Construction will soon begin on a public-use commercial kitchen in the Caldwell Workspace thanks to a grant from K-State 105 given to the Sumner County Economic Development (SCED) as part of the Border Queen Harvest Hub (BQHH). The remodeling will be undertaken through a combination of volunteer opportunities and the use of local professional services.
“This is a true collaboration of numerous entities,” says Stacy Davis, SCED director. “K-State 105, SCED, Kansas Farm Bureau, Shop Kansas Farms, Vision Caldwell, Caldwell Chamber of Commerce, Sumner County Research and Extension, Border Queen Harvest Hub and KanOkla are coming together to make this happen. This commercial kitchen will stimulate economic prosperity by providing the public access to a facility that allows them to grow a food business.”
The kitchen will provide a local processing opportunity for entrepreneurs to process locally grown foods into shelf-stable, marketable items, which is key to establishing the local supply chain.
“We are excited to be a partner in this both with KanOkla and Vision Caldwell,” says Jill Kuehny, CEO of KanOkla. “While the cottage laws allow for jams and jellies to be made at home, if someone wants to turn a garden full of tomatoes into Uncle Buck’s Salsa so they can sell it, they need a commercial kitchen to make that happen. This kitchen gives the local growers the ability to create a nationally marketable product.”
In addition to its use for business development, the BQHH commercial kitchen will also be used as a training facility for those who want to do their own canning or cooking at home.
“K-State Extension has numerous programs we will be able to offer through this new kitchen,” says Randy Hein, Sumner County Research and Extension agent. “We see this as a model we can replicate to stand up other commercial kitchens in Sumner County. We know K-State 105, of which we are a part, wants us to build this out in such a way that it can be done all over the state.”
Volunteers will be instrumental in seeing the kitchen come to life, and local organizations are encouraged to participate.
Gavin Beesley, the local 4-H Youth Development Agent, will use the volunteer opportunities to engage youth and families.
““We like hands-on opportunities that create a positive impact in our community so as they help build it, they will later have an opportunity to use it for their projects.” Beesley says.
Jeff Janzen, Caldwell Chamber of Commerce president, says, “This dovetails perfectly into our mission to promote the economic vitality of Caldwell businesses through educational programming, marketing opportunities and advocacy.”
For more information on how to get involved in the various volunteer opportunities, please go here: https://forms.gle/nQCiVy9maynHeSg19.
If you have questions on the kitchen, contact Rick McNary at: 316-734-6845 or email: rick@shopkansasfarms.com
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