature and moisture, but there are a number of emerging 

economic and environmental issues regarding the use and 

disposal of polyethylene plastic. The cost of polyethylene mulch 

is increasing, due to rising petroleum prices, and this trend 

can only be expected to continue. In addition, polyethylene 

plastic cannot be tilled into the soil after use and must be 

extracted from the field. Removal is time consuming, and there 

are significant labor costs. Once removed, the used plastic is 

typically sent to a landfill, or else is buried or burned on the 

farm. Recycling options are limited and sustainable alternatives 

are needed. The purpose of this research is to develop the next 

generation of low-cost, biodegradable mulch nonwoven fabrics 

to replace polyethylene plastic, without the drawbacks of the 

current biodegradable textile and film options. This project was 

conducted in 2008. 

Specialty crop garden: Demonstrating diversity and 

evaluating crop performance (Wszelaki, Rogers) 

Organic growers often receive premium prices for organic 

specialty crops, which are in demand from consumers in fresh 

markets. The specialty garden was designed to evaluate the 

performance of vegetable varieties and to observe challenges 

(pests, diseases, etc.) organic vegetable growers in Tennessee 

might experience. Yield and observational data were collected 

for all crops (eggplant, tomato, potato, carrots, peppers, 

melon, beans, greens, and herbs) and varieties (multiple 

per crop) over two growing seasons. This resulted in the 

identification and recommendation of vegetable varieties that 

are readily available and well adapted to organic production 

systems for East Tennessee. Examples of recommended 

varieties include ‘Moon and Stars’ watermelons, ‘Lipstick’ bell 

peppers, ‘Tiger’s Eye’ beans and ‘Cherokee Purple’ tomatoes. 

This project began in 2008. 

Crop pollination in East TN: Importance of non-Apis 

mellifera pollinators and beneficial management 

practices (Skinner, Wilson) 

Farms that require insect pollination and reside in diverse 

landscapes benefit from pollination by native bees. However, 

populations of native bees and honey bees are generally in 

decline and this threatens food production. This study identifies 

communities of bees providing pollination and how they vary 

across different crops and environmental conditions. Managing 

landscapes to provide additional food sources for bees may 

improve the health of wild and managed bees. The results of 

this study show that native bees are important visitors to crop 

flowers, but their abundance and composition depend on the 

type of flower. Within a flower type, other environmental effects 

can shift the community composition. Plants selected for habitat 

enhancement can be chosen based on the similarity of the 

community of bees that utilize them as compared to crops. This 

project was conducted in 2008 and 2009. 

Evaluating cool season specialty crops for organic high 

tunnel production (Wszelaki, Rogers) 

Winter production of specialty vegetables offers growers the 

opportunity for additional income and provides consumers 

year-round access to local produce. The objectives of this 

demonstration were to assess winter production of hybrid and 

heirloom vegetables and their varietal differences grown in both 

high tunnels and outside under low tunnels. Yield and quality, 

as well as incidence of disease, insect pressure, and climatic 

conditions were evaluated for each crop and growing situation. 

In all cases, crops grown inside high tunnels were larger in size, 

higher in quality and produced higher yields than those grown 

outside in the low tunnels. Kale, lettuce and spinach performed 

well; carrots, beets, broccoli, cauliflower and radishes performed 

poorly, in large part due reduction in germination due to cold 

soil temperatures at time of planting (late October). A planting 

window from late August to mid-September is optimal for 

establishing cool season crops in high tunnels in East Tennessee. 

This project was conducted in 2008-2009. 

Fall specialty garlic production (Wszelaki, Rogers) 

Garlic is a specialty crop with low fertility needs and few pests 

and diseases that does well in organic systems. Certified organic 

propagative plant material is expensive and not readily available 

locally. Consequently, organic garlic seed must be purchased 

from seed companies outside the region that specialize in 

varieties that may not be well suited to the Southeast. A minivariety 

trial was performed to assess the performance of two 

common certified organic hardneck (‘Russian Red’ and ‘German 

Extra Hardy’) and softneck (‘New York White’ and ‘Silver Rose’) 

garlic varieties to increase propagative material. The results 

showed potential for these varieties in East Tennessee. This 

project was conducted 2008-2009. 

Evaluating green manures for organic systems 

(Wszelaki, Rogers, Smith, Butler, Eichler-Inwood) 

Green manures are crops that are added to the soil to increase 

fertility and organic matter content. The objective of this 

demonstration project was to determine if bicultures of grain 

and legume green manures result in increased biomass and 

higher nitrogen content than monoculture plantings; and to 

determine the effect of planting date on crop growth, soil 

cover and percent carbon and nitrogen content of green 

manures. Five grains (winter wheat, winter rye, oats, triticale 

and barley) and five legumes (crimson clover, red clover, Ladino 

clover, Austrian winter pea and vetch) composed 35 treatment 

combinations that were evaluated in a two-year study (2008 and 

2009). Results showed a benefit of bicultures over monocultures 

as expressed in greater percent soil cover, but not in differences 

in nitrogen and carbon content. Overall, red clover, ladino clover 

and oats did not perform as well as the other crops in this study. 

Soil cover in the spring was increased when cover crops were 

planted earlier in the fall. Mid-September through mid-October 

planting dates are more suitable for cover crop establishment 

than a mid-November sowing date in East Tennessee, although 

this will vary by year. This project was conducted 2008-2010. 

Living mulches for reduced‐till, organic broccoli 

production (Wszelaki, Broughton) 

Conservation tillage has been successfully implemented 

for many agronomic cropping systems, but adoption of 

reduced tillage for vegetable crops has been slow. As many 

conventionally managed conservation tillage programs rely on 

synthetic herbicides for clean cultivation, alternative methods 

must be devised to suppress weed pressure and reduce reliance 

on mechanical cultivation to aid in the development of reduced 

tillage programs for organic cropping systems. Strip tillage is 

a reduced tillage method that is well suited to vegetable crop 

production, and the utilization of cover crops and living mulches 

between rows provides a viable weed management option 

for organic systems. This study focused on the use of strip 

tillage and the interplanting of spring-seeded living mulches 



23

High tunnel production of specialty 

vegetables offers growers the 

opportunity for additional income 

and provides consumers year-round 

access to local produce 

and overwintered cover crops for early-season organic broccoli 

production. Living mulches provided the greatest ground 

coverage when cover crop establishment was poor; however, 

when cover crops produced a large amount of biomass, living 

mulch establishment was suppressed. Decreases in herbivorous 

pests and suppression of grassy and cool-season weed species 

were also observed. Decreases in crop growth and biomass were 

observed, however, indicating reductions in crop vigor and yield 

may be expected with the implementation of strip tillage and 

living mulch crops. This project was conducted in 2009-2010. 

