Business and International Education program at UNK: Offers advice and tools for community business people, university students and faculty to grow-their-own economic development through university, community, and global partnerships; helps develop, improve and disseminate best practices of international business, training programs, teaching and curriculum development to increase rural American competitiveness. Contact: http://www.unk.edu/acad/internationalbusiness/index.php.

Food Processing Center: Provides assistance to new and existing agricultural producers and value-added food processors on product and process development, business planning and funding opportunities, including state and federal grant and loan opportunities. Assistance in applying for grants is available. Contact: http://fpc.unl.edu.

Nebraska Center for Rural Health Research: Housed in the College of Public Health, maintains a health information project that provides information useful in any analysis or program development in rural Nebraska (including census, vital statistics, hospital discharge data, program data); also includes various reports that describe the availability of health care services throughout rural Nebraska. Contact: www.unmc.edu/rural.

NebraskaEDGE, Center for Applied Rural Innovation, a part of UNL Extension: Community-based entrepreneurial educational training program encourages start-up and expansion of small businesses, including value-added agricultural operations, with comprehensive business planning training; small business and management skill education. Contact: http://nebraskaedge.unl.edu/.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Provides research-based education and information on a broad variety of subjects; found throughout the state in 83 county offices that serve all 93 counties; research and extension centers at Scottsbluff, North Platte, Norfolk, and on the UNL campus. Contact: http://www.extension.unl.edu/.

University Rural Initiative: Housed at the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources on the UNL East Campus, connects university resources with the needs of rural residents, including a variety of research and outreach. Contact: http://ruralinitiative.nebraska.edu/.

100 Beef Cow Ownership Advantage program: Graduates receive a low interest loan to purchase 100 beef cows and return to rural Nebraska as partners in existing beef cattle enterprises; coordinated by the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in partnership with the USDA Farm Service Agency, Nebraska Department of Agriculture, Nebraska Cattlemen and the Farm Bureau (in developmental stages). Contact: http://ncta.unl.edu/index.html.

Nebraska Cooperative Development Center, Center for Applied Rural Innovation: The Nebraska Cooperative Development Center is Nebraska's center for cooperative based business development. NCDC Provides education, training, and technical assistance (group facilitation, specialized resources such as legal assistance, feasibility analysis and financial assistance), and small amounts of seed money for developing and existing cooperatively owned, LLC or other structured businesses. Contact: http://ncdc.unl.edu. Lincoln 402-472-1748, Holdrege 308-995-3889.