Meaningful Marketplace Podcast

#269: Yvonne Smoker of Prosper Portland

Wed, 13 May 2026 08:47:30 +0000

Welcome to the Meaningful Marketplace, the podcast that goes behind the scenes to tell the stories of female food entrepreneurs. Join hosts Sarah Masoni, the OSU Food Innovation Center director, famously dubbed the "woman with the million-dollar palate" by the New York Times, and Sarah Marshall, the farm-to-table visionary behind Marshall’s Haute Sauce. Each week, this powerhouse duo sits down with startup founders to explore the grit, innovation, and passion required to turn a kitchen-table dream into reality. Join them as they talk with Yvonne Smoker of Prosper Portland.

#268: Ashley Colpaart of The Food Corridor

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 05:00:00 +0000

#267: Brooke Smith of Good Measure

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 04:30:30 +0000

#266: Hannah Kullberg of New Moon Blooms

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the Meaningful Marketplace, the podcast that goes behind the scenes to tell the stories of female food entrepreneurs from around the globe. Join hosts Sarah Masoni, the OSU Food Innovation Center director, famously dubbed the "woman with the million-dollar palate" by the New York Times, and Sarah Marshall, the farm-to-table visionary behind Marshall’s Haute Sauce. Each week, this powerhouse duo sits down with startup founders to explore the grit, innovation, and passion required to turn a kitchen-table dream into a global brand. Join them as they talk with Hannah Kullberg of New Moon Blooms.

PNW Packaged Food & Beverage Group

Old Moon Farm

Follow Hannah on Instagram

G Love Restaurant

Thank you for listening to The Meaningful Marketplace Podcast with your hosts, Sarah Masoni of Oregon State University's Food Innovation Center and Sarah Marshall, owner of Marshall's Haute Sauce. Connect with us on Instagram @meaningfulmarketplacepodcast.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

Producer: Sarah Marshall of The Joy of Creation Production House
Audio engineer, mixer, and podcast editor: Haley Bowers
Show logo design: Anton Kimball of Kimball Design
Production Coordinators: Dave Drusky

#265: Shandrea Frew of Free Wild She

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Check out Shandrea's products and support her brand:

https://freewildshe.com/

Follow Shandrea on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/freewildshe/

Go meet Shandrea in person at one of her upcoming events:

https://freewildshe.com/pages/find-us

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#264: Faith Dionne of Dappled Tonic

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 13:00:00 +0000

https://www.dappledtonic.com/

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#263: Meredith Mills-Merritt of The Original South Side Gin Cocktail

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 13:00:00 +0000

https://www.drinksouthsides.com/

https://www.drinksouthsides.com/southside-country-club

If you sign up for email, you can get 10% off your first order, and to sweeten the deal, they're currently promoting a buy 3, get free shipping promo.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#262- Fancy Fair Adventure, San Diego

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall attended the Winter Fancy Fair Food Show in San Diego. We provide a brief overview of the show and the organization behind it, and discuss our favorite moments and the businesses featured. The show is where foodpreneurs connect with leading buyers, distributors, and retailers, network with peers, and enjoy world-class educational programs. It’s a cost-effective and powerful way to grow business because it is an environment rich with the movers and shakers in the food industry. And everyone is there to spend every minute discovering the latest in culinary delights.

Fun Finds from the Fancy Food Fair

We dive into standout products and brands that caught our attention at the Fancy Food Fair — from unforgettable booth displays to seriously delicious bites and sips.

Featured Brands Mentioned:

Middle Bar
https://www.middlebar.com/shophttps://www.middlebar.com/shop

Masala Gossip
https://masalagossip.com

Everydaze
https://www.everydaze.com

Greens & Gossip

Sipping Streams

Club Magic Hour

Zolli Candy
https://zollipops.com

Cuatro Mamas

Spirit Almond

Piko Provisions

The next show is June 28-30 in New York, so start planning your trip! The Fancy Food Summer Show link: https://www.specialtyfood.com/fancy-food-shows/summer/

Reach out to our hosts: 503-395-8858, call or text with questions.

Instagram: @meaningfulmarketplacepodcast @marshallshautesauce @spicymarshall @sarahmasoni

Thank You To Our Sponsor:

The Food Innovation Center, Oregon Department of Science & Industry, Oregon State University

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#261- David & Faith of Oak Meadows Farm

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 13:00:00 +0000

We were on holiday break, and this is our final episode with the @nwrockymtnrfbc (Northwest Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center). We continue our adventure in the great state of Washington. Join us as we meet with new businesses from this region. Today, we chat with David & Faith of Oak Meadows Farm. We will be back bi-weekly with our fave businesses and stories.

https://www.oakmeadowsfarmllc.com/

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#260- Ash Glover-Ganapathiraju, Ojaswe

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +0000

We continue our journey with the @nwrockymtnrfbc (Northwest Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center). We continue our adventure in the great state of Washington. Join us as we meet with new businesses from this region. Today, we chat with Ash Glover-Ganapathiraju of Ojaswe.

https://www.ojaswe.com/

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#259- Lynette Pflueger, Fireweed Baking Co.

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 13:00:00 +0000

We continue our journey with the @nwrockymtnrfbc (Northwest Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center). We begin our adventure in the great state of Washington. Join us as we meet with new businesses from this region. Today, we chat with Lynette Pflueger of Fireweed Baking Co.

https://www.instagram.com/fireweedbakingco/

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#258- Marcela Munoz, Munoz Berry Farm

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 13:00:00 +0000

https://munozberry.com/

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#257- Hailey VIne, Montana Department of Agriculture

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 13:00:00 +0000

We continue our journey with the @nwrockymtnrfbc (Northwest Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center). As we complete our adventures through Montana, accompanied by our Montana Co-Host, Hailey Vine, from the Montana Department of Agriculture, we recap our guests and talk all things Montana.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#256- Vanessa Hamilton- Farmented Foods

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 13:00:00 +0000

We continue our journey with the @nwrockymtnrfbc (Northwest Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center). As we move through Montana, accompanied by our Montana Co-Host, Hailey Vine, from the Montana Department of Agriculture, and our guest, Vanessa Hamilton of Farmented Foods, who turns ugly Montana vegetables into beautiful ferments.

https://www.farmented.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#255- Cole Mannix-Old Salt Co-Op

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 12:00:00 +0000

We continue our journey with the @nwrockymtnrfbc (Northwest Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center). As we move through Montana, accompanied by our Montana Co-Host, Hailey Vine, from the Montana Department of Agriculture, and our guest, Cole Mannix of Old Salt Co-Op, building community through land stewardship and local food in Helena, Montana.

https://www.oldsaltco-op.com/

https://www.oldsaltco-op.com/pages/festival

https://www.oldsaltco-op.com/pages/theunion-restaurant-helena

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#254- Meggen Wilson- Wild Montana Foods

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 12:22:49 +0000

We continue our journey with the @nwrockymtnrfbc (Northwest Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center). As we move through Montana, accompanied by our Montana Co-Host, Hailey Vine, from the Montana Department of Agriculture, and our guest, Meggen Wilson, of Wild Montana Foods, who makes Vanilla products in Montana.

https://wildmontanafoods.com/

https://www.pineandpalmkitchen.com/

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#253- 41 Grains, Kacie Sikveland

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 12:00:00 +0000

https://www.41grains.com/

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#252- Wickens Ranch, Eric Wickens

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 12:00:00 +0000

We continue our journey with the @nwrockymtnrfbc (Northwest Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center). As we move through Montana, accompanied by our Montana Co-Host, Hailey Vine, from the Montana Department of Agriculture, and our guest, Eric Wickens, the owner of Wickens Ranch in Bozeman, Montana.

