Progress 09/01/16 to 02/28/20
Outputs
Target Audience:Approximately 23,000 people live in proximity to the Takoma/Langley Crossroads, including immigrants from an estimated 120 different countries. Known as Maryland's "International Corridor," it is one of the region's most distinctive and broadly representative international communities. Although rich in cultural diversity, here about one in five residents is living below the poverty level. Furthermore, the educational attainment of the Takoma/Langley Crossroads population is very low: about half of those 25 and older did not graduate from high school. The need for adequate paying jobs is urgent, and many community members seek entrepreneurial opportunities. Our project, which assisted residents with starting and growing food businesses, reached 77 target audience members through a variety of educational programs offered with key organizational partners. The majority of our target audience members are low-income people of color who are residents of the Takoma/Langley Crossroads and surrounding areas. Changes/Problems:The key challenge of this project was delays in kitchen construction and permitting, however, the kitchen opened at the end of the first year of the project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The trainings below were offered throughout this project: ServSafe Food Manager Certification Training AllerTrain, a food allergy training course Individual support for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan creation Orientation to the Food Corridor, a shared-use kitchen software platform used to book time in our kitchen Kitchen equipment training (onboarding orientation) How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Regular communications: Results are shared with the Crossroads Community Food Network Board of Directors at meetings every other month Results are also shared via email and at in-person meetings of the Kitchen Coalition Key results are included in our annual organizational infographics and shared widely via our email newsletter (reaching 1,500 people) and social media Conferences/special events: Our Program Manager was invited by the Food Corridor to join the Steering Committee for the annual Food Innovation Summit held in 2019. Members are viewed as having a leading voice in the shared kitchen industry, and are charged with delivering a summit that reflects the diversity of perspectives, interests, and individuals within the movement. Our PI and Program Manager gave a presentation about this project at the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG) conference in 2017. The Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group is a network of over 500 participating organizations and thousands of individuals carrying out farm and food systems endeavors in 12 states and Washington D.C. In 2018, Our PI and AmeriCorps VISTA presented this project on a panel at the University of Maryland's Institute for Applied Agriculture (2018). In 2018, our PI presented this project on a panel at the Direct Marketing Summit hosted by USDA-AMS and the Farmers Market Coalition. Kitchen tours were provided to hundreds of people over the course of the project, including representatives from Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation, Montgomery County Food Council, Prince George's County Food Council, USDA AMS, many elected officials, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Washington DC Department of Parks and Recreation, as well as representatives from schools, other nonprofits, foundations, and individual donors. Articles about the project &/or participants: An article was published about the kitchen and associated programming in the local "Takoma Park News" newspaper (2017). An article about one participant, Nancia Sical, was published in "La Hora" newspaper (2017) and another in a Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG) blog post (2018). An article was published about the kitchen and associated programming in the Community Food Projects Indicators of Success FY 2017 prepared by the "New Entry Sustainable Farming Project" (2018). An article about another participant, Angela Ashley, was published in Empowered Women International's newsletter (2018)? What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1: Creation of New Food Businesses 77 food entrepreneurs increased their knowledge and skills in developing business plans, marketing their products or services, and navigating food-related certifications and licenses, as evidenced by graduating from the Circle of Support Program. Of those, 66 earned their ServSafe Food Manager Certification and 45 developed a business plan. Objective 2: Scaling Up of Food Businesses 19 food entrepreneurs progressed from the Circle of Support to the Scale-Up Circle, gaining access to the community kitchen and/or specialized technical assistance. 6 of these received need-based scholarships to the kitchen, and 1,847.5 hours of discounted rental time were provided over the course of the project (worth $20,395). Over 3,500 total kitchen hours were booked over the course of the project (including scholarship hours, meaning 52% of total kitchen hours were scholarship hours). 19 food entrepreneurs received 320 hours of one-on-one technical assistance from experts. 