Does running your own food business intrigue you? Want to explore creating a value-added food product but unsure where to start?

Let Taproot help kickstart your journey with our exciting new mentorship program. Have a secret recipe for the best pickled local vegetables, island grown fruit jams, or hyper-local tonic? We are encouraging farmers, food enthusiasts, and people like YOU -- those who have always wanted to run their own gig making quality foods. Let us help you navigate the challenges and joys of food product creation, come tour the Taproot kitchen!

Our program is designed to help you gather direction and support on the topics of food safety, business set-up, pricing, marketing, and traversing the ins and outs of WSDA and SJC Health Department requirements. 

And mark your calendar for a product development & food safety workshop to be held in October 2023
Dr. Girish Ganjyal, WSU Food Processing Specialist, will be hosting a two day workshop on Lopez for potential value-added producers. Day one will focus on product development for value-added foods and day two will focus on developing a food safety plan. More details to come!

Wait, there’s more ... money! Taproot's mentorship program is set up to help financially support your business goals. The program is funded by a USDA grant focused on local food production and we have built in stipends to help pay for start-up business costs, SJC and WSDA permits and/or go towards research and development.

If you or someone you know in the San Juan Islands might be interested please contact Laurie at taprootKitchenLaurie@gmail.com

For more information on the program visit our mentorship page on the Taproot website.