Completed Project Report


Growing for Wholesale Distribution in Southwest Colorado

  • Award Amount: $41,717
  • Regional Center: Western Extension Risk Management Education Center
  • Grant Program: 2015 Education Projects

Extension RME Regional Centers
Extension Risk Management Education Region Map

Project Overview

Wholesale market opportunities in the 4-Corners region increased with 1)SouthWest Farm Fresh- a distribution cooperative; 2)Fort Lewis College and Sodexo signing the Real Food Challenge and 3)Opening of aggregate center in Durango serving seven school districts. In order to meet the demands of these markets, producers transitioned from small-scale direct sales to high production institutional accounts that can be challenging from a pricing standpoint. In addition to crop planning and production issues, interacting with distribution centers require additional food safety, packaging and recordkeeping protocol. This project addressed issues related to scaling up production by hosting six open house opportunities (22/event), assisted with FTS bids (6), offered individual consultations with an advocate team (14) and provided access to personalized education (6). To increase out of season production, we hosted two all-day workshops (88) and utilized social media to share growing information (www.facebook.com/HTPSouthwest) from 6 producers.  All resources available on www.tinyurl.com/ofseasonextension.

Number of Participants: 288

Outcomes

Project Steps

PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS

There are no promotional materials available for this project.

EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

There are no educational materials available for this project.

REPORTS & EVALUATIONS

There are no reports or evaluations available for this project.

DELIVERY AREA

DESCRIBE ANY UNEXPECTED RESULTS OF THE PROJECT:

HOW WOULD YOU IMPROVE THE PROJECT IF YOU WERE TO DO IT AGAIN?

WHAT WERE THE KEYS TO SUCCESS FOR YOUR PARTICIPANTS?

INDIVIDUAL STORIES / EXAMPLES OF SUCCESS / QUOTES