Greensboro, NC – Kitchen Connects GSO, a business incubator program for prepared food entrepreneurs, is now accepting applications for the Spring 2018 session. The program is a collaborative effort between Greensboro Farmers Curb Market, Out of the Garden Project and the Guilford County Cooperative Extension, in partnership with the City of Greensboro. This program is made possible through a USDA Local Food Promotions (LFPP) grant.
Kitchen Connect GSO brings together Greensboro’s first shared-use kitchens with food safety certification and small business training classes to create a unique local food incubator program. The program’s goal is to provide opportunities for new value-added product startups to begin or expand their operations and increase the public’s access to and consumption of local foods.
“Kitchen Connects GSO really connects the dots for local food growth in the Triad,” said Lee Mortensen, Executive Director and Market Managers at Greensboro Farmers Curb Market, a program partner. “By providing the participants with tools, resources, and networks that frequently stall smaller food business progress, we help pave the way for more diverse product development and production in the local foods economy.”
Participants will receive reduced-cost training in Safe Plates, a food safety and handling certification program, and basic small business classes in starting a food business finance, marketing and merchandising. Following the educational courses, participants will be prepared to operate in a shared-use kitchen. The Market will offer Kitchen Connects GSO designated tables for products for guest vending to test products for sale. Eligible participants may also graduate to R.E.A.L Entrepreneurship training with East Greensboro NOW at the conclusion of the program, growing their business by developing a comprehensive business plan.
Applicants with ideas and recipes for small batch and artisan crafted, prepared foods using locally-sourced ingredients are encouraged to apply through the website: www.kitchenconnectsgso.com. Applications are due by April 23, 2017. Scholarships are available based on income. Eight different information sessions will be held for potential applicants with questions. Find more information at www.kitchenconnectsgso.com.
In addition to Kitchen Connects GSO program, the 3-year LFPP grant allows the Market to establish a 900 square foot, well-equipped demonstration kitchen in the Harvest Learning Café, a major expansion to the mission to connect farmers, food, and friends. Local chefs and community members are invited present healthy recipes, using local market-sourced ingredients, for public demonstrations and tastings. Weekly local food cooking and tasting events can be found on the market website at www.gsofarmersmarket.org.
Kitchen Connects GSO 2017 by the numbers:
• 41 applications received during the first year of a three-year pilot
• 26 applicants selected to participate in the program
• 8 participants accepted to vend at the Greensboro Farmers Curb Market
• 9 participants actively engaged using certified community kitchens at Out of the Garden Project and the Guilford County Cooperative Extension
• 3 participants expanding their business plans through East Greensboro NOW and ongoing mentoring programs
• 3 participants expanding to multiple retail market locations