Guides for Producers and Extension Educators
Consumers’ interest in knowing where their food comes from has contributed significantly to the recent growth of the specialty foods market. The Beyond Fresh & Direct project team received a grant from USDA to identify ingredient sourcing opportunities in the specialty food business.
The team developed five fact sheets providing tips for both manufacturers considering sourcing ingredients direct from farmers, and smaller-scale farmers interested in becoming ingredient suppliers to specialty food manufacturers (or perhaps developing their own specialty food business). The four-pagers, which incorporate numerous examples, address the following questions:
- Benefits: How Can Sourcing Directly from Farmers Benefit Specialty Food Manufacturers?
- Criteria: What Criteria Must You Meet to Sell to Specialty Food Manufacturers?
- Connections: How Can Farmers and Specialty Food Manufacturers Connect?
- Standards: What Standards Must You Meet to Supply Ingredients to Specialty Food Manufacturers?
- Value Added: Should You Produce Your Own Specialty Food Products?