The Center for Environmental Farming Systems, NC Cooperative Extension
and NC State University are excited to offer a short-course on Packaged
Foods Manufacturing!
This fast-paced workshop is geared towards
entrepreneurs, restaurateurs, farmers market vendors and those thinking
about getting started in packaged foods but don't quite know where to
begin. There are a myriad of rules and regulations to follow, including,
completion of the Acidified Foods Processing and Packaging Better Process Control School.
While this this short-course will not certify you to sell acidified
foods, it will give you a better understanding of the process and how
you can get started!
Packaged Foods Manufacturing Short-Course
Date: Monday, February 11
Time: 9:00a.m. to 4:00p.m.
Registration Fee: $20
Location: TBA, Raleigh, NC
Organizers: CEFS, Wake County Cooperative Extension, and NC State University
Featured Speakers: Dr. Fletcher Arritt, Food Safety and Processing Extension Specialist, NCSU, Dr. Benjamin Chapman, Assistant Professor and Extension Food Safety Specialist, and Allison Smathers, NCSU, Entrepreneurial Food Program Assistant
Thinking about selling fermented, acidified (pickled), or other
packaged foods at restaurants, farmers' markets or retail vendors? There
are a myriad of stringent guidelines that must be followed in order to
do so, including keeping certain records or perhaps acquiring a label,
getting a process authority letter and taking the multiday Acidified
Foods GMP School for Pickle Manufacturers course or others offered by
NCSU.
This workshop is designed to give participants a VERY general idea
of what is expected by regulators to manufacture and sell packaged food
products and about the Pickling School, briefly covering such topics
as: basic food safety, supervisory skills, pH levels in your products,
sample submission process, labeling, kitchen certification, record
keeping and more. The purpose of this course is to provide you with a
VERY BRIEF outline of the processes you will need to go through in
order to sell your products.
THIS COURSE WILL NOT CERTIFY YOU TO SELL ACIDIFIED FOODS OR ANY OTHERS TO THE PUBLIC.
For more information or to register, please visit the CEFS website.
For more information contact Lisa Forehand at 919-513-0954 or lisa_forehand@ncsu.edu
Showing posts with label value-added. Show all posts
Showing posts with label value-added. Show all posts
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
New Resource for NC Local Food Businesses
Carolina Farm Stewardship Association is pleased to announce the release
of a new resource for farmers and local foods businesspeople, called
Growing your Local Food Business in North Carolina: A Guide to Laws and
Regulations. The guide is designed to give a detailed introduction to
the many federal and state laws and regulations that govern the
production and sale of farm products (meat, poultry, dairy) and low-risk
value-added foods such as jams and jellies. Where possible, the guide
also contains information about how to obtain additional information on a
topic.
The document can be found on the website at this link: http://www.
The document can be found on the website at this link: http://www.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Acidified Foods Better Process Control School
What: Acidified Foods Better Process Control School
Food Processors Institute instructional materials and exams will be used for the Better Process Control School. Only sections related to certification in Acidified Foods Processing and Packaging for glass or rigid plastic containers will be covered.
When: October 3-5, 2012
Where: Holiday Inn Asheville
Biltmore West
435 Smokey Park Hwy
Asheville, North Carolina
Who should attend:
This school is intended for and directed at the level of operating supervisors of acidified foods processing and packaging systems in acidified food establishments. The course includes instruction on acidified foods. It will qualify commercial operators of plants producing acidified foods (fresh packed pickles, acidified peppers, pickled eggs, salsa, etc.) to meet the requirements of the umbrella GMP and the specific GMP for acidified foods (21 CFR Part 114).
For more details see the flyer.
Registration:
Registration fee is $450.00 per person. The registration includes: workshop attendance, three lunches,
refreshment breaks, and all manuals. Lodging is not included in the registration fee.
Sponsored by:
Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences North Carolina State University
in cooperation with Food and Drug Protection Division, North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
For more details, please download the flyer for this event.
Food Processors Institute instructional materials and exams will be used for the Better Process Control School. Only sections related to certification in Acidified Foods Processing and Packaging for glass or rigid plastic containers will be covered.
When: October 3-5, 2012
Where: Holiday Inn Asheville
Biltmore West
435 Smokey Park Hwy
Asheville, North Carolina
Who should attend:
This school is intended for and directed at the level of operating supervisors of acidified foods processing and packaging systems in acidified food establishments. The course includes instruction on acidified foods. It will qualify commercial operators of plants producing acidified foods (fresh packed pickles, acidified peppers, pickled eggs, salsa, etc.) to meet the requirements of the umbrella GMP and the specific GMP for acidified foods (21 CFR Part 114).
