That’s A Wrap!

With the delivery of our final Food Business Planning Workshop, we are officially finished for the season on this series of workshops. And what a great food business series it has been!

We wanted to thank all of the participants for being so engaged and giving as much as they gained. The participation and interactive discussion between participants brings so much value to the sessions, to the participants, and to us as business planning facilitators. We always learn from the farm and food participants and what we learn brings so much value to us as specialists in this sector. But it’s the sharing of your objectives and values that gives us so much fuel. It’s why we say, “helping good people do good things with good food”.

A special thanks goes to all of our Community Partners in each of the six communities who went above and beyond to help us organize and connect with their local communities. Without that on the ground support, these workshops would not see the success they do.

We also wanted to thank our partner Small Scale Food Processor Association, for their continued support and dedication to this sector. It is truly a labour of love!

Finally, our gratitude to the Canadian Agriculture Partnership and Ministry of Agriculture for supporting and funding this program. It really does provide great value in growing our BC food economy.

We are currently making plans for more workshops and supporting business with our current crisis. If you would like to stay up to date on current events and workshops, subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

GROW…. through the Food Business Planning Workshop

Ideal for micro, small, and medium-sized food processors looking to improve and/or expand their operations, and farmers looking to create value-added products.

Funded by the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, in partnership with the Small Scale Food Processor Association (SSFPA) and delivered by the Farm Food Drink team of specialists, the Food Processor Business Planning Workshop is a 2-day, 9 module workshop series that covers:

• Business Planning: Crafting a plan that works from start to finish.
• Marketing: Identify, research, and target a niche to maximize sales.
• Product Development: Scaling up recipes for commercial production and develop new products to meet customer needs.
• Financial Planning: Understanding financial statements and make confident decisions.
• Quality Management: Streamlining operations to make a safe and consistent product.
• Packaging: Balancing attractive design with food protection and regulatory standards.
• Production & Costing: Gauging the cost of production, operations, and co-packing.
• Logistics: Basics of procurement, receiving, storage, shipping, and timing.
• Resources & Networking: Resources and networking opportunities in your region.

This 2-day workshop costs $100 +GST per participant and requires you to meet certain eligibility requirements. But in return you get access to industry experts, connect to people in the area, and you keep the 8 modules and exercises covered so that you can take what you worked on and apply it immediately to your business.

Completed Workshops

Courtenay

• When: January 23 – 24, 2020
• Where: Vancouver Island Visitor Centre

Burnaby

• When: January 28 & 29, 2020
• Where: YVR Prep

Invermere

• When: February 4 & 5, 2020
• Where: Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce