Marketing, Outreach, and Value-Added Products

This unit teaches hobby farmers how to turn farm byproducts into value-added products, manage wastes and hazardous materials safely, and promote their operations through markets, fairs, tours, and community events. Students will also learn to lead outreach efforts, dispel common rural misconceptions, and use extension resources and professional organizations for continuing growth.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze options for converting animal and plant byproducts into marketable value-added goods and prioritize them based on safety, profitability, and regulatory considerations
• Apply best practices for the handling, storage, and disposal of oils, chemicals, metals, and other waste materials to minimize environmental and public-health risks
• Demonstrate effective outreach and marketing strategies by developing a plan to participate in county fairs, farmer’s markets, farm tours, petting farms, and community events
• Evaluate common stereotypes about rural life, identify community resources (publications, websites, organizations), and create a personal professional-development plan (including extension programs such as Master Gardener training) to support ongoing farm enterprise growth