Ag Business Development
- starting a value-added business
- new uses, new opportunities
- business topics
- value-added agriculture topics
Missouri Department of Agriculture
Ag Business Development Division
P.O. Box 630
1616 Missouri Blvd.
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Toll-Free Number:
(866) 466-8283
abd@mda.mo.gov
www.mda.mo.gov
Ag Business Development
Information for group entrepreneurs
Starting a value-added venture with other producers is more complex than projects involving just one or a small number of entrepreneurs. The organizational and financial structures used, as well as the legal issues encountered, increase the complexity of value-added projects involving many producers.
Ag Innovation Resources:
- For information, examples, and contacts for value-added projects involving specific commodities, see our New Uses, New Opportunities section.
- See our resource library for information about business start-up issues, new generation cooperatives, and general cooperative development resources.
- GETTING FROM IDEA TO IMPLEMENTATION: A Checklist For Producers Starting A New Value-Added Agriculture Business (PDF: 232kb). This Ag Innovation Guide will help you in starting a value-added agriculture business.
Ag Innovation Guide: Financial Resources for Ag-Based Businesses (PDF: 74kb)
Other Resources:
- “Co-op Fever”: A Rural Developer’s Guide to Forming Cooperatives” (by Bill Patrie for USDA/Rural Development) (HTML or PDF)
- An effective team is the basis for successful value-added ventures. Fast Company magazine has a number of excellent articles on collaborative strategies for creating successful teams.