VAA Instructional Materials
Each of the ten lessons in this curriculum contains the following major sections: _______________________________________________________________________________________
Objectives: After completion of this unit, the students will be able to:
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List value-added activities that can be used to add value to
agricultural products.
-
Describe the personal attributes required to pursue a value-added
agriculture enterprise.
-
Distinguish between creating value and capturing value as it applies
to value-added agriculture.
-
Compare and contrast the strategies, using real examples, between
an agricultural enterprise that creates value and another that captures
value.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Objectives: After completion of this unit, the students will be able to:
-
List the reasons that farmers pursue value-added enterprises
for the commodities they produce.
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Explain the benefits of value-added agriculture to a community.
-
Describe some individual success stories in the value-added
sector of agriculture.
Objectives: After completion of this unit, the students will be able to:
-
Explain the advantages and disadvantages of direct marketing.
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Describe the variations of direct marketing that can be used to
best reach a group of customers.
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Describe the steps involved in conducting a market evaluation
for a product a producer wants to sell directly to a consumer.
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Identify the fundamental steps in developing a marketing plan.
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Define product differentiation and explain a producer’s motivation
for product differentiation of value-added agriculture products.
Objectives: After completion of this unit, the students will be able to:
-
Explain the fundamental relationship between the seller and buyer
of a product.
-
Differentiate between the importance of individual customer trust
in a seller’s product and the institutionalized trust of food grades
and standards.
-
Identify methods that can be used to develop a personal brand of
trust with their customers.
-
Describe successful strategies aimed at improving a customer’s
trust of a food product and the food supplier.
-
List and provide examples of the four-step customer service process.
Objectives: After completion of this unit, the students will be able to:
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Explain the essentials of customer service.
-
Identify other integral factors of the value-added business that
contribute to customer service.
-
Describe procedures for handling customer complaints.
-
List and provide examples of the four-step customer service
process.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Objectives: After completion of this unit, the students will be able to:
-
Define strategic planning from a value-added business perspective.
-
Identify the phases of strategic planning and the implications for a
value-added business.
-
Identify roles of all business personnel in the strategic planning
process.
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Identify and describe components of business objectives.
-
Write business goals that are supported by business objectives and
subsequent action plans.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Objectives: After completion of this unit, the students will be able to:
-
List the typical challenges.
-
Describe how farms have overcome the challenges they faced when
starting their value-added agriculture enterprise.
-
Identify where technical assistance can be found for those interested
in starting a value-added agriculture enterprise.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Objectives: After completion of this unit, the students will be able to:
-
Explain the fundamentals of financial management.
-
Differentiate between short-term, intermediate-term and long-term
debt.
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Determine the value-added business’s ability to carry and pay a
certain level of debt.
Objectives: After completion of this unit, the students will be able to:
-
Explain the importance of working capital.
-
Differentiate between the importance of individual customer trust
in a seller’s product and the institutionalized trust of food grades
and standards.
-
Determine how to determine the appropriate amount of working
capital needed for proper financial planning.
-
Describe how working capital can serve as an indicator of potential
financial problems.
-
List the financial ratios needed to calculate working capital needs.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Objectives: After completion of this unit, the students will be able to:
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Explain the use of a business plan.
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Differentiate between a business plan and feasibility study.
-
Describe the process (steps) involved in developing a business
plan.
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Describe how to use the plan to solicit financial resources.
-
Critique a business plan to determine its weaknesses and strengths.
