June 13, 2005

Purdue's Ways To Grow program grows beyond tobacco

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Farmers in southeastern Indiana looking for alternatives to their traditional crops can turn to the Ways To Grow and Beyond program for help.

"The purpose of the program is to create an environment for an entrepreneur to try a new venture," said John Keeton, the program's field coordinator. "It doesn't have to be a crop and you don't even have to live on a farm."

Ways To Grow and Beyond was originally started in 1997 to help southeastern Indiana tobacco growers find alternatives to their traditional crop. The program still has much the same mission today, but instead of focusing on tobacco growers, it offers assistance to anyone in one of 19 qualifying counties.

"This is a regional entrepreneurial effort that complements our statewide economic development program New Ventures," said Tom Jordan, ag and natural resources program leader for Purdue Extension. "We're focusing this program on southeastern Indiana because agriculture in the area is diverse and because the location provides several opportunities for direct marketing to major cities like Cincinnati and Louisville."

Specifically, Ways to Grow and Beyond is set up to help interested individuals locate resources and references, do a needs assessment and basic market research, write a business plan, develop a marketing plan, and identify funding sources.

"The program focuses on helping entrepreneurs through the information gathering and planning stages of starting or expanding a business," Keeton said.

Counties participating in Ways To Grow and Beyond are Bartholomew, Brown, Clark, Crawford, Dearborn, Decatur, Floyd, Franklin, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Lawrence, Ohio, Orange, Ripley, Scott, Switzerland and Washington.

Individuals interested in help from Ways to Grow and Beyond should contact Keeton at (812) 525-2483, jkeeton1@purdue.edu. Information about the program also is available online.

Ways To Grow and Beyond is overseen by a steering committee with representatives from Purdue Extension, the Purdue Extension New Ventures team, the Natural Resource Conservation Service, the Historic Hoosier Hills and White River RC&D, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Indiana Farm Bureau, local government, the Small Business Development Center, Land Trust and economic development personnel.

Writer: Kay Hagen, (765) 494-6682, kjh@purdue.edu

Sources: John Keeton, (812) 525-2483, jkeeton1@purdue.edu

Tom Jordan, (765) 494-7891, tjordan@purdue.edu

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
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