Susan Epps Ward, Brothers on Farms
Commercial Equipment/Freeze Dry Equipment
Grant Award: $6,000
After COVID-19 negatively impacted her agritourism revenue and sales of shiitake mushrooms, lamb and other products to restaurants, Susan decided to expand her product line to include shelf-stable, freeze-dried culinary and medicinal mushrooms, greenhouse-grown figs, garlic and seasonal vegetables for use in health supplements and value-added food items.
She has built a tiny-home structure on the farm that will be used as a farm store and commercial kitchen, and
she has purchased a large freeze-drying machine, commercial grinder and packaging equipment and supplies to launch her line of freeze-dried products.
The new business model will allow Susan to market her products not only locally through her farm store and existing outlets, but to expand to a national market through online sales. See www.brothersonfarms.com.
Contact the Local Extension Agent