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February 20, 2001
Value Project Receives 2001 C-FAR Achievement Award
URBANA--The Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research (C-FAR)
presented its second annual C-FAR Achievement Award at the organization's
annual meeting on February 20th at the Renaissance Springfield Hotel in
Springfield. The Achievement Award was presented to the twelve member
The Value Project research team: Burton Swanson (project leader),
Mohamed Samy, Linda Eilks, Darrel Good, Emerson Nafziger, Rita Frerichs,
and Andrew Sofranko from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign;
Michael Roegge and Peter Fandel from University of Illinois Extension;
and Norman Walzer, Christopher Merrett, and Mary Holmes from Western Illinois
University. The team's innovative approach and outstanding performance
is making great strides in improving Illinois farm income and strengthening
rural communities through value-added agriculture. The Value Project
"has become one of the most effective forces for integrating research
and extension activities in the area of specialty farm product development,"
said Illinois Farm Bureau President Ron Warfield.
An interdisciplinary team effort, The Value Project combines scientific
expertise from agricultural economics, crop science, extension education,
geography, rural development, and rural sociology. Supporting disciplines
include agricultural engineering and animal sciences. The team addresses
low farm income and its impact on rural communities through "just-in-time"
research and extension activities to assist Illinois farmers in taking
advantage of specialty crop and livestock opportunities. They also assist
farmers in getting organized into groups, such as marketing alliances,
limited liability companies, and new generation cooperatives that enable
producers to capture more value from their crops and livestock. To support
this work, a book on New Generation Cooperatives (NGCs) has been prepared,
along with an extensive directory of NGCs.
The following new alliances or coalitions have resulted or benefited
from direct Value Project inputs: Prairie Premium Ag Coalition
(McDonough County); Central Illinois Grain Alliance (Woodford County),
Omni Ventures (Greene, Macoupin, Jersey, Madison, St. Clair, and Washington
Counties); Agricultural Development Association (Crawford County); Southeastern
Illinois Ag Coalition (Jasper County); and Dieterich Agri-Economic Association
(in Effingham County). The Value Project also collaborates closely
with the statewide Producers Alliance and the Ag Guild of Illinois.
Organized around five research components-marketing, specialty crops
technology, specialty livestock, group action, and eco-regional planning-Value
Project team researchers have merged their efforts into an integrated
outreach program. Two specialty crops "fact sheet" booklets, including
information on 20 different specialty crops, have been published with
over 20,000 copies distributed. In addition, 72 on-farm trials were completed
during this past year, providing farmers with first hand information about
the profitability of different specialty crops in their part of the state.
Farmers in all Illinois counties (except four counties in Chicago metropolitan
area) have been surveyed to determine their interest in value-added agriculture
and their current level of involvement in producing different types of
specialty farm products. The results from these surveys are being used
in preparing strategic plans for each eco-region of the state. The goal
of this research is to determine the comparative advantage of each eco-region
to successfully produce different types of specialty crops or livestock,
and/or the feasibility of value-added processing opportunities.
Additional outreach efforts by the Value Project team include
over 80 presentations to producers; contributions to numerous farm magazine
and newspaper articles; frequent radio interviews; and displays at the
Illinois State Fair, the Farm Progress Show, regional agronomy days, and
other farm shows. During January and February 2001, seven additional specialty
crop and value-added conferences are being held statewide. "This interdisciplinary
research program is providing powerful information to assist Illinois
farmers and farm groups to make more effective decisions, " said Illinois
Corn Marketing Board Chairman Theresa Schmalshof.
For additional information on The Value Project, please contact
C-FAR at 800-232-7991 or visit the project's website at http://web.aces.uiuc.edu/value/.
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