Food Product Development

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Food Product Development

P. T. Tybor, Former Extension Food Specialist & A. Estes Reynolds, Extension Food Specialists Developing a Business Philosophy or Marketing Strategy The Timing Factor Defining the Economic Baseline Developing the Product The Step-by-Step System Summary Glossary of Terms References Hundreds of new products are introduced each year in the food industry. When the different flavors, colors, forms and other varieties are considered, the number of new products increase rapidly into the thousands. In one year, the number of new food products reported, including all varieties, was 8,038. There are probably thousands of other new products that were introduced and went unreported. A new product can be defined in many ways. One accepted definition is a product which a company, a group of investors or an individual is providing to the consumer for the first time. A new product may be a brand, a line of products or an addition to an existing line of products. The purpose of developing and introducing a new product into the market is to achieve success, which is measured by profit. The initial and repeat purchase of the new food item are the ultimate key to profitability. New products must fill a market need to influence the purchasing power of the consumer. Although the number of consumers and expendable food dollars change, the real effect of a successful new product is to sacrifice the profit of an existing item. Development and introduction of a new product is a business endeavor and must be handled in a professional manner to better assure success. Market need, opportunity, risk, direction, planning, action, review and decision-making are important aspects of the professional approach. Identifying a market need leads to knowledge of a potential opportunity. With every opportunity there is risk, which often results in financial loss. The risk can be minimized by establishing a direction, planning, taking action or implementing the plan, reviewing the status of actions and making decisions based on the best available information. This approach may not reduce the cost of developing the product, but it can create a profitable venture rather than a losing business endeavor. New product opportunities are determined by the market. New products do not begin with an old family recipe or the actual food. Starting backwards is a mistake many individuals or companies make. In most cases, the backwards or "tail wagging the dog" approach is doomed to failure.

Developing a Business Philosophy or Marketing Strategy

There are a number of different approaches to starting new product development. All starting points should include identifying and gathering market information. Several methods for setting the marketing strategy follow.

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The need strategy is a popular starting point based on the consumer and the market. Two questions best describe the strategy: 1. Are there needs which current products are not satisfying? 2. Is there a problem or consumer dissatisfaction with existing products? It is often difficult for a small business or an entrepreneur to obtain marketing information unless there are financial resources available for market research. Qualitative data, or consumer opinion, are needed and must be obtained by a systematic, objective means without creating bias. A survey is a typical way of obtaining the needed information. Developing and conducting the survey may require professional advice from marketing consultants. The market position strategy is similar to the need strategy. Market positioning refers to the ability to attract consumers using clever brand names, advertising or packaging. Microwaveable products are an example. Packages are commonly worded boldly to emphasize the microwaveable aspect. Another example is nutritional statements on the package, such as Reduced Sodium, No Cholesterol, or 95% Fat Free. This marketing technique is used when products are similar with only minor differences. The risk with this approach is reduced since development expense for each product in the line is relatively low and development effort is small. A disadvantage to the approach is the ability of competitors to follow quickly with similar products and regain their market share. To take advantage of the technique, a visit to market outlets such as supermarkets can lead to clever positioning ideas. The funnel strategy requires brainstorming and identifying as many new product ideas as possible. The belief that only a few good ideas ever make it to commercialization and success is the basis for this method. The success rate can range from two percent to ten percent, so one successful product may have started with 50 ideas. The success/failure system includes key decision points where ideas are passed on or eliminated. Judgment is made on the idea as it is developed into a broader concept and fit into a market, during or after product development, or in test marketing. The funnel strategy requires that as one idea moves through the system another idea should follow it. A continuous flow of new ideas is hard to sustain in the long run. The big bomb strategy is a technique practiced by some large corporations. The method requires large sums of money. The big bomb strategy involves five basic steps: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Target on a large, established category. Develop a superior product through extensive research. Test the product versus a major competitor. Test market extensively and investigate alternatives. Spend large amounts on promotion.

Proctor and Gamble became successful using the big bomb strategy. Their food product successes were cake mixes, coffee and potato chips. The big bomb method is not suitable for small business. Time, patience, dedication, extensive research expertise and large sums of marketing dollars are necessary for success. The method also overlooks emerging food categories and small market segments which could be successful. The brand extension approach is simply line extensions. The resulting products are similar to existing items and usually are consistent with available expertise in production and marketing. New products developed by brand extension are often called "me-too" products.

