Building sustainable communities through agricultural and food-based entrepreneurship

Building sustainable communities through agricultural and food-based entrepreneurship

Summary

Building Sustainable Communities through Agricultural and Food-based Entrepreneurship (BSC) is a project designed to spur entrepreneurial development in the value-added agricultural sectors of a four-county rural area in Southside Virginia. The target region is one undergoing significant change both because of the national decrease in farm portion of consumer spending and because of a local transition away from tobacco farming to new crops and value-added products.

The program will provide skills training and build an ongoing network of entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs that will contribute to the building of sustainable agriculture and sustainable communities in the target region. Project activities include a series of 13 workshops, a food-tasting event, a mentorship program, and the launching of a network of producers/entrepreneurs to explore ongoing sustainability initiatives.

The project has been developed and will be overseen by a coalition of partners representing a wide range of stakeholders from the region, including producers, entrepreneurs, higher education, government, cooperative extension, and the nonprofit sectors. This coalition provides both an additional arena for regional cooperation and an avenue through which the activities developed in the project can be replicated on a statewide basis.

Objectives/Performance Targets

Building Sustainable Communities has two primary objectives. First, the project will provide hands-on skills training for entrepreneurs in the agricultural or food-based arenas to develop sustainable, growing businesses responsive to the new global marketplace.

Second, the project aims to build longer-term capacity within the community for continued sustainability efforts by building a regional network of agricultural entrepreneurs able to contribute to their own sustainability through mentoring, joint marketing, and related activities.

An additional objective being met through the structure of the project itself as well as the proposed activities is the ongoing strengthening of a coalition of partners from a wide range of stakeholders. The partnership involved in planning and implementing the project includes producers, food-based entrepreneurs, cooperative extension, higher education, government and the nonprofit community.

Accomplishments/Milestones

Hands-on skills’ training has been provided for food-based industry entrepreneurs. The following workshops have been hosted at The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research:

Workshop 1 – Internet Marketing – Participants (5) learned how to market their food-based business on the World Wide Web by not limited their retail marketing to the local community.

Workshop 2 – Connecting with Retailers – Participants (13) learned how to identify potential markets to sell their food.

Workshop 3 – Branding and Labeling – Participants (13) learned that labels need to match customer expectations for visual appeal as well as meet USDA and/or VDACS requirements.

Workshop 4 – Marketing Resources for Small and Micro Food Ventures – Participants (14) learned that it is imperative to have a marketing plan to complete their business plan and were provided with numerous resources for marketing their food-based business.

Workshop 5 – Health Department Regulations Governing a Catering or Food-Based Business – Participants (14) learned about the rules and regulations for producing food-based products.

Workshop 6 – Partnering with Virginia Agencies – Participants (14) were provided with contact information for key individuals and organizations in Virginia to assist them in starting and sustaining their food-based business.

A food-tasting event and networking opportunities were offered at the conclusion of Workshop 6. The Manager of Danville’s Community Market (who is licensed and inspected by VDACS) brought samples of his food product and offered advice for new food industry entrepreneurs. Participants (14) were able to network with representatives from VDACS, Danville Health Department, Virginia Tech’s Department of Food Science and Technology, business owners as well as other entrepreneurs. Contact information was shared in order to provide mentorship opportunities, and entrepreneurs were invited to participate in the Dan Valley Food Show.

Workshop 7 – Basics of e-Commerce – Participants (13) were taught how e-commerce works, how to set up a business for ecommerce, frequently used terms, and types of e-commerce.

Workshop 8 – Your Business and e-Commerce – Participants (12) were taught how to include e-commerce in a business model, order fulfillment/shipping, marketing, and search engine optimization.

Workshop 9 – e-Commerce Technology – Participants (9) learned how to keep abreast of the innovations that are on the horizon with potential products, different languages, and future e-commerce technology.

Workshop 10 – Payment and Security – Participants (9) learned about firewalls, fraud detections, transactions/accepting payment as well as how to protect their business from hackers, viruses, and spam.

Workshop 11 – Taking e-Commerce to the Next Level – Participants (8) learned how to personalize the customer experience with coupons/gift certificates, universal logins, and superstores.

Workshop 12 – e-Commerce Series Review – Participants (7) were given a review of the previous e-commerce workshops and had the opportunity to take the Brainbench “e-Commerce Concepts” certification test (recognized by the Virginia Board of Education) or the optional VECTEC course completion test.

Workshop 13 – Entrepreneur Express – Participants (37) were provided with an abundance of information regarding how to start and operate a business including marketing strategies, financing, and managing resources.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

There were 182 participants who attended workshops offered through the SARE grant through 2008. Of those 182 participants, 69 were unique individuals (since some of the participants attended more than one workshop). Survey respondents for workshops 1-6 as well as the food-tasting event rated the quality of information presented as either very good or excellent. Participants gained knowledge to start their own small food-based business and were provided with the resources to follow through. Workshop participants were eager to begin their own business to include having their kitchen inspected, branding and labeling their product(s), and marketing their product(s). Survey respondents for workshops 7-12 rated the web-based courses as good, very good, or excellent. One respondent stated that he was thankful to have the opportunity to stay up-to-date in a time when technology is passing by so quickly.

Collaborators: