By Elizabeth Canales
MSU Extension Service

Mississippians with a quality food product looking to scale up their business are invited to take advantage of a series of one-hour webinars and a one-day, in-person workshop to learn ways to navigate different markets.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service is offering “Food as Business: Scaling up from the Market – Take Your Food Business to the Next Level” program. It is for anyone who currently operates or is interested in operating an agriculture-based food business, including agricultural and food entrepreneurs, farmers and cottage food operators.

The webinars will be offered online in September and October, and there are two in-person workshops scheduled. Those interested can take advantage of either or both of these options.

The one-day workshop costs $15, payable on-site, and includes lunch, refreshments and course materials. Topics include financial planning, credit readiness and access, marketing tools, social media advertising, digital marketing, market access, pricing strategies, and compliance with food safety regulations, certification, and production licenses.

Participants can choose whether to attend Oct. 11 at MSU in the Bost Conference Center at 190 Bost Drive, or Nov. 6 in Verona at MSU’s North Mississippi Research and Extension Center at 5421 Highway 145 South.

Webinars, scheduled for 11 a.m. each Thursday in September and October, are tailored to share valuable resources and address key issues facing agriculture and food entrepreneurs. Participation is free, but pre-registration is required.

Scheduled webinars are:

– Sept. 5: Unlocking Farm Financing: Navigating loans, credit readiness and U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency loan programs
– Sept. 12: Scaling Up Production: Deciphering regulatory, labeling and food safety requirements to sell in new markets
– Sept. 19: Growing Together: Collaborating with local organizations and government for farm and food business expansion
– Sept. 26: Leveraging Canva-Graphic design software for effective digital marketing
– Oct. 3: Harnessing innovative AI tools for effective social media marketing
– Oct. 17: From Farm to Market: Navigating market outlets, opportunities and considerations

To register for a workshop, visit http://msuext.ms/wk3js. To register for a webinar, visit http://msuext.ms/w7waq.
For additional information about the workshops or webinars, contact Elizabeth Canales at elizabeth.canales@msstate.edu or 662-325-2516; or Courtney Crist at cac400@msstate.edu or 662-325-0852.

This project is based upon work supported by USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture, award number 2023-70027-40446. MSU Extension and the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce are supporting partners of the workshops.

MSU is an equal opportunity institution. Contact Canales for disability accommodation or other information.