Small Business Development Center - Kutztown University of Pennsylvania - Helping businesses start, grow, and prospoer

February 4, 2012

Kutztown SBDC: Agribusiness Web Resources

http://www.fas.usda.gov/agx/buying_us/export_questionnaire.asp

Part of the extensive ag export materials available to US agribusinesses from the Foreign Agriculture Service of the US Department of Agriculture, this link offers potential exporters a brief self-assessment of their ability to export.

http://www.fas.usda.gov/agx/basics/export_basics.asp

http://www.fas.usda.gov/agx/exporter_assistance.asp

From the same source, the “Export Basics: Articles” and “Selling U.S. Products” respectively provide excellent introductory resources to beginning exporters.

http://www.fas.usda.gov/scriptsw/attacherep/default.asp

A final USDA site permits a search of overseas attaché reports by product or country.

http://www.agriculture.state.pa.us/agriculture/cwp/view.asp?a=3&q=126486

The Business and Industry Page of the PA Department of Agriculture is a useful directory to agribusinesses for information and services, especially the funding sources under “Business Assistance,”

“Marketing Programs” for commodity producers and “Hardwoods & Forestry” for the hardwoods industry.

http://www.agriculture.state.pa.us/papreferred/cwp/view.asp?a=3&q=140080

This page outlines the PA Preferred program and enrolling qualifications. The link near the bottom of the page provides program registration standards and trademark information.

http://www.fmi.org/

The Food Marketing Institute of retail grocers and associates businesses offers companies interested in selling retail food products a variety of valuable information about the retail food business, specific studies on industry segments and food safety issues.

http://barcodes.gs1us.org/dnn_bcec/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx

This site provides information on obtaining a UPC bar code from GS1 (Global Standard) which first requires joining GS1, then obtaining the UPC code(s) for your products.

http://www.restaurant.org

The website for the National Restaurant Association has useful links for researching restaurants, food safety & nutrition and consumption trends. Some pages of the website are accessible only to members. The news releases are generally available.

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/label.html

The food labeling page of the US Food & Drug Administration details the labeling requirements for food products sold in the US.

http://www.penntap.psu.edu/default-staff.asp?cat_id=6

Technical production questions, co-packing, packaging issues and kitchen incubator location can by addressed by contacting PENNTAP (Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program).

http://foodsafety.psu.edu/processor/resources.htm

For both start-ups and existing agribusinesses, the Penn State University Food Entrepreneur Resource site is a valuable portal to information on food safety, incubators, co-packers and service providers for the food industry.

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SBDC Spotlight

Bernadette Ward and Ladd Forsline, Color<em>fin</em>, LLC

Bernadette Ward and Ladd Forsline
Colorfin, LLC

Traditionally, pastel colors are packaged as sticks; however, Co-founders Ladd Forsline and Bernadette Ward of Colorfin have manipulated the pastel formula, resulting in a lowdust, erasable, softer pastel, so soft it is packaged in a pan much like a makeup compact, called a PanPastel™. With help from KU SBDC consultants Alex Whan and Martin Brill, Colorfin has transformed its novel product into a booming international business. Read More