2002 Annual Report Edition of The Extension Connection
Twendy-four members of the Greene Bean Project share the work, risks and profits of their azuki bean. The Greene County growers are raising azuki bean and selling it overseas.
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Last update: February 2003
AgMRC web site helps entrepreneurs succeed
Chris Henning Cooklin knows a good deal when she sees
one. A farmer looking at growing alternative crops, she could quickly
see the potential in edible azuki bean. It sells for 27 cents a pound
compared to soybean, which sells for 8 to 9 cents a pound.
The problem lies in knowing how to grow and market the azuki bean, which
never had been grown commercially in Greene County. For that, Henning
Cooklin and about 23 other Greene County farmers formed a cooperative
and turned to Iowa State University Extension’s Agricultural Marketing
Resource Center (AgMRC), a “one-stop shop” for increasing the
success of value-added agriculture.
AgMRC was established with a competitively funded USDA three-year $5
million grant. The grant recently has been increased by $12 million and
expanded to six years. Partners include the University of California and
Kansas State University.
“They did so much for us,” Henning Cooklin said. “They
helped research the who, what and how. They helped us find markets, growing
tips, fellow growers and an expert on azuki bean.”
The center, she noted, was a perfect fit for the Greene County group.
The growers formed the Greene Bean Project—Alternative Crop Enterprises
in 2001. “We agreed to share everything, from the risks to the proceeds,”
she said. “AgMRC has that same mentality of sharing resources.”
According to Mary Holz-Clause, AgMRC’s co-director, other Iowans
are finding the center to be a good resource as well. The AgMRC
Web site (www.AgMRC.org) went public April 1, 2002, but wasn’t
actively promoted until September. By that time the site was logging up
to 121,000 hits each month.
The site is an extensive collection of resources that can help anyone involved in agriculture develop and improve any aspect of his or her business. The site contains links for everything from networks of Christmas tree growers to Web sites that answer questions about loans and other financing issues. Directories list value-added consultants, value-added agriculture businesses and applicable laws specific to each state.
For the Greene Bean Project and Henning Cooklin, the help from the center means they’re not looking for a broker in their second year of operation, as they were last year. AgMRC’s resources helped them locate a broker who assists them in selling their edible beans to the Philippines and Taiwan. Said Henning Cooklin, “The AgMRC Web site and ISU Extension’s resources are invaluable.”