Welcome to the Indiana Entrepreneurial Agriculture Directory. This publication is a joint effort of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture and Southern Indiana Rural Development Project (SIRDP). SIRDP is a non-profit organization with a long history of successful involvement in Indiana rural development efforts.
The Indiana Entrepreneurial Agriculture Directory is a resource for beginning an agribusiness or for expanding an existing operation. The information provided is intended to be of use for all types of agribusinesses. With the directory you will be able to learn from others about innovative farming operations and explore the feasibility of new ideas for diversifying your own operation.
Start browsing! Click on the link above to open the online version of the directory. Page through company by company or search by keywords. The Directory contains a basic listing of agricultural entrepreneurs. More detailed case studies can be found on the PDF version. Entrepreneurs have described their alternative enterprises, what it took to get started, and the positive and negative aspects of their efforts. Additionally, if an entrepreneur is willing to be contacted for a one-on-one consultation, the directory indicates how to contact them.
The Directory highlights the examples of innovative agriculture statewide. Entrepreneurial agriculture is defined very broadly from new uses for traditional crops to innovative marketing to new production techniques. These definitions are taken from the National Agriculture Library and from other agriculture technical assistance providers.
Briefly, the six areas of agriculture include enterprises that use or provide:
alternative cropping or unconventional production systems
nontraditional crops, livestock or other farm products
farm services including recreation, tourism, processing, forest/woodlot, or other activities
new uses for traditional crops or livestock
new industrial uses for crops not traditionally used in industry
innovative direct marketing or other entrepreneurial marketing strategies
Background
The Office of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (formerly, the Office of the Commissioner of Agriculture) authorized the Southern Indiana Rural Development Project (SIRDP) to document significant and promising agricultural enterprises in Indiana. The project was funded by the Tobacco Farmers and Rural Community Impact Fund.
Research Process
Throughout the summer and fall of 2004, SIRDP worked with many partners to identify potential entrepreneurs. Local Extension Educators and the Purdue New Ventures Team identified operations in their respective counties, and many state agricultural organizations also submitted information on potential candidates. The Indiana Farm Bureau ran a short story in the Indiana Farmer Bulletin explaining the project and inviting interested people to contact SIRDP. Through these methods, approximately 195 entrepreneurs were identified.
To supplement these numbers, SIRDP used a proprietary commercial database to obtain a listing of operations with agriculture-related SIC codes. The total universe of participants invited to participate in the directory was over 800 operators. As an incentive for including their information in the Directory, the Indiana Cooperative Development Center offered twelve scholarships for an agriculture conference to a randomly selected group of people who returned information.
The Directory portion is a compilation of enterprises that accepted the offer to be included. Of the approximately 800 mailings sent out, 66 businesses responded. Those who chose to participate were sent a questionnaire that asked for basic information about their enterprise such as types of farm products, crops or livestock, alternative cropping systems, and innovations. In addition, they were asked if they wished to participate in a more in-depth case study process.
From those who indicated a willingness to participate as a case study, a representative sample of various types of farming in different regions were selected. Those entries help provide an in-depth view of the challenges, successes and lessons learned in Indiana agribusiness.
The Future
This is a publication that is evolving. There will be additions and changes made to accommodate new technologies and innovations. As interest grows and more entrepreneurs participate, entries will be added to the directory and the case study sections. The directory should provide agricultural entrepreneurs with information on successful innovations on a continuing basis.
Interested in Being Included in the Directory?
SIRDP will host the directory and will update it with new listings. If you would like to be included in future versions click here to apply now, or contact SIRDP at 1-800-816-0019 or sirdp@sdg.us.
Categories and Definitions
Entrepreneurial agriculture spans many different kinds of operations. For your reference, we've included expanded descriptions and some examples of the kind of entrepreneurial agriculture activities you might find in the Directory.
1. Agricultural enterprises that use alternative cropping systems or unconventional production systems, including
Sustainable- farming practices which do not deplete soil and future farming potential
Organic- no pesticides, no genetically modified organisms, no hormones
Produce, dairy, meat, grains
Low input- reducing chemical use in crop production
Aquaculture- the cultivation of natural produce, such as fish, shellfish, aquatic plants, or aquatic environments
Example species for Indiana: walleye, tilapia, yellow perch, lake perch, angelfish, bluegill, channel catfish, hybrid striped bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, golden shiner, redear sunfish, fathead minnow
Best Management Practices- established soil conservation practices that also provide water quality benefits
Cover crops, strip cropping, no tillage, zone tillage, and strip tillage
Waste Management Systems
On-farm composting projects, anaerobic digestion, biological treatment lagoons
Alternative Grazing
Management-intensive grazing, rotational grazing
(IPM) Integrated Pest Management- a sustainable approach to managing pests by combining biological, cultural, physical and chemical tools in a way that minimizes economic, health, and environmental risks
Use of resistant varieties, crop rotation, cultural practices, optimal use of biological control organisms, protective seed treatment; disease-free transplants or rootstock; timeliness of crop cultivation; improved timing of pesticide applications
Conservation Buffer Strips- areas or strips of land maintained in permanent vegetation, designed to intercept pollutants and erosion.
