MU Student Gardens & CSA -- WINNERS of the 4th Annual MU New Venture Idea Competition!

Well the big news is that we are the grand prizewinner of the fourth Annual MU New Venture Idea Competition in the Non-Profit category. The purposes of the competition are: to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit at the University of Missouri by celebrating the creation by the Kauffman University-wide Entrepreneurship Education Initiative of three FIGs with an entrepreneurial theme during Fall, 2006, including Business Entrepreneurship, Social Entrepreneurship, and Innovation Through the Arts; and to introduce the Flegel-Source Interlink Academy for Aspiring Entrepreneurs to the campus community.

We had to come up with a brochure, and our presentation needs some more work but we still won. There were 65 applicants. There were 2 prizes we won. The first prize we won was first place in our class(undergrad) category (non-profit). Then we competed with all the non-profit class winners (3) for and additional $1100. The total prize was $1500 to be split among the team of 4, payable to our student accounts. The judges seemed really interested and the first 3 minute presentation turned into 15 with their questions. The second presentation was 5 minutes and the same happened again, going about 10-12 minutes, with lots of questions. We were able to answer ALL of their questions, with none of the 'I don't know' or 'hadn't thought of that' answers. The judges were really excited about it and talked to us more afterwords. They really loved our brochure. The brochure was just a prop and not meant to be final or anything yet, but I am attaching it so you all may see our work. Please let me know what you think.

I went to the National Small Farm Show here in Columbia and attended a seminar on SPIN (Small Plot Intensive) Gardening with Tim Reinbott, we both thought it would be helpful to this venture. Then I went and met with Tim Reinbott and Leslie Shaw and walked over areas we will be responsible for in the coming growing season. It looks like a total of three tillable acres. All I can say is wow! Lots of work. Sally is working plant production and guide for when to plant, and what to plant where for the next growing season.

MU Student Gardens CSA & 4th Annual MU New Venture Idea Competition

O.K. it’s been three weeks, but what a three weeks! I have met with Dr. Spain and have a list of people that I need to see, trying to see them all before Thanksgiving break. Received the demographic data from Dr. Martz; I think it’s helping. Still looking for students to join this great project.

Completed our Competitive Analysis on Friday and received the reviews of our Industry Analysis. We’ll need to rework the Industry Analysis since we earned somewhere in the B to B- range on our first attempt.

Turned in our project to the 4th Annual MU New Venture Idea Competition. We’re finalists in the non-profit category. Yea!!! We present at 9:50 AM Cornell Hall Room 15, Friday, November 14, 2008. If we do well enough we could win $1500 total between the four of us. The team is Sally Mayo, Abby Berndt, and Whitney Middleton and myself.

Hoping to be done with as much of the business plan and feasibility study before Thanksgiving break so we can write up for a Federal SARE Grant for our project on break, the deadline is Dec 1st . If it proves too much, it will just have to wait. That’s it for now.