The Center for Profitable Agriculture (CPA), a partnership between the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA) and the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation, assists Tennessee farmers in analyses, evaluation, development and sustainability of value-added agricultural enterprises. The Center is also home to the Tennessee AgrAbility Project and involved with the Tennessee SARE Program.
Value-added enterprises are those that allow producers/growers to earn a greater portion of consumer expenditures by processing, packaging and/or marketing crops, livestock or other farm resources, including agritourism enterprises and direct marketing ventures.
The objectives of the Center’s Value-Added Agriculture Team are as follows:
- Assist farmers and agri-entrepreneurs in the evaluation, planning and development of value-added business ideas (farmer-initiated, value-added enterprise/project analysis).
- Develop value-added educational materials.
- Implement value-added educational outreach programs.
- Conduct applied research (market development studies and industry analyses to guide the development of value-added agriculture enterprises).
- Provide training in value-added agriculture for county UT Extension agents and other agricultural leaders.