FARM TO RETAIL PROGRAM

FARM TO RETAIL - 5-WEEK FOOD VENTURES PROGRAM

Presented by:

Program Description

The aim of this 10-class program is to provide entrepreneurs who may be small or medium-sized farmers and food product owners, the knowledge, skills, and networking opportunities to turn their recipes into retail-ready products.

Eligibility: Must be a resident of the Region of Waterloo or Wellington (Limited 20 seats available)
Cost: FREE
Where: Virtual Learning. To successful applicants who do not have reliable internet access, in-person group virtual sessions will be available in Kitchener, Elmira and Guelph. COVID restrictions applicable.

Learning Objectives

Develop the skills and knowledge of how to turn a small-batch recipe into a scalable recipe for large-scale production and retail sale
Explore opportunities for, and application of, sustainable food business practices
Understand the basics of the psychology of food branding, purchasing behavior, and best practices for building a food-specific marketing strategy
Understand and apply principles of food packaging and nutrition labeling requirements as per Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Increase understanding of principles of food safety and safe food production techniques
Learn the methods behind scaling a small batch recipe into a scalable recipe formulation
Entrepreneurs will leave with the basic knowledge to be able to finance, package, label, brand, and market their own food product.

Program Schedule

Week	Date	Time	Item
	January 7 - February 2, 2022		Applications Open
	February 4, 2022		Selection Committee Review and Recommendation of Participants
	February 7, 2022		Successful Participants Contacted
1	February 15, 2022	1:00 - 3:30 PM	Food Trends for 2021, Idea Feasibility, Value Proposition
	February 17, 2022	1:00 - 3:30 PM	Business Plan & Canvas, Recipe Creation Discussion
2	February 22, 2022	1:00 - 3:30 PM	Competitive Analysis, Constraints & Channels
	February 24, 2022	1:00 - 3:30 PM	Food Science, Recipe Development, Where to Produce
3	March 1, 2022	1:00 - 3:30 PM	Sanitation & Food Safety
	March 3, 2022	1:00 - 3:30 PM	Circularity & Sustainability in Food
4	March 8, 2022	1:00 - 3:30 PM	Food Packaging and Nutrition Labeling
	March 10, 2022	1:00 - 3:30 PM	Branding and Marketing your Food Product
5	March 15, 2022	1:00 - 3:30 PM	Financial Feasibility & Profitability
	March 17, 2022	1:00 - 3:30 PM	Food Product Sales & the Art of Pitching