Wickens Ranch

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#251- Soulless Ginger, Duane

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 12:00:00 +0000

We continue our journey with the @nwrockymtnrfbc (Northwest Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center). We finish adventuring in Idaho and move to Montana, accompanied by our Montana Co-Host, Hailey Vine, from the Montana Department of Agriculture, and our guest, Duane, the owner of Soulless Ginger, who makes hot honey in Butte, Montana.

https://www.facebook.com/p/thesoullessgingerhothoney-61576195703041/

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#250- University of Idaho Food Technology, Josh Bevan

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000

As the Meaningful Marketplace Podcast Show continues its mission connecting food entrepreneurs with resources for success, we explore the six-state Regional Food Business Center, one state at a time. We are learning from Idaho’s best by joining with co-host Doctor Janna Hamlett, Food Processing Specialist – University of Idaho Extension & School of Food Science.

Hosts Sarah Mason and Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Janna Hamlett of the University of Idaho to meet Josh Bevan from the University of Idaho Food Technology Department.

https://www.uidaho.edu/people/jbevan

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#249- Smokin Glory BBQ & Catering, Tori Burgess

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 15:16:53 +0000

As the Meaningful Marketplace Podcast Show continues its mission connecting food entrepreneurs with resources for success, we explore the six-state Regional Food Business Center, one state at a time. We are learning from Idaho’s best by joining with co-host Doctor Janna Hamlett, Food Processing Specialist – University of Idaho Extension & School of Food Science.

Hosts Sarah Mason and Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Janna Hamlett of the University of Idaho to meet Tori Burgess of Smokin Glory BBQ, a family BBQ business in Post Falls, Idaho.

https://www.smokinglorybbq.com/

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#248- Teton Valley Brands, Kyle Nehring

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000

As the Meaningful Marketplace Podcast Show continues its mission connecting food entrepreneurs with resources for success, we explore the six-state Regional Food Business Center, one state at a time. We are learning from Idaho’s best by joining with co-host Doctor Janna Hamlett, Food Processing Specialist – University of Idaho Extension & School of Food Science.

Hosts Sarah Mason and Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Janna Hamlett of the University of Idaho to meet Kyle Nehring of Teton Valley Brands, making Idaho-grown potato chips in Caldwell, Idaho.

https://www.tetonvalleybrands.com/

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#247- Pow’Waw Foods, Shane Clark

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000

As the Meaningful Marketplace Podcast Show continues its mission connecting food entrepreneurs with resources for success, we explore the six-state Regional Food Business Center, one state at a time. We are learning from Idaho’s best by joining with co-host Doctor Janna Hamlett, Food Processing Specialist – University of Idaho Extension & School of Food Science.

Hosts Sarah Mason and Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Janna Hamlett of the University of Idaho to meet Shane Clark, owner of the Pow'Waw Food Cart in Post Falls, Idaho.

https://www.instagram.com/pwfoodtruckpf/

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#246- Idaho Innovation Center, Bryan Magleby

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 12:00:00 +0000

As the Meaningful Marketplace Podcast Show continues its mission connecting food entrepreneurs with resources for success, we explore the six-state Regional Food Business Center, one state at a time. We are learning from Idaho’s best by joining with co-host Doctor Janna Hamlett, Food Processing Specialist – University of Idaho Extension & School of Food Science.

Hosts Sarah Mason and Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Janna Hamlett of the University of Idaho to meet Bryan Magleby of the Idaho Innovation Center.

https://innovateidaho.org/

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#245- Latah County Fairgrounds and Events Center, Jim Logan

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 12:00:00 +0000

As the Meaningful Marketplace Podcast Show continues its mission connecting food entrepreneurs with resources for success, we explore the six-state Regional Food Business Center, one state at a time. We are learning from Idaho’s best by joining with co-host Doctor Janna Hamlett, Food Processing Specialist – University of Idaho Extension & School of Food Science.

Hosts Sarah Mason and Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Janna Hamlett of the University of Idaho to meet Jim Logan of Latah County Fairgrounds and Events Center. Jim runs the community kitchens, helping multiple business owners begin their journey as food makers.

https://www.latahcountyfair.com/p/events-center/kitchen

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#244- Tubbs Berry Farm, Heidi Tubbs

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 12:00:00 +0000

As the Meaningful Marketplace Podcast Show continues its mission connecting food entrepreneurs with resources for success, we explore the six-state Regional Food Business Center, one state at a time. We are learning from Idaho’s best by joining with co-host Doctor Janna Hamlett, Food Processing Specialist – University of Idaho Extension & School of Food Science.

Hosts Sarah Mason and Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Janna Hamlett of the University of Idaho to meet Heidi Tubbs, of Tubbs Berry Farm in Twin Falls, Idaho.

https://tubbsberryfarm.com/

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#243- Queens of Goodness, Susan Frost

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 17:45:14 +0000

As the Meaningful Marketplace Podcast Show continues its mission connecting food entrepreneurs with resources for success, we explore the six-state Regional Food Business Center, one state at a time. We are learning from Wyoming’s best by joining with co-host Melissa Hemken. Melissa is the Community Food Systems Specialist. Her role involves supporting market infrastructure and sales channels, helping food companies transition from their current to their next level. She is an Emmy-nominated producer of Our Wyoming- Food Freedom Markets. Wyoming has a state law that helps entrepreneurs by allowing their cottage industry to flourish.

Hosts Sarah Mason and Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Melissa Hemken (heritage chicken farmer and food systems storyteller) of Wyoming to meet Susan Frost, Owner of Queens of Goodness, crafting creamed honey products in Lander, Wyoming.

https://queensofgoodness.com/products.html

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#242- Southfork Free Range Turkeys, Vicky Nye

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 18:00:51 +0000

As the Meaningful Marketplace Podcast Show continues its mission connecting food entrepreneurs with resources for success, we explore the six-state Regional Food Business Center, one state at a time. We are learning from Wyoming’s best by joining with co-host Melissa Hemken. Melissa is the Community Food Systems Specialist. Her role involves supporting market infrastructure and sales channels, helping food companies transition from their current to their next level. She is an Emmy-nominated producer of Our Wyoming- Food Freedom Markets. Wyoming has a state law that helps entrepreneurs by allowing their cottage industry to flourish.

