Advantage Valley to host FASTER WV Cottage Food Sales Webinar
CONTACT:
Terrell Ellis, Executive Director
Advantage Valley & FASTER WV Program
(304) 546-7323 or (304) 352-1165
Charleston, WV. June 2, 2020— On June 10th at 6:00 PM, Advantage Valley and its partners at the WV Department of Agriculture and at WV State University Extension Service will host a FASTER WV online webinar focused on the cottage food industry, what it is, how it works, and resources on how to get started. The webinar is designed for home cooks, amateur bakers, work from home chefs, farmers, and gardeners to learn how to start a food business. Panelists include Terrell Ellis of Advantage Valley, Lacy Davidson of the WV Department of Agriculture, and a successful cottage food entrepreneur.
This webinar will provide valuable content to budding entrepreneurs and is designed to encourage persons interested in selling products or produce from home, or how to increase offerings with preserved foods at the farmer’s market, sell food online, at fairs and festivals and beyond, with little to no red tape. This is the first in a series of entrepreneurial sector-based workshops through the FASTER WV Program.
The “FASTER WV” ~ Fostering Advantages for Start Ups & Entrepreneurial Resurgence in WVis a collaborative three-year grant funded program to grow entrepreneurs and new small businesses in Boone, Cabell, Clay, Kanawha, Lincoln, Putnam and Wayne Counties. This program will offer free business coaching, sector-specific workshops, entrepreneurship training, and access to capital in the following targeted sectors: Food & Beverage Production; River & Outdoor Recreation/Lodging; Dependent Care; Healthcare; Small Manufacturing; and Construction Trades.
“As we transition from sheltering at home, to cautiously re-opening the state, there are new and obvious opportunities for business start-up ideas. As people search for ways to boost their health and immune systems, the production of healthy and organic foods fills a market demand that was growing even before COVID,” said Advantage Valley Executive Director Terrell Ellis. “People want to buy their products from close to home sources. The local food market is exploding right now and opportunities abound for smaller sellers and new ways to market and purchase food.”
The FASTER WV partners include the WV Small Business Development Center, BridgeValley Community & Technical College, Unlimited Future, Inc., and The Wyoming County Economic Development Authority, manager of the revolving loan fund. Funding for the FASTER WV program is provided by the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, with additional support from the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation, Unlimited Future, Inc., and BB&T, Now Truist.
ADVANTAGE VALLEY builds economic vibrancy in the Charleston-Huntington region by attracting new businesses, retaining existing businesses and promoting business start-ups.
