Red Barn Chili - Big News! |
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ACEnet featured tenant Red Barn Chili is scaling up their operations, hosting STAR Community Justice Center residents, and utilizing Kiva to expand into retail markets.
Red Barn Chili originally came to ACEnet in 2021 to begin jarring their chili. After some intensive product development including increasing, or modifying the cooking process through the introduction of high-acid ingredients such as lemon juice or citric acid, ACEnet Food Enterprise Coordinator, Adam Kody, and RBC were able to get their vegan chili pH down into compliant levels for shelf stability.
In June 2022, Ed McGinnis & Red Barn Chili received their cannery license from the ODA Division of Food Safety. They’re currently working with silicone molds to make 16oz chili blocks that are then frozen for “boil in a bag chili.” RBC produced over 900 bricks last month!
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Hosting STAR Community Justice Center Residents in ACEnet Reentry Program
“Making my Zesty Chicken Chili in Athens, OH with help from STAR residents Aaron and Aaron. ACEnet provides work transition experience to prisoners and I couldn’t have had better help. Both Aarons are looking to be released soon and both will be working in the food industry. They asked me if I would be a work reference and without hesitation I agreed. They were fantastic!
They helped me make 300 bricks of Zesty Chicken Chili. Aaron ‘Country’ with the ball cap wants to open a restaurant in his hometown of Norton while Aaron will be in the Athens area working for ACEnet clients.”
RBC chili bricks include Beef Chili, Chicken Chili & Vegan Chili, available for pickup and delivery in the Columbus area, see website for more info.
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Utilizing Kiva to Expand into Retail Markets
“Kiva.org** has been instrumental in Red Barn Chili’s development over the years. My first loan was used to start my catering company DinnerUp. The second loan was used to build and work my Red Barn Chili wagon. Both loans provided adequate cash flow to keep the business going and both were paid back.
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RBC is now in two of the biggest Farmers Markets in the Columbus area and both are having record attendances (5K in Worthington and 4.5K in Dublin.) Each week, we sell out of our Hearty Beef, Zesty Chicken and Amazing Vegan chilis well before the noon closing. And it’s been like that since the beginning of May.
Last week I began scaling up production from 8 gallons to 40 gallons and I need your help. $25 loan through Kiva.org will go to finance my expansion. This loan request is intended to continue production efforts underway to scale up products for farmers markets and retail sales.
Please consider lending me $25 by accessing the following link:
Your loan will be paid back and you will be supporting a small business dedicated to bringing families around the table…let’s change the world!”
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* ACEnet’s Reentry Program pairs Restaurant Ready graduates with ACEnet Food Ventures clients for the benefit of all parties: STAR residents have an opportunity to demonstrate the new skills and abilities they have cultivated, and have a current work reference when applying for employment in their home community upon release, and ACEnet entrepreneurs have access to additional trained help in ACEnet production spaces, and are given the opportunity to help develop a member of our regional community. Learn more here: https://acenetworks.org/reentry-work/
** Kiva is the world’s first online lending platform connecting lenders to entrepreneurs across the globe. Kiva crowdfunds loans for borrowers in more than 80 countries who are often financially excluded and can’t access other fair and affordable sources of credit. Lenders crowdfund the loans in increments of $25 or more, then borrowers have up to 3 years to repay the loans.
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Learn About Branding with ACEnet & Rural Action |
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Join ACEnet and Rural Action July 14th at 5:30pm for a webinar on branding! This presentation by Delia Palmisano, ACEnet's Multimedia Designer, will cover affordable tips for launching brand identity for beginning or established farmers, artisans and producers. This virtual workshop will provide an understanding of logo, label and packaging design, how to plan and curate visual content, marketing and social media tips, and photography and design best practices for product promotion.
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ACEnet Can Assist with USDA Assistance Applications |
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Applications are being accepted for financial assistance through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crop Program starting 6/27.
Through generous support from Farm Aid, and the USDA Beginning Farmer & Rancher Development Program that ACEnet is a sub-awardee for under Rural Action, we are excited to assist small farmers with their applications! Contact info@acenetworks.org for more info.
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Hot Diggity Dog Unlimited Expands Business |
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One of ACEnet's original Food Ventures tenants (they've been with us for over 20+ years!) Hot Diggity Dog Unlimited's third concession trailer is coming together! Keep an eye out for them at Nelsonville Music Festival this September. Also, be sure to follow their FB page for more opportunities to find their food trucks out & about!
