Value-Added Agriculture

Value-added Agriculture includes farms/agricultural producers, as well as processors and small food businesses. Products may be specifically segregated by identity or production characteristics, such as organic or locally-grown. Categories encompass nearly the entire range of food and beverage products. Further processing such as drying, cleaning, milling, pelletizing and operations associated with repackaging are also part of the value-added mix. At the same time, Agritourism activities such as retail sales, u-pick, corn mazes and farmers markets transforms a farm into a destination thus contributing to diversification of core operations by providing an element of marketing as well as income.

In the LESMD Region the relationship between Value-added Agriculture and Agritourism is evident in successful operations involving the production of locally branded beer and dairy products. With regard to the latter – 21st Century industry consolidation and changing farm demographics led to a precipitous drop in the number of dairy farms. The response was a diversification effort in which a local dairy incorporated the key elements associated with Value-Added Agriculture. The result is a highly visible, artisanal brand with which the consumer associates a natural process and a specific local farm.