Camille McMurtry
Pronouns: she/her
Research Mentor(s): Molly Hubbell
Research Mentor School/College/Department: / NonUM
Program: UROP
Session: Session 7 (4:40pm – 5:30pm)
Authors: Molly Hubbell, Camille McMurtry
Abstract
Varying farm offerings allows growers to diversity income streams, offset non-income months, make use of unsold products, and more. Growers can diversify their farm offerings through several avenues, such as making and selling products that are approved under Michigan Cottage Food Law. Cottage Food Law allows small-scale entrepreneurs to make and market specific foods, such as value-added products, from their home kitchens and provides licensing and inspection exemptions. However, there are numerous regulations, applications, and fees that are required to bring these products to market in Michigan. These necessary and often simple requirements become barriers for creative and entrepreneurial residents that are interested in bringing new products to market. The “From Seed to Market” Project was established to help urban growers earn supplemental income for their families by getting new value-added products to market. This project entailed conducting research from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Michigan Food Law, Cottage Food Law, and other Michigan organizations doing similar work to ultimately create educational resources and training materials which document relevant requirements. Additionally, the project included research on commercial seed sale which yielded informative results in determining the size and scale needed for growers to make a profit. Feedback was gathered from community members who are in Keep Growing Detroit’s Grown in Detroit program to ascertain what would be most beneficial for them and guide the direction of the research. As such, 5 one-pagers were created as learning materials in addition to a slideshow presentation and zoom recording of a workshop for the Grown in Detroit program. Moreover, standard operating procedures and information materials were created for staff as well as tracking documents for the growers. This project is ever-evolving as growers continue to provide feedback and solidify which products are feasible for their businesses.