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ACEnet staff lunch at Triple Nickel Diner last month, so good! TND features local cage free eggs, local jam, local meats that are sourced within 7 miles from the Diner (bison, beef, lamb & pork), locally baked bread; local beverages from Dirty Girl Coffee LLC, The Herbal Sage Tea Company, Jackie O's Brewery, Dutch Creek Winery, and they even have their own garden!
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ACEnet Makes Video for Ohio's Winding Road Seed Grant Winner, Athens Farmers Market |
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Join AFM in celebrating their 50th anniversary this Saturday from 9-12. In conjunction with Ohio Brew Week the market will have special guests including Rufus and Ohio Athletics and the Southern Ohio Copperheads.
Video by ACEnet Multimedia Designer Delia Palmisano
"A Wonderful Place To Go," words & music by Steve Zarate,
© 2022, all rights reserved; guitar & vocals by Steve Zarate,
recording engineered by Rusty Smith.
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What?
A Fair Food System: A Summit on Scalable Solutions to Creating Community Food Systems, a series of half-day events presented by the Central Appalachian Network (CAN) in partnership the USDA, will be a learning environment regarding the problems related to nutrition security such as healthy food access and affordability. It will engage a coalition of organizations who are working to build and support resilient and accessible community food systems, and will work to attract federal, public, and private funding for scalable programs addressing nutrition security in Central Appalachia.
Topics for Summit #1 on July 28th include Healthy Food Value Chains, from accessibility to equity; the upcoming White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health in September, and new USDA opportunities.
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Summits will include educational presentations, panel discussions, opportunities for partnership building & collaboration, networking events, and state-focused breakout sessions to address community food system issues within Central Appalachia.
For more information about CAN & its network of nonprofit members:
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Who?
Summit #1 speakers will include representatives from:
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Saturdays, 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
The Athens Farmers Market takes place year round on Saturday at the Market on State Shopping Mall, both inside and outside, and Wednesdays April 20th - November 23.
- July 9 - Ohio Brew Week Day: Special guests include Rufus and Ohio Athletics and the Southern Ohio Copperheads.
- July 23 - Customer Appreciation Day with market merchandise giveaways. Special guest is Buckeye Fresh, with a remote broadcast by WSEO Wild Country 107.7 FM radio.
- August 13 - National Farmers Market Week
- August 27 - Community Cookoff
- September 3 - Vendor Appreciation Day
- Sept 17 - OHIO University Day: Students get a complimentary raffle ticket for a chance to win an AFM gift basket.
Saturdays, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
The Meigs County Farmers Market takes place May - October on Saturday at 100 Main St. Pomeroy, OH
- August 6, 11:00 AM - Gourmet at the Market: Dishes from Southern France
- September 3, 11:00 AM - Gourmet at the Market: Classic Pasta Sauces from the Garden
- October 1, 11:00 AM - Gourmet at the Market: Tapas (Small Plates) from Spain
1st Fridays, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
The Shawnee First Friday Farmers Market takes place May - October on the first Friday of the month at the intersection of State Route 93 & 155 in Shawnee, Ohio.
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UpBeat: Activities for Older Adults |
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Have you heard of UpBEAT? A program sponsored by OhioHealth O'Bleness Hospital in Athens, Ohio, UpBEAT offers free programs for those in our community 55 years and older.
For UpBEAT in July, we will venture into natural history and learn about the fundamentals of the moon. The story of the Athens County Community Singers and how we can become involved will be shared with us and we will take a deep dive into storage on technology devices. In addition to these topics, we will have additional opportunities to learn, socialize and remain physically active, through our book club, “listen and converse” group and exercise class. Please feel welcome to share our UpBEAT newsletter with those you feel may enjoy joining us!
Many programs continue to be virtual at this time using Microsoft Teams. Many will have an in-person option as well, with RSVP required. Contact Caitlin Bond with questions and to receive UpBEAT newsletter: 740-566-4680; caitlin.bond@ohiohealth.com.Please share with those you feel may enjoy joining us: www.ohiohealth.com/UpBEAT
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Your tax-deductible contribution helps ACEnet expand economic opportunities in the Appalachian Ohio Region! Thank you for your continued interest in and support of what we do here at ACEnet! |
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Sincerely,
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Meggan Loveland
Appalachian Center for Economic Networks
94 Columbus Rd, Athens, OH 45701
(740) 592-3854
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