Ronald L. Rainey

Associate Professor University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Department, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service
P.O. Box 391
Little Rock, AR 72203
Phone: 501-671-2175
rrainey@uaex.edu

 

 

 

Ron is an Associate Professor with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service (CES) located in Little Rock.  He has worked for CES since 1993 currently working as an Extension Economist within the Agriculture Economics and Agribusiness Department.

His academic background includes a Ph.D. in Economics (2001), M.S. in Agricultural Economics (1993), and a BSA in Agribusiness (1991) all from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.  Ron’s areas of responsibility include cooperatives and farm management/planning issues of specialty crops.  His work primarily focuses on developing resources to serve the horticulture industry, specifically in the areas of cost analysis, business planning, and marketing.  He also works with farmers’ markets and alternative agricultural including organic and agritourism enterprises.

• Ph.D. University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. May 2001.  Major:  Economics
• M.S. University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.  December 1993.  Major:  Agricultural Economics
• B.S.  University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.  August 1991.  Major: Agricultural Business

LEADERSHIP (current)

• Green Industry Research Consortium (S1021 Regional Research Committee)– Secretary
• Journal of Food Distribution Research – Proceedings Editor
• Arkansas State Horticulture Society – Past President
• Arkansas Association of Cooperative Extension Specialists (AACES) – Past-president
• Arkansas Farmers’ Market Association – Advisory Board

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

• American Agricultural Economics Association (AAEA)
• Southern Agricultural Economics Association (SAEA)
• Food Distribution Research Society
• AAEA’s Committee on the Status of Blacks in Agricultural Economics (COSBAE)
• Epsilon Sigma Phi

GRANTS-IN-AID

2005-2007:  Project director for a five state effort combining the resources of the land-grant institutions of Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Louisiana to develop regional enterprise production costs estimates and economics of post harvest handling facilities for fruit and vegetable enterprises.  Project funded by Southern Region Risk Management Center.

2001 – 2004:  Project director for three separate Risk Management Association (RMA) Partnership Agreements providing risk management education programs to specialty crop producers in Arkansas.

2001-2006:  Collaborator for project entitled, “Producton, Development, and Marketing of
Value-added Horticultural Products.” Funded USDA/CSREES Initiative for Future
Agriculture and Food Systems.  A three state project involving six institutions in AR, OK, MS.

PRESENTATIONS

Made numerours presentations at county, state, regional and national meetings addressing risk management, business planning, marketing, and organic/sustainable agricultural issues.  Presented numerous times at the Arkansas/Oklahoma annual Horticulture Industry Show (HIS), the state’s premiere horticulure education conference.  Selected recent presentions include:

• Poster Presentation, “Emerging Organic Market and Extension Professional Perceptions”.  2006 Conference of the Food Distribution Research Society.  Quebec City, Canada.  (National).  October. 2006.
• Presented, “Niche Marketing Strategies”.  Fruit and vegetable producer marketing workshop.  Little Rock, AR. (Statewide).  January 2006.
• Poster presentation titled, “Evaluation of a Train-the-Trainer Workshop”, presented at the 3rd National Risk Management Education Conference held in Kansas City, MO.  (National). April 2005
• Presented, “National Organic Program”.  In-service training conducted in collaboration with Appropriate Technology Transfer to Rural Areas (ATTRA).  Little Rock, AR. (Statewide).  August 2005.

PUBLICATIONS

Please contact for detailed publication record.