A farm scene in Kosciusko County.

WARSAW – Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation (KEDCo) recently announced a project involving the Kosciusko County Community Foundation, Purdue Extension, and Grace College to launch an asset mapping project focused on the agricultural sector in Kosciusko County.

“We are excited about the opportunities ahead to identify and connect agricultural assets in our community,” said KEDCo CEO Alan Tio in a prepared statement released Monday, Sept. 16.

“With participation of local agricultural leaders, we will be better equipped to tell our story about the importance of agriculture in our community.”

Grace College agribusiness major Hallie McGlaun is contacting a broad network of agricultural leaders, such as growers, producers, distributors, community, commodity and equipment vendors, and retail outlets in order to develop a comprehensive inventory of the community’s resources and their locations.

“We are so pleased to see Kosciusko County agriculture leaders coming together to support the future of this industry in our community,” said Kosciusko County Community Foundation CEO Suzie Light. “Agriculture has been so important to our community’s prosperity and we are well-positioned to contribute to the industry’s future.”

The project traces its roots to a meeting of the KEDCo Agribusiness Roundtable at which Indiana Grown Program Director Heather Tallman described similar projects in other Indiana counties that have proven valuable to support further development of the agricultural sector in those communities.

In less than a year, KEDCo has established a significant focus on the agribusiness sector and in particular on supporting entrepreneurship and innovation, talent development and recruitment, and community-building and marketing activities. Specific activities include board-level participation in AgriNovus Indiana and attendance of Forbes AgTech Summits.

Partnerships have quickly emerged such as the Kosciusko County Community Foundation supporting McGlaun’s participation in the project, Purdue Extension providing a framework for the asset mapping project, and Grace College focusing students on developing business plans for future agriculture ventures. 

Tio could not be reached for comment.