High tunnel tomato production: Evaluating heirloom 

and hybrid varieties for early‐season availability 

(Wszelaki, Rogers) 

High tunnels allow growers in temperate regions to expand the 

growing season through low- cost environmental modification. 

Tomato is high value specialty crop well suited to high tunnel 

production. The objective of this study was to determine 

the impacts of high tunnel production and planting date on 

heirloom and hybrid tomato varieties by observing differences in 

plant growth, yield, marketability and early blight development 

within an organic production system. The results showed that 

high tunnels increased marketability and size of tomatoes, 

and reduced defoliation resulting from early blight. Tomato 

planted earlier in both high tunnels and open field yielded 

more marketable fruit during the production season than plants 

established on later planting dates. Hybrid varieties yielded 

more marketable fruit than heirloom varieties; however, heirloom 

tomatoes can have equivalent market value because of greater 

consumer demand and premium prices attained in the local 

market. This project was conducted 2009-2010. 

Biofumigation with mustard meal to reduce soilborne 

diseases in pumpkin (PREC) (Wszelaki, Sams) 

Tennessee has consistently ranked among the Top 10 pumpkin 

producing states in the U.S. However, many Tennessee growers 

have quit growing pumpkins on their land due to Plectosporium 

Blight, caused by the fungus Plectosporium tabacinum. 

Biofumigant crops produce secondary plant products that might 

have beneficial effect in managing plant pests. 

Biofumigation could help to control Plectosporium and allow 

TN producers to continue to grow pumpkins, as well as reduce 

weed pressure in pumpkin fields. The objective of this study 

was to compare weed and disease suppression, yield, and 

fruit postharvest fruit quality and storability of pumpkins under 

standard fumigation and biofumigation treatments. This project 

was conducted in 2010. 

Trap cropping of cucumber beetles and squash 

stink bugs for low‐input melon production 


Trap cropping is the planting of a ‘trap’ crop to protect the 

main cash crop from particular pests, by luring them into the 

trap. In this study, eight varieties of cucurbits were assessed 

as trap crops to reduce cucumber beetles and squash bugs in 

cash crops (cucumber and cantaloupe). Varieties tested were 

cucumber ‘Dasher II’ (also grown as cash crop), cantaloupe 

‘Atlantis’ (also grown as cash crop), pumpkin ‘Moonshine’, yellow 

straightneck squash ‘Goldbar’, galia melon ‘Diplomat’, winter 

squash ‘Green-Striped Cushaw’, gourd ‘Mini Red Turban’ and 

‘Blue Hubbard’ squash. The results showed that both cucumber 

beetles and squash bugs were 30 and 15% less prevalent, 

respectively, on cash crops than on trap crops. The highest 

numbers of cucumber beetles were found on ‘Diplomat’ galia 

melon and ‘Mini Red Turban’ gourd and the highest numbers 

of squash bugs were found on ‘Goldbar’ and ‘Blue Hubbard’ 

squash and ‘Moonshine’ pumpkins. The establishment of 

perimeter trap crops can prevent insect damage on cash crops. 

Future studies are needed to test organic methods for pest 

management on the trap crops. This was a collaborative project 

with Appalachian Sustainable Development and Virginia Tech 

funded by the EPA and conducted in 2010. 

Small farm composting system demonstration 


Small to medium sized organic growers rely on compost 

and other organic amendments to increase soil fertility. The 

objective of this demonstration project was to replicate a 

low-cost three-bin compost system following plans developed 

from the University of California Cooperative Extension Service. 

Results showed that although the three-bin system was easy 

to construct, improvements are needed due to warping and 

weathering of un-treated lumber, required in certified organic 

systems. Piles need to be turned on a regular basis, and the 

proper C/N ratio is difficult to maintain in the static piles. The 

amount of compost obtained from the three-bin system is more 

appropriate for a homeowner garden than a commercial farm; 

consequently we recommend windrow composting systems. 

This project was started in 2010. 

Potential of biodegradable mulches for specialty crops 

produced under protective covers (Wszelaki, Martin, 

Hayes, Lee) 

This transdisciplinary research and Extension project on 

Biodegradable Mulches for Specialty Crops Produced 

Under Protective Covers, funded by NIFA’s SCRI program, 

is determining whether experimental spunbond nonwovens 

and leading commercially-available biodegradable mulches 

are of similar quality to conventional black plastic in both 

high tunnel and open field specialty crop production, and 

can safely biodegrade in the soil. In this 3-year study, a team 

of 17 scientists is evaluating biodegradable mulches in a 

tomato production system in three diverse regions of the U.S.: 

eastern Tennessee, central Texas, and western Washington. In 

addition, the team is evaluating the adaptability of six lettuce, 

strawberry and tomato cultivars to high tunnel production in 

these contrasting environments. In Tennessee, winter strawberry 

production has been shown to be a viable option for high tunnel 

growers. This project began in 2010 and is on-going. 

Evaluation and optimization of anaerobic soil 

disinfestation for Tennessee (Butler, Ownley, Wszelaki) 

Soil treatment by anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) is an 

alternative to soil fumigation with chemicals such as methyl 

bromide. Treatment by ASD involves the addition of a labile 

carbon (C) source to the soil (to stimulate rapid microbial growth 

and respiration), tarping with plastic to limit gas exchange, and 

irrigation to saturation of the topsoil (or raised-bed) to flush soil 

pore space (i.e., not “flooding”). Pathogen, nematode, and 

weed control are achieved in part due to the creation of organic 

acids (e.g. acetic, butyric) by the anaerobic decomposition of 

the added C source as well as the lack of available oxygen, 

biocontrol by anaerobic microorganisms, and the formation of 

volatile compounds. To begin the process of evaluating and 

optimizing ASD for Tennessee and other similar production 

regions, the goals of this project are to: 

1. evaluate soil temperature and carbon source impacts on 

pathogen and weed control during ASD treatment in a 

series of growth chamber and greenhouse experiments, 

2. evaluate carbon sources for ASD treatment impacts on 

pathogens, weeds, crop performance, and soil properties 

in a replicated field experiment, and 

3. demonstrate optimized ASD methods versus grower 

standard chemical controls. 

If the ASD system can be successfully optimized for Tennessee 

production systems, it will provide conventional Tennessee 

specialty crop producers with a tool they can use to eliminate 

the use of soil fumigants in their production systems and will 

provide organic growers with a tool to reduce pest pressure 

in their production systems. This project is funded in part by 

USDA-NIFA Methyl Bromide Transitions Program. This project 

began in 2010. 



