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

This week has been very productive in preparing the marketing of The Profitable Hobby Farm. I’ve gathered book excerpts, a press release, and related items that are going to go towards making my very first media kit. The Sarah Beth Aubrey Facebook page (www.facebook.com/sarahbethaubrey) is being used as a book page for The Profitable Hobby Farm and Starting and Running Your Own Small Farm Business. 

After about another week, I will be getting started on contacting businesses and hopefully selling some books. The publishers are not easy to get in touch with. But I’m hoping to pull through and make this a successful project! I don’t want to be a flop at my major, sales and marketing.

Coming up in just a few weeks, the Indiana State Fair begins! I’m looking forward to going this year, after having a taste of the agriculture world. Our soybean friends at the Indiana Soybean Alliance are celebrating their “Year of the Soybean”. Check out this post by one of the ISA interns; take a shot at winning four tickets to this year’s fair. And once you’re at the fair, participate in the ISA’s soybean search, BEANGO (like Bingo, clever isn’t it!), to get some free fair food. And be sure to attend the Celebration of Agriculture event (August 17^th) put on by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. They are announcing winners of their annual photo contest, and Sarah entered her picture “Hereford Haze” in the “On the Farm” category. 

"Hereford Haze" by Sarah Aubrey

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

Despite having Monday off for Independence Day, last week was a very full week. For me it was filled with researching grants for clients, modifying grant item checklists, and organizing my plans for marketing and selling Sarah’s book.

We’ve been getting our REAP materials organized. Another year done, it is time to update our client questionnaires and checklists and everything else to be prepared for another year of applications. We are cleaning up all of these items so that the process can be easier than even for next years’ clients. While all of our clients’ applications have long been submitted, we’re tying up loose ends and last-minute details to close our book on the 2011 Rural Energy for America Program grants.

This week another newsletter will be going out. It will contain some upcoming grants, events, and a recap on the REAP grants. We also will have an article of this month’s advisory board member spotlight. If you are interested in being added to the mailing list, please contact us.