| December 2005 | Vol. 10 Issue 4 |
To promote the Purdue Extension Means Business (PEMB) marketing initiative, Purdue AgComm produced and distributed 265,000 tabloids throughout Indiana in October and November. The tabloid highlights Purdue Extension resources that focus on economic development and encourages the public to use those resources.
To prepare for the tabloid distribution, the AgComm 888 support staff team, along with Steve Cain, presented training for Purdue Extension county support staff on September 30. As a result of this training, Purdue Extension county support staff throughout the state are prepared to direct callers who want to start, grow or improve their businesses by using local resources, the PEMB Web site, the PEMB tabloid, and the toll-free (888) EXT-INFO number.
Here are some of the resources we highlighted during the training:
New Ventures provides
information for people who want to start or expand an agricultural or food-related
business. Educational programs and one-on-one consultations are available.
The New Ventures contact person is Jerry Nelson, New Ventures Educator,
(812) 886-9582 or jnelson@purdue.edu.
The Agricultural Innovation and Commercialization Center (AICC) offers
a Web-based tool that helps users write a business plan, available
at http://www.emba-agbus.purdue.edu/planner.
For AICC information, contact Jane Anderson at (765) 494-3099 or jane1@purdue.edu.
The Center
for Food and Agricultural Business offers state-of-the-art managerial
development programs for professionals in food and agricultural businesses.
More information about those programs are available at http://www.agecon.purdue.edu/cab/programs/scrm.
Information about the Strategic Business Planning for Commercial Producers
curriculum is available at http://www.agecon.purdue.edu/extension/sbpcp,
or by calling (765) 494-4247.
The Purdue Office of Engagement provides
information about and links to many Purdue resources in economic development.
You can contact them at (765) 494-9095.
Purdue Extension Economic
and Community Development has information on economic and community
development or specific programs or workshops. The contact person
for this initiative is Sam Cordes, (765) 494-7273, smcordes@purdue.edu.
The Purdue–Kelley
MS-MBA in Food and Agribusiness Management program is a dual-degree
distance education program offered by the Purdue University College of
Agriculture and Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. For more information,
contact Luanna DeMay, program manager, at (765) 494-4270; or Jay Akridge,
director and professor, at (765) 494-4327; or visit
http://www.agecon.purdue.edu/agribusiness.
The Technical Assistance
Program (TAP) provides consultation and help for entrepreneurs and
businesses in areas including manufacturing, life sciences, and information
technologies. Contact them at (765) 494-6258, or tap@purdue.edu.
The New Ag Network offers
seasonal advice to field crop and vegetable growers interested
in organic agriculture. More information is available at http://www.ipm.msu.edu/new-ag.htm,
or by contacting Liz Maynard at (219) 785-5673, or emaynard@purdue.edu.
Ways to Grow has one-on-one technical assistance for farming families
and new farmers in the selection, development, and marketing of new
enterprises. For more information, e-mail John Keeton at jkeeton1@purdue.edu.
Additional Purdue Extension Means Business resources are available
at http://www.extension.purdue.edu/extbusiness,
or (888) EXT-INFO.
PEMB information for Educators also is available on the CES intranet
site at http://www.extension.purdue.edu/extbusiness/educators.
Christine Roper, croper@purdue.edu; Jessi Mellady, jmellady@purdue.edu; Cindy Verhey, clverhey@purdue.edu
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