Meet Alicia Rihn

UT’s New Extension Specialist for Nursery, Greenhouse and other Horticultural Crops

Greetings Tennessee! My name is Alicia Rihn (pronounced “Alee-sea-yah Rheen”) and I joined the faculty of the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics on July 1, 2020 as the Nursery, Greenhouse, and Specialty Crops specialist. Despite joining the university during the pandemic, I have had the pleasure of meeting several growers in the past couple of weeks. I truly appreciate the diversity and vibrancy of the green industry here in Tennessee. I am looking forward to visiting with you in the near future and learning about your businesses and the opportunities to contribute to Tennessee’s green industry.

Let me tell you about my background and how I came to Tennessee. I grew up in a small agricultural community in south central Minnesota. As a small-town kid, I was a 4-H and FFA member who tried on many hats and quickly settled on projects in horticulture, horses, and dairy cattle. Largely based on these experiences, I attended the University of Wisconsin-River Falls as an undergrad studying horticultural science with an emphasis on production. During my senior year, I realized that I needed to better understand consumers; especially how they perceive and interact with horticultural products. To learn more about these areas, I have pursued graduate training and post-doctoral work that has sought to answer questions related to the interface between consumers and horticultural firms. The goal of this work has been to find ways to add value to what both parties get when working together.

As a graduate student at the University of Minnesota, my applied plant sciences degrees enabled me to merge the disciplines of horticultural science, consumer behavior, and agricultural economics. In my work, we were able to address marketing and behavioral questions that were directly linked to consumer demand and value for ornamental plants. Specifically, I assessed preferences of Gen X and Y consumers for horticultural products and then developed marketing recommendations to attract those groups. As a post-doc at the University of Florida’s Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka, Florida, I was able to continue this line of inquiry while evaluating the impact of the Fresh from Florida campaign on consumers’ preferences for and valuation of ornamental plants. Results of that research demonstrated that consumers are interested in and willing to pay premiums for plants that are grown in-state, if the campaign’s promotions are used in retail outlets. Since learning about this specialty crops position at the University of Tennessee, I have been very excited about the opportunity to use my skillset to help Tennessee’s specialty crop industries.

Since moving to Tennessee, I have been impressed with the diversity and creativity of the nursery and specialty crop industries. I look forward to better understanding the industry’s needs, concerns, and opportunities for growth. I enjoy working on applied research and extension projects that are based on industry-driven needs and ideas. From my past experiences, one of my greatest joys has come from the ability to offer actionable recommendations that improve the tools, options, and knowledge that business leaders need to make strategic decisions for their firms.

Much of my work has addressed the interface between consumers and specialty crop growers to improve communication, expand markets, and increase product value. During the past few years, I have investigated opportunities including:

• marketing to young consumers

• pollinator promotions

• local / state promotional campaigns

• visual attention to retail signage

• purchasing behavior

• value-added attributes

• niche markets

• tradeshow displays

• sustainable residential landscaping

• grower preferences for fruit traits, and

• misperceptions related to production methods

Through these projects I have had the opportunity to collaborate with a variety of firms, industry associations, plant breeders, entomologists, pathologists, extension agents, and a plethora of specialists from other related disciplines. Together, these experiences have highlighted the need to address projects from different angles and come together with sustainable solutions that benefit growers and other specialty crop industry stakeholders. I cannot emphasize enough how excited I am about the opportunities here in Tennessee and I am looking forward to getting to know you, working with you, and helping you find viable solutions that work for you and your firms!

For more information or to plan an opportunity for me to meet with you, please contact me (Dr. Alicia Rihn) at arihn@utk.edu, or by phone at (865) 974-7472.