25

The farm system is 

the interaction of the 

biophysical, socioeconomic 

and cultural realms 

Bioactive wood species as enhanced weed suppressive 

mulches: A research and engagement program (Taylor, 

Klingeman, Wszelaki) 

Wood of certain tree species is naturally rich in bioactive 

chemical compounds that can protect against fungal and 

insect attack. There is evidence that wood residues from 

bioactive woods can inhibit germination of weed seeds. We 

also have preliminary data to indicate that, when applied as 

mulch, bioactive woods do not impair crop plant health and 

productivity. Therefore, bioactive wood material applied as 

a novel ground cover may benefit agricultural systems by 

providing the usual benefits of mulch, plus active weed control 

and extended durability. Bioactive wood residues are currently 

available from processing operations (e.g. sawmills) on a 

large scale. In addition, forest residuals (non-crop tree species 

[including invasive species] and logging debris) represent an 

enormous potential mulch substrate resource. Currently, wood 

processing and forest residues have limited value and are 

under-utilized; their use in sustainable agricultural systems would 

provide opportunities to create a value-added commodity for 

forest landowners and would benefit the horticulture industry. 

We are testing of bioactive wood products for mulch to quantify: 

1. the enhanced mulching characteristics of bioactive wood 

substrates (i.e. weed control, mulch durability), and 

2. the impact of bioactive mulches on crop performance. 

This project began in 2011 and is funded by the USDA Specialty 

Crops Block Grant Program. 

Efficacy of novel biopesticides on cucumber beetles for 

organic systems (Rogers, Wszelaki) 

Cucumber beetles are an annual pest in Tennessee and cause 

direct damage to cucurbits as well as vector bacterial wilt, 

reducing both marketable yield and fruit quality. The objective 

of this study was to test the efficacy of novel biopesticides 

on cucumber beetles for organic muskmelon production. 

Laboratory results showed anti-feedant effects of MBI-203, 

a novel bacterial-based biopesticide developed by Marrone 

Bio Innovations, and up to 29% and 39% mycosis from 

entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana 11-98 and Isaria 

fumosorosea 3581, respectively. Field trial results showed 

differential treatment effects based on beetle population 

density and environmental conditions. The results indicate that 

these novel biopesticides may have potential to reduce beetle 

populations in the field, but further developments are needed 

to increase stability and persistence. This project was conducted 

in 2011 and 2012 and was funded by the IR-4 Biopesticide 

Program and a SARE Graduate Student Grant. 

Sod-based rotations and reduced-tillage systems 

for improved organic vegetable production 

systems (Butler, Bates) 

The introduction of perennial forages (sod-based rotations) 

and reduced-tillage into organic vegetable production systems 

has potential to improve soil quality, increase N fertility, and 

decrease pressure from weeds and soil-borne plant pathogens. 

In this project, we examined five organically-managed 

forage systems to evaluate organic forage establishment and 

management in the Southeast and feasibility of integration into 

sod-based, organic crop rotations. To better examine these 

rotations over the long-term, we established reduced-tillage 

cover crop-based vegetable production systems (organic and 

conventional) and tilled, plasticulture controls (organic and 

conventional) to allow for comparisons to sod-based rotations. 

Data collection includes forage productivity, soil quality in 

each system, and vegetable productivity, disease incidence, 

and weed pressure in reduced-tillage vegetable production 

systems as compared to plasticulture controls. Total forage yield 

for the 2011 season indicates that the most productive forage 

treatments were the annual mixture of wheat/crimson clover and 

sorghum-sudangrass and treatments which included red clover. 

The lowest yield was observed from the alfalfa monoculture, 

primarily due to the very low spring harvest caused by sclerotinia 

stem and crown rot. The yield compensation of the orchardgrass 

component of the alfalfa-orchardgrass mixture prevented the 

dramatic yield loss observed in the alfalfa monoculture. Results 

in 2012 were more favorable to the treatments containing alfalfa, 

due to higher drought resistance compared to red clover. By 

July 2011 harvests, percent of unsown species was generally 

quite low in all forage treatments, averaging less than 5% of 

dry matter. In general, there were few significant differences in 

yield of eggplant across treatments in 2011. Numerically, yields 

were slightly higher in reduced-tillage treatments (organic and 

conventional; 17 Mg ha-1) than conventional tillage plasticulture 

systems (organic and conventional; 15 Mg ha-1), but these 

differences were not significant. While total soil nitrogen (N) 

varied little among treatments, particulate organic matter N 

(POM-N) showed a greater response to management. Highest 

levels of POM-N were observed from the alfalfa monoculture 

and red clover/orchardgrass mixture and the lowest levels 

observed from conventional vegetable production (reducedtillage 

and conventional tillage). Organic vegetable production 

systems generally had intermediate levels of POM-N. This 

initial research was in part funded by a UT AgResearch and 

Extension Innovation Grant in 2011. Work has also begun using 

soils from these plots to examine “Self-Protection of Organic 

Carbon in Soil Pores under Organic Agricultural Practices,” an 

effort funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation 

(Zhuang, McCarthy, Butler, Bates). Likewise, we have begun 

to examine the impact of free-living nitrogen fixing bacteria 

in organic cropping systems in these research plots, an effort 

funded by a UT AgResearch Innovation Grant in 2012 (Butler, 

Bates, Alexandre). 

Energy conservation for organic high tunnel 

production through rain water utilization, 

ventilation management, soil mulches and cover 

crops (Leib, Butler, Wszelaki, Savoy) 

The specific goals of this project are to: 

1. collect, store and irrigate with rainwater captured from 

high tunnels using gravity pressure or solar power to avoid 

power consumption from pumping ground water and 

surface water supplies, 

2. manage the passive ventilation systems in high tunnels to 

create more optimum air temperatures for plant growth 

without the need for power consuming fans, 

3. use soil mulches and a row cover inside high tunnels to 

create more optimum soil and crop canopy temperatures 

by increasing absorption of solar radiation and reducing 

night time heat loss, 

4. establish and incorporate winter and summer cover crops 

in high tunnels to improve soil quality and increase 

biologically-fixed nitrogen reducing the energy required 

to produce and transport organic or conventional 

fertilizer, and 

5. demonstrate the benefits of energy conserving 

practices in high tunnel production to promote 

adoption of these sustainable methods through 

on-farm demonstrations, field days, workshop 

presentations and extension fact-sheets. 

In a preliminary project, marketable bell pepper yield was 35% 

higher when rain water was used as compared with municipal 

water, while the opposite was true of tomato; marketable tomato 

yield was 30% higher with municipal water. Marketable bell 

pepper yield was 3 times greater on clear mulch (warmest soil 

temperature) as compared with the vegetative mulch (coolest), 

while nearly the opposite was true of tomato. Marketable 

tomato yield was 50% greater in the vegetative mulch compared 

with the clear mulch but was not statistically significant. When a 

double line of drip tubing was used on a double row of peppers 

in the gravity system, marketable pepper yield was over 80% 

greater as compared with a single row of drip tape, while the 

double and single drip lines had no yield effect on a single row 

of tomatoes. This project was conducted in 2011 and will be 

continued in 2013. The preliminary project was funded in part by 

the UT AgResearch and Extension Innovation Grants Program. 

