Transitioning to Value-Added Products
Transitioning to Value-Added Products
2008 Product Development Course
FLYER & FORM
The Northwest Agriculture Business Center will host a second value-added product development course for production-ready farmers, ranchers, and nursery/greenhouse operators in Northwest Washington. This intensive ten month training program will guide each of the thirty-six participants through business and marketing plan development, product evaluation, on-site progress assessments, and initial production of a new product.
Examples of successful value-added products from our region include:
• Organic vegetable home delivery service
• Organic relish line
• Farmstead cheeses
• Preserves
• Grass fed USDA meat line
• Branded plant line: Cascade Cuts & Stepables
• Beverages: Wine, Hard Cider, Distilled Alcohol
• Organic pesticides
• Herbal extracts: Tinctures and Tonics
Participants will meet five times for an all-day intensive set of workshops and one-on-one mentoring.
• November 4, 2008
• December 2, 2008
• January 27, 2009
• February 17, 2009
• March 24, 2009
The instructors and project team members bring a broad knowledge base in food processing, livestock and row crop farming, and nursery/greenhouse crop, as well as academic and business management backgrounds. Participants will be expected to launch one new value-added product by the end of the course. Technical assistance will be provided between scheduled meetings and after the conclusion of the final class. Review the course outline for more details.
Team members invested in your success include:
• Jake Fowler, Northwest Agriculture Business Center
• Gary Merritt, Northwest Agriculture Business Center
• David Bauermeister, Northwest Agriculture Business Center
• Steve Smith, Sunnyside Nursery
• Don McMoran, WSU Extension – Skagit County
• Cheryl DeHaan, Whatcom Farm Friends
• Dick Dougherty, Washington State University
• Fred Berman, WA State Dept. of Agriculture
• Sharon Collman, WSU Extension – Snohomish County
• Curt Moulton, WSU Extension – Snohomish County
• Carolyn Henri, Resource Consulting, LLC
• Dale Nelson, Food Concepts, Inc.
• Marc Bates, Bates Consulting
APPLY TODAY!
This is a competitive enrollment course and space is limited to thirty-six participants. Applications will be accepted through September 15, 2008. Selection of participants will take place prior to October 1, 2008.
The 07-08’ class agrees that this course is a must for value-added product development:
• “This program has been an absolute launching point. My success will be directly related to this class and the high quality and organization throughout.”
• “The course came along at the right time for me. I had been working on a new product for some time, but wasn’t able to provide the sustained focus necessary to see the product through to its developmental life cycle. The on-going nature of the class has not only helped me reorder my priorities but has given me access to first class experts who seem to have a stake in my success. Down the road I look forward to coming to class to tell my success story and help other farmers.”
• “Enterprise budget information was very helpful and useful. It helped me understand how to prepare our individual budget.”
• “Great financial planning tools! I am ready to move onto the business plan template.”
• "A good thing about the workshop is it has helped me to think further outside the box. If it turns out I find that my business adventure is not right for me, or is not going to work, I will not feel as though any time was wasted."
• "Such a wealth of information rallied for the benefit of producers!"
Contact our office today with questions.