Hosts Sarah Mason and Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Melissa Hemken (heritage chicken farmer and food systems storyteller) of Wyoming to meet Vickey Nye of Southfork Free Range Turkeys. Join them as they Talk Turkey.

https://www.southforkfreerangeturkeys.com/

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#241, Gluten Free Oats, Noriko Tenhulzen

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 12:00:00 +0000

As the Meaningful Marketplace Podcast Show continues its mission connecting food entrepreneurs with resources for success, we explore the six-state Regional Food Business Center, one state at a time. We are learning from Wyoming’s best by joining with co-host Melissa Hemken. Melissa is the community food systems specialist. Her role is supporting market infrastructure and sales channels, boosting food companies from their current to their next level. She is an Emmy-nominated producer of Our Wyoming- Food Freedom Markets. Wyoming has a state law that helps entrepreneurs by allowing their cottage industry to flourish.

Hosts Sarah Mason and Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Melissa Hemken (heritage chicken farmer and food systems storyteller) of Wyoming to meet Noriko Tenhulzen of Gluten Free Oats, making 100% gluten-free oats, flours, and oatmeals. They use dedicated growing fields and equipment isolated from gluten contamination, and have their own gluten-free mill.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#240, Eterna Fresh, Beau Fowler

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 12:00:00 +0000

As the Meaningful Marketplace Podcast Show continues its mission connecting food entrepreneurs with resources for success, we explore the six-state Regional Food Business Center, one state at a time. We are learning from Wyoming’s best by joining with co-host Melissa Hemken. Melissa is the community food systems specialist. Her role is supporting market infrastructure and sales channels, boosting food companies from their current to their next level. She is an Emmy-nominated producer of Our Wyoming- Food Freedom Markets. Wyoming has a state law that helps entrepreneurs by allowing their cottage industry to flourish.

Hosts Sarah Mason and Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Melissa Hemken (heritage chicken farmer and food systems storyteller) of Wyoming to meet Beau Fowler of Eterna Fresh, making freeze-dried fruits, veggies, meats and dairy. They are Wyoming's first commercial/retail freeze dried manufacturing facility, with a heavy focus on using only the freshest ingredients in the products.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#239, Mountain Fresh Produce, Savannah Sherman

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 12:00:00 +0000

As the Meaningful Marketplace Podcast Show continues its mission connecting food entrepreneurs with resources for success, we explore the six-state Regional Food Business Center, one state at a time. We are learning from Wyoming’s best by joining with co-host Melissa Hemken. Melissa is the community food systems specialist. Her role is supporting market infrastructure and sales channels, boosting food companies from their current to their next level. She is an Emmy-nominated producer of Our Wyoming- Food Freedom Markets. Wyoming has a state law that helps entrepreneurs by allowing their cottage industry to flourish.

Hosts Sarah Mason and Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Melissa Hemken (heritage chicken farmer and food systems storyteller) of Wyoming to meet Savannah Sherman of Mountain Fresh Produce, a family-owned local produce store in Pinedale, WY. Learn what it takes to run a hydroponic produce store.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#238, Black Gold Jelly Company, Jenefer Tynsky

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 18:18:21 +0000

As the Meaningful Marketplace Podcast Show continues its mission connecting food entrepreneurs with resources for success, we explore the six-state Regional Food Business Center, one state at a time. We are learning from Wyoming’s best by joining with co-host Melissa Hemken. Melissa is the community food systems specialist. Her role is supporting market infrastructure and sales channels, boosting food companies from their current to their next level. She is an Emmy-nominated producer of Our Wyoming- Food Freedom Markets. Wyoming has a state law that helps entrepreneurs by allowing their cottage industry to flourish. Join us as we meet Jenefer Tynsky.

Hosts Sarah Mason and Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Melissa Hemken (heritage chicken farmer and food systems storyteller) to meet Jenefer Tynsky of Black Gold Jelly Company.

Melissa Hemken

Black Gold Jelly Co.

Thank you to our Sponsors:

Oregon State University, Department of Ag Science

NW Regional Food Business Center

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#237, Wyoming Pure, Cindy Goertz and Tori Hendren

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 12:00:00 +0000

As the Meaningful Marketplace Podcast Show continues its mission connecting food entrepreneurs with resources for success, we explore the six-state Regional Food Business Center, one state at a time. We are learning from Wyoming’s best by joining with co-host Melissa Hemken. Melissa is the community food systems specialist. Her role is supporting market infrastructure and sales channels, boosting food companies from their current to their next level. She is an Emmy-nominated producer of Our Wyoming- Food Freedom Markets. Wyoming has a state law that helps entrepreneurs by allowing their cottage industry to flourish. Join us as we meet Cindy Goertz and Tori Hendren.

Hosts Sarah Mason and Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Melissa Hemken (heritage chicken farmer and food systems storyteller) to meet Cindy Goertz and Tori Hendren of Wyoming Pure Natural Beef, an all-natural cattle ranch in Wheatland, Wyoming.

Melissa Hemken

Wyoming Pure

Thank you to our Sponsors:

Oregon State University, Department of Ag Science

NW Regional Food Business Center

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#236, The Busy Mother, Marisha Graves

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 12:00:00 +0000

As the Meaningful Marketplace Podcast Show continues its mission connecting food entrepreneurs with resources for success, we explore the six-state Regional Food Business Center, one state at a time. We are learning from Wyoming’s best by joining with co-host Melissa Hemken. Melissa is the community food systems specialist. Her role is supporting market infrastructure and sales channels, boosting food companies from their current to their next level. She is an Emmy-nominated producer of Our Wyoming- Food Freedom Markets. Wyoming has a state law that helps entrepreneurs by allowing their cottage industry to flourish. Join us as we meet Marisha Graves.

Hosts Sarah Mason and Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Melissa Hemken (heritage chicken farmer and food systems storyteller) to meet Marisha Graves of The Busy Mother, a gluten-free bakery in Riverton, Wyoming. Learn what it takes to run a business offering not only gluten-free products but also other allergen-friendly options.

Melissa Hemken

The Busy Mother

Central Wyoming Conference

Meadowlark Market & Kitchen

Freemont Local Market

Thank you to our Sponsors:

Oregon State University, Department of Ag Science

NW Regional Food Business Center

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#235, La Plata Food Equity Coalition and Love ’N Juice, Erin Jolley and Priscila Newbold

Fri, 30 May 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Mason & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Mike Gabel of Colorado State University to meet Erin Jolley of La Plata Food Equity Coalition, and Priscila Newbold of Love 'N Juice, a juice/smoothie/acai bowl business in Durango, Colorado. La Plata Food Equity Coalition focuses on enhancing health equity for and with local BIPOC, senior, and rural residents.

