WVU Extension’s new program helps farmers and producers grow food businesses

West Virginia University Extension Service is hosting a Food for Profit workshop on Nov. 4 at its Kanawha County office on 4700 MacCorkle Ave. in Charleston. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and costs $30 to attend; lunch and educational materials are included with the price of admission.
Food for Profit takes attendees through the beginning steps of starting small food businesses and combines presentations and guest speakers with an interactive learning environment.
“If you grow, make and pack your own food and sell it at a grocery store or restaurant, Food for Profit will help you create a business that matches your vision and goals,” said Kerri Wade, Families and Health agent for the Kanawha County WVU Extension Service.
Food for Profit is an award-winning program of Penn State University’s Cooperative Extension.  It comes to West Virginia through a grant focused on advancing innovation in sustainable agriculture. The Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education organization awarded the program a grant in 2012 to expand from Pennsylvania into Maryland and West Virginia.
In addition to Penn State Cooperative Extension and WVU Extension Service, the West Virginia Department of Agriculture and the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health also collaborated to bring the program into the state. The Charleston workshop is the first Food for Profit in the state.
Presenters include Winifred McGee, a food and entrepreneurship expert with Penn State Extension, who manages the Food for Profit program.
“Food for Profit has a great history of success. It will help a lot of food growers in West Virginia get the best information on how to successfully get their food to the public and make a profit in doing so,” Wade said.
The event’s registration deadline is Wednesday, Oct. 30. To register or for additional information, contact the WVU Extension Service Kanawha County Office at 304-720-9573, or e-mail