Various types of buffers include: contour buffer strips, filter strips, riparian forest buffers, field borders, windbreaks/shelterbelts, hedgerows, grassed waterways, and alley cropping.
Alternative housing and care systems for livestock
Hoop structures for swine production, free stall systems
Micro irrigation systems
Low pressure, root targeted: drip, trickle, micro-spray, subsurface
2. Agricultural enterprises focusing on nontraditional crop, livestock, or other farm products
Non-traditional crops
Specialty and ethnic vegetables (asparagus, edible flowers, oriental vegetables, salad greens, sprouts, truffles, culinary and medicinal herbs, garlic, gourmet vegetables)
Horticultural/ nursery
Aquatic plants, bedding plants, hydroponic production, native plants, wild flowers and seeds
Forestry/forest products
Bamboo, firewood, Christmas trees
Fruits
Paw paw, berries (blueberries, elderberries, gooseberries), brambles (raspberries, blackberries, loganberries), melons, rhubarb products
Non-traditional livestock
Buffalo (meat, skins), alpacas and llamas (wool), goats (milk, cheese products, meat, hair), snails (escargot), worms (composting), free-range poultry, fish bait, butterflies (gardening)
Insect Farming
Beekeeping, beneficial insects
3. Agricultural enterprises providing farm services including recreation, tourism, food processing,forest/woodlot and other activities based on farm and natural resources
U-pick operations
Roadside stands
Carpentry and finished wood products
Barn animal encounters
Composting services
Hayrides/tractor rides
Campground
Smokehouse
Mail order
Storytelling
On site markets
Arts and crafts
On site farm stores with value added farm products
Winery
Custom slaughter
Corn mazes
Fee fishing
Rent a row/tree
Bird watching
Other...
4. Agricultural enterprises that have developed new uses for traditional crops or livestock
Bioenergy production
Switch grass, hybrid poplar and willow trees, corn ethanol
Biodiesel from agricultural fats and oils
Biogas generation for farm energy needs
Arts and crafts
Pressed flower papers, decorated ostrich or emu eggs
Biosold resuse
Resale of biosolids for soil amendments from on farm waste
management practices; Methane recovery systems for CAFOs
Grain processing innovations
Pet products (cat litter), anti-icing fluids
5. Agricultural enterprises that produce crops for industrial production other than those traditionally used in industry
Cereals and Pseudocereals
Amaranth, blue corn, buckwheat, einkorn, emmer, foxtail, grain millet, khorosan, intermediate wheatgrass, pearl millet, proso millet, quinoa, spelt, teff, triticale, wild rice, reed canary grass
Grain Legumes
Any varieties of dry beans and dry peas, Illinois bundle flower, lentils
Oilseeds
Cuphea for oils (replace imported palm kern oil and coconut oils), apeacia,
camelina, canola, crambe, cuphea, jojoba, lesquerella, meadow foam, perilla, rapeseed, sesame, flax, sunflower, safflower
Industrial Crops
Bladder pod, castor, cuphea, euphorbia, fanweed, gopher plant, guayule,
gumwood, jojoba, lesquerella, vernonia
Fiber Crops
Kenaf, milkweed, flax; industrial hemp
6. Agricultural enterprises undertaking innovative direct marketing and other entrepreneurial marketing strategies
Niche marketing
Ethnic foods, specialty farm products (grass-fed cow milk bottling and delivery)
Community supported agriculture (CSA); crop-sharing; community-shared agriculture
Buying into a farm and receiving share of harvest
Custom production for institutions
Growing for restaurants, schools, or hospitals
School fundraisers
Mobile concession stands
Community shared use kitchens
Wool processing and spinning
Producer cooperatives
Product enhancers- selling products to help consumers use or appreciate farm products
Canning supplies, recipes, cookbooks, farm aprons, special seasonings
Value-added products
Cider and apple products, confections, candles, soap making, fresh or stone ground
grains, dried fruits and flowers, honey and beeswax products, meat processing