$1.8 Million Grant to U of A Provides Boost for Produce Markets

FAYETTEVILLE - The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture is the lead institution receiving a $1.8 million USDA grant that will support research to develop products and markets for small-scale producers of vegetable and fruit in Arkansas, Mississippi and Oklahoma.

The Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems grant from the USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service is for a three-year project co-directed by Agricultural economist Michael Thomsen and food scientist Justin Morris, both Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station researchers, are co-directors of the project.

The other institutions participating in the project are the U of A Cooperative Extension Service, the U of A at Pine Bluff, Alcorn State University in Mississippi, Mississippi State University and Oklahoma State University.

"There are roughly 4,000 farmers producing fruits and vegetables in Arkansas, Mississippi and Oklahoma, mostly on small, family-owned farms," Thomsen said. "Consolidation in the produce industry has made access to fresh produce markets more difficult and small farms have come to rely more and more on farmers' markets, pick-your-own and similar means of direct marketing."

"One of the goals is to find and develop marketing windows for value-added fruit and vegetable products," he said. "There may be local restaurants, for example, that want to feature locally-grown foods on their menus."

Morris, who is director of the U of A Division of Agriculture's Institute of Food Science and Engineering, said developing new products and processing methods will be a key component of the project.

"We're already exploring possibilities in areas like dehydration of surplus fruits and are working with entrepreneurs to develop and market value-added food products," Morris said.

"The beauty of this project is that it's a joint effort with at least 25 scientists from different agricultural disciplines in Arkansas, Mississippi and Oklahoma," he said. "Each institution is bringing expertise in different areas to help add value to raw agricultural products."

"Our ultimate goal is to help find ways that leave more of the retail dollar in the hands of small-operation fruit and vegetable producers," Morris said. "It's a big, exciting project that will produce real benefits for producers."

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By Fred Miller, Science Editor, (479) 575-4732 or fmiller@uark.edu