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Funded Project |
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Funding Program:
IPM Partnership Grants |
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Project Title:
IPM Working Group: Extending Advanced IPM Marketing to New Crops |
Project Director (PD):
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Lead State: MA Lead Organization: Red Tomato |
| Undesignated Funding: $8,000 |
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Start Date: May-01-2010 End Date: Apr-30-2011 |
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No-Cost Extension Date: Aug-01-2011 |
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Site/Commodity: fruit, vegetables |
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Area of Emphasis: marketing |
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Summary:
Red Tomato, a non-profit organization, will convene and coordinate an IPM Working Group including growers, agricultural scientists and extension agents, and its own in-house team of salespeople, communications manager, and art director. The close working relationship among growers, scientists, and marketers adds depth and practicality to this project, and has previously resulted in a highly successful Eco Apple program which has grown 500% in four years.
In this project, the Eco Apple IPM Working Group will build on the success of the Eco Apple program by expanding this growing/marketing model to include other crops. Given its demonstrated effectiveness, expanding this proven model to other crops is a logical next step. Red Tomato is proposing to expand the existing apple Working Group (IWG) to include other fruits and vegetables, adapting the Eco Apple model to these crops. We will evolve the current IWG for this purpose, exploring the right structure and support mechanisms to help growers to adopt IPM methods. This expansion will allow many other growers to reap the benefits of Red Tomato's years of research in marketing eco crops. This project will foster science-based pest management that safeguards human health and the environment, while at the same time generating economic benefits for those growers adopting IPM practices. It thus will further the implementation of IPM in the Northeast. Objectives: I. Identify Northeast scientific resources to support growers as they move along the IPM continuum toward advanced IPM. II. Explore with growers the particulars and identify which crops that IWG work will initially focus on. III. Develop IWG structure, bring on appropriate stakeholders and develop a work plan for the program. Proposal |
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Final Report: |
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Impacts With this effort, RT focuses on the Northeastern IPM Centers goal to develop individual IPM guidelines and certification programs and build communication networks among stakeholders. This project will help to achieve the IPM National Road Map goal to develop user incentives for IPM adoption reflecting the value of IPM to society and reduced risks to users. This project will foster science-based pest management that safeguards human health and the environment, while at the same time generating economic benefits for those growers adopting IPM practices. It thus will further the implementation of IPM in the Northeast, and directly addresses the goals of the IPM Roadmap. Specific impacts include: an increase in the number of acres on which IPM practices will be implemented; changing the use of pesticides on farms, resulting in fewer and/or lower-risk pesticide use; economic benefits to growers; sharing of IPM strategies among growers; increased collaboration among stakeholders involved in the development and implementation of improved IPM strategies; ongoing development of advanced IPM messages and market position within the larger organic/sustainable market; and the wider availability of healthy, reduced-risk local produce to the regions consumers. |
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Outcomes We have six tomato producers and several research advisors participating in a Tomato working group, and we have established the necessary supply chain logistics and retail markets on which to base further development of an Eco tomato program. Based on the planning and development of the working group during winter/spring 2010-11, as noted above, we have now developed new, improved packaging for premium tomatoes and are marketing regional premium tomatoes as well as heirlooms for the 2011 season. Initial results have been very positive, sales are over last year, and we have improved supply chain management resulting in shorter days in inventory and better quality product. Perhaps our most important indicator that things are working better is days-in-inventory, a critical metric for assuring that tomatoes reach the customer in perfect condition. Our goal is 2.0 days; with just a month or so to go on this years season, we are now at 1.25 or less, with tomato sales higher than they were a year ago. In terms of challenges, 2010 was especially challenging for our newly-developing premium tomato program. New, untested procedures internally, a year of warm, humid weather, and a test run of newly-designed custom packaging which failed spectacularly under the humid conditions all contributed to major product losses and challenges for our grower partners. Through an intense review, reorganization of systems, and work with growers and the packaging company to resolve issues over the winter, weve emerged in better shape on many fronts for 2011. Our network of growers and our collaborative logistics model have proven crucial to managing these challenges. This initial work on supply chain development is crucial to support further work on eco production and will be a solid basis for adding Eco protocols if we are able to fund development of Eco production trials for 2012. Preliminary work toward an eco protocol is underway as part of our ongoing Partnership grant. |
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Impacts Six growers are successfully marketing northeast heirloom and premium tomatoes through Red Tomatos regional supply chain. We now have strict quality control standards in place for heirloom tomatoes, including post-harvest handling guidelines, and have created clear language to use with each other and the growers to describe ripeness and condition at each step along the way. All but one grower returned to the tomato program for 2011, there is increased collaboration among growers, and the north-south logistics and economics have been refined so we are able to more smoothly handle supply gaps up and down the region over a longer season. The result so far has been a reliable supply of top quality Northeastern tomatoes reaching consumers in both northern and southern parts of the region. This mini-grant allowed us to continue making progress toward an eco tomato program which is now underway; we are still midway through the 2011 season, and will be able to report more fully on impact as part of our Partnership grant report at the end of 2011. Long-term, we are focused on the Northeastern IPM Centers goal to develop individual IPM guidelines and certification programs and build communication networks among stakeholders. This project will help to achieve the IPM National Road Map goal to develop user incentives for IPM adoption reflecting the value of IPM to society and reduced risks to users. This project will foster science-based pest management that safeguards human health and the environment, while at the same time generating economic benefits for those growers adopting IPM practices. |
Report Appendices
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