Funding for continued research and extension activities has 

been provided by the USDA-NRCS Conservation Innovation 

Grants Program. 



27

Our goal is the 

development and 

delivery of whole-farm 

management programs 

Mapping sustainable farm systems: An integrated 

focus on Upper New South producers as catalysts of 

“Good Stewardship” (Velandia, Wilcox, Wszelaki) 

The project will design outreach and educational programs 

for commercially-oriented beginning farmers in the Upper 

Southeast that (a) promote site-appropriate and profitable 

sustainable farming practices and (b) help these farmers realize 

their own vision of a sustainable farm system. Building on 

previous data on beginning farmers collected in KY, TN, and VA, 

this project will examine challenges and needs of commerciallyoriented 

beginning farmers in the region. The farm system is 

the interaction of the biophysical, socioeconomic and cultural 

realms, which are essential “maps” to guide farmers practice 

from preproduction to postharvest. We will collect detailed data 

on three dimensions of their farm system to assess transitions 

of these farmers: (a) farms (biophysical map), (b) farmers 

(socioeconomic map), and (c) perspectives on sustainability 

(cultural map). We will develop and implement instruments 

for assessing efficacy of each map in guiding farmers make 

successful transitions to commercially-viable farm/food systems. 

This project began Summer 2012 and was funded by SARE. 

Evaluation of a bioherbicide for weed control in 

specialty crop production systems (Butler) 

The diversity of crops grown by in-ground cut flower producers 

is so great that broad-spectrum herbicides are very rarely 

registered for these crops due to the high potential for 

phytotoxicity in the target crop or a rotation crop. For this 

reason, there are no “herbicide partners” for soil fumigants that 

have limited weed control efficacy for this industry. The recent 

EPA registration of the broad-spectrum bioherbicide, MBI- 

005, provides a potential tool for this commodity that did not 

exist in the past. The objective of this project is to determine 

if there is potential for use of this material in Southeastern 

(Florida and Tennessee) in-ground cut flower production, using 

snapdragon as the test case. This material also has potential for 

use in vegetable and small fruit production systems, especially 

for growers no longer utilizing soil fumigants for weed control. 

This additional OMRI-approved weed control tool could also 

be useful for organic growers, who often cite weed control as 

their primary management obstacle. This project began in 2012. 

This project is funded in part the USDA-ARS, Area-wide Pest 

Management Program for Methyl Bromide Alternatives. 

Alternative postharvest water disinfectants 

to enhance the microbial safety and quality of 

organic fresh produce (Zhong, Critzer, Davidson, 

Wszelaki, Lockwood) 

Organic growers critically need postharvest choices that fit 

organic guidelines for improving microbial safety of fresh 

fruits and vegetables. The long-term goal of this project is to 

provide safe, alternative, sustainable and effective treatments 

to prevent or reduce human pathogen contamination of 

organic produce. To improve microbiological safety of 

organic produce, there is an urgent need to develop washing 

practices that not only enhance sanitization effectiveness 

but also fulfill the requirement of organic sustainability. In 

this proposal, integrated research and Extension objectives 

are proposed to improve current sanitization/washing 

practices. Novel sanitization strategies are proposed using 

organic essential oils to sanitize produce with and without 

chlorine. Economic feasibility, impacts on shelf-life, and 

sensory properties of sanitization practices will be evaluated. 

Effective practices developed through research will be rapidly 

disseminated through Extension to organic producers using 

media, electronic outlets, and on farm testing. This project 

was funded through the USDA OREI Program and will begin 

in Winter 2012. 

Whole farm organic management of brown 

marmorated stink bug and endemic pentatomids 

through behavior-based habitat manipulation 

(Rogers, Wszelaki) 

This project proposes a multi-regional, transdisciplinary 

approach for the development and dissemination of wholefarm, 

organic management of the brown marmorated (BMSB) 

and endemic stink bugs. BMSB is an invasive insect causing 

severe economic loss in Mid-Atlantic States, with damage 

increasing in Southern states. It is especially devastating for 

organic farmers. Current, individual organic management 

tactics have failed because BMSB is highly mobile, feeds on 

a diverse number of crops and occupies a large geographic 

area. Thus, our goal is the development and delivery of 

whole-farm management programs integrating: trap crops, 

natural enemies, physical barriers and NOP approved 

insecticides. This project was funded through the USDA OREI 

Program and will begin Winter 2012. 

FORAGE CROPS 

Development of organic forage production systems for 

Tennessee and the Mid-South (Butler, Bates) 

Organic milk production continues to be one of the strongest 

sectors of the organic food industry. While there is increasing 

interest in the Southeast in organic dairy production as a way 

to increase the viability of family farms, there is limited research 

and extension information from this region to help conventional 

dairy farmers transition to organic or to help beginning dairy 

farmers establish their operations. This is especially true in the 

area of forage management for organic farms, an important 

issue considering that the USDA National Organic Program 

specifies that 30% of a dairy cow’s dry matter intake must be 

supplied through grazing, and that dairy cattle must graze 

throughout the length of the grazing season. The issue is also of 

great economic importance to producers given the high cost of 

organic feed grains. In late spring 2011, we established an onfarm 

experiment with a certified organic dairy near Philadelphia, 

TN. Three forage systems: a) annual system, b) perennial system, 

and c) a cool-season perennial legume overseeded with a 

warm-season annual grass] were established in 1-acre plots and 

replicated twice. Initial results suggest that all forage systems 

examined would have utility for organic producers, but we are 

still in the early stages of evaluation. This research is funded in 

part by USDA-SARE on-farm research grant. 

Organic milk 

production 

continues to 

be one of the 

strongest sectors 

of the organic 

food industry 



29

Weed control is one of 

the biggest obstacles that 

organic growers face 

FIELD CROPS 

Evaluating the roller crimper to manage cover crops 

(Eash, Walker) 

Conventional growers generally employ herbicides to burn 

down cover crops in no-till systems. A roller crimper offers an 

alternative to herbicides by mechanically controlling cover 

crop kill by rolling and macerating crops to create a thick mat 

of mulch. This project evaluated the use of a roller crimper to 

manage cover crops prior to planting corn in a no-till system in 

order to evaluate its efficacy. The impact of tractor speed, down 

pressure on the loader, and number of passes with the roller 

crimper on cover crop control, and subsequent corn production 

were assessed. Oats and crimson clover were used as the cover, 

and weed suppression in this field was very promising; however, 

corn yield was negatively affected by nutrient deficiency. This 

project was conducted in 2009 and 2010. 

