Madison, Wis. – A no-cost series of online trainings for people who are interested in starting or expanding small-scale food businesses in Wisconsin will be offered each Monday in June. The four-part series will cover licensing considerations, exemptions, best practices for products prepared in home and commercial kitchens, and exploring considerations for structuring a business as a cooperative.
Sessions will be held weekly on Mondays from 2-3:30 pm. Please register online at https://uwmadison.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUvfu-orjsuE9wNKzIRljK0F7cOjXR4vqyb
Topics and presenters are:
- June 7: Starting a Farm- or Home-Based Food Business. Learn about opportunities for adding value to your farm products, or for preparing foods in your home kitchen for sale. We will look at a variety of licensing exemptions for sales on-farm and for making products in your home kitchen. And we’ll hear from an entrepreneur with experiences to share that may help you be successful operating in this space. Presenters are Angela Moragne, That Salsa Lady, Founder/COO and Dr. Barbara Ingham, UW-Madison Food Safety Extension Specialist.
- June 14: Your Guide to Starting or Expanding a Commercial Food Business in Wisconsin. Whether you are starting with an idea, or have an existing food business, this session will walk you through the basics of beginning or expanding a food business in Wisconsin. We will cover steps of licensing, training, and developing food product ideas that will ensure that the product that you make is food safe. This program will focus on businesses such as food carts, caterers, farmers markets and other retail venues. Presenters are Courtney Ziemer, Madison-Dane County Public Health and Dr. Barbara Ingham, UW-Madison Food Safety Extension Specialist.
- June 21: Best Practices for Operating a Food Business out of a Shared Space. Whether you are sharing space at a local restaurant, producing your product at an incubator kitchen, renting space in a church or other shared-space arrangement, this session will highlight key considerations for business success. An experienced food entrepreneur will share ideas from his own experience working in this space. Presenters are Chris Brockel, FEED Kitchens and Donale Richards, Madtown Food Services, LLC.
- June 28: Starting a Food Business Cooperative. By working together, entrepreneurs can create connections to new suppliers or buyers, reduce costs through bulk purchasing, reduce operating costs, share insight, support each other, better leverage technology, etc. Learn from UW Center for cooperatives, SLO farmer coop (and others) for insight about cooperatives to benefit your business and your community. Presenters are Kelly Maynard, UW Center for Co-ops and Amanda Chu, SLO Farmer’s Co-op.
More information about the series is available at https://foodsystems.extension.wisc.edu/2021/05/18/feed-virtual-summer-2021-workshop-series/
