Valentine, Nebraska – USDA MPPTA Client Story
In the heart of rural Nebraska, far from the bustling urban food scenes, Chelsea Luthy-Stoeger has embarked on a remarkable journey, leading to the creation of a unique and innovative meat protein bar. As a busy mom with three little girls, she understood the challenges of sourcing healthy, convenient food, especially when constantly on the move. Preparing packed lunches and finding wholesome options while on the road often proved to be quite a hurdle. Inspired to bridge this gap in the market, Chelsea decided to take matters into her own hands, conducting experiments in her home kitchen to develop a product that could offer a healthier and more accessible food option.
Chelsea's creation, a meat protein bar - Cibo, was formulated to provide a balanced, nutritious meal in a convenient and portable form. These bars combine lean ground local beef with bacon, fruits, and vegetables, effectively encompassing three essential food groups within a single bar.
To Market, To Market – A Long and Winding Journey
However, transforming these innovative meat protein bars from Chelsea's kitchen to the broader market has been no small task. The journey involved several significant steps to ensure that her product met the highest safety and quality standards, and to reach beyond her local market. To achieve this, her facility needed crucial USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) approval, which would empower her to produce and distribute her product nationwide.
MPPTA Gets Involved and Gives Expert Guidance
With the task at hand, Chelsea understood the value of support. This is where the partnership with the Meat and Poultry Processing Technical Assistance (MPPTA) program, under the guidance of Dave Carter from Flower Hill Institute, became instrumental. MPPTA’s assistance has been and continues to be invaluable in helping Chelsea gather essential market data, navigate the complexities of the meat industry, and gain a deeper understanding of the intricate grant system – the essential ingredients needed to move her project forward.
The path toward achieving a fully USDA-inspected facility was multi-faceted. Chelsea and her husband took the initiative to construct a new processing building with private funding, an endeavor that granted them reduced rent for their facility. This was coupled with the acquisition of specialized equipment and their successful USDA inspection. With MPPTA's guidance, they successfully secured the Meat Processing Expansion Grant, utilizing the funding to acquire specialized equipment and supplies needed to establish their production facility.
After the facility became USDA-approved, Chelsea and her team shifted their focus toward the go-to-market strategy. Given the perishable nature of their product, they initiated sales to local consumers in Nebraska as a preliminary test in the local market.
Overcoming the challenge of the product's perishability by shipping it in a frozen state coincides with the expansion of its market reach. Chelsea and her team are actively targeting the wholesale distribution side of the market, aiming for inclusion in retail markets, grocery stores, and convenience channel outlets. They have strategically chosen to start with a data-driven approach on the Amazon platform to gather essential information about customer preferences and demands. This invaluable data will play a pivotal role in pinpointing regions where their customer base is most prominent, facilitating a nationwide product launch.
MPPTA’s Support Has Been Critical
As a further processing facility that does not engage in on-site slaughter, and with its unique mixed meat product, Chelsea's venture holds a distinctive position in the meat industry. She proudly acknowledges the critical support offered by the USDA's MPPTA program, which comes at no cost, in helping them gather vital market data, providing a wealth of resources and information, navigating the intricate world of grant funding and reporting, and making informed decisions about their project.
Looking back on her journey, Chelsea emphasizes the indispensable role played by MPPTA in making their entrepreneurial venture possible. She encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to reach out to MPPTA for assistance and information, underscoring the free support it provides. She passionately believes that through networking and collaboration, entrepreneurs can overcome challenges and accelerate their progress on the entrepreneurial journey.
In her own words, "The more you can share, the more you can tell, that's when you meet people. That's when really cool things happen."
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Please note: The Meat and Poultry Processing Technical Assistance (MPPTA) Program is funded through a cooperative agreement with the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. The MPPTA Project Coordinators do not offer or provide direct contractor services or financial capital, grant writing, or project management services, nor does the voluntary use of MPPTA guarantee the success of a grant application or the grant-funded project