Completed Project Report


Developing Marketing Plans and Strategies for Historically Underserved Producers in Arkansas Strike Force Counties

  • Award Amount: $47,970
  • Regional Center: Southern Extension Risk Management Education Center
  • Grant Program: 2017 Education Projects
  • Project Director: Laurence Crane
  • Email: laurencec@ag-risk.org
  • Organization: National Crop Insurance Services

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Project Overview

The outcome of this project was to enable small, limited resource, and socially disadvantaged producers of underserved commodities and specialty crops in Arkansas StrikeForce counties, to understand and respond to marketing risk. Participants acquired the market analysis skills and understanding of their own operations sufficiently to develop and implement detailed marketing plans at the enterprise level.

Three sequential workshops (18 hours) supplemented by personal assignments and individualized counseling (60 hours) were delivered to 59 producers via a partnership of subject matter experts and local educators. Participants developed, for each decision variable in the Marketing Mix (product, price, place, promotion, people) a written goal, consistent with consumer preferences for their commodities. For each goal they delineated three specific actions to reach those goals, and committed to implement their specified marketing plans.

Extension Educators supported and monitored their progress throughout, recording the number of actions completed.  On average, participants completed 65.3 hours of homework, and 12.7 self-specified tasks.

This innovative, concentrated and iterative program, with sequential workshops, hands-on activities and individualized on-farm follow-up, provided participants an opportunity to succeed. This approach leads to long-term behavioral change, consistent with the philosophy that behavior changes are more likely with sustained personal support.

Number of Participants: 59

Outcomes

Project Steps

PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS

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EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

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REPORTS & EVALUATIONS

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DELIVERY AREA

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