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Building Fermented Foods Businesses Workshop Held July 16-17 at Appalachian’s Ivory Tower Brewery

June 7, 2012. The workshop Building Fermented Foods Businesses featuring Sandor Katz will be held Sunday, July 15, – Monday, July 16, at Appalachian State University’s Ivory Tower Brewery in the Broyhill Events Center. 

Registration is $25 for one day of the workshop or $40 for both days. A limited number of need-based volunteer opportunities are available for those who would like to attend at a reduced rate.

The workshop is supported by a grant from the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center. For more information and register, visit http://ferment2012.eventbrite.com or contact Franya Hutchins at hutchinsfe@appstate.edu or 828-262-8158.

The workshop is designed for people interested in starting or expanding a small food-based business, or increasing their home food preservation expertise. Presenters from across the region, including nationally-recognized fermentation revivalist Sandor Katz, will provide information on fermentation science, skills and business considerations.

Organized by Appalachian’s fermentation science program in collaboration with Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture and Maverick Farms, the workshop will provide sessions on various food and beverage ferments, including vegetables, cheese, brewing, fermented soda and mead. Additionally, the program will cover production, logistics and financial issues of scaling-up home fermented or acidified foods and beverages to small commercial scale.

Sunday night will feature a panel of both local producers and representatives from the N.C. Department of Agriculture in a discussion of navigating food production and sales regulations.

Monday evening, Katz will share his observations on fermented foods businesses and economic revival. Katz’s work serves to empower people to increase their own food self-reliance and has inspired countless small foods businesses following the release of his first book, “Wild Fermentation,” in 2003. Since then he has continued to encourage and inspire the food world with “The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved” and “The Art of Fermentation.”