Turn Home Cooking Into Cash
January 8, 2004

The holidays have provided ample opportunity to feast on our family’s traditional foods.  How many times have we told Uncle Daan that his chowder is good enough to sell?  What about Nina’s BBQ sauce- better than anything on the supermarket shelf, right?  If you are family-famous for making something special, and you’ve dreamed of chucking the day job to whip up endless batches of sweet and savory delicacies, now is your chance to make the leap into the food specialty market.  There is an exceptional free resource called the Northeast Center for Food Entrepreneurship (NECFE) located on the UVM campus that can provide you with all the information you need for investigating the potential for your food idea.  NECFE is a fascinating place teeming with food scientists, business and production experts, and resources for production facilities.  It is part of a USDA program to promote economic sustainability in rural areas.  Because Vermont has one of the strongest food specialty marketing niches in the country, the center is a perfect fit.  As a business consultant, I network for NECFE, directing emerging entrepreneurs to free resources.  If you’d like information about experts who can guide you in this process, please call 802-656-8300.

On January 14 and 15, 2004 NECFE is offering two workshops designed for the emerging food entrepreneur.  Day one is Recipe to Market: a full day devoted to the conceptualization of your product and the business elements you will need to consider such as market research, product development, packaging, sales and food safety.  Day two: Sharpen Your Selling Skills is more detailed about the specifics of marketing and selling product.  You may enroll in one or both of the classes even if you are only in the dreaming stages of your idea.  For a small fee that includes a great lunch, UVM parking and a bulging notebook of curriculum, these workshops will help you to decide if you have a viable concept or just a darn good hobby recipe.  You can call Jody Farnham at 802-656-8300 to enroll.  NECFE also sends out a bi-weekly e-letter, Food Concepts, to keep potential entrepreneurs in the loop.  If you would like to be added to our list, e-mail me at foodvt@aol.com. 

Kim Dannies is a graduate of La Varenne Cooking School in France. She lives in Williston, VT with her husband, Jeff, and three college–aged daughters who come and go. ©2008