Conferences
Marketing Resources and Business Planning for Specialty Crop Growers in Arkansas Delta StrikeForce counties
Celise Weems
Summary
This University of Arkansas project seeks to deliver business planning and marketing resources to specialty crop growers across Arkansas Delta StrikeForce counties. The StrikeForce Initiative started as a pilot project in 2010 with Arkansas as 1 of 3 pilot states. In 2014, 23 more counties were added in Arkansas - bringing the total counties to 48. The University of Arkansas has joined the StrikeForce Initiative in Arkansas to assist in addressing needs and to alleviate persistent poverty in these counties. Project objects seek to increase rural entrepreneurship through activities focusing on business planning and performance while gaining an understanding of direct marketing strategies, specialty crop irrigation systems, and government conservation programs.
This poster details business planning, marketing resources, and MarketMaker. MarketMaker is an online marketing resource available to Arkansas' farmers, businesses, and consumers. It is an interactive web resource aimed at promoting the products and businesses of agricultural producers. It is designed to connect food producers, distributors, buyers, and sellers to their specific consumer markets. MarketMaker links food producers with economically viable markets, while aiding in food security and enhanced quality in food supply chains.
Arkansas was the 14th state to join the emerging national network that now includes public and private partners across 22 states. MarketMaker is one of the most extensive collections of searchable food industry related data in the country. Farmers, retailers, restaurant owners/chefs, farmers' market managers, and consumers all benefit from being connected.
Details
| Conference | 2017 Extension Risk Management Education National Conference |
| Presentation Type | Poster |