By Gail Stephens
Small- to mid-sized farms are steadily joining the value-added agriculture movement, and UMES Extension activities help farmers get on board.
It’s a trend aimed at strengthening rural America by creating increased economic opportunities and agribusiness development. Value-added agriculture activities enhance the worth of an agricultural commodity by creating new, locally produced agricultural products; expanding marketing reach and opportunities; and increasing producer income.
UMES Extension is helping farmers explore the best fit for their business plans from alternative crops to medicinal herbs to agritourism.
Alternative Crops Form Niche Market
Alternative crop specialist Dr. Nadine Burton is growing specialty crops and organic traditional vegetables for comparison at UMES’ Research, Extension and Teaching Farm.
“An alternative crop for us is one that is grown in place of another crop. For example, kale and collards don’t grow well here on the Eastern Shore in the summer because of the heat, humidity and insect pressure, but a tropical crop like amaranth or jute leaf will,” Burton said.
Better yet, they are also considered value-added because “they can generate more money than a traditional crop,” she said.
Seven years ago, Burton created a program to help small-scale farmers learn about crop options to meet consumer demand in regional niche markets based on her research.
“Farmers were intrigued. They recognized the potential for increasing their farm incomes but didn’t know how to come by the specialty crops,” Burton said. “My job is to identify crops that can be grown alternatively with potential for high economic value, educate farmers on cultivating them in the region and tie them into markets.”
A group of producers Burton initiated now hovers around 70 with about 25 having participated for multiple years. The extension researcher said that in fall 2025, the farmers’ alliance sold roughly 12,000 pounds of fresh produce per week to suppliers, including the Maryland Food Bank.
“It demonstrates that small-scale farmers can be profitable with as little as 1-2 acres with specific value-added crops — the reason for the focus of our work,” Burton said.
Growing alternative crops addresses local food security as some consumers may not have access to the food they are accustomed to and desire, Burton explained. With local farmers growing these crops, she said, the product is fresh, not shipped in from overseas.
It also makes an economic impact in the area. Burton and student interns research the intensity of the labor and cost of growing the crops in comparison to traditional crops. Over the past two years, Burton also has shared her findings with a select group of beginning producers through an annual Alternative Crop Class. Compared to a stand-alone workshop, the yearlong opportunity provides more classroom learning followed by practical training on their farms, Burton said.
“We aim to find a new crop to introduce each season. They are studied for two to three years to validate what grows well in the area because conditions like temperature and rainfall can vary each year,” she said. The seeds are harvested and rooted so they can be shared to help farmers get started.
Value-addition in Herbs
Value-added opportunities for small-scale farmers are limitless.
Also on the research farm, herbalist Henriette den Ouden can be found tending rows of medicinal and specialty herbs or conducting one of her many small group workshops. Whether the clients are gardening enthusiasts, beginning farmers or professional herb growers and processers, the UMES Extension Herb Garden is a hub for information.
Known throughout the ages for their culinary appeal, den Ouden emphasizes the healthful benefit that can be gained through processing the seeds, leaves or roots for use in value-added herbal teas, syrups and tinctures. Her instruction runs the gamut from herb selection, soil amendments, cultivation, harvesting and drying techniques, uses, value-added products and marketing.
“Growing herbs can be satisfying and profitable, but there is more to it than most would expect,” den Ouden said. “That’s why we’re here, to help our clientele consider all that is involved before getting into a project. For instance, herb farmers in Maryland must follow strict processing regulations for food and product safety.”
Agritourism Entices Visitors to the Farm
UMES Extension is encouraging farmers to consider supplementing and varying their income through agritourism.
Agritourism increases revenue by offering educational and entertainment activities on a farm. It can also create marketing opportunities for farm-produced products. Sales are often made directly to consumers, making way for improved profitability by eliminating a middleman.
Dr. Prem Bhandari, agritourism and value-added agricultural marketing specialist, helps farmers find their space in the burgeoning sector. He led UMES’ inaugural 2023 Maryland Agritourism Conference and has since organized a series of traveling workshops. The on-site visits to successful agritourism operations serve as examples others may emulate or incorporate in their own agribusinesses.
According to the last U.S. Census of Agriculture in 2022, 354 farms in Maryland supplemented income through agritourism, a 20% increase in five years. The total value of sales from these operations was $14.5 million, a 47% increase from the previous census, which indicates an increasing role in Maryland’s economy.
Yet there are challenges to overcome and support needed to keep farmers farming. America lost 141,733 farms and more than 20 million acres of farmland between 2017 and 2022 according to the census. Among the reasons for small-scale farm decline, Bhandari said, are competition with larger operations, market access, labor shortages, price fluctuations and weather events.
Agritourism could be an answer, Bhandari said, with the right extension support services.
“Many of these farmers start service-oriented agribusinesses without formal or informal training as they are hard to come by in the market. They may lack the necessary knowledge and skills needed for agritourism management,” said Bhandari, noting UMES Extension’s many training and networking opportunities.
(Photos by Todd Dudek, UMES Ag Communications)
UMES Extension’s work is supported in part by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, in partnership with the Maryland legislature.
