‘Recipe to Reality’ program teaches food entrepreneurship
A group of 10 promising entrepreneurs from the San Luis Valley recently gathered on the campus of Adams State University to learn more about how to turn a family recipe or an agricultural product into a marketable food item.
Called Recipe to Reality, the pioneering program was sponsored by the San Luis Valley Development Resources Group, hosted by Adams State University, and was presented by the National Food Entrepreneur Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
“The Recipe to Reality seminar was excellent and brought together the many issues and aspects encountered when making food products commercially,’ said Zena Buser, professor of agribusiness at Adams State. “It was a good day and a great opportunity for both universities and the community to connect with common interest in building opportunities for that one thing we all share a very personal interest in food.”
Dr. Nikki Kasper, coordinator of the ASU Food Studies program, also gave the group a tour of the campus facilities used in the food studies program. According to information about the program, new or potential food entrepreneurs often have difficulty finding accurate information necessary to successfully launch a business in the food industry. Many great ideas never make it to the marketplace because entrepreneurs do not know the steps to accomplish this goal.
Ensuring a food product survives and prospers in a highly competitive marketplace requires informed decisions, careful planning and precise execution. The National Food Entrepreneur Program is a source for assistance through all phases of establishing a food business – from developing a product formulation and process through introduction to the market.
The seminar provided entrepreneurs with a general overview of the issues crucial in developing a successful food manufacturing business.
For more information about food entrepreneurship or the National Food Entrepreneur Program, contact Andrea Oaks-Jaramillo with the San Luis Valley Development Resources Group at ajaramillo@slvdrg.org or (719) 589-6099.
Participating in the Recipe to Reality seminar at Adams State University are Karyn Denny, Debbie Oberhausen, Jennifer Nguyen, Angelica Raya Trejo, Virginia Raya Trejo, Ramona Russo, Anthony Loera, Sandra Ortega, Dion Oakes, Joanne White, Prof. Zena Buser, Dr. Nikki Kasper. Photo by Andrea Oaks-Jaramillo.