Evaluating seeding rates in organic field crop 

production systems for Tennessee (Butler, Bates) 

Among organic farmers there is a widespread belief that 

seeding rates for field and forage crops must be far greater 

than those recommended for conventional cropping systems 

so that the crop population can better compete with weed 

populations, primarily at establishment. While research on some 

organic crops generally supports this premise, it has not been 

closely examined within the Mid-South and in many cases not 

researched within an appropriate crop rotation or on certified 

organic land. This study will allow us to take a systems approach 

to researching this question, within a reduced-tillage crop 

rotation we believe to be well-adapted for organic field crop 

production in the region and allow for evaluation of cumulative 

treatment effects. Our objectives are to: 

1. determine the impact of seeding rates (cereal rye/crimson 

clover, corn, soybean, wheat, cowpea, and red clover) 

on weed control, crop yields, and soil properties within a 

reduced-tillage organic field and forage crop rotation and 

2. demonstrate and evaluate the feasibility of a reducedtillage 

field and forage crop rotation for organic 

production in Tennessee and the Mid-South. 

This project began in Fall 2011. 

Evaluation of wheat seeding rate and cultivar impacts 

on weed control and crop performance in a reducedtillage 

organic wheat-cowpea double crop (Butler) 

Our objectives in this study are to 

1. determine the impact of wheat seeding rate and cultivar 

on weed control and crop yields in an organic production 

system, and 

2. determine wheat seeding rate and cultivar impacts on 

weed control and yield of subsequent rotation crop of 

three southern pea varieties. This research is funded in 

part by a UT AgResearch Innovation Grant (2012) and 

began in Fall 2012. 

Evaluating benefits of intercropping red clover in 

organic barley production (Butler) 

While fairly common in the upper Midwest, frost-seeding of red 

clover into small grains is not typically used by organic growers 

in the Southeast. The primary reason is likely the difficulty in 

obtaining an adequate stand of clover (either for a cover crop 

or as a forage crop) in dense stands of winter wheat. This may 

be less of an issue with barley, due to its earlier maturity. It may 

also be a system more suited to organic than conventional 

production, due to the prevalence of N-limitation. Intercropping 

of red clover into winter small grains has many benefits, 

including increased nitrogen fixation, reduced niches for weed 

invasion, and improved soil quality. In rotations where small 

grains are not followed by soybean, this system also prevents 

a summer fallow period that must otherwise be cropped by a 

summer annual until a perennial forage or cool-season cover 

crop can be planted during the optimum establishment period 

in the fall. Our objectives are to: 

1. evaluate impact of organic barley intercropped with two 

seeding rates of red clover compared to monoculture 

controls on crop yields (barley and red clover), weed 

control, and soil properties and 

2. evaluate impact of intercropping systems on yield of 

subsequent rotation crop of grain sorghum. 


Evaluating impacts of winter cover crops on weed 

control, soil properties, and soybean yield in 

conventionally tilled organic systems (Butler) 

Weed control continues to be one of the biggest obstacles that 

organic growers face. Cover crops are one of many tools that 

organic growers use to control weeds, but research is still lacking 

in the southeast to guide organic grain producers in cover 

crop management. In particular, there is great interest among 

producers in ‘tillage’ radish as a cover crop to control weeds and 

improve soil properties but little available research information 

from the region on the use of this cover crop in organic systems. 

Our objectives are to: 

1. evaluate impact of various cool-season cover crops (cereal 

rye, crimson clover, hairy vetch, ‘tillage’ radish, and 

rapeseed) on weed control in conventionally-tilled organic 

soybean production systems, and 

2. evaluate impact of various cool-season cover crops on soil 

properties and cash crop performance in conventionallytilled 

organic soybean production systems. 


Impact of legume cover crops on phosphorus and 

nitrogen availability, weed control, and cash crop 

performance in reduced-tillage organic cropping 

systems (Butler) 

Low plant availability of soil P can be a limiting factor for organic 

producers in the southeast. While some reports of increased 

P availability following certain cool-season legume cover 

crops (partially due to organic acids in legume root exudates) 

are promising, there is limited field research on this issue to 

guide organic production recommendations. Similarly, more 

research is needed on the impact of legume cover crops on 

nitrogen availability, weed control, and cash crop performance 

in reduced-tillage organic grain production systems in the 

southeast. Our objectives are to: 

1. evaluate impact of various cool-season legume cover crops 

(crimson clover, hairy vetch, common vetch, white lupin, 

and winter pea) on P and N availability to cash crops in 

reduced-tillage organic systems, and 

2. demonstrate alternative, low-input organic summer grain 

crops grain sorghum and grain-type pearl millet. This 

project began in Fall 2012. 



31

Produce sales in Tennessee have edged down slightly over the 

past 20 years, failing to keep up with the growing demand for 

fresh produce nationally. Relatively high labor costs, limitations 

to wholesale capacity and absence of other marketing 

institutions have contributed to this result. Although it is not an 

easy task to reverse major trends and the relative competitive 

position of a regional industry, several new market conditions are 

emerging that may suggest selected opportunities for produce 

growers in Tennessee. The most significant of these conditions 

is consumer interest in locally grown products and responses to 

this consumer interest across the produce supply chain. 

Despite interest from wholesalers and major retailers in sourcing 

more local and regional products, commercial-scale produce 

markets will continue to be challenging. Opportunities for 

shorter supply chains, however, are in strong demand, as 

restaurants, grocers and various direct-to-consumer market 

channels all show strong demand for locally sourced, fresh 

products. While there are limits to the amount of volume these 

channels can absorb, they can, if cultivated, create new value. 

With the purpose of expanding the opportunities in which 

Tennessee farmers can connect to buyers, efforts were focused 

on evaluating, identifying, and enhancing possible ways that 

farmers and buyers can be linked. 

CONNECTING 

FARMERS TO 

BUYERS 



33

Tennessee farmers can 

connect to buyers 

EVALUATIONS OF 

EXISTING NETWORKS 

In order to establish a baseline of what kind of farm-to-market 

networks are available and where they exist, a Tennessee 

Farm-to-Market Network Inventory List was created. This 

identified three prominent statewide organizations (Pick 

Tennessee Products, TN Farm Fresh, and Tennessee Specialty 

Foods Association), as well as fifteen regional organizations 

that promote local and organic food systems. These existing 

networks were then reviewed and feedback from producers 

and buyers indicated where improvements and expansions of 

marketing networks were needed. 