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Scouting out new products in a marketplace where the product is good but the program behind it is poor is called the diamond in the rough strategy. One resource for identifying these products is the sales force. An advantage to the strategy is that the failures of other manufacturers in test market situations point out obstacles to avoid. The small local or regional company often fails and becomes the springboard for medium and large business successes. In many cases the failure in execution is a result of improper or inadequate advertising. The use of large amounts of market data or sociological trends to develop a product is called the lead the trends strategy. Developing or purchasing the necessary data can be costly. This strategy can result in the introduction of new products well before their time. Some new products do not require research and development. Instead, a company searching for new products will use the acquisition strategy, the purchase of an existing business. Success with this approach requires identifying the correct business to purchase, negotiating the purchase price and folding the new business effectively into the existing business. A simple, small processor approach for getting started or expanding into other products is the make time strategy. This involves a commitment of time to: 1. Visit the local library to look, read, collect and study food advertisements from popular magazines or trade publications. 2. Visit various supermarkets, convenience stores or specialty food stores. Take a pencil and pad. Browse. Make notes on the kinds of products, the prices, the kinds of packages, the net weight, the in-store advertising and the package or label claims. Talk to the manager about the products. Observe the kinds of consumers in the retail outlet. Make notes on age (young, middle age, elderly), ethnic background, sex or other more obvious characteristics of the consumers. 3. Visit and interview food brokers and distributors. Listen to their product needs or product failures. Find out about the popular, fast moving products. Ask for product literature. 4. Visit and eat at different restaurants, delicatessens, cafeterias. Order new menu items when eating away from home. 5. Take note of the different kinds of specialty food business in malls, airports and other public facilities that are heavily frequented by the public. 6. Talk to 100 to 150 consumers and find out what they are buying, where and why. Although this means of obtaining market and product information is simplistic, the method and results are better than no information at all. No single strategy can be considered to be the best. The approach to gathering market information must be adapted to the situation and may be a combination of many techniques. Available monetary funds will determine how much market data can be collected. A financial investment at the start of the project will be money well spent and might eliminate the possibility of major financial loss because of poor information and decisions.

The Timing Factor

Opportunities can come and go quickly. The successful introduction of a new product into the market must be with the realization that over time profitability can decline and even stop. The potential life cycle of the food must be considered. A typical life cycle is represented as a bell-shaped curve. Initially, sales volume is relatively low. The portion of the life cycle where the product is slowly gaining awareness in the marketplace is called the embryonic stage. This is followed by the growth stage, when

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sales grow and increase in a logarithmic fashion. Logarithmic growth is mathematical doub-ling, i.e. a sales volume of 10,000 pounds becomes 20,000 pounds, 20,000 pounds becomes 40,000 pounds, 40,000 pounds becomes 80,000 pounds, and so forth. The growth phase eventually begins to slow down and level off. The point of a level sales volume is the mature stage. Maturity may be reached in a short period (12-18 months) or it may take years. The maturity stage can last for months or decades. The last stage of the life cycle is the decline. Figure 2 depicts the life cycles of different types of products. Figure 2 charts sales volume versus time. The first bell-shaped curve is characterized by a rapid rise in sales volume to a short peak period, followed by a quick decline and market death. Fad products fall into this life cycle pattern.

fad products metrecal frozen yogurt Jolt Cola vegetable pastry

mature market profiles instant teas Ramen noodles frozen juice bars cake mixes

long learning curves Mexican food tofu whole grain breads prepared spaghetti sauces

The second life cycle is an example of a mature market profile. The growth rate for mature markets is slower than for fads, but the peak sales volume period is longer.

