Applied Economics/2025-11pr
Assessing Utah’s Agricultural Producer and Small Processor Interest in Value-Added Food Production Kynda Curtis, Professor and USU Extension Specialist, Department of Applied Economics Makaylie Langford, Research Assistant, Department of Applied Economics Karin Allen, Associate Professor and USU Extension Specialist, Department of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Ruby Ward, Professor and USU Extension Specialist, Department of Applied Economics
Introduction
To identify the educational, funding, and resource needs of Utah’s agricultural producers and food processors related to value-added food production, Utah State University (USU) conducted a study using data collected via two online surveys in early 2024. The first survey targeted Utah farmers and ranchers who currently produce or are considering producing value-added foods. A total of 426 farmers and ranchers completed the survey, of which 134 farmers and 69 ranchers were involved in or planning to engage in food processing activities. The second survey, distributed to small food processors across Utah, received 89 responses, with 50 participants currently producing or planning to produce value-added foods.
Respondent Categories Defined Farmers:
Farmers include agricultural operations involved in crop-based food and fiber production.
Ranchers:
Ranchers include agricultural operations involved in livestock production, including milk.
Food processor:
Food makers include operations involved in processing food or food products for human consumption.
While the two surveys were customized for each audience, they were largely the same. Questions focused on operational characteristics such as location, years in business, number of employees, and annual sales. Respondents were also asked about their operation’s current products and markets, reasons for adding processed or value-added products, and—if applicable—their processed products, sales goals, timelines, and use of market or specialty labeling programs. Additional questions explored which tools and resources were most useful to their operations, which were difficult to access, and the main challenges or obstacles they faced in their food processing operation. This fact sheet provides an overview of the study’s results on respondents’ operational details, including years in business, number of employees, and annual sales, as well as their interest in and rationale for expanding into valueadded food production. It also discusses their current or planned timeframe for processing operation implementation, the types of products and markets involved, processing locations, and sales projections. Finally, it highlights the resources, tools, information, and services respondents identified as most useful for their processing operations. These results will assist Extension faculty, policymakers, agricultural organizations, and local economic development agencies 1