The world's most basic industry

This is something your community can do.


You can start up a kitchen for people to rent so they can start a food business without the initial investment of a commercial kitchen. The cost could be US$150,000. That's where you can help: you build it and they share it. That would satisfy the Nauvoo Commuter's philosophy of bootstrapping until the business concept is proven. Also, we encourage food-related entrepreneurship.


Ten years ago, 30 multi-use kitchens--or Shared-Food Processors--existed in the United States. Now the number is over 100 and growing. These shared-use kitchens are operated by faith groups, universities, non-profits, and for-profits.


Mary Pat Carlson, a super star in the field, has created a food-business incubator in Wisconsin. The non-profit helps individuals start food-related businesses, which includes allowing use of their commercial kitchen on an hourly basis. The system has been so successful that she is now traveling the U.S., helping others develop the same type of incubators.


I met Mary at a conference last week and can verify that she also a very nice person. She really seems to like helping people.

So few farms, so little time

We've discussed the idea of farming as a viable business option for those living in a farming area.

Have you ever met a farmer who has become wealthy from farming? (Those who inherit land became wealthy by inheriting land.) Few would admit to becoming rich by farming.

But an increasing number of researchers claim that farmers don't farm or market the correct way, and that is why few make a decent living by working the land. They cultivate and sell commodity products at commodity prices, so they can never win the game. Commodity prices are determined by hedge funds trading on exchanges. The farmer just tries to lower costs in order to survive.

An increasing number of farmers are making respectable money on small farms, often leasing land. Their approaches are quite different from what traditional farmers are doing.

Here at the Nauvoo Commuter, we don't farm, so we can't say which way is better. But if you are searching for a business that you can do, where you are today, then you should investigate the research.

Examples:

Beginning Farmers

Beginning farmers and ranchers

And be sure to check out the Greenhorns on Heritage Radio.