By Connor Boyd
BLOOMINGTON – State farming organizations have joined forces to put Illinois at the forefront of the worldwide agriculture industry.
The Food and Agriculture RoadMap for Illinois (FARM Illinois) was established to develop a comprehensive strategic plan to do just that. Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council CEO Kyle Ham said the FARM Illinois plan outlines strategic recommendations that could set the national and international standard for how the food and agriculture system can improve.
“Bulling leadership for innovation, developing integrated statewide longterm and public private strategies to increase coordination of agricultural activities, business development and entrepreneurship.”
The initiative was established in 2014 and is set to make it’s official statewide roll-out in the next few months. Ham said now is a fertile time.
“There’s lots of technology, lots of innovation, lots of business perspectives being implemented into farming,” Ham said. “It’s becoming a huge industry, not just for McLean County, but for all of Illinois.”
Ham added that Bloominton-Normal is ready for the opportunity to help Illinois ensure their leadership in sustainably meeting the 21st-century challenge of global and local food security.
“This community in particular is well positioned,” Ham said. “With our friends over at the (Illinois) Farm Bureau, at GROWMARK and Country to sort of raise our hand and say, we’re positioned to advantage any growth and new opportunity in agriculture, because we’re at the heart of it all.”
Lead funding for FARM Illinois was provided by the Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust with additional funding from over a dozen other organizations.
Connor Boyd can be reached at [email protected].