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Another product category is the long learning curve group. From the time products start to gain consumer acceptance, a considerable time period is necessary for widespread recognition. The time of growth and the maturity stage are longer. Ethnic foods, such as Mexican foods, are a prime example of this category. Many of these foods are also associated with consumer trends. With products such as yogurt, Mexican foods or tofu, the consuming public must adapt to non-traditional flavors or textures. The consumer's adaptation time influences the learning curve. The time of new product introduction is critical. The development and introduction of a new product into a market at the top of the life cycle is almost certain to result in performance below expectations or failure. Early entry of new products into long learning curve cycles requires special evaluation when considering the return on investment and short term profitability. A reasonable entry position for new products is in the early growth phase. At this point, it is possible to learn from previous experiences or mistakes of other products.

Defining the Economic Baseline

You must know what the profit and loss picture is for each product you produce to determine which direction your plant should proceed with new products and new product alternatives. This financial analysis can be considered a product cost analysis and will invariably reveal important information about the performance of the products you are producing. The total cost associated with your plant must be divided into fixed cost and variable cost. These costs are assigned to various production areas in the plant. The fixed costs (overhead) are those not affected by daily production or volume. Overhead such as capital investments for land, equipment and the physical facility, salaries of management personnel, taxes and insurance items are proportionately assigned to each product based on the time, space and equipment required for production. The variable costs, those directly affected by the volume produced, are calculated for each product. Variable costs include labor which can be itemized for processing operations, utilities (water, electricity, gas, telephone, sewage and effluent charges), packaging, labeling, advertising, transportation, sales expenses, office supplies and processing supplies. Variable costs should be appropriately assigned to the individual products. This often reveals that many "high margin" items are not profitable when equipment use and labor cost are figured into the production cost. Another variable cost is product costing. Product costing is based on individual ingredients as a percentage of formula and corrected for normal processing loss (yield) and extraordinary production losses (scrap or floor waste). After you have scrutinized the product cost analysis you can consider what new products or product changes to make to increase your profits. The type of product development may be a new product if most of your products are mature, a line extension for an existing profitable line, or product improvement and cost reduction for existing products. Without this baseline approach, new product development may be initiated with an inappropriate strategy and have poor results. Continue your profitable products and improve those areas which were revealed to have difficulties before developing new products. Be careful not to eliminate products that provide a service to your clientele and enhance your marketing effort even if they are marginal or not profitable. New product development should include consideration for available raw materials that are underutilized or are not achieving maximum return. By-products within the plant are often overlooked as potential materials for new product development. Creating greater value in products currently being

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marketed is worthy of consideration. These are value added products, which have some convenience, quality or other asset that gives the consumer greater satisfaction than the original product would give. Reduced fat, pre-cooked, microwaveable, ready-to-eat, pre-tenderized, portion controlled, serving size, easy open, and recloseable are terms associated with value added products.

Developing the Product

Once market information is gathered and a direction is set, the product development process begins. Product alternatives consistent with the direction need to be gathered through idea generation or brainstorming. The food ideas should first be listed only by name. For extensive lists of ideas, those with a higher possibility of success should be the primary consideration. An economic feasibility analysis should be developed and evaluated. The economic analysis can be based on known formulations for similar products or recipes from cookbooks. The cost analysis should include fixed and variable costs, which are assigned to the particular product. The greater the accountability of overhead associated with a product, the more accurate the cost estimate will be. All cost figures should be totaled and projected on the basis of estimated annual production volumes to provide a cost per pound. A gross profit margin (20 percent, 30 percent, or 40 percent of the total cost per pound) should be calculated and studied in relation to the sales price of similar products. Evaluation of cost data, potential selling price, break-even volume, and payback period will permit a more informed business decision on the success potential of the product. These product development steps provide the company with a systematic approach toward success. Further product development will require an understanding of the necessary steps and the kind of business functions or knowledge required to complete the many tasks. A step-by-step system follows. The business functions or necessary knowledge (marketing, sales, operations, research and development, purchasing, quality control, accounting, engineering and distribution) are identified for each action within the eight-step system. Small processors should be aware of the business or cost analysis required for new product development. The initial analysis will invariably indicate the more profitable products for their market area. The systematic steps provide a guideline to prevent details from being overlooked in the development process. Decisions to continue with the development of a product must be made at each stage in the process. The outline highlights those points where decisions should be made and the economic data refined to examine the profit picture for the product.

