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January 27, 2004
Innovative Research Spurs Economic Growth in Illinois
A five-year research initiative funded by the State of Illinois through
the Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research (C-FAR) successfully
combined highly-applied research with "just-in-time" technical
assistance to boost the Illinois farm and rural economy. Launched in July
1998, C-FAR's Rural Community Development Strategic Research Initiative
(RCD-SRI), also called I-FARRM (Illinois Farming Alternatives and Rural
Revitalization Methods), focused on identifying new opportunities to increase
income and create new jobs for Illinois' farmers and communities through
value-added and alternative agriculture. Over 30 faculty, researchers,
and economic and regional development professionals from Southern Illinois
University at Carbondale (SIUC), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
(UIUC), and Western Illinois University (WIU) collaborated on this initiative.
"The I-FARRM SRI has had tremendous impact on rural Illinois resulting
in millions of dollars of economic impact and new income while creating
hundreds of new jobs in wineries, fish farms and specialized corn and
soybean crops," said Raymond Lenzi, SRI leader from the Office of
Economic and Regional Development at SIUC.
The SRI reached all corners and regions of Illinois. Key impacts included
an increase in the adoption of value-added grains (particularly corn and
soybeans); increased production of grapes, wine, aquaculture (fish and
shrimp), organic crops, and other alternative crops; a growth in agritourism;
and a strengthening of family farms and communities through an increase
in economic partnerships and opportunities. "Our cooperative strives
to be on the leading edge of bringing more income to our producers through
finding viable value added markets. The research conducted through this
initiative was invaluable at pointing us toward potential opportunities,"
said Tom Bressner of Assumption Cooperative Grain Company. "Because
of the data collected, we now know our producers better. We also know
their willingness and abilities to change. This information will make
us much more effective in finding crops and markets that will make them
more profitable."
The project's combined economic impact on sales, payroll, capital investment,
and leveraged project dollars totaled over $154 million. This included
88 new or expanded value-added agricultural businesses; 457 new jobs with
an annual payroll of $18.3 million; $45 million in sales increases; $6
million in new capital investment; and $7 million in leveraged project
dollars. "Creative economic development strategies are key to our
state's well-being, and we are proud to have created the opportunity for
this initiative to flourish. With the State of Illinois investment in
this work, dividends are being realized across many fronts," said
Alan Puzey, C-FAR Chairman.
This C-FAR research initiative ended in June 2003. The following projects
and programs developed through this work have continued with support from
other funding sources:
- Rural Illinois Cooperative Development Center based at SIUC provides
technical and business assistance to agricultural enterprises throughout
the state.
- Southern Illinois Community Foundation has generated nearly $1 million
to support rural community development initiatives in southern Illinois.
- Global value-added project at UIUC continues research and technical
assistance in value-added crops and markets both in Illinois and globally.
- Illinois Value-Added Rural Development Center at WIU offers technical
assistance, research, and education focused on value-added food processing
and economic development.
- Agritourism Project and Union County Barnstorming Tour have become
ongoing agritourism projects of southern Illinois tourism groups.
- Aquaculture and grape/wine technical assistance continues to be offered
through SIUC's Office of Economic and Regional Development.
"This project has had enormous positive impact and return on investment.
It met virtually all its goals and objectives; created a model performance
metrics accountability system; provided assistance for nearly 500,000
Illinois citizens; and leaves a host of functioning programs and projects
with ongoing impact," said Lenzi.
The C-FAR SRI Program was established in fiscal year 1999 to implement
a targeted, multidisciplinary, and multi-institutional team approach to
addressing major concerns and opportunities for Illinois' food, agriculture,
and related industries and consumers. For more information on the RCD-SRI,
please contact the C-FAR office at 217.244.4232 or cfar@aces.uiuc.edu.
A project report is available on the C-FAR website at www.ilcfar.org/research/rcd-fp.pdf.
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