While farm-to-market (FTM) networks do exist in Tennessee, they 

are at various levels of organization and are not evenly distributed 

across the state. In some areas there is strong producer interest 

to join farm-to-market networks, but in other areas, where 

farmers markets are flourishing, producers are reluctant to accept 

wholesale prices for items they can sell for full retail price directly 

to the consumer. Producers currently or previously involved in a 

FTM network stated that the most challenging factors that inhibit 

its success are related to regulatory issues, inability to supply the 

demand, inadequate marketing, inadequate business advice 

and support, funding issues, lack of facilities and equipment for 

distribution, and few people willing to take a leadership role in 

the FTM network. Buyers interested in purchasing local food 

stated that their greatest challenge is finding producers (or 

groups of producers) that can commit to supplying a specific 

type and quantity of items at a certain time for a certain price, 

therefore it’s easier to source their items from distributors that are 

not local. On the whole, growers are having more success with 

traditional ways of marketing themselves directly to the consumer 

and directly to non-end-user entities. This has made printed and 

web-based directories a popular marketing tool; however, these 

directories are limited regionally and not readily updatable. It 

was concluded that an updatable statewide directory or network 

that involves a large number of producers and is managed by a 

salaried employee has the potential to be a valuable resource for 

producers as well as restaurants, schools, and other institutions 

looking to purchase fresh, local produce. 

Identifying possibilities for an updatable database 

The existing Pick Tennessee Products (PTP) program served as 

a benchmark for additional investigations and comparisons. 

Activities included a review of the PTP web site, application form, 

and application procedures; mock product searches using the 

PTP website were performed; discussions with PTP personnel 

and farmers listed with PTP were conducted; and other state 

programs similar to PTP were reviewed. 

Underlying these evaluations was the notion that while PTP 

seems to function well as a resource for consumers looking 

for specific products in a specific county, a better database/ 

matchmaking system may be possible for wholesale buyers. 

While evaluating alternative database/matchmaking programs, 

a common alternative surfaced: MarketMaker. MarketMaker was 

developed by the University of Illinois as a web-based, database 

system to connect markets with sources of farm-based products. 

It is a national partnership of land-grant institutions and State 

Departments of Agriculture dedicated to the development of a 

comprehensive interactive database of food industry marketing 

and business data. Put simply, MarketMaker is a platform that seeks 

to foster business relationships between producers and consumers 

of food industry products and services. 

The following provides a summary of some of the MarketMaker 

features and advantages that were noted during the evaluation 

conducted through the organic initiative. 

MarketMaker (http://national.marketmaker.uiuc.edu/) is a: 

Network connecting farmers with food retailers, grocery stores, 

processors, caterers, chefs and consumers. 

System featuring one of the largest collections of searchable 

food-industry related data in the United States. 

User-friendly match-making system between buyers and sellerswhere 

buyers include restaurants, grocery stores, schools/ 

institutions, individuals and sellers include commercial growers, 

direct farm marketers. 

Virtual infrastructure that brings sellers and buyers together. 

Listing of data categorized by buyers, sellers, location and other 

demographic information. 

Web-based system that features mapping capabilities to allow 

easy location of food sources. 

Network that currently includes buyers and sellers from 19 states. 

Market research tool. 

Program that started in 2004 and features farm and food 

products such as fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products, and 

value-added food products. 

Program that provides the potential database infrastructure for 

aquaculture, nursery and agritourism enterprises. 

MarketMaker advantages: 

Preserves individual branding/logo/label program identities 

and allows such programs to flourish independent of 

“database management.” 

Incorporates state branding or other marketing programs 

showing PTP logo, USDA Organic, etc. 

Shifts database management and training from branding 

program operations. 

Market research capabilities for farmers looking to target specific 

customers (high income households, grocery stores, etc.). 

Potential for more detailed, accurate, and up-to-date information 

as producers input and update their own information. 

Available 24 hours/day, 7 days/week for producers to input or 

update information or conduct market research and for buyers to 

access source information. 

Multi-state system providing synergy so potential buyers from 

other states can access TN producer information using similar 

system to what they use in other states. 

Provides producers with a central location for market research 

information, which is currently a challenge. 

A flexible, high-tech system allowing multiple search options. 



35

Tennessee far exceeds the 

nation’s average of organic 

products sold locally with 

77 percent sold within 100 

miles of the farm 

ENHANCING FARMER TO 

BUYER CONNECTIONS 

Ultimately leads to increased farm sales, access to farm fresh 

foods, and marketing efficiencies. 

Decreased producer frustration in getting on-line and/or 

updated. 

User-friendly. 

Capable of providing local to national maps (most viewed 

businesses, latest registrants, latest marketplace listings, etc.) 

(http:/ /national.marketmaker. ui uc.edu/whatsnew .php). 

The idea of (possibly) involving the regional Extension offices in the 

process of a statewide database/matchmaking effort (with PTP as 

an example) was discussed with UT Extension Dean, Dr. Tim Cross. 

Dr. Cross suggested that follow-up discussions be held with the 

three Regional Extension Agriculture Program Leaders and noted 

that funding would have to be identified for additional staff to 

implement and conduct the added duties and responsibilities. 

On June 15, 2010, a meeting with the three Regional Extension 

Agriculture Program Leaders 

(Richard Powell, Jim Stewart, and David Perrin) was held in 

Knoxville. The following points were noted during the meeting: 

The idea of trying to identify more farmers to be listed in a 

database program is good. 

More effort aimed at matching farmers/sellers with buyers 

is good. 

The idea does not sound like a natural component of existing 

Extension educational programs. 

Informing more farmers about PTP or any available database/ 

matchmaking opportunities is plausible. 

Conducting educational workshops with farmers as a means of 

getting more listings on PTP (or any database) may or may not 

be an educational program. 

Adding an administrative function (registering farmers/ 

sellers, developing a database, implementing and conducting 

outreach to increase seller and buyer awareness and 

participation and so on) will not fit into the existing structure 

of regional Extension offices. 

Funding and space will be limiting factors for additional 

programs/functions at regional Extension offices. 

Extension seems better suited to conduct educational 

programs regarding marketing (of which PTP and matchmaking 

database participant may be a part) than to administer a 

database program. 

Even with full funding to administer a database/matchmaking 

program, regional Extension offices would have limitations 

with implementation. 

In essence, the general conclusion was not supportive of making 

an immediate priority of the idea and no follow-up was suggested. 

All parties agreed to participate in further discussions on the idea 

even though it was not considered a high priority under current 

conditions and constraints. 

The organic industry has experienced measurable growth in the 

last few years. The 2007 Census of Agriculture reported more 

than 20,000 farms in organic production with sales over $1.7 

billion in the United States. Because these results exceeded 

expectations, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

conducted the 2008 Organic Production Survey (OPS), to collect 

additional information on organic farming for that year. The 2008 

OPS was reviewed and summarized to develop baseline data 

regarding organic production in Tennessee. 