For more details see the flyer.
Registration:
Registration fee is $450.00 per person. The registration includes: workshop attendance, three lunches,
refreshment breaks, and all manuals. Lodging is not included in the registration fee.
Sponsored by:
Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences North Carolina State University
in cooperation with Food and Drug Protection Division, North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
For more details, please download the flyer for this event.
Monday, June 6, 2011
NC Value-Added Cost Share Now Accepting Applications
The North Carolina Value-Added Cost Share (NCVACS) program, administered by N.C. MarketReady, is now accepting applications for the 2011 Equipment cost share funding cycle. This program is funded by the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission to support the development of North Carolina value-added agricultural operations. Please see the attached news release and two profiles of past NCVACS Equipment Award recipients and share with producers and processors in your areas who may be interested in applying.
Applications for NCVACS 2011 Equipment Cost Share are now available online at http://plantsforhumanhealth.ncsu.edu/extension/cost-share. Applications are due by August 31, 2011. Guidelines and a list of frequently asked questions can be found on the website. Award recipients will be notified by October 1, 2011.
NCVACS is coordinated by N.C. MarketReady, the Cooperative Extension outreach of the N.C. State University Plants for Human Health Institute, located at the N.C. Research Campus. Funded by the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, the cost share program was launched in 2009 and has provided over $696,000 in direct cost share assistance to value-added producers and processors throughout North Carolina. Learn more at http://plantsforhumanhealth.ncsu.edu.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Agritourism: A Great Way to Diversify
View from Cataloochee Ranch taken at the Business Side of Agritourism Workshop on Jan 26From Christmas trees to dairy tours, 3-D archery, disc golf, bed & breakfasts, haunted corn mazes, pumpkins and hayrides these farmers have some great experience and advice. The article discusses the 'insurance issue' and minimizing risk. Here is another article from AgriNews addressing the very issue of liability, Agritourism Liability a Big Part of Doing Business.
Thanks to all who attended the Business-Side of Agritourism Conference we held last week at Cataloochee Ranch.
If your interested in some agritourism resources, be sure to visit the Agritourism Page on the blog.
If you want to learn even more about Agritourism, the NCDA & CS will hold their 5th Annual Winter Agritourism Conference "Taking Local Beyond the Farm". The conference will take place on February 17-18 in Cathage, NC. To learn more visit http://www.ncagr.gov/markets/agritourism/
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Sunburst Trout Farm Tour
Last Wednesday, as part of the Business Side of Agritourism Workshop, we held a pre-conference tour of Sunburst Trout Farm in Canton, NC.
It was awesome!
Chris was our tour guide. He has been with Sunburst since 1992 and started by showing us the processing facility. It takes only 55 minutes from pond to cooler. You can read about the entire process here. Below is Chris showing us the de-heading machine.
At Sunburst, they can process up to 6,000 lbs. of trout/day during the very busy season. They bring the fish in large buckets from the raceways and transport them the very short ride in the bed of a pick up. After they are de-headed, they go through the filleting machine (Below).
The ideal size of a trout that is harvested results in two 8 oz fillets. The filet machine also takes care of most of the bones, even the pin bones. The few remaining bones are processed by hand.
The scales are removed with some really cool-looking gloves (Below). They remind me of the late, great Michael Jackson (who, coincidently there is a picture of in the Sunburst Trout main office).
Next we toured the commercial kitchen. Sunburst Trout makes some unique value-added products like delicious trout dip, cavier, smoked trout and trout sausage.
We got to meet, Charlie (Below), the inventor of the trout jerky and award-winning smoked tomato jam.
Charlie does research and development at the trout farm and we are all very grateful for his delicious trout jerky (Below). It may look funny, but man is it tasty! I had more than my share.
Then, we were out to the raceways to enjoy the beautiful day and to see the rest of the operation.
Sunburst Trout purchases their fish from local producers and tranport them in this awesome truck. Chris let us know that this has saved them time (and their backs) from manually loading heavy buckets of fish a few years ago.
The trout farm was established in 1948! The raceways are fed with water from the pristine mountain water directly from the protected Shining Rock Wilderness area in Pisgah National Forest.
We even got to go out on the raceways and feed the trout.
The trout get so excited when you feed them.
I wish my camera could have captured how beautiful these rainbow trout are!
Finally, we got to see where all of the fish remains end up. Sunburst has a forced-air composting system that is specifically used for animals. This system speeds up the processing by 2/3 with no turning needed! Check out this private website on forced-air systems. (In no way am I advertising, but they do a great job explaining the process.)
