MONROE - Regional and local groups are hoping a new commercial kitchen in the city and a recent economic development grant could help stimulate development of new companies and new products.
Thrive, UW-Extension and their regional partners recently secured a $100,000 grant from the Economic Development Administration to support development of new food business incubators in Monroe, Mazomanie and Beloit.
Thrive, is an economic development enterprise, which covers Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Rock and Sauk counties.
The grant will support three business incubators and provide $13,000 each for staff expense and equipment. Thrive keeps $9,000 for administration costs and the rest goes to projects. About half of funds will buy staff time at UW-Extension for one year to provide technical assistance to all three projects. The funding will also provide technical assistance and some equipment to fast track the projects and evaluate the results via case study reports. The project runs for one year starting in October.
Cara Carper, Green County UW-Extension agent, is busy helping put together a "tool box" survey of information and contact numbers for entrepreneurs to learn about licenses, training, marketing and business plans. Many of the respondents to the UW-Extension survey did not have a business plan, Carper said.
"In order for the incubator to be successful, the users needs to be successful," Carper said. "We look forward to working with the Wisconsin Food Business Incubator Network to gather and share resources to grow successful entrepreneurs."
The project will add greater value to agricultural resources and ensure continued growth of the economic sector, Thrive spokeswoman Jennifer Smith said in a statement.
The new incubators are all in the early stages of development and part of Wisconsin Food Business Incubator Network, or Food BIN. Other incubators in the network include two long-standing facilities in La Crosse and Algoma and two in the works in Prairie du Chien and Mineral Point.
Kitchen incubators provide a place for food entrepreneurs and processors to work. The kitchen would allow specialty or gourmet food producers, caterers, bakers, cooking teachers, street vendors, private chefs, fundraisers, community groups, occasional users and private citizens an opportunity to prepare their food products in a fully licensed and certified kitchen.
Monroe has a jump start on its project with Barb's Kitchen, a commercial kitchen designed and equipped by Barb Newcomer, the maker of Barb's Potato Salad.
Entrepreneurs who use or rent Newcomer's kitchen will be able to work with the UW-Extension to promote and market their products through the Economic Development Administration grant money.
Newcomer was making about 10,000 pounds of potato salad a year, but wanted to expand business. She opened her kitchen Aug. 15 at 710 16th St., just south of The Swiss Colony. She also rents the kitchen to other food businesses and private individuals.
"They can call and we'll check with the state about a license, if they have a product to sell," Newcomer said.
But Newcomer said private individuals without a state license can also rent the kitchen for personal holiday cooking, canning and fund raiser products.
Barb's Kitchen is equipped with a 10-burner stove, two ovens, commercial mixers and sinks.
Newcomer is presently renting at $12 an hour.
Licensed specialty cooks are already preparing cupcakes, Spaetzle and cheesecakes, as well as Shaggy Dog Marinade, sold at Gander Mountain stores nationwide, are made in Barb's Kitchen, and a restaurant has rented the space to expand its menu.
Access to a kitchen facility makes food production more affordable.
"Food production facilities can be exceedingly expensive," said David Vobora, business development coordinator for Southwestern Wisconsin Community Action Program, in a statement. "Even for business owners with strong assets and access to capital, if they had to go it alone, the start-up costs could be prohibitive."
Thrive, UW-Extension and their regional partners recently secured a $100,000 grant from the Economic Development Administration to support development of new food business incubators in Monroe, Mazomanie and Beloit.
Thrive, is an economic development enterprise, which covers Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Rock and Sauk counties.
The grant will support three business incubators and provide $13,000 each for staff expense and equipment. Thrive keeps $9,000 for administration costs and the rest goes to projects. About half of funds will buy staff time at UW-Extension for one year to provide technical assistance to all three projects. The funding will also provide technical assistance and some equipment to fast track the projects and evaluate the results via case study reports. The project runs for one year starting in October.
Cara Carper, Green County UW-Extension agent, is busy helping put together a "tool box" survey of information and contact numbers for entrepreneurs to learn about licenses, training, marketing and business plans. Many of the respondents to the UW-Extension survey did not have a business plan, Carper said.
"In order for the incubator to be successful, the users needs to be successful," Carper said. "We look forward to working with the Wisconsin Food Business Incubator Network to gather and share resources to grow successful entrepreneurs."
The project will add greater value to agricultural resources and ensure continued growth of the economic sector, Thrive spokeswoman Jennifer Smith said in a statement.
The new incubators are all in the early stages of development and part of Wisconsin Food Business Incubator Network, or Food BIN. Other incubators in the network include two long-standing facilities in La Crosse and Algoma and two in the works in Prairie du Chien and Mineral Point.
Kitchen incubators provide a place for food entrepreneurs and processors to work. The kitchen would allow specialty or gourmet food producers, caterers, bakers, cooking teachers, street vendors, private chefs, fundraisers, community groups, occasional users and private citizens an opportunity to prepare their food products in a fully licensed and certified kitchen.
Monroe has a jump start on its project with Barb's Kitchen, a commercial kitchen designed and equipped by Barb Newcomer, the maker of Barb's Potato Salad.
Entrepreneurs who use or rent Newcomer's kitchen will be able to work with the UW-Extension to promote and market their products through the Economic Development Administration grant money.
Newcomer was making about 10,000 pounds of potato salad a year, but wanted to expand business. She opened her kitchen Aug. 15 at 710 16th St., just south of The Swiss Colony. She also rents the kitchen to other food businesses and private individuals.
"They can call and we'll check with the state about a license, if they have a product to sell," Newcomer said.
But Newcomer said private individuals without a state license can also rent the kitchen for personal holiday cooking, canning and fund raiser products.
Barb's Kitchen is equipped with a 10-burner stove, two ovens, commercial mixers and sinks.
Newcomer is presently renting at $12 an hour.
Licensed specialty cooks are already preparing cupcakes, Spaetzle and cheesecakes, as well as Shaggy Dog Marinade, sold at Gander Mountain stores nationwide, are made in Barb's Kitchen, and a restaurant has rented the space to expand its menu.
Access to a kitchen facility makes food production more affordable.
"Food production facilities can be exceedingly expensive," said David Vobora, business development coordinator for Southwestern Wisconsin Community Action Program, in a statement. "Even for business owners with strong assets and access to capital, if they had to go it alone, the start-up costs could be prohibitive."