The Step-by-Step System

The eight steps of product development are idea generation, concept evaluation, prototype product development, package and process development, pre-commercialization, product test marketing, product introduction and commercialization. Each step involves actions and responsibilities necessary to continue product development (Table 1). Refer to the glossary of terms for unfamiliar terms. Table 1: Step-by-Step System of Product Development Key Action Functional Responsibility

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STEP I - Idea Generation 1. Determine food product target(s) based on: Marketing/Accounting a. Volume requirements/ expectations b. Profit requirements/ expectations c. Consumer trends and needs d. Technical innovations e. Preliminary economic analysis 2. Screen ideas in the market a. Focus Group Method b. Intercept Method 3. Develop the product concept and market positioning statements (Table 2). Marketing

Marketing

STEP II - Concept Evaluation (Table 3 is a product development guide for the technologist) 1. Identify, develop or prepare a protocept Technical (Basic model can be a recipe, competitive product, etc.) to physically represent the idea. 2. Determine technical and production feasibility 3. Develop preliminary packaging needs and feasibility. 4. Revise preliminary economic analysis. 5. Make a decision to proceed or stop the project STEP III - Prototype Product Development 1. Design a "Bench" formula using commercal ingredients in batch sizes less than 50 pound pounds 2. Conduct Bench sample testing evaluation and comparison to the model (Protocept). 3. Institute formula modifications based on results of the previous step and conduct further product evaluations to finalize formula. 4. Identify primary and alternative ingredient suppliers. 5. Develop revised formula cost information for bench sample (Table 4). Technical Production/ Technical/ Engineering Marketing/ Engineering Marketing/ Accounting Management

Technical Technical

Technical/ Purchasing Technical/ Accounting

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6. Repeat previous steps as necessary to meet original plan or change the plan. 7. Prepare preliminary ingredient statements and manufacturing instructions. 8. Conduct a plant test (Trial). 9. Prepare or update product yield estimates (Table 5). 10. Revise costing. 11. Conduct shipping test. 12. Make a decision to proceed or stop the project.

Technical/ Marketing Technical Technical/Production Technical/ Production Accounting Technical/ Distribution Management

STEP IV: Package and Process Development (Can Run Concurrently With Product Development Phase) 1. Determine operating requirements such as new equipment, facility expansion, layout, etc. 2. Determine packaging options (Table 6 and Table 7). 3. Select and prepare prototype package and label design. 4. Determine packaging, label lead times, specifications with suppliers and test packaging. 5. Finalize packaging specifications. 6. Finalize label design. 7. Finalize photography or other art work. 8. Obtain FDA/ USDA approval (if appropriate). 9. Submit sales estimates for equipment and packaging purchase. 10. Finalize packaging/ label specifications. 11. Make decision to proceed or stop the project. 12. Procure packaging and equipment. Technical/ Engineering/ Production

Engineering Marketing/ Technical/ Quality Control Purchasing/ Quality Control

Technical/ Quality Control Marketing Marketing Technical/ Quality Control/ Production Marketing/ Sales Technical/ Quality Control Management Purchasing/ Engineering

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STEP V - PreCommercialization 1. Finalize marketing plans. 2. Develop test market plan and finalize return on investment analysis. 3. Determine final cost/ pricing/ financial plan. 4. Make decision to proceed or stop the project. 5. Develop creative introduction materials and advertising strategy. 6. Develop production plan and schedule. 7. Finalize quality control documents. STEP VI - Product Test Market 1. Establish test market objectives and develop support programs. 2. Conduct preliminary production run. 3. Conduct test market. 4. Analyze test market results. 5. Make decision to proceed or terminate the project. STEP VII - Product Introduction 1. Prepare sales forecast. 2. Release product to production scheduling. 3. Start full production. 4. Introduce and present new product to the sales force. 5. Distribute the product. 6. Sell. STEP VIII - Commercialization 1. Provide sales support materials during initial sales introduction. 2. Review project status, track initial product Marketing Marketing Marketing Marketing Production Marketing Distribution Sales Marketing Production/ Technical/ Quality Control Marketing Marketing Management Marketing Marketing/ Accounting Marketing/ Accounting Marketing Marketing Marketing/ Production Technical/ Quality Control

