45B-6 |
Indiana value-added entrepreneurial needs: A survey of extension educators |
K. D. HAYES and D. J. Bush. Dept. of Food Science, Purdue Univ., 745 Agriculture Mall Dr., West Lafayette, IN 47907-2009 The need to move from solely agricultural commodities to both commodities and value-added products is a key factor in sustaining Indiana agriculture. Purdue University Food Science Extension can provide support, resources, and knowledge for producing high quality/high margin food products that add value to Indiana agriculture. In order to help Indiana's Food Processing-Related Industry, Purdue University Food Science Extension is building a program that will be a resource and knowledge base for entrepreneurs. Understanding the needs of entrepreneurs will better allow Purdue University Food Science Extension to determine what services and types of information will be most useful and necessary for building this program. To identify the needs of entrepreneurs in Food Processing-Related Industries within the state of Indiana. Extension Educators from 86 counties in Indiana were surveyed. Questions asked on the survey covered three subject areas: 1) resources that Purdue Food Science might provide, 2) the number and type of inquiries made by entrepreneurs to the Extension Educators, 3) entrepreneurs' interests, planning and type of product they were planning to market, and level of commitment they had made to their project. The majority of respondents indicated that a 3-ring binder of information covering various aspects of Food Processing-Related activities as a resource would be very or somewhat helpful and would be used regularly. Mainly, Extension Educators are being queried quarterly, and greater than seventy five percent of these inquiries were related to hobbies. Topics of interest included marketing, new business start-up, food regulations, and food safety. These survey data will direct Purdue University Food Science in developing an Entrepreneur Assistance Program. Resources provided by this program to Indiana Food Processing-Related Industries will ultimately help to sustain Indiana agriculture with value-added food products.
Session 45B, Extension & Outreach: General
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