16 food entrepreneurs developed Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) food safety plans. Kitchen users improved product packaging and labeling over the course of the project (3 out of 9 survey respondents entrepreneurs made improvements in year 2, and 3 out of 9 survey respondents made improvements in year 3). Kitchen users made improvements in processing food products over the course of the project (8 out of 9 survey respondents made improvements in year 2, and 7 out of 9 survey respondents made improvements in year 3). Objective 3: Strengthen Markets for Locally-Produced Food 4 entrepreneurs achieved 100% of their revenue goals; 3 achieved 90% of their revenue goals over the course of the project. Entrepreneurs in the project increased the number of sales outlets where their products are sold (6 entrepreneurs in year 2; 4 entrepreneurs in year 3 (note: numbers may be duplicated because results are obtained from an annual survey). Items include grab-and-go meals, frosted nuts, and syrups now available at local food grocery co-op. Two farmers market prepared food vendors received their catering license and increased sales. Two food entrepreneurs offer their products at a local theatre and restaurant. 7 entrepreneurs regularly source products from local farmers. 279 different products have been produced in the kitchen. 3 kitchen users sell prepared foods and beverages at Crossroads Farmers Market. Over the course of the project, total market sales increased by nearly 60% (from $200,000 to $317,000), showing the impact this type of holistic project can have on the broader local food system.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/16 to 02/13/20
Outputs
Target Audience:Approximately 23,000 people live in proximity to the Takoma/Langley Crossroads, including immigrants from an estimated 120 different countries. Known as Maryland's "International Corridor," it is one of the region's most distinctive and broadly representative international communities. Although rich in cultural diversity, here about one in five residents is living below the poverty level. Furthermore, the educational attainment of the Takoma/Langley Crossroads population is very low: about half of those 25 and older did not graduate from high school. The need for adequate paying jobs is urgent, and many community members seek entrepreneurial opportunities. Our project, which assisted residents with starting and growing food businesses, reached 77 target audience members through a variety of educational programs offered with key organizational partners. The majority of our target audience members are low-income people of color who are residents of the Takoma/Langley Crossroads and surrounding areas. Changes/Problems:The key challenge of this project was delays in kitchen construction and permitting, however, the kitchen opened at the end of the first year of the project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The trainings below were offered throughout this project: ServSafe Food Manager Certification Training AllerTrain, a food allergy training course Individual support for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan creation Orientation to the Food Corridor, a shared-use kitchen software platform used to book time in our kitchen Kitchen equipment training (onboarding orientation) How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Regular communications: Results are shared with the Crossroads Community Food Network Board of Directors at meetings every other month Results are also shared via email and at in-person meetings of the Kitchen Coalition Key results are included in our annual organizational infographics and shared widely via our email newsletter (reaching 1,500 people) and social media Conferences/special events: Our Program Manager was invited by the Food Corridor to join the Steering Committee for the annual Food Innovation Summit held in 2019. Members are viewed as having a leading voice in the shared kitchen industry, and are charged with delivering a summit that reflects the diversity of perspectives, interests, and individuals within the movement. Our PI and Program Manager gave a presentation about this project at the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG) conference in 2017. The Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group is a network of over 500 participating organizations and thousands of individuals carrying out farm and food systems endeavors in 12 states and Washington D.C. In 2018, Our PI and AmeriCorps VISTA presented this project on a panel at the University of Maryland's Institute for Applied Agriculture (2018). In 2018, our PI presented this project on a panel at the Direct Marketing Summit hosted by USDA-AMS and the Farmers Market Coalition. Kitchen tours were provided to hundreds of people over the course of the project, including representatives from Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation, Montgomery County Food Council, Prince George's County Food Council, USDA AMS, many elected officials, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Washington DC Department of Parks and Recreation, as well as representatives from schools, other nonprofits, foundations, and individual donors. Articles about the project &/or participants: An article was published about the kitchen and associated programming in the local "Takoma Park News" newspaper (2017). An article about one participant, Nancia Sical, was published in "La Hora" newspaper (2017) and another in a Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG) blog post (2018). An article was published about the kitchen and associated programming in the Community Food Projects Indicators of Success FY 2017 prepared by the "New Entry Sustainable Farming Project" (2018). An article about another participant, Angela Ashley, was published in Empowered Women International's newsletter (2018)? What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1: Creation of New Food Businesses 77 food entrepreneurs increased their knowledge and skills in developing business plans, marketing their products or services, and navigating food-related certifications and licenses, as evidenced by graduating from the Circle of Support Program. Of those, 66 earned their ServSafe Food Manager Certification and 45 developed a business plan. Objective 2: Scaling Up of Food Businesses 19 food entrepreneurs progressed from the Circle of Support to the Scale-Up Circle, gaining access to the community kitchen and/or specialized technical assistance. 