Completed Project Report


Food Rules: Managing Entrepreneurial Farm Business Risks by Knowing the Regulations

  • Award Amount: $26,923
  • Regional Center: North Central Extension Risk Management Education Center
  • Grant Program: 2008 Value Added Enterprises/Farm Diversification Grants

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Project Overview

As more consumers demand fresh, local foods, more farmers strive to meet that demand, while also increasing their farm´s economic viability. Yet there are unique risks associated with the production and sales of local foods, including the many rules and regulations concerning the production, transportation, processing, and sales of farm products. While farmer training programs like Farm Beginnings teach business planning, the intricacies of rules and regulations are often minimally addressed. To fill this gap, and reduce risks for today´s beginning farmers, we held a series of five "Food Rules" workshops across Illinois in late 2008 and early 2009. Each workshop featured a panel of at least 3 regulators, and attracted 30-75 participants at each location, including farmers, educators, and community leaders. The workshops were presented as an effective risk management education tool to help producers assess and address the risks of various farm business endeavors and associated marketing strategies.

Number of Participants: 204

Outcomes

Project Steps

PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS

There are no promotional materials available for this project.

EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

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REPORTS & EVALUATIONS

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DELIVERY AREA

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