Tags: vegetable ferments; sauerkrauts; kimchi; fermented hot sauces; kvass and wild-fermented fruit sodas.
Hello farmers!
Making a living growing and selling organic vegetables is a fulfilling and rewarding life work. However, it is hard work full of challenges, and there are many other farmers competing for customers, so the profit margin is narrow.
It is a well-established fact that value-added products made using vegetables, milk, meat, grains, etc... produced on the farm can significantly boost farmers' income. However, because of the long hours of hard work required to grow organic vegetables, farmers rarely have the time or energy to develop such additional enterprises on their farm.
My name is Jerome, I am a former organic vegetable grower, a passionate fermenter, cook, baker, small business owner and I have a great deal of experience creating, marketing and selling a variety of fermented vegetables, sauerkrauts, kimchi, hot sauces, vegetable kvass, dried or preserved shiitake and oyster mushrooms as well as artisan sourdough bread at farmers markets.
It would be my pleasure to help you develop and sell value-added products created from your farm's offerings.
In addition, I can help you transform low value items, i.e.; imperfect “ugly” vegetables and fruits, damaged herbs, fruit pomace, etc.. into valuable value-added products such as beautiful vegetable ferments, tasty pestos and salsas, artisan vinegars, wild fermented sodas, fruit kvass, and more.
Also, why not transform wild-foraged herbs, fruits and mushrooms into high value goods, such as dried culinary and medicinal herbs, fragrant teas, and preserved or dried mushrooms , etc..?
My goal is to help you set up and run a sustainable and successful value-added business based on your farm's production and the resources of the surrounding land.
I would be willing to train (and hire) a team dedicated to the creation (and sales) of value-added products from your farm.
I can organize and manage marketing and sales as needed. I have experience contacting health food stores, chefs, food co-ops, and doing food demonstrations at farmers markets. I am passionate about this work.
What I need: access to a certified kitchen, either on the farm or nearby (community kitchen, commercial kitchen, etc.), a walk-in cooler to store fermented products, a work area, a starting budget (to be determined) keeping in mind that I will quickly generate my own budget based on a percentage of my sales. And of course, a temporary (or long-term) place to live with food provided while I set-up, organize and launch the business.
Does additional income sound appealing? Do you need help to make it happen? Please don’t hesitate to call me, help is only a call away.
I can also come to your farm strictly as a consultant to help you evaluate the local markets and available financial resources (grants, low-interest loans, etc..) and determine what potential value-added business could be realistically developed that would fit best with your farm production, location, and resources.
I look forward to discussing in person details, logistics, and brainstorm potential business ideas with you.
Sincerely, Jerome