New addition to business incubator cooks up ideas

The University of Idaho Food Technology Center is helping a handful of businesses get their products ready for national marketing.

The 7,000-square-foot building had been a packing shed on Caldwell’s east side. After renovations that included installation of a large commercial kitchen, the center opened two months ago.

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People interested in starting their own line of specialty foods can use the kitchen and have access to experts who will teach them about business planning, food science and governmental regulations.

The University of Idaho Extension Service already provides advice to farmers, home gardeners and anyone who grows plants or livestock. But the agency is also moving to help small-scale commercial food producers.

"We’re seeing something of a transition in agriculture," said James Toomey, director of the UI Business and Technology Incubator, which is adjacent to the food technology center.

"There is more pressure now to look towards planting specialty crops on small acreages."

Toomey said the center is working with eight to 10 food producers already and expects that number to double this summer.

Different producers are at different levels of development. One day recently, Aleta Ferguson of Greenleaf was packing asparagus she had grown into mason jars.

Pickled with garlic, red peppers, and a secret-recipe brine, the jars of asparagus will be sold at Paul’s food stores under her "Nice Tips" label.

It is Ferguson’s first venture into larger-scale retail.

"I had a good response when I was just doing it at home, but the demand got bigger than I could sell," she said.

Farther along in the marketing process is Kris Boesiger of "Mom’s Mustard" in Boise.

The line of eight mustard flavors is already sold in about 100 outlets in the Northwest, primarily small gift stores.

Boesiger said she hopes to hit it big with Albertsons grocery stores, which has agreed to test-market the product at one of its stores in Boise.

Working out of the food center will allow the nearly 3-year-old company to increase production.

"We hope to double our business every year," said Boesiger, whose original mustard recipe was used for 40 years by her mother and aunt.

Besides new food inventors, the center also hopes attract people who want to start catering businesses, as well as established companies that want to develop new food products.