Workshop offered on starting specialty foods business

April 25, 2017

Enterpreneurs who want to start and operate a specialty food business in Alaska may get guidance through a live online workshop offered May 15-18.

Specialty foods include products made from local foods, including pickled vegetables.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service and the Marine Advisory Program will host the workshop from 6 to 8:30 p.m. each night via Zoom, a computer-based videoconferencing program. The course is available statewide from any computer with a reliable connection.

The instructors are Juneau Extension agent Sarah Lewis and Quentin Fong, a seafood marketing specialist with the Marine Advisory Program. Specialty foods are manufactured in limited quantity with high quality and often local ingredients. Examples include handmade chocolates, pickled vegetables and food truck items.

Topics will include business planning and marketing, financing and accounting, permitting, feasibility assessment, and promoting and pricing products. The workshop will also cover food labels, regulations and options to enter the market through direct sales, farmers markets, food trucks and other venues.

The class fee is $50. More information about the class and online registration is available at http://bit.ly/2oV4b58. To fully participate, individuals’ computers must have a microphone and camera. For more information, contact Lewis at 907-523-3280, ext. 1, or sarah.lewis@alaska.edu.

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