Lexington, KY - Dr. Timothy Woods works on many different projects at the University of Kentucky (UK), but they are all directed toward helping Kentucky farmers, particularly former tobacco growers, increase their income.
Recently presented (along with Dr. Wuyang Hu) the College of Agriculture's 2009 Research/Extension Impact Award, Woods serves as associate extension professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics. He has also previously served as staff economist to the Agricultural Development Board in the Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy, where he was instrumental in helping the state set up guidelines and policy for the disbursement of the tobacco buyout funds.
Some tobacco settlement funds went into funding the Kentucky Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, a group that makes its expertise available for every Kentucky farmer's benefit.
Woods concedes that no "silver bullet" exists to replace tobacco's place in Kentucky agriculture. "Our farmers had a legal monopoly" during the years of tobacco auctions, and "even tiny farms had a quota guaranteed that it would be bought," he said.
Tobacco in the open-market years and livestock could and can be farmed on a part-time, small-operation basis. Many crops, however, such as grains (corn, soybeans, wheat), are not very profitable unless they are grown on a much larger scale, Woods explained. Former tobacco farmers are trying various crops as they work to replace tobacco income.
"We've seen a big expansion of our livestock," Woods said, rating that as the first alternative crop. "Many tobacco farmers had dabbled in livestock, so it's a pretty logical thing for them to expand their herds."
Other alternative crops include grapes, vegetables and small fruits, such as berries. Wineries have grown tremendously in Kentucky.
"In 2003, there were four in Kentucky. Today we have about 54," Woods said.
Changing times have forced farmers, even those with small operations, to think more in terms of an agribusiness.
"We've started seeing all kinds of entrepreneurial efforts with value-added products," Woods said. "This means going beyond selling fruits or livestock, to offering processing and multiple products. This is a national trend, as a number of different U.S. Department of Agriculture programs have emerged to help farmers doing these value-added products."
Biotechnology is a big influence on agriculture. "Our whole grain industry in the world will be changed by biotechnology," Woods said. "New products to make crops insect-resistant and disease-resistant, more efficient seed products, and genetically modified products that are more nutritious" will be among future changes.
Another trend is the growing demand from consumers to know more about where their food comes from. This interest has made farmers aware of both the need for and the advantage of specialized marketing, such as organic, humane treatment of food animals, free range and local food. Consumers recognize the Kentucky Proud label and farmers see the profitability in being able to use it. Community-supported agriculture operations, or CSAs, have increased in Kentucky.
Woods works with professional chefs to develop markets for Kentucky farmers. Those who work at upscale independent restaurants "see locally grown foods as their way of differentiating their restaurants from national chain restaurants," he said.
One way for farmers to sell their produce to chefs and other volume buyers, such as supermarkets, is through produce markets. These auctions are in Lincoln, Bath and other Kentucky counties. One will eventually open in Fayette County. At produce auctions, farmers don't receive prices as high as they do when selling directly to consumers at farmers' markets, but they don't have to be there all day. They can drop off their produce and pick up their check from the highest bidder later.
All of this interest in growing, buying and eating local fruits and vegetables, coupled with the slow economy, has resulted in people who have never farmed wanting to grow and sell produce. Woods receives calls from suburbanites wanting to use their backyards for cash crops. To help these callers, he and other College of Agriculture specialists have developed a workbook called "The Primer." People who have no idea what to grow can narrow their choices and make better decisions by following the workbook's guidelines and answering its questions.
Woods spoke enthusiastically of another marketing tool for Kentucky agribusiness: the federally funded New Crop Opportunities Center.
"It gives us the resources to try out new crops and different varieties on pilot projects," he said.
UK researchers are growing ornamental plants, fruits and vegetables at South Farm and at UK's agriculture center in Princeton. One example of this work is Professor John Strang's experiments with different kinds of melons to learn which types are most profitable to grow here. The knowledge that he and other UK researchers gain is compiled on the Web. Readers will also find detailed budgets that explain the cost of growing specific crops and what profits they typically bring at Kentucky markets. For more information, see www.uky.edu/Ag/NewCrops.html.
Despite the slowed economy and end of tobacco, Woods is optimistic for Kentucky's farmers.
"Our farmers have a great market to sell in," Woods said. "The demand for local produce, the variety of products, mean lots of opportunities."