Traditional commodity marketing channels have not provided sufficient returns for many small- and medium sized-farmers to maintain a viable livelihood in recent years. This web site is focused on helping producers that are looking for ways to differentiate their product so that they can receive higher prices, obtain better market access, and experience less volatile price swings. Interest in value-added agriculture largely arises from the fact that the value added on the farm for each consumer dollar spent on food has slipped from around 22.8¢ in 1950 to only 8.9¢ in 2004. We hope that the curriculum and resources on this site will assist you in identifying, selecting, managing, monitoring, and growing agricultural enterprises that increase value-added on farms and ranches.