6 of these received need-based scholarships to the kitchen, and 1,847.5 hours of discounted rental time were provided over the course of the project (worth $20,395). Over 3,500 total kitchen hours were booked over the course of the project (including scholarship hours, meaning 52% of total kitchen hours were scholarship hours). 19 food entrepreneurs received 320 hours of one-on-one technical assistance from experts. 16 food entrepreneurs developed Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) food safety plans. Kitchen users improved product packaging and labeling over the course of the project (3 out of 9 survey respondents entrepreneurs made improvements in year 2, and 3 out of 9 survey respondents made improvements in year 3). Kitchen users made improvements in processing food products over the course of the project (8 out of 9 survey respondents made improvements in year 2, and 7 out of 9 survey respondents made improvements in year 3). Objective 3: Strengthen Markets for Locally-Produced Food 4 entrepreneurs achieved 100% of their revenue goals; 3 achieved 90% of their revenue goals over the course of the project. Entrepreneurs in the project increased the number of sales outlets where their products are sold (6 entrepreneurs in year 2; 4 entrepreneurs in year 3 (note: numbers may be duplicated because results are obtained from an annual survey). Items include grab-and-go meals, frosted nuts, and syrups now available at local food grocery co-op. Two farmers market prepared food vendors received their catering license and increased sales. Two food entrepreneurs offer their products at a local theatre and restaurant. 7 entrepreneurs regularly source products from local farmers. 279 different products have been produced in the kitchen. 3 kitchen users sell prepared foods and beverages at Crossroads Farmers Market. Over the course of the project, total market sales increased by nearly 60% (from $200,000 to $317,000), showing the impact this type of holistic project can have on the broader local food system.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:Approximately 23,000 people live in proximity to the Takoma/Langley Crossroads, including immigrants from an estimated 120 different countries. Known as Maryland's "International Corridor," it is one of the region's most distinctive and broadly representative international communities. Although rich in cultural diversity, here about one in five residents is living below the poverty level. Furthermore, the educational attainment of the Takoma/Langley Crossroads population is very low: about half of those 25 and older did not graduate from high school. The need for adequate paying jobs is urgent, and many community members seek entrepreneurial opportunities. In the third year of our project, which assists residents with starting and growing food businesses, we reached 80 target audience members through a variety of educational programs offered with key organizational partners. The majority of our target audience members are low-income people of color who are residents of the Takoma/Langley Crossroads and surrounding areas. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Certified Food Manager course and exam (offered 2 times; 25 participants passed) Allergen Awareness Certification training (offered 2 times; 29 participants passed) Food Corridor software platform training for booking, payments, records for 8 kitchen users Kitchen Equipment Training for 8 kitchen users Incubator program training and technical assistance for 2 new food businesses Farmers market 7-week vending opportunity for 1 incubator program participant Site visits to Montgomery Health Department to get a first-hand experience meeting local health inspectors, learn about specific county food safety regulations and licensing process (20 participants) Site visits to two retail outlets to gain a better understanding of how food business products and services are impacted by local, state and federal regulations. Participants also gained knowledge to help them envision their business plan in different sales outlets, from farmers markets, to special events, to catering, to shelf-life products for retail stores (9 participants) How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results are shared with the Crossroads Community Food Network Board of Directors at meetings every other month Results are also shared via email and at in-person monthly meetings of the Kitchen Coalition Key results were included in our annual organization's infographic and shared widely via our email newsletter (reaching 1,500 people) and social media. Kitchen tours provided to representatives from Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation, Food Council members and one current kitchen user to discuss regional market demand analysis for a food product co-packing/co-manufacturing facility in the County. Kitchen manager was invited by the Food Corridor to join the Steering Committee to plan a Food Innovation Summit to be held this fall in Austin, TX. Members are viewed as having a leading voice in the shared kitchen industry, and are charged with delivering a summit that reflects the diversity of perspectives, interests, and individuals within the movement. ? What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We have requested an extension for this project until February 2020. From now until then, we will: Formalize more partnerships to further optimize our program pipeline to attract the right candidates to the training program and, ultimately, the kitchen. Continue to conduct Circle of Support training, collect and analyze course evaluations from participants upon conclusion. Explore online, self-paced option for continuation of Circle of Support once this grant project is over. Onboard several new kitchen users.