Cancellation Policy:
The entire registration fee will be charged for educational program cancellations made after the registration deadline. The entire registration fee will also be charged for any registration participant who does not attend the event. Educational programs include events such as trainings, seminars, workshops, tours, webinars and conferences.
Insight to Developing a Strong Application for the USDA Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG)
Description
Farmers interested in learning more about funding opportunities such as grants, cost-share programs, and loans are encouraged to attend the upcoming Insight to Developing a Strong Application for the USDA Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) workshop to be held in Murfreesboro, TN on December 11, 2026 by the UT Center for Profitable Agriculture.
This in-person workshop is designed to help producers with value-added enterprises in identifying new funding opportunities for their business model. Interested individuals may attend in person or virtually via Zoom webinar.
Date, Time, and Location
Date: Thursday, December 11, 2025.
Time: The workshop session will be held from 10 AM – 3 PM Central Time. Lunch will be provided.
Location: Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Event details will be sent to registered attendees prior to the event.
Registration
This event is free to attend, but preregistration is required. In-person attendance is limited to the first thirty (30) individuals who register.
Register for the Insight to Developing a Strong Application for the USDA Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) workshop now at https://tiny.utk.edu/2025VAPG.
Questions?
For more information about the program, contact Troy Dugger (pdugger2@utk.edu) or Aaron Buckley (abuckle2@utk.edu) via email or by phone at 931-486-2777.
Workshop Flyer:
2026 Farm and Ferment
Description
Farmers, brewers, distillers, winemakers, and industry partners interested in a day of networking and learning about new trends in the craft beverage industry are encouraged to attend the upcoming Tennessee Farm & Ferment event.
The purpose of this event is to bring brewers, distillers, winemakers, farmers, and industry partners together for a day of educational programming and networking. Coffee and lunch will be provided free of charge to attendees.
Date, Time, and Location
Date: Monday, January 5, 2026.
Time: Networking and registration will begin at 9:00 AM CT. The official program will be held from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM CT.
Location: Rutherford County Extension Community Center located at 315 John R. Rice Boulevard, Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Registration
Register for the 2026 Farm and Ferment event online now at https://tiny.utk.edu/farmandferment26.
Questions?
Contact Liz Mooneyham with any questions regarding this event at 931-225-4686 or via email at emooneyh@utk.edu.
Workshop Flyer:
Exploring Agritourism for Your Farm Webinar Series
Description
If you are interested in exploring agritourism for your farm or are looking to learn more to help your existing operation, kick off the new year with a free, five-session webinar series. The series will introduce you to agritourism opportunities and challenges and discuss business planning, marketing, creating the customer experience, regulatory considerations, risk management, and available resources.
Funding for this program is made possible, in part, through the Southeast Dairy Business Innovation Initiative by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service. Additional information about the Southeast Dairy Business Innovation Initiative can be found at https://tiny.utk.edu/sdbii.
Date, Times and Location
All sessions will held via Zoom from 11am to 12:30pm CST.
January 5, 2026 Getting Started: An Introduction to Agritourism
Developing a Game Plan: Business Planning and AgPlan
January 7, 2026 Key Concepts for Successful Marketing and Branding
Creating the Customer Experience
January 9, 2026 Regulatory Considerations for Agritourism Enterprises
January 12, 2026 Assessing and Managing Risk
Resources for Your Farm
January 14, 2026 Entrepreneur Experiences and Q&A
Registration
Register online here. Registration is free.
TAEP Eligibility
Producers participating in at least four of the sessions either live or by viewing recordings and who submit session evaluations by February 28, 2026 will receive one educational credit toward the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement (TAEP) Producer Diversification Cost-Share for the agritourism, fruits and vegetables or value-added sectors. Questions about TAEP should be directed to the TAEP Producer Diversification Coordinator at the Tennessee Department of Agriculture at producer.diversification@tn.gov.
Questions about the Webinar Series?
Contact Megan Bruch Leffew at mleffew@utk.edu.
Dair-ing To Learn Value-Added Webinar Series
Description
Educational sessions to help direct farm marketers and value-added agriculture entrepreneurs analyze, develop, and grow their enterprises. While the program especially targets value-added dairy producers, all are welcome and encouraged to participate!
