Project Overview
The Share Grounds Incubator Kitchen Project expanded capacity to provide technical assistance to agricultural producers and food entrepreneurs in Arkansas during the COVID pandemic through the SERME program. The University of Arkansas (UA) System project team was working to educate and mentor Arkansas produce growers and entrepreneurs interested in starting a food processing business. This project provided participants with the opportunity to apply for one-on-one mentoring with UA faculty, staff and Food Science student interns. The interns provided over 240 hours to food entrepreneurs. The “Creating Food Processing Businesses in Arkansas” workshop was presented through state and regional networks utilizing integrated technologies reaching 63 clients (classroom and video conferencing). Participants learned about local shared-use kitchens/facilities and steps to create food products for commercial markets. Creating new food products or a food processing business is complex. However, mitigating risks for produce growers and enterprises starting food processing businesses is critical to ensure success. Twenty four clients enrolled in the program, eighteen received up to 10 hours of mentoring, recipe development, batch testing, production and safety training, and kitchen production time. Nine clients continued with the full program, four acquired food permits, and three sold products commercially.
Number of Participants: 87
PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS
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EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS
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REPORTS & EVALUATIONS
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