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:
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.
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:
SDBII Pacific Northwest Experiential Learning Course
Description
Dairy farmers, value-added dairy producer-processors, and industry partners from TN, NC, KY, and surrounding southeastern states are invited to join UT Extension this spring as part of a Southeast Dairy Business Innovation Initiative (SDBII) experiential learning course.
The course itinerary includes stops at various farms where participants will learn directly from farm owners and staff about a variety of topics, such as on-farm marketing, product packaging, and agritourism. These sessions are intended to help value-added entrepreneurs analyze, develop, and grow their farm enterprises.
While the program especially targets value-added dairy producers, interested technical assistance providers and industry partners are encouraged to apply.
Date, Time, and Location
The Pacific Northwest Experiential Learning Course will take place April 24 – 30, 2026.
Course participants will begin in the Medford, OR area and travel across Oregon for four days of educational programming, including visits to cheese processing facilities, creameries, and other value-added dairy enterprises.
Registration
Pre-registration is required to participate in the Pacific Northwest Experiential Learning Course, and spaces are limited. While there is no cost associated with submitting an application, submission does not guarantee admission to the program.
A completed registration form is required for each individual who wishes to participate in the program.
The deadline to apply for a seat in this learning course is February 15, 2026, at 5 PM ET.
Please complete an application form online at https://tiny.utk.edu/PacificNWApp.
Age Limit for Event
Participation in this course is limited to individuals at least twenty-one years of age (21+) from currently permitted dairy businesses, or dairy businesses that are within one year of becoming a permitted dairy business.
Questions?
Contact Alaina Boyd at 931-225-4689 or acboyd@utk.edu.
Workshop Flyer:
