Northeast Ohio is home to population centers, like Cleveland and Akron/Canton, along with rich, prime soils and a wide variety of farms. Our region includes Ohio’s highest concentration of women farmers and small and medium farms, and a large Amish population who make up a substantial percentage of the region’s farms.
But many farmers still struggle to make a profit selling their products.
This is where "value-added" comes in.
Adding value refers to the process of enhancing a product in a way that alters its physical state, production method, or marketing approach, ultimately broadening its customer base to increase revenue. Examples include:
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Making a physical change, like milling wheat into flour or making strawberries into jam, that transforms the original product into something new.
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Changing your production method, which includes growing organically, shifts how the product is produced and makes it more appealing to a specific market.
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Adding marketing labels like “locally grown” or “Ohio Proud” which enhance their appeal by emphasizing local origins and can attract new customers. *
While integrating value-added products can be great for the bottom line in the long run, it can be a lot of work to set up! So what is a busy farmer to do?
Existing business incubators and support services can be hard to find and often are not familiar with the specific needs of farms and farmers. Farmers can waste time (and money!) doing research or chasing dead ends.
By removing barriers, and making the process more efficient, we look to support the growth, development, and economic prosperity of the farms and farmers in Northeast Ohio.
*See https://www.agmrc.org/value-added-agriculture for more information about what makes a product "value-added".