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With a mission to enhance farm income, Heartland Agdeavor was launched in September, 2001 and began accepting members in March 2002. Since its inception, Heartland has brought value-added opportunities for equity investment in excess of $10 million to its members.

Heartland is a nonprofit corporation whose members may invest in value-added businesses that use farm commodities, whether they be existing or start-up businesses. The group is a joint effort of Ohio Farm Bureau and the Farm Income Enhancement Program at Ohio State.

A clearinghouse for value-added ideas, the organization brings value to its members by conducting an opportunity analysis on each potential business offering. If warranted, feasibility studies are conducted for the worthiest opportunities and complete business plans are developed for the most promising feasibility studies, according to Executive Director Larry Thompson. In addition, the organization puts entrepreneurs in contact with specialists in venture capital to help fund start-up businesses.

Heartland offers four development services for members:

1. networking with others that have similar interests;
2. intensively evaluating the most worthy ideas;
3. providing feasibility studies for the worthiest ideas to determine their economic viability; and

4) putting together business plans based on the best feasibility studies.

The association is a member of the U.S. Agricultural Producers Alliance, whose mission is to enhance the profitability of member organizations and the agricultural producers they represent. As of late last year, the Agricultural Producers Alliance consisted of eight producer alliance organizations representing approximately 3,800 members. Heartland's current projects include ethanol, soy powder from soybeans, compost from dairy waste and soy oil used a preservative in certain industrial applications.

Farm Bureau members are eligible to join Heartland. Charter memberships for farmers consist of a one-time $800 fee, payable over three years, and annual dues of $200.

"Members benefit from Heartland because they have the information that might lead to opportunities to invest in agricultural value added businesses," Thompson said. "Our goal is to increase net farm income for our members," he said.

Molly Caren Fisher became the first member of Heartland Agdeavor Association in March. She has had a long history of support of agriculture. She was raised on an apple orchard in northern Franklin County and is best known for her donation of the 992-acre Molly Caren Agricultural Center, home of the Farm Science Review.