The Cross at the Crossroads Announces Launch of Online Christian Bookstore

The Cross Foundation has announced the opening of a new online Christian bookstore, in association with The Cross at the Crossroads, in Effingham, Illinois.

Effingham, IL, March 23, 2011 (Straight Line PR) -- The Cross at the Crossroads, a Christian Monument at the intersection of Interstate 57 and Interstate 70 in Effingham, Illinois, has launched an online Christian bookstore.

Over 50,000 visitors a day pass by the Christian monument which was commemorated on September 16, 2001 a few days after the 9/11 tragedy. The Cross is a 198 foot tall steel structure whose purpose it is to remind passersby of the message of transcendent love.

"Over the last ten years over ten million people have driven by the Cross," said Jim Schultz, Board member of the Cross Foundation which manages The Cross at the Crossroads. "We are excited about launching our online Christian bookstore in response to the demand we have received for faith based merchandise."

The new online Christian bookstore can be found at http://www.CrossUSA.org/bookstore and features thousands of books, DVDs, music CDs and more.

The Cross at the Crossroads was originally the vision of John Herman Schultz, who was responsible for the initial fund raising and planning activities for the twenty-story-tall monument. Mr. Schultz believed that the message of the Cross would make people focus on what was really important.

"My father was inspired to create a monument that would induce a message of hope, love and wonder in people," said Jim Schultz, son of the founder.

The Message of the Cross is that there is more to life than the EGO/SELF and the value of an individual comes from their ability and willingness to be of service to others.

The Message of the Cross is one of transcendent love. That beyond all of the manifestations of the ego, and all of the strife that "ego" creates in the world, is a love that we all can embrace when people learn that the ego is not the solution.

The Message of the Cross is one that reminds us that all life is sacred.

The Message of the Cross is Forgiveness, which is available to all who are constantly reminded of how life challenges us daily with understanding the totality of the first three precepts.

A YouTube video of The Cross at the Crossroads can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjKxrnawl0k

A YouTube video of the new online Christian bookstore can also be seen at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTdwimVtoCk

"We have some incredible merchandise in the online bookstore," said Christy Hakman, Coordinator of Volunteer Activities for the Cross Foundation. "Everything from old sheet music, bestselling books, top movies as well as Bibles and Christian Jewelry are now out on our website for viewing. We are very thrilled to share these with the global online community."

To shop for Christian books, DVDs, and music at the new Cross Foundation online bookstore, visit http://www.CrossUSA.org/bookstore

About The Cross Foundation:

The Cross Foundation is dedicated to building both faith and family on an ecumenical basis. The Cross Foundation has completed a 198 foot Cross at the intersection of Interstate highways 57 & 70 in Effingham, Illinois. This site is intended to serve as a beacon of hope to the 50,000 travelers estimated to pass the site each day. In addition, the Cross Foundation will promote the values of faith and family. This Christian Monument is a sight to behold as it literally rises out of the Illinois corn fields to greet you.

To learn more about The Cross Foundation, please visit:http://www.CrossUSA.org

On Facebook: http://on.fb.me/CrossFoundation

On Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/crossusaorg

Please contact http://www.PressReleaseNation.com for corrections or to update this press release.

Contact:

Jim Schultz

The Cross Foundation

P.O. Box 1103

Effingham, IL 62401

17-347-2846

crossusa@addtraffic.net

http://www.CrossUSA.org

Sustainable Agricultural Technology Will Change to Meet Global Demand

The country's most prominent venture capitalists are convinced the next big opportunity is in the business of sustainable agriculture technology. Venture capital fund Open Prairie Ventures is poised to take advantage of this trend.

Effingham, IL, March 22, 2011 (Straight Line PR) -- Fifty years ago the cherry and apricot orchards of Northern California began to be replaced by the microchip and semiconductor plants populated by today's technology sector. Today the most prominent venture capitalists are looking at the corn fields in the United States, convinced the next big opportunity is in the business of sustainable agriculture technology.

"Sustainable agriculture is as big or bigger than clean tech," said Jim Schultz, founder of Open Prairie Ventures, a venture capital fund from Effingham, Illinois. In the early part of the twentieth Century, the Midwest was bustling with entrepreneurial activity in Agriculture. That resurgence is now sprouting out of the ground again, in the 21st Century, as we are seeing exciting technologies being developed which will further entrench the Midwest as the "bread basket" to feed the global population. Open Prairie Ventures ( http://www.OpenPrairie.com ) has been leading the charge of mid-America venture capital firms funding the yellow brick road of Agriculture 2.0.

Farmers in the United States are under huge pressure to produce more food, pollute less and fulfill specific consumer demand while dealing with harsh economic realities and a volatile climate.

Innovation in Agriculture has strong interest from venture capitalists throughout the world. These funds understand that the food supply will need to double over the next 30 years to feed the ever-increasing demands of the global population.

"If we are going to increase our food supply by 100% in the next thirty years, this demand for growth will be fueled by safe agricultural technologies that increase crop yields on less land," said Schultz.

Schultz speaks about Open Prairie Ventures' investments in sustainable agriculture in a new YouTube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=714EQqgP4fI

But getting into the agricultural space requires knowledge that most venture capitalists currently lack.

"There are two major obstacles," said Schultz who has been regarded as the Johnny Appleseed of the Agriculture Technology sector. "The first is having managers who understand the space. The second is having an exit strategy on how the company will be developed to provide a liquidity option for a venture fund investor. This is how venture capital firms make their money and since the industry is relatively new it lacks the depth that exists in other business sectors."

In 2008, Open Prairie launched a $30 million fund that was split about 50-50 between agriculture and biotech. Now an expanding and increasingly profitable agriculture market has meant that Schultz and his company Open Prairie Ventures are in very big demand.

Schultz is contemplating a new fund that solely deals in agriculture and said he's been getting interest from some of Wall Street's biggest companies. Though the new fund is still in the concept phase, the demand and interest exists to establish such a fund today.

The reality is that investments in technologies to improve agriculture appear to be sound philosophies that can produce exceptional crop and financial yields.

For more information on Open Prairie Ventures please visit: http://www.OpenPrairie.com/About.html

About Open Prairie Ventures:

Open Prairie Advisors was created to leverage its Principals' combined expertise of over 50 years in assisting small and middle-market companies navigate the path to building successful, entrepreneurial companies. As entrepreneurs themselves, the Principals of Open Prairie Advisors have developed a keen understanding of the challenges that entrepreneurs must confront. The firm is known for both discovering high-potential businesses and helping their management successfully implement solution-focused strategies. The company's approach works for firms during both recessionary and expansionary economic environments across the agricultural marketplace. For more information, visit http://www.OpenPrairie.com or call 217.347.1000.

Please contact http://www.PressReleaseNation.com for corrections or to update this press release.

Press Contact:

Jim Schultz

Managing Partner

Open Prairie Ventures

400 East Jefferson

Effingham, IL 62401

217.347.1000

openprairie@addtraffic.net

http://www.OpenPrairie.com