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In this year: 8 food entrepreneurs were accepted as kitchen users 29 emerging food entrepreneurs completed the Circle of Support fall 2018 and spring 2019 trainings 15 food entrepreneurs received Technical Assistance (total of 93.5 hours) 7 food entrepreneurs received assistance at events 29 participants received AllerTrain training and certification 2 kitchen user businesses improved processing capabilities and/or methods, and two entrepreneurs developed improved labels/packaging for their products over the past year 4 food businesses hired one or more people to work with them in their business 2 businesses using the community kitchen expanded into new sales outlets, including special events, retail stores, farmers markets, and private events 3 kitchen businesses sourced their produce locally, purchasing from 9 farmers in Maryland and bordering states One full-time year-long AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer was retained to work on partnerships and resources for Circle of Support and the Scale-Up Circle; the term of service ended in July 2019 Later this year we will be surveying our participants about their revenue and will share those results in our final report.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/18
Outputs
Target Audience:In the second year of our project, we reached 48 target audience members through a variety of educational programs offered with key organizational partners: Four food entrepreneurs and Circle of Support graduates were accepted to the kitchen and have received extensive support throughout the process. Three of these entrepreneurs completed Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plans through a partnership with Bilingual Hospitality Training Solutions (BHTS). BHTS focuses on restaurant and food services training offering a variety of communication tools for diverse populations. These same four kitchen users also applied for and received Food Service Facility Licenses through Montgomery County Health and Human Services. In addition to HACCP plans, these licenses are required for all of our kitchen users. In addition: Fourteen aspiring entrepreneurs were reached through formal classroom instruction at Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School. Carlos Rosario combines adult education, life skills programs, and support services to explicitly meet the needs of local immigrant community. Thirty-two aspiring food entrepreneurs were reached through four monthly Lunch & Learn sessions at the kitchen. Lunch & Learn events provide opportunities for aspiring food entrepreneurs to tour the kitchen, ask questions, find out more about the Circle of Support programs and build connections among our community of kitchen users and food business experts. Finally, 30 participants were reached through five workshops in collaboration with partner organizations. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Certified Food Manager course and exam (19 participants passed!) Allergen Awareness Certification training (37 participants passed!) Food Corridor software platform training for booking, payments, records for the initial 4 kitchen users Kitchen Equipment Training for four kitchen users Food business workshops (4 workshops; 30 participants total) Topics included small business law, marketing and retail opportunities, product pricing, and networking, and were each led by one or more community volunteers with expertise in each topic. One of the four workshops was presented in Spanish. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results are shared with the Crossroads Community Food Network Board of Directors at meetings every other month Results are also shared via email and at in-person monthly meetings of the Kitchen Coalition Our PI and Program Manager gave a presentation about this project at the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG) conference in November 2017. The Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group is a network of over 500 participating organizations and thousands of individuals carrying out farm and food systems endeavors in 12 states and Washington D.C. Our PI, Project Manager, and AmeriCorps VISTA Member hosted a kitchen tour for 40+ participants in July 2018 organized by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments' Local Food Distribution Working Group, which included USDA officials from AMS and USDA's Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement. Our PI and AmeriCorps VISTA presented this project on a panel at the University of Maryland's Institute for Applied Agriculture in March 2018. Our PI presented this project on a panel at the Direct Marketing Summit in September 2018. An article was published about the kitchen and associated programming in the Community Food Projects Indicators of Success FY 2017 prepared by the "New Entry Sustainable Farming Project" for their April 2018 report A profile about one Scale-Up Circle participant, Nancia Sical, was published a NESAWG blog post in August 2018. ? What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Formalize more partnerships to further optimize our program pipeline to attract the right candidates to the training program and, ultimately, the kitchen. Continue to conduct Circle of Support training, collect and analyze course evaluations from participants upon conclusion.