Many small and socially disadvantaged producers grow fruit and vegetables. These farmers start small to satisfy family needs and support a preferred lifestyle. However, many small and socially disadvantaged farmers aim to be economically sustainable and want to create a feasible operation rooted in their communities. Since 2016, we have gathered information from over 3,000 small and socially disadvantaged farmers in the Southeastern region of the US who seek opportunities to improve wealth and health for individuals and communities. Information includes types of operations, family compositions, and needs of training and assistance. In particular, many of these farmers went through a series of experiential training programs to grow medicinal crops originated in Asia. These specialty fruit and vegetables are not familiar to most of the local farmers, and these specialty fruit and vegetables have high potential to serve as medicinal crops based on scientific studies. This presentation will introduce the components in this series of training linking production to market, financial assessment, risk evaluation, and niche opportunities to improve long-term health outcomes. The presentation will focus on connections and characteristics of ethnic markets, where most of these specialty fruit and vegetables are sold to diverse populations, from cultural and health perspectives. Market prices, consumer behaviors, and communication strategies will also be shared as examples to support small and socially disadvantaged farmers in breaking the barriers to access the ethnic market. Since 2016, this training program has assisted more than 1,000 producers to grow Asian medicinal crops, and successfully engaged in market activities serving diverse customers across the US.