Date, Time, and Location
All sessions will be held on the second Tuesday of each month via Zoom at 11:30 AM CDT / 12:30 PM EDT:
January 14, 2025 – “Pitfalls to Avoid when Growing a Value-Added Dairy Business” – Sarah Cornelisse, Penn State University
February 11, 2025 – “Research-Based Marketing Insights for the Dairy Industry” – Dr. Alicia Rihn, UT Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics
March 11, 2025 – “Principles of Layout & Design for Social Media Content Creation” – Alaina Boyd, UT Center for Profitable Agriculture
April 8, 2025 – “Principles of Visual Branding for Consistent Digital Marketing” – Alaina Boyd, UT Center for Profitable Agriculture
May 13, 2025 – “Transition Planning” – Les Humpall, UT Center of Farm Management
June 10, 2025 – “E-Commerce Essentials” – Alaina Boyd, UT Center for Profitable Agriculture
July 8, 2025 – “MarketReady Core Training” – Dr. Tim Woods, University of Kentucky
August 12, 2025 – “Estate Planning” – Christina Bartee, Batson Nolan PLC
September 9, 2025 – “NAFMDA Lessons Learned” – 2025 NAFDMA Professional Development Scholarship Recipients
October 14, 2025 – “Learning from Others’ Mistakes in Succession Planning and How to Prevent Future Mistakes” – Paul Goeringer, University of Maryland
November 11, 2025 – “Simplifying Social Media Tactics” – Alaina Boyd, UT Center for Profitable Agriculture
December 9, 2025 – “Managing for Success: Common Challenges and Suggested Practices for Value-Added Dairy Businesses” – Brent Lackey and Kellie Padgett, KY Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (KCARD)
Registration
Registration is free, but pre-registration is required.
Please register here at tiny.utk.edu/dairing.
Past Recordings
View the YouTube playlist of past Dair-ing to Learn sessions here.
Questions?
Contact Alaina Boyd at 931-486-2777 ext 126 or acboyd@utk.edu.
TAEP Eligibility
Producers participating in at least five sessions per calendar year will fulfill one Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP) Producer Diversification educational requirement for the following Producer Diversification sectors: Agritourism, Fruits and Vegetables, and Value-Added. Questions about TAEP should be directed to the TAEP Producer Diversification Coordinator at the Tennessee Department of Agriculture at producer.diversification@tn.gov. To receive credit, participants must either attend the live sessions or view recordings AND submit the evaluation/attendance for all sessions by December 31, 2025.
Funding for this program is made possible, in part, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service. Additional information about the Southeast Dairy Business Innovation Initiative can be found at https://tiny.utk.edu/sdbii.
Workshop Flyer:
SDBII Frozen Dessert University
Description
The Southeast Dairy Business Innovation Initiative – SDBII is excited to offer a Frozen Dessert University in collaboration with Carpigiani North America to be held at the Carpigiani North America facility in High Point, North Carolina, from January 12 – 16, 2026.
With funding provided in part by USDA Dairy Business Innovation Initiative resources, UT’s Center for Dairy Advancement and Sustainability is pleased to provide stipends to assist value-added dairy producers or key personnel in the Southeast Region (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia) to participate in a special cohort of the Carpigiani Frozen Dessert University in High Point, North Carolina from January 12 – 16, 2026. Selected individuals will be reimbursed up to $1,000 to help defray registration and selected travel expenses for travel and lodging.
Eligibility
Eligibility is open to owners, managers, or key personnel of the following operation types located in the Southeast Region:
- Eligible applicants must be affiliated with either an existing or prospective value-added dairy operation.
- Existing value-added dairy operations must be producing and marketing value-added dairy products (from cattle, sheep, goats, etc.) such as fluid milk, butter, cheese, ice cream, yogurt, soaps, lotions, or other cosmetics.
- Operations working toward becoming licensed dairy product manufacturers within the next 12 months are eligible to apply as well.
- Only one applicant is allowed per dairy operation.
- However, applicants may suggest another person from their operation to be considered if the cohort does not fill up.
Stipend and Travel Reimbursement
Stipends will be issued as reimbursements once proof of expenses has been provided. Additional stipend considerations:
- Stipends may take up to 12 weeks to process after the course is completed.
- Tuition for the course will be paid for directly by UT’s SDBII program.
- Applicants may be reimbursed up to $1,000.
- For those who demonstrate expenses less than $1,000, a lower reimbursement amount will be provided to cover expenses in full.
Additional Information on Carpigiani’s Frozen Dessert University
For more information about Carpigiani’s Frozen Dessert University, visit https://lnkd.in/eQZxGK4E.
Application Information
- Applications open Saturday, November 1, for free tuition and the travel stipend.
- Applications will close on December 10 by 11:59 pm.
Date, Time, and Location
Date: January 12 – 16, 2026.
Location: Carpigiani North America Facility located in High Point, North Carolina.
Registration
Register for the 2026 SDBII Frozen Dessert University event online now at https://lnkd.in/erKwCNEu.
Questions?
Contact Extension specialists Shep Stearns at sstearn1@utk.edu or Ansley Roper at aroper2@utk.edu with any questions regarding this event.
Workshop Flyer:
