For new vegetable growers:

• Information gathered and summarized by the Fruit and Vegetable Working Group (FVWG) from Midwestern vegetable growers in their first five years of operation will help provide needed input for business planning by new growers. Information includes capital purchases, operating costs, sales and profits for early years.
• The FVWG has funded development of a prototype shared postharvest handling system for small-scale, start-up vegetable farms.
   

For current fruit and vegetable growers:

• Working with a consultant, FVWG has developed a tool to help vegetable growers develop an optimum postharvest handling system to improve the processing line.
• For both farmers and buyers, the FVWG is developing a summary of best practices and lessons learned from fruit and vegetable processing, marketing, and distribution cooperatives across the U.S.