Category: Publications
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Shepherd’s Grain
In 2003, Shepherd’s Grain sold its first batch of specially blended baking flour to Hot Lips Pizza, a small restaurant chain in Portland, Oregon. This initial sale was the culmination…
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Characterizing Agriculture of the Middle and Values-Based Food Supply Chains
Agriculture of the Middle (AOTM) encompasses a spectrum of farms and ranches that are declining because they are too small to be served well by commodity markets and too large…
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Value Chains Teaching Materials for a Course in Agricultural Marketing
Developed by Dr. Cheryl Brown, Agricultural and Resource Economics, West Virginia University (cheryl.brown@mail.wvu.edu) These curriculum materials are based on case studies of Organic Valley, Country Natural Beef, Shepherd’s Grain and…
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Organic Valley
In 1988, a small group of organic vegetable growers in Wisconsin formed a cooperative to provide stable and fair prices to its members. With the addition of dairy farmer members…
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Country Natural Beef
Country Natural Beef started with 14 ranching families marketing 200 head of natural beef cattle in 1987. In recent years, the cooperative has nearly 100 member ranches in multiple states…
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A Priority Research Agenda for Agriculture of the Middle
Agriculture of the Middle is an initiative addressing the problem of the disproportionate disappearance of midsize farms and ranches in the US, and the markets and infrastructure needed to maintain…
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Why Worry About the Agriculture of the Middle?
A White Paper for the Agriculture of the Middle Project During the past several decades, the American food system has increasingly followed two new structural paths. On one hand, small-scale…