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placement success. 3. Make decision to proceed or stop the project. 4. Review original plan and objectives and revise if necessary. 5. Regularly monitor production run product to ensure product is delivering required attributes. Management Marketing Marketing/ Technical

Table 2: Product Concept Type of Product Development: New Product Line Extension Product Improvement

Product Description: This section will include a detailed description of the desired product, e.g., size, weight, shape, formula characteristics, ingredients, etc. Target Market Segment(s): A. Retail B. Food Service (Specify): e.g., Elementary School, Health Care Selling Price, Cost of Goods, Gross Margin: High Selling Price Cost of Goods Gross Margin Additional Marketing Considerations: Production Consideration: Target Date for Completion: Low Estimated

Table 3. Product Development Technical Actions Anticipated Date 1. Complete plan 2. Analyze Completion Date Comments

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competitive products (Chemical and gross physical, micro) 3. Develop protocept 4. Approve protocept 5. Contact suppliers 6. Establish sensory program 7. Establish preliminary prototype formulas 8. Consult USDA and FDA regulations and define constraints 9. Establish equipment needs 10. Establish preliminary manufacturing process 11. Approve prototype 12. Determine product costing for approved prototype 13. Develop Packaging

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a. Labelsname, ingredient statement, cooking/ reconstitution instructions, product size, net wt., label size b. Case- size, type preprinted or plain, special legal wording c. Box- size, number per case, preprinted or plain type d. Interleaves, etc., type & number needed 14. Scale Up a. Schedule taste panels b. Yield data c. Identify QA/ QC needs d. Identify critical processing areas 15. Conduct Sensory Evaluation, protocept vs. prototype 16. Identify primary and secondary suppliers a. Specification sheets/labels b. Letter of

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guarantee c. Ingredients price quote 17. Provide product information a. Nutritional data b. Reconstitution instructions c. CN/ FNS certification sheet (if needed) d. Ingredient statement 18. Complete documents and estimated shelf life 19. Satisfy all equipment needs 20. Coordinate plant trials (dates ____ ____) 21. Complete plant trials 22. Complete of final documents 23. Establish new product technology transfer program 24. Complete storage study and shelf life.

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Table 4. Product Costing Work Sheet A. Sales and Marketing 1. Product - code number - description - pack size B. Q.A./Technical 1. Attach "Formulation and Yield Analysis" including final yield in finished cases (indicate if an estimate is used) Packaging ________________________________________________________________________ Component Description a. ____________________ b. ____________________ c. ____________________ d. ____________________ e. ____________________ f. ____________________ g. ____________________ Quantity/Case Finished Product ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ Cost per Unit Case ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________

Table 5: Direct Labor Worksheet 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________

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Total workers x 8.0 paid hours __________ Total Shift Manhours Line Output - One Complete Shift: __________ units/shift __________ pounds/shift __________ pounds/manhour (pounds/shift divided by Total Shift Manhours -- carry to two decimals)* Indicate whether output is estimated or observed actual. * Pounds per man hour should be based on comparable products.

Table 6. Packaging Guide Date ______________________________ Product Number -Label Retail Only Product

Does this product replace another product or package? YES _______ NO _______ If Yes, what product?

Current UPC Label Product Description ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Product

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Packaging Description Immediate Container (wrap, carton, tray, tub, corrugated) Secondary Container (carton, tray) Shipping Container (corrugated)

Labeled with Roll-Stock or Preprinted

______________________ _______________________ ______________________ _______________________ ______________________ _______________________

Three-month Sales Projection _______________ Cases Production Required by (date) __________________________________________________________________________ Samples Required: Yes _____ No _____ Samples Required by (date) ____________________________________________________________________________ Quantity ____________________ Date Needed ____________________

Table 7. Package Requirements (Immediate) Date _________________________ Product Number Product Name Product Description Package Description Equipment Required Vacuum Pkg. _____ Bulk Pkg. Atmosphere Required Container Size(s) Film Specification Permeability Thickness Composition _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________

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Strength Seal Print Requirements Label Design Date Completed Units Produced per Hour Cost per Unit