Love 'N Juice

Café Amore

CSPUR

NW Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center

La Plata Food Equity Coalition

Durango Food Business StartUp Guide

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#234, Phun Bar, Jason Cartwright

Fri, 23 May 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Mason & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Mike Gabel of Colorado State University to meet Jason Cartwright of Phun Bar, a protein/trail bar company based in Denver. Learn what it takes to make gluten-free bars with real ingredients, with 100% compostable packaging.

Phun Bar

CSPUR

Colorado Pitch Competition

Thank you to our sponsors:

Oregon State University College of Ag Sciences

NW Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#233, Ela Family Farms, Steve Ela & Regan Choi

Fri, 16 May 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Mason & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Mike Gabel of Colorado State University to meet Steve Ela & Regan Choi of Ela Family Farms, a 4th-generation, certified organic family farm. Learn what it takes to run a zero-food waste, carbon-neutral, and solar-powered farm in Western Colorado.

Ela Family Farm

CSPUR

Thank you to our sponsors:

Oregon State University College of Ag Sciences

NW Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#232, The Ruby Rose Bakery, Angelica Quintana

Fri, 09 May 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Mason & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Mike Gabel of Colorado State University to meet Angelica Quintana of The Ruby Rose Bakery, a micro bakery, cafe, and store. Learn what it takes to run a home operated cottage bakehouse in San Luis Valley, Colorado.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#231, Haxtun Heritage Mills, Emily Kamala & Roy Pfaltzgraff

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Mason & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Mike Gabel of Colorado State University to meet Emily & Roy of Haxtun Heritage Mills, a dedicated gluten-free millhouse in Northeastern Colorado. Learn what it takes to run an entirely gluten-free family farm.

Haxtun Heritage Mills

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#230, Fuel Kitchens, Nathan Stern

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Mason & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Mike Gabel of Colorado State University to meet Nathan Stern of Fuel Kitchens, Pueblo's first full scale co-manufacturing facility and commissary kitchen. Learn what it takes to run a food manufacturer and incubator in Colorado.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#229, Antiqua, Kylan Ganger

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Mason & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Mike Gabel of Colorado State University to meet Kylan Ganger of Antiqua, making world class sparkling water in Colorado. Learn what it takes to make sparkling waters with botanicals and real fruit juice.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#228, James Ranch, Jenn & Joe Wheeling

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Mason & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Mike Gabel of Colorado State University to meet Jenn & Joe Wheeling of James Ranch, raising cattle in Colorado. Learn what it takes to run a sustainable ranch in Durango.

CSUR

OSU

NW Regional Food Busine Center

James Ranch

Zephyr's Gantlet Book, Coming Soon

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#227, NAYA Garden, Lucy Racehorse Suppah

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni (OSU Food Innovation Center) & Sarah Marshall (Marshall's Haute Sauce) share the journeys of food startups. Co-host Danita Macy (Oregon State University Extension for the Urban Indigenous programs) joins them this week as they continue exploring Oregon businesses. This week's guest is Lucy Racehorse Suppah, the Indigenous Food Sovereignty Coordinator of NAYA Garden Community.

Lucy Racehorse Suppah

NAYA Community Garden

Danita Macy

Support NAYA Community Garden

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#226, Whistling Duck Farm, Mary Alionis

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni (OSU Food Innovation Center) & Sarah Marshall (Marshall's Haute Sauce) share the journeys of food startups. Co-host Amy Gilroy of the Oregon Department of Agriculture joins them this week as they continue exploring Oregon businesses. This week's guest is Mary Alionis of Whistling Duck Farm.

Amy Gilroy

Whistling Duck Farm

Jams, Granola, Cookies, & Spices By Sarah Masoni

OSU Food Innovation Center

ODA Food & Beverage Road Map

Regional Food Business Center Infrastructure Grants

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#225, Hentze Family Farm, Patrick Fay

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni (OSU Food Innovation Center) & Sarah Marshall (Marshall's Haute Sauce) share the journeys of food startups. This week's guest is Patrick Fay of Hentze Family Farm.

Hentze Family Farm

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#224, Creole Me Up, Elsy Dinvil

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni (OSU Food Innovation Center) & Sarah Marshall (Marshall's Haute Sauce) share the journeys of food startups. This week's guest is Elsy Dinvil of Creole Me Up.

Links:

Creole Me Up

Fancy Food Show

Tamale Boy

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#223, Theo’s Longhouse Strong Coffee, Theo Zamora

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni (OSU Food Innovation Center) & Sarah Marshall (Marshall's Haute Sauce) share the journeys of food startups. This week's co-host is Danita Macy, Tribal Liason and SNAP-Ed Program Coordinator for the Urban Indigenous programs at OSU Extension Service. Joined by our guest Theo Zamora of Theo's Longhouse Strong Coffee, roasting coffee with a purpose and giving back to the community.

Theo Perez Creations

Order Theo's Longhouse Strong Coffee

Order Theo's Book Celeste Goes To Warm Springs

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#222, Wapato Island Farm, Jennifer Rose Marie Serna

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni (OSU Food Innovation Center) & Sarah Marshall (Marshall's Haute Sauce) share the journeys of food startups. This week's co-host is Tribal Liaison Danita Macy, SNAP-Ed Program Coordinator for the Urban Indigenous programs at OSU Extension Service. Joined by our guest Jennifer Rose Marie Serna of Wapato Island Farm. Join us as we learn about sacred hospitality, native identity in Community, and the importance of indigenous foods and skill-sharing.

Marshall's Haute Sauce Downtown Days

Danita Macy

Wapato Island Farm

Jennie Brixey

Jennifer would like to thank Martin Prechtel for inspiring Wapato Island Farm via Boland's Kitchen

Volunteer at Wapato Island Farm

Purchase Products from Wapato Island Farm

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#221, Ethos Stone Mill, Angela Kora

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Emily Whittier, Regional Food Systems Specialist at Washington State University, to meet Angela Kora of Ethos Stone Mill Bakery and Cafe, making flour in Washington. Learn what it takes to make premium stone-ground, organic flours grown in the Pacific Northwest.

Links:

Ethos Stone Mill

Northwest Regional Food Business Builder Grants

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#220, Simple Goodness Sisters, Venise Cunningham

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Emily Whittier, Regional Food Systems Specialist at Washington State University, to meet Venise & Belinda of Simple Goodness Sisters making simple syrups in Washington. Learn what it takes to make simple syrups in small batches using ingredients grown on their family farm in Buckley, WA. We ask our guests what they need from their community, and these lovely ladies would love it if you would pre-order their book Drink From Your Garden.

