Specialized foods business workshop offered

February 12, 2016

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service and Alaska Sea Grant will host a workshop series March 1-15 for entrepreneurs interested in starting and operating a specialty food business in Alaska.

The five-session webinar will be offered across Alaska via Zoom, an online videoconferencing program. Sessions will run from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. The instructors are Kate Idzorek, Extension small food business training and development coordinator, and Quentin Fong, seafood marketing specialist with Alaska Sea Grant.

Specialty foods are manufactured in limited quantity with high-quality ingredients and include products such as handmade chocolates and food truck items.

The workshop is intended for individuals who want to sell specialty foods directly to consumers and wholesale. Topics will include business planning and marketing, financing and accounting, permitting, feasibility assessment, and promoting and pricing products. The workshop will also cover options to enter the market, including farmers markets, food trucks and grocery stores.

The workshop costs $50 and is limited to 25 participants. See details or register online at http://bit.ly/ces-workshops. To fully participate, students' computers must have a microphone and camera. For more information, contact Idzorek at 907-474-5391 or kjidzorek@alaska.edu.

ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Debbie Carter, 907-474-5406, dscarter@alaska.edu

ON THE WEB: http://bit.ly/ces-workshops