When compared to the U.S. as a whole, Tennessee organic 

producers pay more in almost every category of organic 

production expenses, contributing to an average gross profit 

95 percent lower than organic farms nationwide. Yet, when it 

comes to organic products sold “locally”, Tennessee far exceeds 

the nation’s average with 77 percent sold within 100 miles of 

the farm compared to 44 percent across the US. In Tennessee, 

the most widely used markets of organic produce are consumer 

direct (44%), and retail operations (29%), with only 14 percent 

being sold through wholesale channels. Respondents of the 

2008 OPS indicated that the major challenges they face include 

regulatory, production, management, and marketing issues. 

Despite these challenges, 70 percent of Tennessee organic 

producers indicated that they would maintain or increase their 

production over the next five years. This signifies the need to 

advance the marketing connections for organic and local foods 

throughout Tennessee. To do this, several outreach programs 

were conducted to present educational training for marketing 

organic products and local foods throughout Tennessee. 

Organic marketing information was presented in several formats 

including conference presentations, exhibit tables, UT Extension 

publications, working groups, and workshops/trainings. 

MarketReady Workshop 

In 2010, two MarketReady workshops were given by Dr. Tim 

Woods from the University of Kentucky and held for farmers 

involved in or interested in marketing to restaurants and retailers. 

Participants were presented information on communication 

and relationship building, packaging and labeling, pricing, 

invoicing, insurance, certifications and audits, quality assurance, 

and working cooperatively. They learned new ways to market 

their products to retail stores and restaurants and were given 

the opportunity to hear first-hand from a panel of chefs and 

retail and restaurant owners about their likes, dislikes, and 

preferences when working with local producers to acquire local 

foods. These workshops were well attended and well received 

by the participants. Survey data from participants indicated that 

the overall MarketReady material was very useful and received a 

rating of 7.5 on a scale of 1 to 9: “All the MarketReady resources 

and information were fantastic.” Surveys also reflected the need 

and interest for longer and future workshops across the state 

with comments like, “Make it a 2-day workshop!” 

In 2011, five University of Tennessee Extension personnel 

attended a MarketReady train the trainer event at the 

University of Kentucky conducted by Dr. Tim Woods. This 

event provided the educational resources necessary to 



37

“It is good to know we have 

help available from UT 

Extension if we decide to 

plan a processing plant.” 

continue the MarketReady workshop series that began in 

2010. In 2012, workshops were held in Memphis, Nashville, 

and Chattanooga for 44 participants. Again, these workshops 

were well received with over 80 percent of participants rating 

the workshops as useful or very useful with an average rating 

over 7.5 on a 9-point scale. 

Breakfast at the Farm 

To promote networking between farmers and local restaurants 

and retailers, the Breakfast at the Farm networking event was 

held at Crabtree Farms in Chattanooga in October 2011. 

Thirty-five attendants were served a locally sourced and catered 

breakfast and were provided opportunities to have one-on-one 

sessions with prospective buyers (restaurant owners, chefs, and 

retail buyers). Attendees were very satisfied with the overall 

event and rated their experience at 4.7 on a 5-point scale. They 

indicated a strong interest and high demand for these types 

of events as there was an overwhelming response for more: 

more buyers, more one-on-one sessions, more time, and more 

networking events. 

Farmers Market Boot Camp 

The number of farmers markets across the state has increased 

significantly in the past ten years. There are currently 110 

organized farmers markets in Tennessee with an estimate 

of more than 600 individuals involved in management and 

leadership roles (board of directors and local government 

officials) and more than 2,000 vendors. Farmers markets have 

contributed to the increase in direct-to-consumer sales and 

the increase in the value of direct sales. Farmers markets not 

only represent opportunities for direct sales for farmers, but 

also create opportunities for interaction between farmers 

and consumers and provide social opportunities for local 

communities. With the rapid increase in farmers markets 

in Tennessee comes the need for training and education 

for vendors and managers/ leaders. In February 2012, 11 

people with UT Extension and the Tennessee Department of 

Agriculture became part of a planning team for a “Farmers 

Market Boot Camp” program. This annual educational 

program targets farmers’ market vendors, managers, and 

board members. Four educational sessions were held in 

March 2012 – two in East Tennessee and one each in Middle 

and West Tennessee. Each session provided three hours of 

instruction with three presentations: 

1. Sales Tax Issues, 

2. Marketing and Merchandising and 

3. Food Safety and Regulations. 

A total of 177 participants attended the four sessions. Survey 

data from participants rated the programs overall impact as 

good to excellent with an average rating of 8.5 on a scale of 

1 to 10. Participants indicated their knowledge of the topics 

had improved significantly, and all topics received an above 

average rating. 

UT Farmers’ Market 

The UT Farmers’ Market was started as part of the SproUTing 

Growers Workshop Series and as the marketing outlet for the 

organic internship program in order to give beginning growers 

and students real-world experience in all aspects of managing 

a small vegetable farm, from business and crop planning, 

production and marketing. Each week from mid-May through 

October twenty-five vendors sell a variety of products, including 

fresh produce, meat, milk, cheese, ice cream, fresh cut flowers, 

eggs, baked goods, and artisan crafts. The market provides 

a source of fresh, local food & crafts for the UT community; 

showcases the UT Institute of Agriculture; offers a marketing 

venue for new growers to network; provides public education 

through outreach activities; integrates and showcases other 

departments on campus; and provides a weekly fun and 

family-friendly gathering place for the University and Knoxville 

communities. This project was funded by the American Recovery 

and Reinvestment Act, UT Women in Philanthropy Giving 

Circle and the TN Agricultural Enhancement Program- Farmers 

Market Promotion and Retail Grant Program 

Farm-to-School Working Group 

With a national epidemic of childhood obesity, consumers 

across the nation have begun to focus on their food- where it 

comes from and how it is grown. To meet this growing interest, 

there has been a push within the United States Department of 

Agriculture to get more fresh and local fruits and vegetables into 

the school system. To accomplish this, the USDA has developed 

the Farm-to-School Initiative and Know Your Farmer, Know Your 

Food Programs. As farmers continue to seek new marketing 

outlets for their products, selling fruits and vegetables to schools 

appears to be a viable option. 

In 2011, UT Extension began collaborations with John Dickl, the 

Knox County School Nutrition Director, to assist with launching 

a farm-to-school program in Knox County. The hope is that the 

Knox County Farm-to-School program can be modeled and 

used as a case study for other school districts within the state. 

