SOUTHERN EXTENSION FARM MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE. _Tennessee_ State Report Year 2007

Transcription

1 SOUTHERN EXTENSION FARM MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE _Tennessee_ State Report Year Staffing Changes Type (a) Name Effective Date Area of Responsibility N David Bilderback Feb, 2007 Area Specialist - Farm Financial Management (a) Refers to new (N), retirement (R), change in assignment (C) or terminated (T). 2. Program Changes Subject Matter Area Emphasis (b) Brief Description Contact Person Biofuels I Governor s proposed budget includes $70 million for biofuels initiative. Delton Gerloff Clark Garland (b) Refers to new (N), redirected (R), increased (I), deleted (D).

2 3. Successful Activities Fifty one Tennesseans participated in three regional rural development roundtables. Three top priorities for strengthening rural Tennessee were identified (1) economic development, (2) education and workforce development, and (3) leadership and citizen participation. The insights and opinions they shared provide important guidance for our Extension and research programming. Thirty five Tennesseans increased their knowledge and understanding of water quality, management and conservation issues facing communities as they become more urbanized and land use changes by participating in a two-day Gardening by the Drop workshop. The majority indicated plans to take action to protect and improve water quality and to educate others by sharing workshop information in a follow-up survey. Thirty six individuals from ten land grant universities ( LGUs and LGUs) and the Tennessee Valley Authority participated in a two-day Watershed Academy. They reported that their knowledge, skills and abilities to address water resource problems in local watersheds increased through workshop participation. The majority reported they will use their enhanced knowledge, skills and abilities in working with clients both individually and in groups. Through the Horticultural Business Information Network, close to 2,000 user sessions (during which at least one document is viewed or downloaded) have been logged monthly. This website serves as a centralized database for publications and other educational materials targeted for horticultural clientele in the state of Tennessee. Separate sections address issues pertaining to nursery, turfgrass, and greenhouse growers, landscape service firms, retail garden centers, fruit and vegetable producers, direct markets, and value added product marketers. It also serves as a streamlined means of disseminating extension educational material to County Extension Agents, Area Specialists, and other collaborators and clientele. A team of Extension agents, area and statewide specialists worked synergistically to carry out specific portions of the field-study nursery training sessions project including the confirmation of training session sites by contacting the list of nurseries identified by the project planning team; sending out internal and external news releases through mass media interviews and other advertising avenues; sending registration materials to potential participants; developing curriculum pertaining to the educational objectives of the training sessions; conducting the field training session educational event; scheduling and advertising the post-training session educational meetings; and assisting in the final project evaluation. Another major Extension programming thrust this year included the continue harvesting and publishing on an applied research project that examined the Economic Impact of the Green Industry in the United States. The Green Industry, also know as the environmental horticulture industry, is comprised of wholesale nursery and sod growers; landscape architects, designers/builders, contractors and maintenance firms; retail garden centers, home centers and mass merchandisers with lawn and garden departments; and marketing intermediaries such as brokers and horticultural distribution centers (rewholesalers). Environmental horticulture is one of the fastest growing segments of the nation's agricultural economy. In spite of the magnitude and recent growth in the Green Industry, there is surprisingly little information regarding its' economic impact. Thus, the objective of this study is to estimate the economic impacts of the Green Industry at the national level. In addition, this study seeks to evaluate the value and role of forest tree species (woody ornamental trees). Economic impacts for the U.S. Green Industry were estimated at $147.8 billion in output, 1,964,339 jobs, $95.1 billion in value added, $64.3 billion in labor income, and $6.9 billion in indirect business taxes, with these values expressed in 2004 dollars. The total output of tree production and care services was valued at $14.55 Bn, which translated into $21.02 Bn in total output impacts, 259,224 jobs, $14.12 Bn in value added, $9.93 Bn in labor income, and $516 Mn in indirect business tax impacts.

3 Another unique programming effort this year was the continued teaching of a course entitled Managing a Landscape Business which was taught in Spring and Fall semesters through University Outreach and Continuing Education (UOCE) as part of the UT Landscape and Garden Design Certificate program. Designed for homeowners, gardeners, landscapers, and related professions, this curriculum provides the fundamental and specialty skills necessary for achieving success in the areas of gardening, residential landscape design, horticultural principals, and appropriate plant selection. The Managing a Landscaping Business course was designed for participants to Learn how to successfully manage a landscape contracting or maintenance business. Topics include pricing strategies, bidding and estimating, marketing your business, and managing your labor force. Participants also found out about valuable resources available to landscape professionals in making more informed managerial decisions. Forty participants (26 male and 14 female) took the course including several that were already in the landscape contracting or maintenance business and others that were interested in starting a landscape business. Sixteen had heard about the course from the UT UOCE website, twenty from the UOCE fall catalog of courses, and four by word-of-mouth. The participants indicated on the course evaluations that the most valuable course content was in the areas of benchmarking, setting prices, marketing and managing human resources. A total of 97% indicated that they course either exceeded or far exceeded expectations, while 100% indicated that the instructor exceeded or far exceeded expectations. All forty (100%) indicated they would recommend this course to others. The 2006 Organic Fruit and Vegetable Systems In-Service Training was recently conducted in Crossville, Tennessee on May This project addressed the need for multidisciplinary vegetable and fruit-risk management professional development training for Extension agents in the Southern region. UT Extension s planning team developed a hands-on, intensive in-service training to bridge the gap between organic theory and practice. In this project, 51 Extension agents and specialists learned by performing many of the tasks associated with risk management in commercial and organic vegetable and fruit production and marketing. Emphasis was placed on comparing risk management strategies in conventional and organic production and marketing systems of vegetables and fruits. Additional topics included community supported agriculture, food safety and source verification. Training involved classroom teaching, hands-on field applications, and sharing of experiences from producers and marketers. Presenters were a mix of UT & TSU personnel, independent growers, and organic production specialists from surrounding states. Almost 95% of the agents that participated indicated that the in-service will enable them to teach producers to improve their risk management decisions. Overall, the training received a 8.6 (out of 10) in terms of overall effectiveness. 4. Publications. Clark, Christopher D., Larry Tankerlsley, George F. Smith and Daniel Starnes. Farm and Forest Land Preservation with Conservation Easements. SP 646. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Garland, Clark, Evaluation Tax School, AE 07-08, Oct, Garland, Clark, Characteristics Tax School, AE 07-09, Oct, Garland, Clark, MANAGE Farm Visits, AE 07-34, Mar, Garland, Clark, FINPACK Report, AE 07-35, Mar, Garland, Clark, Supplemental Information on the MANAGE Program, AE 07-36, Mar, Gerloff, Delton C., Trends in Crop Production, AE 07-03, Aug, Gerloff, Delton C., Row Crop Outlook, AE 07-07, Oct, 2006.

