Agricultural Programs

Agricultural Organizations and Tools

The Illinois Market Maker  is an interactive mapping system that locates businesses and markets of agricultural products in Illinois, providing an important link between producers and consumers. 

• Factsheets and Publications -These fact sheets are an online resource intended to improve the user's understanding of food marketing and provide better access to regional food markets. 
• Find a Business -Use this tool to find one or more food industry businesses based on the type of business, location and other optional parameters.
• Find a Market - Use this tool to build a demographic query to help you find a market for your products.

The Agricultural Marketing Resource Center is an electronic, national resource for producers interested in value-added agriculture. Browse commodities and products, investigate market and industry trends, study business creation and operation, read research results and locate value-added resources.

• Commodities & Products --Provides information to help you assess value-added market opportunities, investigate processing options and understand business and production issues for agricultural commodities and products.
• Markets and Industries --Helps you understand and analyze value-added markets and industries. Each section contains AgMRC-developed information, information from other sources and links to related Web sites.
• Business Development --Fact sheets, analysis tools, videos and other educational materials to help you create and operate a successful value-added agricultural business.
• Renewable Energy --Fact sheets, economic analysis, analysis tools, videos and other educational materials on the renewable energy industry.

Applied Sustainability Center (ASC) is working with individual companies and industry across the board to promote sustainable business.

• Agile Agriculture --Materials shared at the October meeting of the Agile Agriculture group.
• Life Cycle Inventory & Life Cycle Assessment --Assessing the entire life cycle of the product, process or activity, encompassing extracting and processing material; manufacturing, transporting and distribution; use, reuse and maintenance; recycling and final disposal.
• Carbon Innovation Lab --The process of reducing the carbon footprint of a specific product or group of related products.
• Training Papers and Research --Curriculum & Executive Training.

The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), part of the executive branch of the Federal Government.

• Agricultural Systems
• Animals
• Biotechnology and Genomics
• Economics and Community Development
• Education
• Food, Nutrition, and Health
• Natural Resources & Environment
• Plant
• Technology & Engineering

The Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics (ACE) equips students for careers in many areas of business and consumer affairs, as well as for advanced studies in applied economics, business, law, applied finance, policy analysis or public policy.

The Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research (C-FAR) is a statewide coalition organized to support relevant, high-quality research and related outreach programs for Illinois’ food, agricultural, and related systems.

Career Pathways

Other Agriculture Resources, Associations and Directories

ASSOCIATIONS

• Illinois Association of Meat Processors
• Illinois Beef Association
• Illinois Cooperative Council
• Illinois Corn Growers Association
• Illinois Corn Marketing Board
• Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research
• Illinois Dietetic Association
• Illinois Farm Business Farm Management Association
• Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association
• Illinois Grape Growers & Vintners Association
• Illinois Landscape Contractors Association
• Illinois Milk Producers' Association
• Illinois Pork Producers Association
• Illinois Restaurant Association
• Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers & Rural Appraisers
• Illinois Soil Testing Association
• Illinois Soybean Association
• Illinois Specialty Growers Association
• Illinois State University Agriculture Alumni Association
• Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association
• Illinois Wheat Association
• Midwest Dairy Association
• Midwest Association of Golf Course Superintendents, Inc.
• Sod Growers Association of Mid-America
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences Alumni Association
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Veterinary Medicine Alumni Association

DATA

• Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
• Illinois State Geological Survey
• Illinois State Water Survey
• Illinois Sustainable Technology Center

AgMRC Value-Added Directories

• State Resources - Contacts of individuals and programs in each of the 50 states for value-added agriculture information specific to that state.
• Agricultural Innovation Centers - List of USDA-funded agricultural innovation centers, with an overview, subject areas of expertise, activities and contact individuals.
• Value-Added Agricultural Consultants and Service Providers - List of specialists who have registered on the site to assist producers in developing or expanding a value-added agriculture business.
• Value-Added Agricultural Businesses - List of value-added businesses that have registered on the site that can be contacted by individuals with similar interests.

USDA Related Directories

• Data Resources - Includes census of agriculture, USDA marketing and research sites and the National Ag Library.
• National Agricultural Statistics Service State Offices - Find specific production and agricultural statistics for each of the 50 states.
• The National Organic Program – State Contacts - Contacts for state offices and directors of the USDA organic program.
• State Fact Sheets - Contains fact sheets that provide information on population, employment, income, farm characteristics and farm financial indicators for each state in the United States.
• State Farmers Markets - Directory by state of farmer's markets.
• State Marketing Profiles, AMS, USDA - The state marketing profiles are broken down into states in brief, congressional district-by-district agricultural profiles, farmers market operations, organic agriculture, agricultural marketing research projects and urban demographics and consumption profiles.
• USDA Rural Development State Cooperative Specialists - Listing of state USDA Rural Development Cooperative Development specialists for each state in the United States.

Other Related Directories

• Bioprocessing & Bioproducts Degree Programs
• Cooperative Development Programs/Centers - List of organizations with cooperative development programs.
• Export Assistance Centers - Sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration, these centers are one-stop shops ready to provide small- or medium-sized businesses with personalized export information. The centers are located in major cities throughout the United States.
• General Value-added Programs - Includes university value-added programs, agriculture innovation centers, agricultural issues centers and research institutes.
• Local Extension Offices - Contacts for state directors and administrators for each of the state land grant institutions.
• National Commodity and Farm Organizations - List of commodity industry associations and general agriculture producer organizations.
• Other Programs - Includes alternative agriculture programs, organic farming programs, small farm programs and rural affairs programs.
• Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) Association - This resource partner of the Small Business Administration provides free, one-on-one counseling to entrepreneurs interested in starting or expanding a business.
• Sustainable Agriculture Programs - List of sustainable ag programs that focus on profitability while conserving natural resources.
• State Extension Service Directors and Administrators (pdf) - 2005 State Cooperative Extension Directors Directory.
• University Centers Related to Sustainability
• U.S. Small Business Administration District Offices - List of Small Business Administration offices in each state of the United States.
• Women's Business Centers - Another program funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration, this national network of nearly 100 educational centers helps women entrepreneurs start and grow small businesses.