Simple Goodness Sisters

Pre-Order Their Book Drink From Your Garden

Join The Simple Goodness Sisters Newsletter

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#219, Muckleshoot Seafood Products, Eric Soderman

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host, Emily Whittier, Regional Food Systems Specialist at Washington State University, to meet Eric Soderman of Muckleshoot Seafood Products. Learn what it takes for the Muckleshoot Tribe to manage wildlife, fund salmon hatcheries, and respect the land by giving back before taking from it.

Links:

Muckleshoot Tribe

Muckleshoot Seafood Products

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#218, Lesedi Farm, Dorcas Young

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host, Kate Smith, Northwest Small Farm and Latino Farm Educator at Washington State University, to meet Dorcas Young of Lesedi Farm, operating a family-owned micro-farm on Whidbey Island. Learn what it takes to grow produce and make Botswana-styled meals and food products in Washington.

Lesedi Farm

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#217, Clover Mountain Dairy, Virginia Thomas

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host, Emily Whittier, Regional Food Systems Specialist at Washington State University, to meet Virginia Thomas of Clover Mountain Dairy, making cheese from 100% grass-fed cows in Washington. Learn what it takes to create premium dairy products using regenerative agricultural methods to nourish their land and local community.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#216, Xinca Foods, Cynthia Duran

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Emily Whittier, Regional Food Systems Specialist at Washington State University, to meet Cynthia Duran of Xinca Foods. Learn what it takes to make authentic Salvadorian food.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#215, Häxan Ferments, Jessica Huszar

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Emily Whittier, Regional Food Systems Specialist at Washington State University, to meet Jessica Huszar of Häxan Ferments. Learn what it takes to make fermented hot sauces, vinegars, and other condiments in Seattle.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#214, Papa Tony’s Hot Sauce, Tony Wilson

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host, Emily Whittier, Regional Food Systems Specialist at Washington State University, to meet Tony Wilson of Papa Tony's Hot Sauce making hot sauce in Western Washington. Learn what it takes to make gourmet hot sauce made with local fresh ingredients.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#213, Wintercrest Farms, Jacy Dowler

Wed, 25 Dec 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host, Hailey Vine, Food & Agriculture Development Officer at the Montana Department of Agriculture to meet Jacy Dowler of Wintercrest Farms growing Aronia berries in Montana. Learn what it takes to grow these berry bushes near the beautiful Glacier Park in Kalispell, Montana.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#212, Glacier Processing Co-op, Mark Siderius

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Hailey Vine, Food & Agriculture Development Officer at the Montana Department of Agriculture, to meet Mark Siderius of Glacier Processing Co-op processing meat in Montana. Learn what it takes to run this processing facility that prioritizes its producers.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#211, Flare Pops, Karl Sutton

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Hailey Vine, Food & Agriculture Development Officer at the Montana Department of Agriculture to meet Karl Sutton of Flare Pops making organic fruit paletas in Montana. Learn what it takes to make these farm-to-paleta treats!

Links To Content Mentioned In Episode #:

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#210, North of Nowhere Farm, Darlis Nordhagen

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Hailey Vine, Food & Agriculture Development Officer at the Montana Department of Agriculture to meet Darlis Nordhagen of North of Nowhere Farm, raising grass fed beef in Montana. Learn what it takes to grow this regenerative agriculture endeavor.

Links To Content Mentioned In Episode #:

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#209, Yellowstone Foods, Quinn Harp

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Hailey Vine, Food & Agriculture Development Officer at the Montana Department of Agriculture to meet Quinn Harp of Yellowstone Foods making locally sourced, all natural, earth friendly snacks in Montana. Learn what it takes to create a healthier, more sustainable snacking experience!

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#208, Cherrywood Orchard, Tiffany Sybert

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Joel Carlson, Facility Manager at Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center, to meet Tiffany Sybert of Cherrywood Orchard, growing Flathead cherries in Bigfork, Montana. Learn what it takes to grow these cherries, focusing on regenerative practices and creating delicious cherry products from jams and sauces to skin care!

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#207- Hot Hounds Sauce, David Brodie

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Joel Carlson, Facility Manager at Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center, to meet David Brodie of Hot Hounds Sauce, making hot sauces in Kalispell, Montana. Learn what it takes to make handcrafted hot sauces utilizing high quality peppers!

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#206- VOXY Shrub, Mara Veale

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Hailey Vine, Food & Agriculture Development Officer at the Montana Department of Agriculture, to meet Mara Veale of VOXY Shrub, making delicious shrub tonic in Montana from preserved Flathead cherries. Learn what it takes to make these refreshing tonics that can be used in a variety of ways!

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#205- Gruff Grains, Crystal Manuel

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Crystal Manuel of Gruff Grains, making Ancient Grain Grits sourced from their 106 year old family farm nestled within Montana's Golden Triangle.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#204- Montana Department of Agriculture, Hailey Vine

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Hailey Vine, Food & Agriculture Development Officer at the Montana Department of Agriculture. Listen in as they discuss food entrepreneurship and businesses in the great state of Montana, as well as the 11 development centers they've built to support them!

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#203- Hillside Grain, Brett Stevenson

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Janna Verburg-Hamlett of University of Idaho and TechHelp to meet Brett Stevenson of Hillside Grain, making fresh flour in Idaho. Learn what it takes to make delicious, nutritious, fresh flour, from family grown and stone milled grain.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#202- Jessica Norris, Dilly’s Pickled Veggies

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Janna Verburg-Hamlett of University of Idaho and TechHelp to meet Jessica Norris of Dilly's Pickled Veggies, making delicious pickled veggies in Idaho. Learn what it takes to make these flavor packed, simple, and fresh pickled veggies!

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#201- Hummuna Hummus, Sevana Saroyan

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Janna Verburg-Hamlett of University of Idaho and TechHelp to meet Sevana Saroyan of Hummuna Hummus, making hummus in Idaho. Learn what it takes to make real food with real flavor!

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#200- Snacktivist Foods, Joni Kindwall-Moore

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Colette DePhelps, Area Extension Educator, Community Food Systems at the University of Idaho, to meet Joni Kindwall-Moore of Snacktivist Foods, making super delicious superfoods in Idaho. Learn what it takes to make these simple to prepare, top-9 allergen-free, good for the planet and good for the whole family foods!

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#199- Oma & Popies, Jan Zarr

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Janna Verburg-Hamlett of University of Idaho and TechHelp to meet Jan Zarr of Oma & Popies, making seasoning sauces and spice blends in Idaho. Learn what it takes to make delicious, easy meals with their amazing flavors that will have everyone wanting more!

