12/11/06 Making the Number Work

Making the Numbers Work. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. Clark Seavert knows that it's all in the numbers. Seavert is an economist, professor and Center Administrator for Oregon State Universities North Willamette Research and Extension Center. And when it comes to making a profit in the tree fruit industry, he says you have to be creative. He has designed a new interactive spread sheet to help producers see the effects of operational changes. SEAVERT: So I can go what happens if I get into production one year earlier. Okay what's the importance? If research is there to help me get into production one year earlier and extensions there to help me let's see that that does to the bottom line in a revenue stream. The program is called the Technologies Economic Assessment Model or TEAM and is available for download. Seavert recommends that producers plug their own numbers into the program. SEAVERT: In fact I would urge you to download this spreadsheet, input your own parameters and start playing with it yourself. That's the whole idea. I'm nit going to stand up here and tell you what you've got to do to be successful. I think it's best that you do it yourself. And so I've developed the tools for you to play with and analyze the sensitivity analysis with. Seavert demonstrated the program during this years Washington State Horticulture Convention in Yakima. You can get the program from www.oregonstate.edu/dept/mcarec. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.