Starting a Farm Food Business – From Fork to Farm Seminar
A seminar on ‘Starting a Food Business’ will take place in Kilkenny on Wednesday morning, 4th March. The event is organised by the Local Enterprise Office, in conjunction with Teagasc and Kilkenny Leader Partnership and runs from 10.45am – 1pm in the Springhill Court Hotel, Kilkenny.
The event is targeted at people interested in diversification into artisan food production to complement their existing farming enterprise. It is an opportunity to meet with local food producers as well as the agencies that support this sector.
Speaking ahead of the event, Anne Ging, Chairperson of the Kilkenny Food Strategy Committee and owner of Ballykeefe distillery, highlighted the details of the New Kilkenny Food strategy, launched in Autumn 2019. A strategy aimed at raising the profile of local food and beverages and foster greater commercial growth and added value to primary production and to supply more products to the local market. The strategy will be presented at the event.
The seminar will feature a panel discussion amongst food producers that are at various stages of the development of their food business. These include Jimmy Mulhall, Coolanowle Meats; Helen Murphy, Mooncoin Beetroot; Rosemary O’Shea, Tullyhay Farm and Patricia Butler, Butler Family Farm.
Eddie O’Neill, Artisan Food Specialist with Teagasc will provide guidance on starting a new food business. Eddie O’Neill has many years of experience in supporting new food businesses.
There will be opportunities to engage one-to-one with the food producers, Eddie O’Neill and relevant agencies that will be on hand to discuss supports and possible funding schemes. The agencies that will be present at the seminar include Local Enterprise Office Kilkenny, LEADER, Teagasc (organics, horticulture, setting up a food business, forest food, bee keeping), Food Safety Authority of Ireland and the County Veterinary Office.
Dr Siobhan Kavanagh, Teagasc Regional Manager for Kilkenny and Waterford said; “If you are interested in setting up a new food business, this is an important event to attend. You will have access to people that have started new businesses, experts in startups, experts on horticultural options as well as experts on funding availability.”
To book in for this event visit: https://www.localenterprise.
For further information, please contact the Local Enterprise Office Kilkenny @ 056- 7752662.
