The Final Post of Prosperity's Summer Intern, Rachel Bayless

Working at Prosperity has been a wonderful 13-week internship. I’ve had a lot of fun keeping this blog updated. And I’ve learned a lot about the business and gotten great work experience. This is my final post, as I will be heading back to Purdue in a couple of days.

This week I’ve taken Sarah’s books to Mooresville Feed & Seed to sell. There are now a few copies displayed at the cash register. I also went to a country store not too far from Prosperity where they expressed an interest in the books. They have a lot of hobby-farming customers who would be interested in learning how to make their operations profitable. And due to the convenient location, there may be some book signings in the future!

Yesterday I got to work at the Indiana State Fair. I sat in the Normandy Barn and got to talk to scores of fair-goers and hand out recipes for the Family of Farmers’ recipe trail. The Striped Bass with Pumpkin Sauce may not have been the biggest hit of the trail. But quite a few people said they planned on trying it, and it would probably go well with the dirt pudding recipe from the next stop on the recipe trail. Also, upstairs at the Normandy Barn, paintings of Indiana artist, Douglas David were featured, as well as the photographs of the ISDA photo contest winners. Sarah’s “Hereford Haze” is the first picture you see as you walk up the stairs. It’s really a very nice display of pictures and paintings. If you’re at the fair, it’s also a good break to the indoors for air conditioning.

On Monday I will begin my job as an advertising representative at The Exponent, Purdue’s student newspaper. Last semester I was a sales assistant, but now that I’ll have a territory and my own clients as an ad rep, I’m glad I’ve gotten some experience at Prosperity dealing with clients! I also write for a blog at Purdue. I am an admissions blogger, and maintain a blog for prospective students to read about life at Purdue. Once school starts I will be updating my “Boilermaker Life” blog again. You can keep track of what I’m up to at school on that blog. I am heading into my junior year, studying Sales and Marketing in the College of Agriculture. I’m looking forward to my new classes this semester, and hopefully I will have another fantastic semester at Purdue!

Winding Down, Week 11

On Monday, Prosperity held its quarterly advisory board conference call. I had the opportunity to sit in and listen to the board discuss current happenings in the agriculture world from different vantage points. Indiana Farm Bureau president Don Villwock called in as a guest speaker, and I am glad I got the opportunity to sit in on the meeting.

Also, as a follow up to my previous posts regarding Sarah’s photo, Hereford Haze – an entry is the ISDA’s annual photo contest, the winners have been selected! Hereford Haze took first place in the “On the Farm” category. It goes very nicely with the other 11 photographs selected, which will be a part of a 2012 calendar put out by the Indiana Farm Bureau and Hoosier Ag Today. And throughout the fair you will be able to see the pictures displayed upstairs in the Normandy Barn. I hope you get a chance to visit the fair this year and see all the wonderful events going on, especially this “Year of the Soybean”.

Following the meeting on Monday, I got to meet the newest resident on the Aubrey property. I had never seen such a young calf before, and she’s about the cutest thing I’ve seen. Her name is A cappella. She’s precious.

Photo by Rachel Bayless

From the Desk of Prosperity’s Summer Intern, Rachel Bayless:

I can’t believe I only have three weeks left of my internship. This summer has gone by so quickly. My next three weeks will be focused on marketing Starting & Running Your Own Small Farm Business and The Profitable Hobby Farm. There will be quite a bit of email and phone correspondence with Indiana wineries and local businesses to try to sell the book at those locations in addition to the current major sellers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Hastings. And at some point in the next few weeks we’re going to try to set up a face-to-face sales call. I’ll admit, I’m nervous! But hopefully I can pick up some sales skills from my internship, as I continue studying sales & marketing.

It looks as though I’ll be working at the state fair for a couple days with the Indiana Office of Energy. I am truly excited to be seeing the fair from a different side. I’ve attended it almost every year, just with elephant ears and snow cones in mind. But I’m looking forward to seeing the agriculture and Indiana-focused side of the state fair and especially seeing the displays the Office of Energy presents to fair-goers interested in Indiana energy. And as I mentioned in my last post, the ISDA is putting on a “Celebration of Agriculture” event on August 17^th. They will also be announcing their photo contest winners, and Sarah’s photo “Hereford Haze” is an entry!

Photo by Rachel Bayless

PROSPERITY REACHES FINISH LINE FOR 2011 REAP PROGRAM

MONROVIA, Ind. – June 15, 2011 – USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) FY 2011 construction application submission period is now closed and Prosperity Ag and Energy Resources (Prosperity) has submitted all applications to USDA. This year Prosperity submitted 66 70 grants in ten states for 2011 funding consideration through this popular program. The energy savings across all projects will yield 41.6% in 2011. In less than four years, Prosperity has secured grants for clients in more than 30 states totaling $50 million; REAP grant applications this year request greater than $2,486,493.22 funding for clients.

Notifications of awards are expected to be announced by late September. Prosperity writes and submits grants annually for energy efficiency upgrades and renewable energy projects. The REAP Program funding is authorized through the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Farm Bill). REAP funding can be used for renewable energy projects, energy efficient improvements, energy audits, feasibility studies and renewable energy development assistance. Information on the REAP program can be found at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP_ReapResEei.html

Prosperity Ag and Energy Resources began in 2007 and is a full-service, funding-opportunities development firm. Prosperity focuses on grant writing, guaranteed loans and general grant administration, working closely with state and federal contacts to strengthen communities, empower entrepreneurs, and foster growth of farms and businesses. 

2011 REAP Grant Applications Submitted!

The REAP grant deadline has finally come for us. We were working right up to the last minute! During the home stretch we lost Internet for the morning. A big storm flew over this morning and I imagine that may have had something to do with it. But we hurried to get back on track, and our numerous applications have each been submitted. Here are some stats about this year’s submissions from Prosperity Ag & Energy Resources:

66 70 grants

10 states

41.6% energy savings to come from proposed projects

$2,486,439.22 requested in grants

In the past three years Prosperity has secured 183 REAP grants in 13 states, 108 of which were for Indiana farms and small businesses. In 2010 grants totaling $2,917,444.40 were secured for Prosperity’s clients, and in 2009 an estimated more than $1.5 million in grants were secured as well. Each year over a million gallons of propane gas will be saved with the new grain dryers funded by the REAP grants written at Prosperity.

We are already getting started on REAP grant applications for 2012. Next year is the final year currently announced for the REAP Program. This program has been quite a success and we are hoping and encouraging the continuation of the program. But if you are interested, please do not delay your application! Feel free to contact us with any and all questions at 317-996-2777.