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In this year: Four food entrepreneurs were accepted as kitchen users Forty-eight emerging food entrepreneurs completed the Circle of Support fall 2017 and spring 2018 trainings Nine food entrepreneurs received Technical Assistance (total of 187.5 hours) Three food entrepreneurs received assistance at events Thirty-seven participants received AllerTrain training and certification (a new county requirement focused on food allergies for food service workers) Eight kitchen user businesses improved processing capabilities and/or methods, and three entrepreneurs developed improved labels/packaging for their products over the past year Four food businesses hired one or more people to work with them in their business. Six businesses using the community kitchen expanded into new sales outlets, including special events, retail stores, farmers markets, and private events. Six kitchen businesses sourced their produce locally, purchasing from 17 farmers in Maryland and bordering states. Two businesses achieved or exceeded their annual revenue goals, with two more reaching at least 70% of their set goal. Across six businesses with set revenue goals, over $130,000 of revenue was earned over the past year. One full-time year-long AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer was secured to work on partnerships and resources for Circle of Support and the Scale-Up Circle.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/16 to 08/31/17
Outputs
Target Audience:In the first year of our project, we reached 50+ target audience members through a variety of educational programs offered with key organizational partners: Seven food entrepreneurs and Circle of Support graduates were accepted to be the first kitchen users for the six-month pilot period that began on 8/21/17 and have received extensive support throughout the process. Five of these entrepreneurs completed Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plans through a partnership with Bilingual Hospitality Training Solutions (BHTS). BHTS focuses on restaurant and food services training offering a variety of communication tools for diverse populations. These same five kitchen users also applied for and received Food Service Facility Licenses through Montgomery County Health and Human Services. In addition to HACCP plans, these licenses are required for all of our kitchen users. In addition: Twelve aspiring entrepreneurs were reached through formal classroom instruction at Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School. Carlos Rosario combines adult education, life skills programs, and support services to explicitly meet the needs of local immigrant community. Eleven aspiring food entrepreneurs were reached through a panel presentation and small round table discussion at IMPACT Silver Spring entrepreneurial event. IMPACT builds community-based networks and activities offered in traditionally underserved neighborhoods. Finally, 24participants were reached through a workshop at Life Asset. Life Asset provides business training and small loans to enable the poor to save money, raise capital, and access banking services at affordable rates. Changes/Problems:The key challenge of this project was the delays in kitchen construction and permitting, however, the kitchen is now open. We anticipate meeting all targets described in our grant application in a slightly different order due to this delay. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Allergen Awareness Certification training (9 participants passed!) Food Corridor software platform training for booking, payments, records for the initial 7 kitchen users Kitchen Equipment Training for the initial seven kitchen users How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results are shared with the Crossroads Community Food Network Board of Directors at meetings every other month Results are also shared via email and at in-person monthly meetings of the Kitchen Coalition An article was published about the kitchen and associated programming in the local "Takoma Park News" newspaper in August 2017 Article about one participant, Nancia Sical, was published in "La Hora" newspaper in May 2017 What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the next year, we will: Offer Certified Food Manager's course and exam Conduct 10-week (30 hour) Circle of Support training, collect and analyze course evaluations from participants upon conclusion Provide ongoing support to program participants to write and strengthen business plans, and skills as needed Develop/refine process to select Scaling-Up participants Develop mentoring program Conduct hands-on-kitchen workshops Connect participants to Life Asset and other organizations offering microloans and related services to low-income entrepreneurs Create web-based profiles and other marketing pieces highlighting participant businesses to advertise local catering and vending Work with participants to sell their products at local retail outlets Work with participants to source local products Evaluate program participants' progress via biannual meeting with each participant
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Seven food entrepreneurs were accepted as first kitchen users Twenty-five emerging food entrepreneurs were accepted to the Circle of Support fall 2017 training Six food entrepreneurs received Technical Assistance (total of 8.75 hours) Three food entrepreneurs received assistance at events Nine participants received AllerTrain training and certification (a new county requirement focused on food allergies for food service workers) One full-time year-long AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer was secured to work on partnerships and resources for Circle of Support and the Scale-Up Circle
Publications
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