Regional cooperative efforts such as the Southern Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Director's Advisory Committees, Development Committees, Multi-State Research Fund supported projects, and Southern Extension/Research Activities Information Exchange Groups have been in existence and have been successful for many years. However, there are opportunities and compelling circumstances for more intensive regionalized efforts, including multi-state faculty positions and multi-state cooperatives. The University of Georgia is involved in three multistate horticulture faculty positions—an orchard floor management specialist (shared with Clemson University and North Carolina State University), an apple research position (shared with Clemson University, North Carolina State University, and The University of Tennessee), and an apple extension specialist (shared with The University of Tennessee)—and one multi-state cooperative, the Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium (supported by Clemson University, North Carolina State University, The University of Georgia, and The University of Tennessee). Justification for these regional efforts includes the following: 1) federal legislation now mandates multi-institutional and integrated (research and extension) activities; 2) state boundaries form artificial barriers that are transparent to clientele groups, problems, and solutions; 3) decreasing state budgets have resulted in faculty and staff reductions at many institutions, with a subsequent decline in services to clientele groups; and 4) in times of limited funding, universities must focus on areas of excellence and collaborate with other institutions to fill in the remaining gaps. Benefits we have realized from these efforts include the following: 1) better service for minor commodities; 2) better educational programs due to larger venues and pooled overhead funds; 3) enhanced communication among institutions leading to increased cooperative efforts in other areas; and 4) reduced duplicity among institutions resulting in freed up resources to address other high priority areas. There are challenges unique to regional cooperatives: 1) travel distances for extension faculty may be increased and require a high degree of planning and coordination; 2) depending on the housing location of the shared specialist, response time can be greater than if program were housed in-state; and 3) shared programs require open, effective, and increased communications among cooperators. In our experience, the benefits of regionalization far outweigh the additional challenges encountered. However, to be successful: 1) the whole must be greater than the sum of the parts; 2) each partner must have identify preservation; 3) stakeholders must realize value from the programs and must be kept abreast of program successes to assure their continued support.
REGIONALIZATION AND FRUIT CROPS IN THE SOUTHERN REGION: BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES FROM AN ADMINISTRATIVE PERSPECTIVE