A Tennessee Farm-to-School Working Group was formed 

with representatives from the University of Tennessee, UT 

Extension, school district representatives, health department 

representatives, USDA, Tennessee Department of Agriculture, 

Tennessee Department of Education, growers, and community 

food advocates. The goal of the Farm-to-School Working Group 

is to help shape Farm-to-School guidance materials. These 

materials include information on Food Safety & Packaging 

Requirements, Product Liability, Procurement, Bid Process, 

Contract Growing and Production Planning, Delivery Logistics, 

Food Preparation within the School Systems, Food Waste within 

the School Systems, and “Local Food” recognition within the 

schools. Several members of the Farm-to-School Working Group 

participated in the creation of the publication Local Foods for 

Local Schools, published in August 2012. 



39

EVALUATING AND 

ENHANCING VALUE- 

ADDED OPPORTUNITIES 

Dairy Producers 

In 2010, a project was launched to conduct preliminary analyses 

and publish information that would be useful for Tennessee dairy 

farmers related to value-added enterprises, such as packaging 

milk for sale to consumers, making cheese, butter, and/or ice 

cream. The coordination of the planned studies and publications 

was provided through a graduate student assistantship in the UT 

Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. Three of 

the overall objectives of the project include developing: 

1. a general overview of adding value for Tennessee 

dairy farmers, 

2. a summary of the Tennessee dairy industry, and 

3. a review of production, marketing and label claims for 

dairy products. 

After review, it was determined that with production costs 

rising and the demand for milk and dairy products expected 

to increase, producers are looking to capture more of the food 

dollar through on-farm value-added processes. A market for 

specialty value-added products already exists in Tennessee 

and that market is likely to expand as the population grows. 

However, if a producer is looking to enter into a value-added 

venture, it is important that the producer identifies a market 

and is familiar with the rules and regulations for the product. 

Also, there are additional costs and business risk that a 

producer must consider when evaluating the profitability of a 

value-added product. This information was published by UT 

Extension under the title “The Tennessee Dairy Industry and 

its Value-Added Opportunities” and provides an overview 

of the dairy industry in the state, value-added dairy product 

opportunities, and labeling of dairy products. A producer can 

use this publication as a starting point to research a business 

and marketing plan for his or her milking operation. 

In 2012, UT Extension specialists conducted four multi-county 

Taking a Look at Value-Added Dairy Opportunities workshops. 

Sixty-three farmers, dairy industry representatives, Extension 

agents and specialists attended the workshops that were 

designed to teach participants about the impact of adding 

an on-farm milk processing enterprise on a dairy farmer’s 

financial statements, and the importance of considering all the 

costs (labor, processing, storage, distribution and marketing) 

associated with adding the enterprise. Workshop topics 

included: Calculating Costs of Producing Milk, Assessing 

Financial Strengths and Weaknesses of the Farm Business, 

Prospects for Value-Added Dairy Products, and Costs Associated 

with On-Farm Milk Processing. 

The workshops were commended by all participants and 

more than one person commented that they did not realize 

the amount of time, money and planning it takes to start 

processing their own milk. One couple interested in making 

cheese remarked, “We are glad we attended. Seeing the 

money involved, the need of a market, and the equipment 

required helps us understand what needs to be considered when 

planning. It is good to know we have help available from UT 

Extension if we decide to plan a processing plant.” 

Cattle Producers 

The cattle industry is one of the most significant enterprises 

in Tennessee’s economy. The industry has traditionally been 

dominated by cow-calf and feeder cattle production. In recent 

years, an increased number of Tennessee cattle producers 

have been considering finishing, harvesting, processing and 

marketing, in addition to production. Innovators of such valueadded 

enterprises have discovered many challenges such as: 

1. a lack of complete, consistent and understandable 

regulatory information, 

2. difficulty in obtaining straightforward protocols for various 

product claims, 

3. expensive market analysis/development processes and 

4. relatively high per-unit costs for post-production 

processing, packaging and marketing. 

Due to these challenges, very few value-added beef marketing 

enterprises have developed, and Tennessee cattle producers 

need education to take advantage of economic opportunities. 

From November 2011 to March 2012, the Center for Profitable 

Agriculture conducted ten “Scratching the Surface” workshops 

as part of the Tennessee Value-Added Beef Program. A total 

of 386 participants learned about live animal sales for custom 

harvesting, marketing, profit potential and retail and non-retail 

sales. Workshop participants represented a variety of cattle 

production activities, but of those involved in finishing cattle, 

only 6.9% were currently marketing meat direct to consumers 

and only 4.6% had a retail meat permit. Participants indicated 

through these workshops their knowledge had increased by 36 

percent, mostly in the area of regulations, information about 

retail and non-retail sales, and profit potential, economics, and 

marketing. It is estimated that the practice changes of marketing 

beef under a retail meat permit, under non-retail registration 

and live animal sales for custom processing will result in a gross 

farm revenue impact of $744,480 annually. 

The Center for Profitable Agriculture sponsored eleven Value- 

Added Beef team members to attend the “Beef Safety 101” 

seminar hosted by the Tennessee Beef Industry Council, 

Mississippi State University, and TWINS, LLC (Traditional 

Wisdom & Innovative Novel Solutions) in March 2012. The 

one-day seminar presented information on Beef Production 

Strategies to Enhance Food Safety, Beef Processing Techniques 

and Food Safety Interventions, Beef Bioterrorism Response 

and Traceability, Beef Product Enhancement, Beef End Product 

Safe Handling Techniques, and Beef Myths and Facts. The CPA 

sponsored participants had an increase in knowledge of 6.5 

(on a 1 to 10 scale), and would highly recommend the program 

to others. Participants indicated that they would use what they 

learned to assist clients in their area, and develop educational 

programs and materials. 



41

For additional information please contact: 

Organic Production information: 

Annette Wszelaki 

Associate Professor 

Vegetable Extension Specialist 

Department of Plant Sciences 

The University of Tennessee 

252 Ellington Plant Sciences Building 

2431 Joe Johnson Drive 

Knoxville, TN 37996 

annettew@utk.edu 

865.974.8332 

http://organics.tennessee.edu 

Marketing information: 

Rob Holland 

Director and Extension Specialist 


P.O. Box 1819 

1000 Main Entrance Drive 

Spring Hill, TN 37174 

rwholland@utk.edu 

931.486.2777 

https://ag.tennessee.edu/cpa 

TN Department of Agriculture 

Organic Program information: 

Jon Frady 

Marketing Specialist 

Tennessee Department of Agriculture 

Market Development Division 

P.O. Box 40627 

Nashville, TN 37204 

jon.frady@tn.gov 

615.837.5344 

http://www.tn.gov/agriculture/ 

marketing/organics.shtml 

42 Expanding the Possibilities: UT-TDA Organic and Marketing Initiative

EXPANDING THE POSSIBILITIES: - The University of Tennessee

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