AMES, Iowa – Many small food processing businesses start in their operators’ home-based kitchens. For those wishing to expand beyond their home, the next step may be to utilize a shared-use kitchen facility. Small food processing businesses can learn about shared-use kitchens during an upcoming workshop at Iowa State University.
The Shared-Use Kitchen Workshop is set for March 31 and April 1 at the ISU Alumni Center. The cost is $80. Registration is open for small food processing businesses. Potential sponsors for shared-use kitchens also may register.
A shared-use kitchen provides commercial space and equipment for multiple individuals or businesses to prepare or handle food for wholesale, resale or distribution. This includes cooking, baking, mixing, packaging, bottling, canning and storage. These kitchens typically feature multiple workstations, professional-grade equipment, freezers, cold and dry storage areas, and sanitation equipment.
“This new workshop will support Iowa small food processing businesses that have outgrown their home-based kitchens. Utilizing shared-use kitchen facilities can help them expand production,” said Christa Hartsook, with ISU Extension and Outreach’s Farm, Food, and Enterprise Development program.
The workshop will be led by Ashley Colpaart, the owner of The Food Corridor and author of “The Shared Kitchen Toolkit.” Colpaart’s web-based toolkit is widely regarded as an essential resource for developing shared-use kitchens in the United States, Hartsook said.
The workshop is designed to foster the growth of shared-use kitchens in Iowa, Hartsook continued. Currently, Iowa has only about six shared-use kitchens, starkly contrasting to neighboring states like Minnesota, Wisconsin and Nebraska, which each have 30-35 shared-use kitchens.
“This shortage limits our ability to support the growth of food processing businesses in Iowa,” Hartsook said.
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