Brad Bergefurd

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT BRAD BERGEFURD

Lead and coordinate the identification, planning, development and implementation of research and education programs that identify sustainable alternative agricultural business and marketing strategies and opportunities in the areas of agronomic crops, specialty crop, bioenergy and natural resource business enterprises and marketing strategies. •Commercial hops and malting barley research and education for development of the rapidly growing Ohio craftbrewing industry. •Commercial Small Fruit Production research includes new plasticulture strawberry production technology including high tunnels, low tunnels and micro-irrigation, leading to the grower adoption and implementation of an estimated 200 additional acres being grown in Ohio with an estimated annual farm gate value of Research program identified a new strawberry plant propagation technique, which saves Ohio farmers an estimated in annual production costs.•Commercial Vegetable Production programming includes new plant germplasm research to identify advanced genetic lines of commercial tomato, pepper, pumpkin and melon selections for adaptability under southern Ohio climatic and marketing conditions. Research season extension technology for vegetable crops to extend marketing season and to increase farm revenues including greenhouses, high tunnels, low tunnels, row covers and plastic mulches.•Wholesale Produce Auction Market Development -> Assisted Ohio growers, County Commissioners and State Legislatures with the development of the Wholesale Produce Auction marketing infrastructure throughout Ohio beginning in 1992, in 2014 thirteen state-wide wholesale produce auctions are operating with estimated combined annual sales volumes of over $20 million providing new marketing opportunities for an estimated specialty crop farmers throughout Ohio.