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Keys to Success in Value-Added Agriculture

Summary

Fourteen farmers in the Southern U.S. were interviewed for a project funded, in part, by the USDA'??s Southern Region Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) Program. This publication presents, largely in the farmer's?? own words, important lessons they learned in adding value to their farm products and marketing directly to consumers. The keys to their success in value-added agriculture include high quality, good record keeping,planning and evaluation, perseverance, focus, and building long-term relationships with customers.