The result is a great compost that Sunburst sells to local gardeners and farmers. We didn't get very close because, according to Chris, the smell stays on your shoes for 6 months.
As you can tell, the tour was awesome. The Sunburst Trout Farm does an amazing job growing fish and making their products. Ask for them in a grocery store near you!
It was awesome!
Chris was our tour guide. He has been with Sunburst since 1992 and started by showing us the processing facility. It takes only 55 minutes from pond to cooler. You can read about the entire process here. Below is Chris showing us the de-heading machine.
At Sunburst, they can process up to 6,000 lbs. of trout/day during the very busy season. They bring the fish in large buckets from the raceways and transport them the very short ride in the bed of a pick up. After they are de-headed, they go through the filleting machine (Below).
The ideal size of a trout that is harvested results in two 8 oz fillets. The filet machine also takes care of most of the bones, even the pin bones. The few remaining bones are processed by hand.
The scales are removed with some really cool-looking gloves (Below). They remind me of the late, great Michael Jackson (who, coincidently there is a picture of in the Sunburst Trout main office).
Next we toured the commercial kitchen. Sunburst Trout makes some unique value-added products like delicious trout dip, cavier, smoked trout and trout sausage.
We got to meet, Charlie (Below), the inventor of the trout jerky and award-winning smoked tomato jam.
Charlie does research and development at the trout farm and we are all very grateful for his delicious trout jerky (Below). It may look funny, but man is it tasty! I had more than my share.
Then, we were out to the raceways to enjoy the beautiful day and to see the rest of the operation.
Sunburst Trout purchases their fish from local producers and tranport them in this awesome truck. Chris let us know that this has saved them time (and their backs) from manually loading heavy buckets of fish a few years ago.
The trout farm was established in 1948! The raceways are fed with water from the pristine mountain water directly from the protected Shining Rock Wilderness area in Pisgah National Forest.
We even got to go out on the raceways and feed the trout.
The trout get so excited when you feed them.
I wish my camera could have captured how beautiful these rainbow trout are!
Finally, we got to see where all of the fish remains end up. Sunburst has a forced-air composting system that is specifically used for animals. This system speeds up the processing by 2/3 with no turning needed! Check out this private website on forced-air systems. (In no way am I advertising, but they do a great job explaining the process.)
The result is a great compost that Sunburst sells to local gardeners and farmers. We didn't get very close because, according to Chris, the smell stays on your shoes for 6 months.
As you can tell, the tour was awesome. The Sunburst Trout Farm does an amazing job growing fish and making their products. Ask for them in a grocery store near you!
Monday, February 1, 2010
N.C. MarketReady Announces Spring Cost Share Cycle for Value-Added Equipment
The North Carolina Value-Added Cost Share (NCVACS) program, administered by N.C. MarketReady, is now accepting applications for the spring funding cycle, Equipment Cost Share. This program is funded by the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission to support the development of value-added agricultural operations, an emerging sector of North Carolina agriculture.
The NCVACS program works hand-in-hand with the USDA Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) by reducing the costs associated with professional services and equipment purchases that are not funded by the USDA grant. The spring cost share cycle allows value-added producers to apply for equipment cost share funding. Applicants can seek to purchase new or used equipment with cost share funding. Equipment cost share awards will vary from 25 to 50 percent of the total cost of the equipment, up to a maximum of $25,000.
Applications for NCVACS Equipment, spring 2010, are now available online at www.ncmarketready.org. Applications are due by March 30, 2010. Guidelines and a list of frequently asked questions can be found on the Web site. Award recipients will be notified by June 1, 2010.
For additional information, contact Brittany Whitmire, NCVACS program coordinator, N.C. State University N.C. MarketReady, 919-830-9557 or brittany_whitmire@ncsu.edu.
The NCVACS program works hand-in-hand with the USDA Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) by reducing the costs associated with professional services and equipment purchases that are not funded by the USDA grant. The spring cost share cycle allows value-added producers to apply for equipment cost share funding. Applicants can seek to purchase new or used equipment with cost share funding. Equipment cost share awards will vary from 25 to 50 percent of the total cost of the equipment, up to a maximum of $25,000.
Applications for NCVACS Equipment, spring 2010, are now available online at www.ncmarketready.org. Applications are due by March 30, 2010. Guidelines and a list of frequently asked questions can be found on the Web site. Award recipients will be notified by June 1, 2010.
For additional information, contact Brittany Whitmire, NCVACS program coordinator, N.C. State University N.C. MarketReady, 919-830-9557 or brittany_whitmire@ncsu.edu.
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