Grant funds received to support food entrepreneurship in Wayne
A research grant was received to support the startup of a new nonprofit entrepreneurial center that will support food producers in Wayne County. The results of the project also will support farmers and food producers throughout Ohio by providing recommendations for new programs to help these producers increase profitability, access new markets and develop new value-added food products.
A research grant was received to support the startup of a new nonprofit entrepreneurial center that will support food producers in Wayne County. The results of the project also will support farmers and food producers throughout Ohio by providing recommendations for new programs to help these producers increase profitability, access new markets and develop new value-added food products.
The motivation for the project came from the 2020 strategic plan for Local Roots Market & Café, based in Wooster. Producers reported that over the years Local Roots’ staff and volunteers have helped in a variety of ways such as providing technical assistance around regulatory guidelines, labeling and marketing. The strategic plan recommended formalizing these efforts into fundable programs to make them more accessible and effective.
The next step was the completion of a feasibility study in July 2020 to assess demand for a new formalized initiative for food producers. The study showed 93% of food businesses surveyed have grown since they began working with Local Roots, and half of the food producers surveyed reported they grew because of help from Local Roots. The study also demonstrated demand for a variety of business incubator services.
In August 2020 a steering committee was created to launch these efforts via a new nonprofit organization, which has been named FoodSphere: the Entrepreneurial Center at Local Roots. The steering committee consists of 12 members representing various organizations and businesses, as well as representatives from Local Roots’ board of directors. More information on FoodSphere can be found at www.localrootswooster.com/foodsphere.
However, FoodSphere has many questions that need to be answered before it can begin offering support to food producers. This new $70,000 research project, named Catalyzing Food Entrepreneurship, is the key to answering those questions. The CaFE project is partially funded by a grant from the Ohio State University’s Initiative for Food and AgriCultural Transformation, a Discovery Themes program. The remainder of the project will be funded by in-kind contributions.
It turns out other entities across the region also struggle to answer these questions about how to best support food producers with new programming, how much to charge for these programs and how to best structure the trainings. The results of the CaFE project will not only inform the startup of FoodSphere, but also be distributed across the region to support other entities.
The research team spearheading the CaFE project consists of partners from the Ohio State University, The College of Wooster and Sustainable Economies Consulting, a firm based in Wooster. Dr. Wuyang Hu of OSU’s Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics is leading the research component of the project. Elizabeth Schuster, environmental economist with Sustainable Economies Consulting, is the lead on the community side, ensuring the research leads to tangible, on-the-ground solutions.
The College of Wooster’s Social Entrepreneurship program will conduct a case study of food incubators. The SE program has catalyzed social change in Wayne County and beyond since 2006 by supporting area organizations to innovate and enhance mission delivery.
“In our 15-year history, the SE program has worked with over 30 organizations including Goodwill Industries, The Wilderness Center, Wooster Community Hospital, Main Street Wooster, Local Roots and United Way," COW professor Amyaz Moledina said. "We are excited to support the CaFE initiative with a student research team this spring. The students — Eraj Sikandar, Claire Schiffrik and Keegan King — will work with me to evaluate the food incubator ecosystem in Ohio."
The research team is in close contact with Local Roots to ensure the relevance of the results of the project.
“For almost 11 years, our organization has worked directly with local farmers and producers to support and grow their businesses," said Joie Schmitz, vice president of the Local Roots board. "We believe championing small farms and businesses in our area will lead to a strong, sustainable and healthy food system and a vibrant community. We remain committed to working one on one with local farmers and producers, and we are excited for the additional opportunities the InFACT grant will bring to the table."
The InFACT-funded project takes place from January to December. Focus groups, surveys and an analysis of case studies will culminate in a real-life training on meat science and marketing to test producer willingness to pay for training services, which will be led by OSU’s Dr. Lyda Garcia.
“This is a great opportunity for our community to contribute to knowledge surrounding local foods and agriculture," said Tiffany Leeper, who is part of the CaFE project team and previous board chair of Local Roots. "Local food organizations and markets across the country have studied Local Roots’ model, so it is especially important that FoodSphere becomes another shining example of how we can bolster local farms and food businesses."