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New directions
The 21st century ushered in a new Purdue Agriculture strategy to increase the competitiveness of Indiana's agricultural industry through advanced technologies. An equal part of this equation was to reinvigorate the state's sluggish economy.
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Agricultural economist Maria Marshall advises Indiana entrepreneurs about business practices to increase their chances for success. (Photo by Tom Campbell) |
Fresh from earning a Ph.D. in agricultural economics in 2003, Maria Marshall landed at Purdue during a critical time for Indiana. Heavily reliant on manufacturing, the state's economy was hit hard by a nationwide recession. Job losses numbered among the highest in the country. Providing education programs and expertise to help bolster the economy became one of Purdue Agriculture's top priorities.
Marshall is a new breed of ag economist who reflects the assimilation of agriculture into the general economy. She's part of the front line of Purdue Extension specialists who advise Indiana entrepreneurs on business practices to increase their chances for success.
From her office on the sixth floor of the Krannert Building, Marshall has an expansive view of the surrounding landscape that spreads south from the Purdue campus. She captures the same wide-angle view when analyzing start-up businesses.
"Most people start out without a plan or a clear vision of what they're going to do," says Marshall, who helps fledgling entrepreneurs with marketing and business planning. "They know their product, but they don't know who they are going to sell to."
Marshall heads the Food Entrepreneurship Program, a joint effort with the Department of Food Science, which helps Hoosiers start specialty food businesses. She's a member of Purdue's New Ventures Team and Small Farms Team and also works with the Indiana Agricultural Innovation and Commercialization Center, all of which help farmers and rural businesses add value to agriculture.
Breaking into a new field is something that Marshall knows a lot about. Neither economics nor agriculture was on the horizon when she began her career.
Marshall grew up in Spain, where her Air Force father was stationed, though the family returned to the United States in time for her to attend college. After graduation from the University of Nebraska, her bilingual skills landed her positions at agricultural giants ConAgra Foods â and the Scoular Co., helping commodity traders who worked with Mexico. The experience fueled an interest in international trade and development that would ultimately shape her career. "I learned that agriculture was business," she says, "It was a lot more than farming." Marshall went on to earn a master's in economics at the University of Missouri Kansas City and a Ph.D. in agricultural economics from Kansas State.
While she got her start in international trade, Marshall now focuses on state and local issues. She's in the second year of a two-year research project to help increase potential for business success. She's following a group of prospective entrepreneurs in Indiana and gathering data about those who decide to take their ideas to the next level. After the first year, the research project is already yielding useful data about the factors that influence business success and failure.
The economy has been on a downswing, but Marshall says that Indiana still has a lot of opportunities and resources, especially for small businesses, which she calls the "backbone of the economy."
One of the biggest challenges, she says, is to overcome a lack of planning, one of the main reasons that new businesses fail in the first few years. "We want to help decrease the failure rate," Marshall says. "It doesn't do any good for us to help someone start a business if it's going to fail in 2-3 years."
Common ground
Ferris, Dudareva, Rickus and Marshall come from different generations, backgrounds and cultures. Just as varied are the paths they have followed in their individual careers. The thread that pulls them together is the expertise, diversity and dedication that exemplify women faculty in Purdue Agriculture.
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