MEP's Role
Through CIFT's Northwest Ohio Cooperative Kitchen in Bowling Green, Ohio, information was provided to Kim to advance her efforts. This included insights into the required processing authority letter, technical assistance in how to process the elderberry syrup on a commercial scale, and gaining access to the equipment for processing for the retail market. In doing so, she learned how to steam the elderberries in order to retain nutrients that served as part of her vision for the business. Kim is able to store specialized equipment at the NOCK and maintain operations without the need for her own facility. Current production is every six weeks and she states that her business is "going gangbusters!"