AMES, Iowa—Starting a food-related business is no easy task, especially for those involved in food processing and distribution.
It's a challenge Penny Brown Huber knows all too well, having spent much of her career helping food entrepreneurs secure the resources they need to succeed.
Brown-Hoover began her new role as a food business specialist at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach on Jan. 2.
Her job is to support food processing entrepreneurs in Iowa as part of the Heartland Regional Food Business Center, a five-state collaborative project funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“I think the key is to help people one-on-one as they try to take that step forward,” Brown-Hoover said. “As an entrepreneur, it's really hard trying to analyze and make business decisions and do all these different things yourself.”
Brown Huber holds a bachelor's degree in political science and business from St. Ambrose University and a master's degree in public administration from Drake University. She has worked in the nonprofit sector for more than 20 years, including her 13 years leading Grow Your Small Market Farm, a program that educates small farmers and food entrepreneurs on business fundamentals. .
For the past 13 years, she led Iowa's Prairie Rivers, a nonprofit organization that promotes economic development through restoration and conservation of Iowa's cultural and natural resources.
As a member of Iowa State's Farm, Food and Enterprise Development Program, she provides resources and education to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses. She will share ISU's extension and outreach expertise, as well as local and regional resources.
“We're thrilled that Penny is joining us,” said Krista Hartsouk, program manager for Farm, Food and Enterprise Development. She added, “Penny's expertise working with food entrepreneurs will be valuable to clients looking to scale.”
Brown Huber's goal is to support entrepreneurs who expand the number of small and medium-sized local food processing companies while building a stronger local food system in Iowa.
“My hope is that we can break down problems and maybe shortcut people's complex ideas,” she said. “I want to help them build business plans and have the confidence to solve problems so they have the best chance of building a profitable food processing company here in Iowa.” you can get.”
Brown-Hoover will work closely with teams in the five states that make up the Heartland Regional Foods Business Center, but will be based in Iowa and serve Iowans. Contact her at 515-294-4417 or [email protected].
The Heartland Regional Food Business Center is one of 12 Regional Food Business Centers established in 2023 and initially funded by the Department of Agriculture. The center's mission is to become more resilient and responsive by providing local and proactive support to small, medium and diverse food and agribusinesses, and local and regional food sector initiatives. It's about building a competitive food system. Visit the center online for more information.
(Press release and photo provided by ISUANR)