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#198- Roots Potato Chips, Ladd & Zoey Wahlen

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Janna Verburg-Hamlett of University of Idaho and TechHelp to meet Ladd & Zoey Wahlen of Roots Potato Chips, making farm fresh potato chips in Idaho. Learn what it takes to make farmer grown, farmer made potato chips with real, all natural ingredients.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#197- Free Spirits Beverage Company, Melissa and Briana

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Janna Verburg-Hamlett of University of Idaho and TechHelp to meet Melissa and Briana of Free Spirits Beverage Company, making bespoke micro-craft batched beverages in Idaho. Learn what it takes to make beverages with ingredients grown and foraged naturally, organically, and holistically.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#196- Ballard Cheese, Travis Ballard

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host, Katie Baker of FARE Idaho to meet Travis Ballard of Ballard Cheese, making cheese in Gooding, Idaho. Learn what it takes to make delicious, handmade cheeses on his family farm.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#195- Northern Latitude Foods, McKinley Dixon

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Janna Verburg-Hamlett of University of Idaho and TechHelp to meet McKinley Dixon of Northern Latitude Foods making wild rice in Idaho. Learn what it takes to make beautifully wild, beyond organic, non-intervention food.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#194- Elevation Gourmet, Aaron Wagner

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Mike Gabel of Colorado State University to meet Aaron Wagner of Elevation Gourmet, making unique and healthy ketchup in Colorado. Learn what it takes to make simple, all natural, and non-GMO ketchup in the Mile High City.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#193- Field Strips, McKay Anderson

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 22:14:14 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Mike Gabel of Colorado State University to meet McKay Anderson of Field Strips, making fruit strips packed with organic fruit, veggies, and coconut oil in Colorado. Learn what it takes to make nutritious, delicious snacks for every adventure.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#192- Hanuman Chai, Rachna Rawat

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 20:55:22 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marhall are joined by Co-Host Mike Gabel of Colorado State University to meet Rachna Rawat of Hanuman Chai making Ayurvedic chai and herbal teas in Colorado. Learn what it takes to make 100% organic, Ayurvedic chai and herbal teas, made with expertise, care, and love.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#191- Bar-U-Eat, Sam Nelson

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 21:58:17 +0000

Hosts Sarah Masoni & Sarah Marshall are joined by Co-Host Mike Gabel of Colorado State University to meet Sam Nelson of Bar-U-Eat making organic granola bars in Colorado. Learn what it takes to make an all natural, organic, granola bar for adventuring.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#190- Naturally Boulder, Kristine Carey

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 22:43:32 +0000

#190 Kristine Carey, Naturally Boulder: Galvanizing the natural products industry through education, networking, and celebrations for the Colorado community. Thank you for listening to The Meaningful Marketplace Podcast with your hosts, Sarah Masoni of Oregon State University's Food Innovation Center and Sarah Marshall, owner of Marshall's Haute Sauce. Connect with us on Instagram @meaningfulmarketplacepodcast. Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon. Producer: Sarah Marshall of The Joy of Creation Production House Audio engineer, mixer, and podcast editor: Haley Bowers Show logo design: Anton Kimball of Kimball Design Production Coordinators: Dave Drusky

# 189- Quarantine Project Sauce, Rick DeSimone

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 18:36:25 +0000

The Meaningful Marketplace Podcast with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Audio engineer, mixer, and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

Quarantine Project Hot Sauces can be found in a scattering of stores across the country or online at:

https://www.quarantineprojectsauce.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#188 Farnosh Family, Sun Ghee

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 15:00:00 +0000

Use coupon code: meaningful

https://www.sungheekitchen.com

Follow Sun Ghee on IG: @sungheekitchen

Contact Mike Gabel: Michael.Gabel@colostate.edu

https://agsci.colostate.edu/spur/food-innovation-center

Produced by The Joy Of Creation Production House

Meaningful Marketplace Podcast with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

Audio engineer Hailey Bowers

Production Coordinator Kayleen Veatch

Show logo by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Contact our hosts: Intagram @sarahmasoni @spicymarshall @meaningfulmarketplacepodcast

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#187 Something For Every Learner- Mike Gabel, Colorado State University, Food Innovation Center

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 06:45:02 +0000

Contact Mike Gabel at:

Michael.Gabel@colostate.edu

Find out more about CSU’s Spur campus at https://csuspur.org

Contact our hosts:

Instagram: @sarahmasoni @spicymarshall @marshallshautesauce @meaningfulmarketplacepodcast

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#186 No Competition So Far- Britini Haar, Cloud Peak Cultures

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 06:02:24 +0000

Find cloudpeakCloud Peak Cultures on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cloudpeakcultures/.

Co-Host Melissa Hemken:

mhemken@cwc.edu

https://www.cwc.edu/agri-business/

Our hosts Instagram: @sarahmasoni @spicymarshall @meaningfulmarketplacepodcast

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#185 More Than Organic - Jon Shumway, Shumway Farms

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 16:43:45 +0000

It was Swiss relatives, the Woofley side of the Jon Shumway’s family, settling in the Star Valley of Wyoming in the early 1900s that inspired the original farming success that is now Shumway Farms. Then Jon Shumway’s Great Grandfather, the Shumway side, merged with the Woofley’s, who were dairy farmers and he was responsible for the big push to expand the farm. Now Jon is the founder of Shumway Farms, a family farm raising grass fed cattle, pigs and sheep and producing their harvested products. Those products are raw milk, flavored raw milk, raw cream, ice cream, yogurt, beef, pork, and free-range eggs. As Jon puts it, they are quite possibly the last organic dairy selling to the public in the area. That’s because agricultural land in the traditionally cheese-making valley is fast disappearing. Being at the base of Jackson Hole, Wyoming has made the beautiful valley “discovered” by the public and development is taking place even as our interview is being conducted. The majority of the product line is from milk and the company recently became a licensed facility. The operation has an on-farm lab which is an important part of the food safety program. They test every batch of milk after bottling to make sure it's safe before being distributed to customers. Cows are milked in what is known as a harringbone style milking parlor. They can fit 12 cows in the barn at one time (6 on each side). While one side is being milked the other side is being prepped for milking. One of the more popular items is their yogurt, which has an interesting story. Jon’s brother came back from a trip east having discovered skyr, and Icelandic cream product similar to yogurt. It’s a full-cream, strained yogurt and is mixed with pure maple syrup. At first, people didn’t buy the product as skyr was not a household name and sales were thin. So the company started calling it yogurt and sales did increase. However, there were loyal customers who asked “Where’s the Skyr?” even though the product was exactly the same, only under a different name. On their website, you’ll see there is still skyr available. With all their dairy products, whey is a big byproduct. What to do with it? Currently, it is tossed out. The company is so busy keeping up with demand that turning it into cheese is out of their bandwidth. On top of that, their whey is a sour whey, not the usual sweet whey, so it doesn’t even work for pig food, as the pigs won’t eat it. At some point, however, the family will add the machinery to process the whey and keep with their philosophy of responsible farming. On a side note, when informed by Sarah Masoni that one of Meaningful Market Place’s earlier guests turned their whey into vodka, it definitely caught Jon’s attention. The family loves to welcome all kinds of groups to the farm for visits and personalized tours. They regularly host school field trips, large family groups, professional organizations, and others to carry the banner for responsible, organic farming and its products. Or as their website says, more than organic. Customers in the local area can find Shumway Farms products in select grocery stores which can be found on the company website: https://www.shumwayfarms.com/. You also can order from their website, as the company has partnered with Beck Ranch to handle their shipping, including their ice cream! Follow them on: IG: @shumwayfarmswyo FB: shumwayfarms. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#184 Salsa Should Be Thick - Richard Rhodes, Red Pony Salsa

