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**News Release For Immediate Release Contact: Kelly M. Barmann**

**[FARMERS' MARKETS GETTING CLOSER LOOK]{.underline}**

**Indianapolis (#02-19; 4-25-2002): Indiana farmers and other rural
residents continue to closely explore alternative business ventures to
boost their incomes. While farmers' markets are not a new idea in the
state, they are receiving more attention lately as a profitable option
for rural entrepenuers and communities.**

**At a recent workshop held at the Venture Out Business Center in
Madison over 150 individuals attended to learn more about how to bring
together local business talent and local products. The Southeastern
Small Business Development Center (SBDC), a program of the Madison Area
Chamber of Commerce, is one of 14 such centers around the state and is
located at the Venture Out Business Center in Madison. The Venture Out
Business Center is an incubator site designed to help new and expanding
businesses in their area grow and prosper.**

**As part of their business development services, the SBDC in Madison
became the first in Indiana to offer technical assistance in agriculture
through a full time agricultural business development consultant on
staff. Out of this increased emphasis in agriculture, came the idea to
sponsor the workshop on farmers' markets.**

**The workshop attendance was encouraging and somewhat surprising since
farmers' markets have been around for a long time. Linda Wood, SBDC
Regional Director in Madison, said, "There is such potential here and
when we see the enthusiasm, we think its something that's going to
continue to grow." At the workshop participants studied changes in the
area's agricultural industry and the rise of farmers markets. Many of
the participants were community leaders who wanted to learn more about
how to strengthen the relationship between town and country while
enhancing the income potential of both.**

**The workshop was sponsored by the Southern Indiana Rural Development
Project, USDA Rural Development, Southeastern Indiana Small Business
Development Center, Indiana Rural Development Council, Historic Hoosier
Hills RC&D, and the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service. Breakout
sessions at the workshop were held for the producers and local govenment
officials interested in starting, expanding or improving their hometown
farmers' markets.**

**Jerry Hay, USDA Rural Development Cooperative Development Specialist,
who participated in the workshop, said, "Farmers' markets are just one
of the many examples across Indiana of farmers vertically integrating
their operations to improve the financial condition of their business.
The further a producer climbs this ladder of integration the higher his
share of returns, such as when farmers' markets allow the producer to
sell direct to the consumer."**

**Individuals interested in learning more about the activities of the
state's Small Business Development Centers and their Venture Out
Business Centers can contact the Indiana Small Business Development
Center Network, One North Capitol, Suite 900, Indianapolis, Indiana
46204; phone: (317) 234-2082. The SBDC website is
[www.isbdc.org](http://www.isbdc.org/).**

**For more information about the farmers' market workshop initiative
described in this article, you can contact Hay at 812-346-3411 or Wood
at 812-265-3127.**

Single family home loans, rural rental housing, water and waste water
facility funding, business and industry loans, and community facility
loans and grants are financial resources available from USDA Rural
Development. Questions concerning USDA Rural Development programs can be
directed to the Rural Development office in your area. Information on
where the nearest office is located to you can be obtained at
www.rurdev.usda.gov/in.