_____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________

Summary
Product development can take weeks, months or even years to conplete. The time needed will depend upon the complexity of the food item and the resources available to accomplish each of the actions. Setting a direction, planning, taking action, reviewing the status and making decisions are necessary to be successful. Decision-making must be based on good business. Don't be afraid to end the program if the signals are negative. It is better to retreat and redirect efforts than to proceed on a losing proposition. Figure 3 depicts the basic flow of key events in product development with positive and negative decision lines. The following questions provide a check on your development program, and may indicate why the program succeeded or failed. Do you know your business philosophy or marketing strategy? How important is timing for the release of this product on the market? Where are your business and products in market maturity? Are you focusing on specific target markets? Do you have specific company goals and are these communicated and coordinated through the management team? Are you evaluating the products you produce for: Market maturity, Quality and consistency, Consumer needs, Profitability, Regulatory compliancy, or New product or line opportunities? The answers to these questions can give you firm direction and a factual basis to develop new products. When a product is successfully commercialized, channel the energies of the organization into the listing ideas for the next new product.

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Trade and brand names are used only for information. The Cooperative Extension Service, The University of Georgia College of Agriculture does not guarantee nor warrant the standard of any product mentioned; neither does it imply approval of any product to the exclusion of others which may also be suitable.

Glossary of Terms
ALTERNATIVE INGREDIENT SUPPLIER - A secondary source to obtain an ingredient, packaging materials or other supplies. The ingredient may not be an exact duplicate of the one currently used. BENCH FORMULA - The recipe for a food product in pounds, ounces and percentages based on industrially available ingredients. FOCUS GROUP - A market research technique involving a round table question/answer and discussion among a small, select group of consumers. INGREDIENT STATEMENT - Listing on the food product label of the ingredients. The listing is in descending order based on the quantities used. INTERCEPT METHOD - A market research technique used to gain consumer information. Malls and supermarkets are common sites. Consumers are randomly stopped and interviewed. PLANT TEST - The manufacture of a new product under actual production conditions to determine changes necessary in product and process when making the transition to a larger scale and volume. PRIMARY INGREDIENT SUPPLIER - The manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler or broker which has proven to be the best source of supply when considering quality, performance and cost of raw ingredients. PROTOCEPT - The preliminary design or formulation of a product which best represents the idea in physical form. A protocept may be a product prepared from a homestyle recipe. PROTOTYPE - The product resulting from the development and refinement of the protocept in which industrial grade ingredients are used in the formulation. SENSORY PROGRAM - The testing of a food for flavor, aroma, texture and mouthfeel characteristics and evaluation in comparison to desired qualities. SHIPPING TEST - Transportion of the product in the final packaged form, on pallets or stacked, over a normal hauling distance followed by package and product evaluation to better assure quality products at destination points. TEST MARKET - Limited introduction of product into selected markets in an effort to determine consumer response and project success in commercialization. UPC - Universal Product Code - The bar code, a computerized system, to facilitate the sales and distribution of products.

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* Solid line represents a positive business decision to proceed. Hashed line represents a negative business decision for reevaluation or reduction.

References
Bengston, Roger. "New Product Strategies," Bengston Market Research, Research Brief No. 4. Friedman, Martz. "New Food and Drug Products Increase 14.7% in 1986," Prepared Foods, page 149, March 1987. Institute of Food Technologists, "The Successful Interaction of Technology and Marketing," IFT Short Course Manual, Robert B. Gravani, Editor, 1984. Postischman, Ernest. 1985. "Why Most New Products Fail; How To Make Yours Succeed." The National Provisioner, Vol. 193, No. 21, p 40. Reynolds, A. Estes. 1988. "Value Added Products Offer Real Opportunity." Meat Plant Magazine, Vol. 49, No. 8, p 26. Schwartz, W. C. 1985. "Bringing in a New Product to Market." Proceeding, Annual Meat Science Institute. p 133. Tybor, Philip T., "Developing Value-Added Food Products - A Step-By-Step Approach," Cooperative Extension Service Misc. Publication no. 244, August, 1986.

Bulletin 1024/December, 1989 The University of Georgia and Ft. Valley State College, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and counties of the state cooperating. The Cooperative Extension Service offers educational programs, assistance and materials to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability. An Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Organization Committed to a Diverse Work Force Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Gale A. Buchanan, Dean and Director

Back to Georgia Extension Service publications.

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