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.
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 13, 2026 – “Selling Smart: Business Licenses and Sales Tax Made Simple” – Kortni Blalock, UT Center for Profitable Agriculture
February 10, 2026 – “Making the Most of Milk at the Market” – Liz Mooneyham, UT Center for Profitable Agriculture
March 10, 2026 – “Simplifying Soap and Cosmetic Regulations for Value-Added Producers” – Alaina Boyd, UT Center for Profitable Agriculture
April 14, 2026 – “Digital Marketing Strategies for Farm Businesses” – Alaina Boyd, UT Center for Profitable Agriculture
May 12, 2026 – Session Title TBA – Dr. Mark Morgan, UT Department of Food Science
June 9, 2026 – Session Title TBA – Ty Wolaver, UT Center of Farm Management
July 14, 2026 – “YouTube Studio Basics for Publishing Video Content” – Alaina Boyd, UT Center for Profitable Agriculture
August 11, 2026 – Session Title TBA – Dr. Liz Eckelkamp and Dr. Caitlin Zaring Weir, UT Department of Animal Science
September 8, 2026 – “NAFMDA Lessons Learned” – 2026 NAFDMA Professional Development Scholarship Recipients
October 13, 2026 – “Considerations for Packaging and Labeling of Value-Added Dairy Products” – Alaina Boyd, UT Center for Profitable Agriculture
November 10, 2026 – “Considerations for Starting a Value-Added Agriculture Enterprise” – Kortni Blalock, UT Center for Profitable Agriculture
December 8, 2026 – “Tips for Managing Social Media Accounts and Brand Safety” – Alaina Boyd, UT Center for Profitable Agriculture
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 (5) sessions per calendar year (January – December 2026) 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, 2026.
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:
Farm to Fork: Considerations for Direct-to-Consumer Beef Sales Webinar Series
Description
This free, six-session webinar series will share information to help producers directly market beef to consumers. Sessions will cover topics including regulations for marketing live animals for custom-exempt processing and meat, genetic considerations for beef production, finishing cattle effectively, how to pencil out your potential for profit, pricing considerations, what producers need to know about their product, tips for working with processors, marketing resources and assistance available.
Sessions will be recorded in case interested participants are unable to join during the live presentation. Links to recordings will be shared with registered participants.
Dates, Times and Location
Sessions will be held via Zoom on Tuesday evenings from 6-8pm CST/7-9pm EST beginning February 10 through March 24, 2026, except for a break on March 3.
- February 10
Begin with the End in Mind: Consumer Perceptions, Marketing Considerations and Resources – Megan Leffew, Center for Profitable Agriculture, and Valerie Bass, Tennessee Beef Industry Council
Beef Check-Off Rules for Direct Farm Marketers – Valerie Bass
What You Need to Know About Your Product – Kelly Vierck, UT Extension, Department of Animal Science - February 17
Penciling Out Your Potential for Profit – Charley Martinez, UT Extension Department of Ag and Resource Economics
Basic Retail and Wholesale Meat Regulations – Megan Leffew - February 24
Genetic Considerations for Beef Production – Troy Rowan, UT Extension, Department of Animal Science
Finishing Cattle Effectively on Grass or Grain – Katie Mason, UT Extension, Department of Animal Science - March 3 – No Session
- March 10
Business License and Sales Tax Considerations – Kortni Blalock, Center for Profitable Agriculture
Pricing Considerations and Tools – Ty Wolaver, UT Extension, Center of Farm Management - March 17
Risk Management Considerations – Megan Leffew
Resources from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture – Jacob Tipton, Tennessee Department of Agriculture - March 24
Producer and Processor Experiences Panel – Moderated and Coordinated by Anthony Shelton, UT Extension
Registration
Register for this free series here.
TAEP Eligibility
Producers participating in the live sessions or viewing recordings of at least five of the webinars and completing the feedback/attendance form for each session by April 30, 2026 will receive one educational credit for the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Producer Diversification Cost-Share for the agritourism and 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?
Contact Megan Bruch Leffew at mleffew@utk.edu or Anthony Shelton at ashelton@utk.edu.
Exploring Agritourism for Your Farm: On-farm Insights Tour
Description
Join us as we take learning on the road. We will visit three agritourism operations to see them in action and learn about their experience offerings, factors of success, lessons learned and more.
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
The tour will take place on March 25, 2026 from 9am to 5pm CST. Participants will meet at a designated location in Franklin, TN (communicated a few days prior to the event to registered participants) and visit three stops in Middle Tennessee.
1. Hatcher Family Dairy
2. Nash Family Creamery
3. Lucky Ladd Farms
Registration
Space is limited! Registration is $35 per person and includes transportation to/from the meeting point in Franklin and lunch. Register here. (Once sold out, you may also sign up for the wait list on the registration page.)
Dairy producers may use the promotional code DAIRY2026 for free registration.
TAEP Eligibility
Producers participating in the event 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?
Contact Shelby Corwin at shebwest@utk.edu.
2026 Tennessee Farmers Market Vendor Bootcamp Webinar Series
Description
Farmers interested in marketing their products directly to consumers at farmers markets, roadside stands, CSAs, and you-pick operations are encouraged to attend the Center for Profitable Agriculture’s upcoming Farmers Market Vendor Boot Camp Webinar Series.
Presentations on sales tax, e-commerce, legislative changes, pricing, and recordkeeping will be featured in the series:
Date, Time, and Location
All sessions will be held via Zoom for one hour beginning at 11:30 am Central/12:30 pm Eastern
March 30, 2026 – Introduction to Farmers Markets & Business Licenses and Sales Tax – Liz Mooneyham and Kortni Blalock, Center for Profitable Agriculture
April 6, 2026 – E-Commerce Essentials – Alaina Boyd, Center for Profitable Agriculture
April 13, 2026 – Tennessee Food Freedom Act 2025 – Dr. Damla Dag and Dr. Mark Morgan, UT Extension Food Science Department
April 20, 2026 – Farmers Market Food Units – Melvin Haas, Tennessee Department of Health
April 27, 2026 – Recordkeeping Tips and Tricks – Eryn Bell, Center for Farm Management
May 4, 2026 – What Should I Charge for My Vegetables at the Market? – Dr. Margarita Velandia, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
Registration
Registration is free, but pre-registration is required.
Please register online at tiny.utk.edu/26FMVBC.
Recording | Slides
Sessions will be recorded and added to a playlist on the Center for Profitable Agriculture’s YouTube Channel.
Please submit session evaluations after attending each live session or viewing the recording to help us plan for future events and record attendance for TAEP educational credit opportunities. Access the online evaluation form here.
Questions?
Contact Liz Mooneyham
TAEP Eligibility
Participants interested in receiving educational credit for the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP) must attend live or view the recording of five of the six sessions and submit evaluations for each. This will fulfill one of two educational requirements for the Agritourism, Fruit & Vegetable, and/or Value-Added Products sectors.
For more information about TAEP Producer Diversification, contact Jan Keyser at 615-837-5346.
Workshop Flyer:
