LOCAL CRAFT CIDERS ARE THE FASTEST GROWING SEGMENT OF AN EMERGENT CIDER INDUSTRY IN THE U.S. WHERE VALUE-ADDED MARKETING HAS BECOME AN INCREASINGLY CRITICAL SURVIVAL STRATEGY FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED FARMS. VALUES-BASED SUPPLY CHAINS THAT DIFFERENTIATE PRODUCTS BY UNIQUE ATTRIBUTES SUCH AS QUALITY, PLACE, ENVIRONMENT, AND PRODUCTION METHOD, CAN POTENTIALLY BENEFIT NOT ONLY FARMERS; BUT ALSO INPUT SUPPLIERS, PROCESSORS, RETAILERS, AND OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES WITHIN A REGION. IN THE PROPOSED PROJECT, AN INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM FROM FOUR LAND GRANT UNIVERSITIES WILL PARTNER WITH CRAFT CIDER APPLE GROWERS AND CIDERIES TO BETTER UNDERSTAND, EVALUATE, AND IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF COLLABORATIVE, REGIONALLY-BASED CRAFT CIDER SUPPLY CHAINS AS PROFITABLE OUTLETS FOR DIVERSE ORCHARDISTS THROUGH THE FOLLOWING OBJECTIVES: (1) CONDUCT RESEARCH WITH CURRENT AND POTENTIAL CIDER APPLE GROWERS IN FOUR KEY STATES TO ASSESS OPPORTUNITIES, NEEDS, AND OBSTACLES TO SUSTAINABILITY AND PROFITABILILITY; (2) DOCUMENT THE MOST COMMON TYPES OF CRAFT CIDER SUPPLY CHAINS IN EACH STATE AND IDENTIFY CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR MARKET EXPANSION; (3) ASSESS CURRENT AND POTENTIAL ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF HARD CIDER PRODUCTION AND ENHANCED REGIONAL MARKETING EFFORTS; (4) INTERACTIVELY SHAPE THE PROJECT AND SHARE PROJECT RESULTS WITH PRODUCER PARTNERS, REGIONAL STAKEHOLDERS, AGRICULTURAL SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS, AND INDUSTRY LEADERS.OBJECTIVES WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH A PROGRESSION OF STAKEHOLDER-GUIDED PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH AND EXTENSION ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING PRODUCER NEEDS ASSESSMENTS, SUPPLY CHAIN RESEARCH, CONSUMER RESEARCH, ECONOMIC ANALYSIS, DOCUMENTATION, AND FARMER-TO-FARMER EDUCATION. THIS FULLY INTEGRATED RESEARCH AND EXTENSION PROJECT ADDRESSES PROGRAM AREA PRIORITY A1601 BY EVALUATING AND IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE MARKETING BY SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED FARMS.