Current Projects
Hoosier Food Market
Faculty and staff from the Purdue College of Agriculture teamed up with Microsoft in a collaboration to provide a free online virtual marketplace where growers can make their own individual shops to sell their products and market masters can work with their growers to offer consumers the same goods they offered at their markets before, but just online.
Adoption of drying technologies for apricots in Tajikistan
The overall goal of this project is to determine the economics and market for on-farm drying of specialty plants using solar dehydrators by small growers in Tajikistan. The project is funded by USAID Horticulture Innovation Lab.
Funding: USAID Horticulture Innovation Lab
Adoption of value-added technologies for specialty crops in the US
The overall goal of this project is to determine the economics and market for on-farm drying of specialty crops using solar dehydrators by small growers in the US. We conducted an online survey of specialty crop growers in 2019. We are interested to understand how value-added technologies influence farm economic performance, who are the adopters, and what drives them to be successful.
Funding: USDA NIFA
Organic Agriculture
We are interested to know what and how market channels affect farmer's decision to adopt organic certification. We are also investigating the main drivers of decertification. Specifically, we want to answer why organic certified farmers may drop the certification program?
Another organic project looks at the market grade standards for organic grains. We surveyed buyers of organic grains in the US to investigate the market opportunities for major and small organic grains
Funding: USDA-OREI, NCR-SARE
Farmers' Market Price Data
Farmers and farmer’s markets have access to weekly prices and product availability to begin making decisions based on real-time information. We will use this database to create reports that will have an impact on small- and medium-size farmers as well as beginning farmers. Farmers using our reports will be able to select market channels for their products, understand competition in farmer’s markets, determine the market window for specific crops, and assess how prices change over time in various markets.We are collaborating with the Center for Crop Diversification (CCD) http://www.uky.edu/ccd/ to create a regional database of farmers' market and produce auction prices.
Funding: Purdue AgSEED, Indiana Vegetable Growers Association
Financial Calculators
We are compiling and creating enterprise budgets that farmers can use for planning their operations, evaluate the potential of technologies and crops, develop solid business plan, and apply for financing or grants. Our calculator also includes feasibility, break-even, and cost structure analyses.
Funding: Purdue AgSEED, NCR-SARE, SCBG program Indiana
Consumer preferences for melons
Funding: Purdue AgSEED, NCR-SARE
Economic approaches to sustainable mint production
Funding: NCR-SARE
Market and economic feasibility of low-input sod varieties
Funding: Specialty Crop Block Grant Indiana
Economic feasibility of IPM practices for hemp
Funding: Purdue AGSEED
Center of Excellence in Agriculture Egypt
Funding: USAID