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 15:23:42 +0000

“It’s hard to find a good tasting salsa that doesn’t look like spaghetti sauce”, says Richard Rhoades, founder of Red Pony Salsa, Clearmont, Wyoming, our guest today. Roughly 30 years ago, Richard planted around 30 different types of peppers in his garden, the impetus of creating a great salsa. Adding to his tomato crop, Richard experimented with other sauces and whatever exotic spice or vegetable that was on hand. However, moving to a commercial salsa meant he needed to focus on the ingredients that were accessible and in quantity. Jalapeno peppers and serrano peppers were abundant and Richard liked the flavors, so he spent about five years playing with the recipes until he got to a salsa to his liking. Richard then shared his concoction with friends and one in particular was Craig Johnson. Craig is the author of the novel, Longmire, which was turned into a Netflix series. Craig urged Richard to begin selling commercially and that was the start of the business. How those two met is a story in itself. Richard has always been an avid hunter, which had brought him to Wyoming at the age of 17. From there he had opened a Taxidermy studio in 1980, and also began outfitting hunters from the mountains to the open prairies. His personal hunts have taken him to Europe, Africa, Canada, Alaska, Mexico, and several US states. Craig had initially visited Richard as a customer of Richard’s taxidermy and outfitting shop and their friendship began. It was in 2015 that Richard began to produce the salsa on a commercial scale. Richard had gotten his label with ingredients certified by Colorado State University and had things lined up. Right away, the product line grew. To avoid the spaghetti sauce look and keep the salsa thick, Richard drained the salsa of excess liquid. But he found the juice was so good he couldn’t throw it away. At that point, the makings for a Bloody Mary Mix was created. So at this point, Richard had everything nailed down for the salsa and mix, ready to produce and bottle. Everything except a name. Then one night, after much debate, and many Rainier and scotches, Craig's wife Judy, suggested he use the Red Pony name, from Craig’s books, and the company was set to launch. Originally, Richard made all the salsa but of course, ramping up volume meant larger facilities. He began with a co-packer in Denver who became too expensive. He then moved to one in California who was great but Richard’s company was too small for them to work with. He’s now talking to two others, one in California and one in Florida in order to have one on each coast. Such is the life of a foodpreneur. Red Pony Salsa is available in many stores in Wyoming and starting to branch into other states. Red Pony Salsa has three flavors, mild, medium and hot, plus the Red Pony Bloody Mary Mix is all available online at: https://www.redponysalsa.com/. Follow Richard on FB: Red Pony Salsa

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#183 The Only Game in Town? - Orion Bellorado / Ian McGregor, Farmstead Cider

Wed, 29 May 2024 16:56:08 +0000

"It’s snowing in Wyoming so according to Melissa Hemken, that means springtime. The latest business news from Melissa is a series of statewide startup challenges for entrepreneurs and two of the four winners in her area were food businesses. Part of that strong Wyoming food business culture is our guest today, Ian McGregor, co-founder of Farmstead Cider. Are they the one and only Wyoming hard cider company? Ian says they are definitely the loudest and possibly the only one. He also hopes there will be more as it is good to have a community with common interests and a place to share best practices. The impetus for the company is not the usual story. Ian and co-founder Orion Bellorado sold pies at farmers markets in the summer just for fun. Then Ian spent time in the Napa Valley, California working in the wine industry before returning to Wyoming. Since he and Orion enjoyed working together, they started brainstorming ideas. Wine making was not practical, as grapes wouldn’t survive the Wyoming climate. They never considered apples as the only ones they had ever noticed were the small crab apples. Then the light dawned on Ian as he noticed – for the first time – the abundance of apple trees in Jackson Hole. Once they decided on cider as a business and since the trees were planted by homesteaders, Farmstead Cider became the name. Then they randomly had a dinner party where a bear biologist was a guest. When questioned by the biologist about their business and how they were harvesting apples, Ian and Orion were told there was a problem in the area: Bears getting into the many apple trees of the residents. The biologist went on to say there was a wildlife budget to address the problem, and if Ian and Orion could use the money to harvest more apples, the bear predicament could be alleviated. Seeing their business could remove the living space conflict between people and bears while creating a valuable business as well, the company took off with their memorable moto: Save Bears. Drink Cider. On their website, anyone in their local area can add their apple trees to their map and give permission for the company to enter their property and harvest their apples, removing the enticing draw for the local bear community. Ian’s time in the wine industry was invaluable, as they discovered tannins and other properties of the crab apples that created delicious and unique tastes. The apple’s properties come from the ancient glacial soils, extreme sun, and cool nights all combine to make Wyoming a fantastic place to grow, harvest, and taste unique cider apple varieties including the high-tannin crab apples. Having rediscovered forgotten 150+ year old apple trees and planting new orchards, the founders are teaching people about high altitude farming along the way. Ian and Orion also take a small batch approach to cider-making. Wild fermenting slowly at cold temperatures and allowing the ciders to age in oak barrels mellows out the high acidity and tannins of crab apples. The result is a hard cider that’s smooth, dry, and full of flavor. Farmstead Cider is also the first commercial
cidery in Wyoming in over 100 years. Ian’s time in the wine industry also shows through in the labeling of the hard ciders. Their bottles and labels mirror upscale wine bottles and the company has enjoyed winning awards with some of their varieties. You can join one of their clubs. Farmstead Cider Clubs offer a range of special releases and classic ciders. Cider shipments are automatically sent at a discount, four times per year: February, May, August, and November. Each shipment features two to four cider selections chosen by our cider makers, with the rest chose by the member. You also can shop at their store the next time you’re in Jackson Hole, or order online at their website: https://farmsteadwyo.com/, they ship to all 50 states. Follow them on IG: @farmsteadcider. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall."

