What's Happening Wednesday: Central Indiana Food Hub Feasibility Study

This Wednesday we are hard at work on finalizing the Central Indiana Food Hub Feasibility Study, which will be presented to the public on August 21, 2012, 7:00 P.M. EST at the Hancock County Public Library. Watch this video for an update on the feasibility study with Sarah Aubrey, Principal, and Sarah Thomas, Intern.

PHOTO FRIDAY: 2012 Ham Breakfast @ the Indiana State Fair

From Left: Kaitlin Ringer, Erin Smith, Sarah Aubrey, Sarah Thomas

Today is the opening day at the Indiana State Fair, and Prosperity's team took part in the festivities by attending the Annual Ham Breakfast hosted by Indiana Pork and the Indiana State Fair. Prosperity joined the Governor, Lt. Governor, pork producers, and friends of the industry this morning to support Indiana agriculture and the Great Indiana State Fair!

What's Happening Wednesday: Summer Office Crew Lunch

Yesterday was Prosperity Intern, Sarah Thomas' last day. The staff took a break from the office atmosphere to have lunch at a local cafe. It was a great way to spend the last day with the whole summer crew. We will miss having Sarah, and we wish her the best of luck as she finishes her senior year in elementary education at IUPUI!

Read more about Sarah Thomas in her last post. 

Time to go...

By Sarah Thomas, Intern

It's time for me to walk through a different door.

Today is my last day with Prosperity Ag & Energy Resources. My summer has flown by so fast! Thursday I return to school to complete my senior year of college at IUPUI majoring in elementary education. For the fall semester I will be student teaching 6th grade at The Center for Inquiry Indianapolis Public School #84. I am excited about starting my senior year of college and like my summer I know it is going to fly by.

Through my internship with Prosperity I have gained a confidence in myself that will definitely help me in my student teaching. My writing has matured this summer and will help me write those college papers! I have also developed my social networking and people skills which will not only help me in the classroom but outside as well.

What I'll miss most about Prosperity is the office staff. I had so much fun getting to know and work with them. I loved Wine Wednesdays, talking about the agriculture industry, praying for rain and then leaving the office door open when it finally did rain so we could hear, watch and smell it. I look forward to staying connected with them and staying up to date with what is happening with Prosperity after I walk out the door.

Central Indiana Food Hub in NGFN Newsletter

The Central Indiana Food Hub was featured in the National Good Food Network (NGFN) Food Hub Collaboration Newsletter - July 2012. The Newsletter goes out to food hub supporters and managers to give updates on food hubs. 

Food Hub Development in Central Indiana
A food hub feasibility study, managed by the Hancock County Purdue Extension Office and Prosperity Ag and Energy Resources, is underway in Central Indiana. More than 100 producers from around the  state have already interviewed for the study, including producers interested in growing specialty crops and producers currently row-crop only. Purdue Extension Educator Roy Ballard, leading the process, has been hard at work educating the public and stateholders about food hubs through social media and local news outlets. Find out more on their Facebook page. 

Read the full newsletter here. 

Photo Friday: Droughts Through the Years

This picture shows droughts in the U.S. dating back to 1896. This year's drought is now being compared to the drought in 1934 during the Dust Bowl.

Drought’s Footprint

More than half of the country was under moderate to extreme drought in June, the largest area of the contiguous United States affected by such dryness in nearly 60 years. Nearly 1,300 counties across 29 states have been declared federal disaster areas. Areas under moderate to extreme drought in June of each year are shown in orange below.

Read The New York Times article here.

(2012). Droughts Footprint. The New York Times. 

What's Happening Wednesday: Sarah Aubrey featured in local newspaper

Sarah Aubrey, Principal of Prosperity Ag and Energy Resources was featured in the local Morgan County Indiana newspaper, The Reporter Times. Sarah discusses her company, Prosperity Ag and Energy Resources and describes her books, "Starting & Running Your Own Small Business" and "The Profitable Hobby Farm." Both titles are available for digital downloads on popular sites such as www.amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and others.

Monrovia author's books on small farm businesses go digital
Entrepreneur provides advice on running business, being part of local foods niche

By Sarah W. ShroyerCorrespondent

July 22, 2012

MONROVIA — Sarah Aubrey’s books draw from her extensive experience in agriculture and as a successful entrepreneur. Now her books are available in digital format, making it easier for potential clients to gain insight into her expertise.

Aubrey is the owner of Prosperity Ag and Energy Resources, founded in 2007 and located in Monrovia. The small business is a full-service funding opportunities firm that helps agricultural, renewable energy and local foods businesses obtain funding through government or foundation grants. Using Aubrey’s unique experience, the company is able to seek out and secure funding for grant proposals across Indiana and the United States.

As the sole owner of Prosperity Ag and Energy Resources, Aubrey knows how important it is to have a strong online presence in order to grow.

“Our clients have a very strong interest in real-time information,” Aubrey said. “Streamlining our information increases our reach.”

The grant business utilizes several technologies in order to reach current and new clients, including Facebook, Twitter and its own website, which will soon include a way to purchase Aubrey’s books. The local author writes how-to books for small farm entrepreneurs.

Read the full article here.