Press Release: Organic Processing Institute Launches School for Organic Processing Entrepreneurs
Press Release: November 26, 2013
The Organic Processing Institute, a nonprofit focused on expanding the organic business sector in the upper Midwest, is launching a School for Organic Processing Entrepreneurs.
The School will be offered for the first time in 2014, beginning January 14. Fifteen weekly sessions will cover topics relevant to small food processing start-ups and current processors interested in adding an organic line of products. Sessions will be held in Madison, Wisconsin, or students can attend remotely via real time, interactive streaming video. Class size is limited to allow for optimum discussion and interaction among students and instructors.
“We are bringing students together to learn from practitioners and other experts, and we’re developing a vibrant, supportive network of organic processing entrepreneurs,” says project coordinator Jenny Buckly. “These sessions cover a wide range of the complexities involved in starting and operating a successful food business, from selecting a processing facility to organic certification and labeling.”
While OPI provides education and competency to enable businesses to pursue organic certification, sessions are open to anyone interested in food businesses, whether they are considering entrepreneurship, are currently developing a business, or are curious about going organic.
Fees for the sessions have been kept at a minimum to encourage participation, and discounts apply for attending more than five. A single session costs $30, 6-9 sessions are $25 each, and 10-15 sessions are $20 each. Rebates for completing course evaluations will further reduce net cost.
“Organic farming is now core to the Midwest economy; processing provides an additional option for those farms to turn their products into value added ingredients to create business enterprises. We’re offering these sessions as one step towards growing the organic food processing sector in the upper Midwest,” says OPI Executive Director Carla Wright.
More information about the School for Organic Processing Entrepreneurs, including registration materials, is available online at organicprocessinginstitute.org/sope.
Contact: Carla Wright, Executive Director
608.833.5370 | carla@organicprocessinginstitute.org
