ABOUT THE PROGRAM

We are all very excited about the North Carolina Specialty Crops Program (SCP); a statewide, multi-agency program dedicated to new crop development. Our main headquarters is located at the R.P. Cunningham Research Station, just north of Kinston, NC. Our satellite headquaters is located at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center near Asheville, NC. The SCP has the ability to study various crops on any one of the fifteen research stations located throughout the state.

How did the N.C. Specialty Crops Program develop? It started as a grassroots effort. In 1992, the Alternative Crops Diversification Committee, comprised of fourteen farmers from nine Eastern North Carolina counties, formulated a blueprint to aid farmers in diversifying into high value crops. They sought the help of the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, the N.C. Agricultural Research Service, N.C. State University and the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

It is the program's premise that North Carolina farmers who now grow conventional commodities, such as tobacco, cotton, corn and soybeans should consider diversifying by also growing and marketing high-value crops such as fruits, vegetables, industrial crops, niche crops, herbs and other specialty items along with value-added products.

The Alternative Crops Diversification Committee played a crucial role in obtaining support for the N.C. Specialty Crops Program. The Cunningham Research Farm was donated to N.C. State University in 1985 and had no facilities to conduct high-value crop research. Through the efforts of the committee and other supporters legislative funding was obtained in 1995 to install irrigation and buy some specialized equipment on the farm. For the past five years, the Golden Leaf Foundation has provided major financial support for the program.

In July, 1997, a team from NC State University and the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services was assembled to give leadership to the N.C.Specialty Crops Program at the Cunningham Research and Extension Center in Kinston. Today, the N.C. Specialty Crops Program is a state-wide program, led by Dr. Jeanine Davis, NC State University Associate Professor and Horticulture Specialist, Nick Augostini, N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Marketing Specialist, and Bill Jester, Extension Associate, N.C. State University.

Why do we believe that the program will work? Consumers want a wide selection of good tasting fruits and vegetables, which are nutritious and fit into their busy lifestyles. The buyers from national supermarket chains, regional farm markets, and specialty food markets are ready to support local producers who can grow better tasting fruits and vegetables. North Carolina has the right climate and soils to produce some of the world's finest strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, tomatoes, peppers, cantaloupes, melons, squash, and a variety of culturally diversified crops. Consumers are also looking for exciting new nursery crops and interesting value-added products.

Why aren't growers producing these crops now? Know-how! Knowing which varieties of fruits, vegetables, herbs and nursery crops are best adapted to a region and which varieties best meet market needs are the keys. Also, new varieties need to be developed, specific for our environments, soils and markets.

How are new crops developed? Advisory committees, growers, county agents, researchers, and the general public are always coming up with new crop ideas. We then determine which are best suited to the state and have the best chances of success. Researchers are then recruited to initiate field, greenhouse, or laboratory studies. At the same time, market studies are started. If the new crop or product looks promising after the first stage, on-farm studies are initiated in cooperation with county extension agents. By this time, taste-tests, market analyses, and test market sales should be underway. If these efforts are successful, a grower education program is launched consisting of workshops, training sessions, presentations at growers' conferences, leaflets, and the website.

Key to success: marketing and field research are closely linked. One major advantage to our program, compared to many other new crop programs is that marketing research is initiated at the same time as the crop production research. Information is power, and well-informed growers can better position their products and services if they have the "right" information about the needs of buyers and consumers. Successful products tend to be those that respond to real consumer and trade needs.

Training growers and county agents.This program demonstrates the latest methods of growing crops in the field and greenhouses, post-harvest handling, and packaging. Field days, workshops, and intensive training sessions are held regularly, to pass on the information we have gained to growers and the county agents working with them.

By:
Jeanine Davis
Bill Jester
Nick Augostini
October 2003

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Non-traditional Crops
Asparagus Bean to Zucchini
The North Carolina Specialty Crops Program Working to Better North Carolina’s Agriculture
(powerpoint, 27 MB)

Increasing Farm Prosperity through Specialty Crops, Medicinal Herbs, and Farmland Preservation
(powerpoint, 44 MB)

Medicinal Herbs for Commerce
A project to encourage the diversification of North Carolina Farms
(powerpoint, 47 MB)