Our Services

Our Mission Statement: Illinois Initiative for the Development of Entrepreneurs in Agriculture is designed to provide high quality educational support and technical assistance to farmers and others in, or dependent on, the agriculture sector.

IDEA staff believe there is an opportunity for farmers to add value to products and increase their profitability by marketing their products through alternative methods as opposed to the commodity marketing. In order to accomplish this, IDEA conducts research, develops educational products and provides services that encourage farmers to incorporate entrepreneurial strategies, which direct their marketing efforts to meeting consumer demand.

IDEA is designed to provide:

• Resources and technical assistance
  • Business Planning
  • Product Development
  • Market Development and Research
• Publications
  • Newsletters
  • Fact Sheets
• Resource Directory
  • Starting a Business
  • Starting New Agricultural Ventures
  • University of Illinois Resources

IDEA can help you:

For Agriculture Producers:

• Identify new markets for products
• Develop a business plan for value-added enterprises
• Develop a marketable ag-related product
• Identify potential funding sources for new ventures
• Develop networks with producers engaged in similar ventures

For Food Retailers and Agribusiness Owners:

• Identify Illinos producers who can deliver product to meet customer expectations and needs
• Design a set of specifications to procure a quality food product
• Access *source verified product and understand the competitive advantage of source verified products

*source verified--knowing the origin of the product

University of Illinois Extension
Office of Extension and Outreach
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
University of Illinois

University of Illinois - US Dept of Agriculture - Local Extension Councils Cooperating
University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment.
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