4 Gerloff, Delton C., The Biofuel Industry and its Impact on Grain Production and Markets, AE 07-15, Nov, Gerloff, Delton C., Field Crop Budgets for 2007, AE 07-16, Dec, 2006 Gerloff, Delton C., Risk Management in an Uncertain World, AE 07-19, Jan, 2007 Gerloff, Delton C., Switchgrass Working Budgets, AE 07-39, Mar, Gerloff, Delton C., Biofuel Feedstock in Tennessee, AE 07-42, May, Hall, Charles, John Brooker, David Eastwood, James Epperson, Ed Estes, and Tim Woods A Marketing Systems Approach to Removing Distribution Barriers Confronting Small-Volume Fruit and Vegetable Growers, Choices, 1 st Qtr, Klingeman, W.E. and C.R. Hall Risk, Trust, and Consumer Acceptance of Plant Biotechnology: Implications for Genetically Modified Ornamental Plants, Journal of Crop Improvement, Volume 18, Numbers 35/36, pp Haydu, John, Alan Hodges, Charles Hall, and John Cisar Sales, Value Added and Employment Impacts of the United States Sod Production Industry, submitted to Journal of Environmental Horticulture, October Klingeman, William, Charles Hall and Beth Babbit Master Gardener perception of genetically modified ornamental plants provides strategies for promoting research products through outreach and marketing, HortScience, Volume 41, Number 5, August Hall, Charles, Alan Hodges, and John Haydu. Economic Impact of the Green Industry in the United States, HortTeachnology, Volume 16, Number 2, April-June Hall, Charles, Susan Barton, Bridget Behe, Robin Brumfield, Richard Harkess, Charles Safley, and P.J. van Blokland, Enhancing Profitability in Greenhouse Firms, Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service, NRAES-164, ISBN , 56 pages. Haydu, John, Alan Hodges, and Charles Hall, Economic Impacts of the Turfgrass and Lawncare Industry in the United States, Contract report for the International Turfgrass Research Foundation, Turfgrass Producers International, Rolling Meadows, IL., available at March Hall, Charles R. "A Strategic Business Plan is a Valuable Managerial Asset," OFA Bulletin, Number 898, September/October Hall, Charles R. and Bridget Behe. "Quality Landscaping Can Add Value to Tennessee Homes," Tennessee Greentimes, Vol. 7, No. 2, Summer Hall, Charles R. "TNLA Strategy Session: A Success!," Tennessee Greentimes, Vol. 7, No. 3, Fall Hall, Charles R. "Equipment Management," Ornamental Outlook, March Hall, Charles R. "Economic Impacts of the Green Industry in the United States," National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council 2005 Annual Report, published March Hall, Charles R. "So What Is the Best Retail Price? Tips for Getting a Great ROI," TNLA Greentimes, Volume 7, Number 1, Spring Combs, Bryan, Charles Hall, John Brooker, and Bill Klingeman. "Regional Analysis of Trade Flows and

5 Marketing Practice Trends in the United States Nursery Industry," Proceedings of Southern Nurserymen's Associations Research Conference: Fiftieth Annual Report, Volume 51, Hodges, Alan, John Haydu, and Charles Hall. "Economic Impacts of the Turfgrass, Lawncare and Golf Course Industries in the United States," Proceedings of Southern Nurserymen's Associations Research Conference: Fiftieth Annual Report, Volume 51, McKinley, Tammy, Animal Identification: Fact vs. Fiction, AE 07-05, Sep, McKinley, Tammy, Economic Comparison of Hay Storage Methods, AE 07-26, Feb, Rawls, Emmit, Using EID to Expand Opportunity, AE 07-01, July, Rawls, Emmit, Basis Estimates for Feeder Cattle and Fed Cattle, AE 07-06, Oct, Rawls, Emmit, Using Charts for Marketing Decisions, AE 07-11, Nov, Rawls, Emmit, Adding Value to Feeder Cattle, AE 07-20, Jan, Rawls, Emmit, Preconditioning Feeder Cattle, AE 07-21, Jan, Rawls, Emmit, Seasonal Prices for Tennessee Feeder Cattle and Cows, AE 07-37, Mar, Rawls, Emmit, Tennessee Beef Budgets, AE 07-41, May, 2007.