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#182 Nothing ”Goaty” Here - Lindsey Washkoviak & Ben Elzay, Medicine Bow Creamery

Wed, 22 May 2024 15:11:00 +0000

Before starting the interview, some great news from our Wyoming host, Melissa Hemken. The Wyoming Business Council in conjunction with USDA’s Mountain Regional Business Center has created an online directory of Wyoming food and drink. More great resources from RFBC. Today’s guests from the southern part of Wyoming are Lindsey Washkoviak and Ben Elzay, founders of Medicine Bow Creamery at Brush Creek Ranch. It’s a big name of a big operation. It began 12 years ago when Lindsey and Ben fell in love over food. Lindsey is a Wisconsin native, so cheese is part of her heritage. Ben is a Wyoming native and hunting, fishing, gardening and the processing of food is his background, so their union was destiny. A year after meeting, they began making goat cheese leasing part of a friend’s farm to feed and milk their goats. But when the Wyoming Food Freedom Act passed and they could make value-added products in their unlicensed kitchen, they started Slow Goat Farm. Volume grew to the point in 2017 they needed to grow past their own home. Then in 2019, Brush Creek Ranch contacted them because the Ranch had put in an infrastructure to have a food-to-table program, including craft goat cheeses. The Ranch initially wanted Slow Goat Farm to supply them milk, but Slow Goat could not legally sell them milk, so the conversation turned to cheese and creamery production. Brush Creek wanted to start such a program and since Lindsey and Ben already had the business dialed in, it was a natural to have the couple start up the business inside Brush Creek. The timing was excellent as the couple helped finish the design of the creamery and cheese facilities then fell right into production. COVID lockdown slowed things temporarily but the license came through in 2021 for their new company, Medicine Bow Creamery at Brush Creek Ranch. Every business has startup pangs and Medicine Bow has had theirs. When cheese ages, it needs a specific level of heat and humidity. Wyoming is a dry climate and the first batches of goat cheese did not turn out as planned. However, the company has enjoyed strong sales with feta being a big favorite. Interestingly, Brush Creek Ranch is the biggest client, buying all the yogurt that is produced and much of the other production as well. But as Medicine Bow Creamery ramps up production, the couple is confident they will be reaching markets will outside of the Ranch. The couple is excited about all the varieties of cheese they are making as they experiment to find the cheeses that will be most popular when they are able to expand their marketplace. And the chefs at Brush Creek are terrific sounding boards. A quick look at the Brush Creek Ranch: Going back to its founding in 1884, the ranch has stayed alive by evolving into a luxury resort that has upheld its past and western ranch heritage. The spirit of recreation, adventure, and good times shared together prevails, from famous barn and campfire cookouts to cattle drives and fishing on the renowned Brush Creek. This authentic heritage is visibly apparent and despite a plethora of modern amenities, Brush Creek Ranch is still a true working cattle ranch. Lindsey and Ben keep those standards high with their herd of Alpine, Nubian, and Mini Nigerian goats. Guests can meet and learn how the milking process works from the Dairy Managers, play with the kids, shepherd the herd through a relaxing pasture walk, and get a behind the scenes tour of the goat operation. Their award-winning creamery masterfully instills complex flavors into a variety of cheeses, blending old-world and old-west traditions. Their fresh and lightly aged cheeses lack a strong “goaty” flavor due to special diets and gentle milk handling practices. Visit the website at: https://www.brushcreekranch.com/the-farm/medicine-bow-creamery. Follow them on: Instagram andFacebook: Slow Goat Farm Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

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#181 Fit for a Cowboy - Tyler McCann, Wyoming Cowboy Cuts

Wed, 15 May 2024 15:51:55 +0000

It’s the middle of calving season for ranchers, and if you don’t know what that means, you’re not alone. Tyler and Angela McCann fifth generation ranchers and owners of Wyoming Cowboy Cuts can tell you. It’s when the cows are giving birth to their baby calves and as Tyler says, averages about three a day. That’s intense work and Tyler admits he’s rather tired as he gives his interview. Calves are born and raised on the undulating sagebrush steppe of the family’s Hancock Ranch and when weaned from their mother cows, travel 72 miles to Tyler and Angela McCann’s farm. There, the beef cattle reside in irrigated pastures, and, in addition to their grass diet, eat a corn, oat and barley grain supplement. The McCanns’ daughters, the family ranch’s sixth generation, often pet the beef cattle at their twice daily grain feedings.Here’s the family story on how all this came about. Angela’s grandfather and grandmother purchased the ranchlands where, today, the McCanns’ cattle graze. When Angela’s grandparents married, her grandfather owned a saddle and bedroll, and her grandmother had a few cooking pots and a sewing machine. The McCanns’ honor their family’s hard work by furthering the ranch business’s environmental and financial sustainability for the next generation — their daughters. The family is the epitome of the American Dream. Technically, the ranch is a commercial beef herd raising a mix of Red Angus, Black Angus and Hereford cattle. The idea of “finishing beef” started about 12 years ago when Tyler and Angela married. Finishing is a process of essentially fattening up the cattle with the corn and grain feed instead of selling off the cattle after only grazing them in the pasture. Deciding that they would be losing money on the grazed cattle by selling them at auction, they chose to keep and finish the cattle and found the taste after processing was incredibly good. That led to the path of selling their choice beef direct to the public and eventually added pork and lamb to the product line. Business must be good, as a look at their website shows they are sold out of almost every offering. The company will ship their products, but shipping from central Wyoming poses some challenges. Luckily, the McCann’s have experienced such high sales locally that they haven’t had to do much shipping. The process of landing that delicious piece of beef on someone’s plate is quite an odyssey. The McCann’s time their calving for the spring of the year and after the calves reach around six weeks of age, the branding activity begins. That’s when the company has a solid count of future cattle and the mothers will then continue to raise their calves through the summer. In the fall, the company begins gathering the herd in the pasture, which is 56 square miles in size. The cattle are in pairs, mother and calf, so the calves need to be weaned away then sorted into steers and heifers (boys and girls for us beginners). The ranchers then select the best heifers to keep breeding then sell the majority of steers to a backgrounder, someone who will take the steers from their weight of a little over 500 pounds and put them in a yearling program, meaning keeping them in pasture another summer. The McCann’s also take the cattle they keep and put them in the same program where the beef will grow to the 850-950 pound range. They are then brought to the pasture for the finishing stage, being grain fed twice a day and checked carefully for any maladies. Occasionally, the lucky ones even receive a name (check the website). The company has found that the grasses in their pastures produce a unique flavor and have been experimenting with the combination of grasses and cross-breeding to offer multiple flavors of their products. When products are available, buy online at: https://www.wyomingcowboycuts.com/. Follow them on IG: @wyomingcowboycuts, FB: @wyomingcowboycuts Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

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#180 No Gluten? No Problem - Sara Woods, Wyoming Heritage Grains

Wed, 08 May 2024 20:49:22 +0000

Today, we welcome a fifth generation farmer, Sara Woods of Wyoming Heritage Grains. Wyoming is great for spreading out and having lots of elbow room to be a farmer, as the population is not huge nor all that concentrated. The family came out to Wyoming in the early 1900s as homesteaders and their current farm, located in Northwest Wyoming, 70 miles east of Yellowstone, was established in 1946. They have grown just about every commodity crop that exists and also raise beef cattle and alfalfa hay. They are focused on regenerative practices and use multiple species of cover crops and mob grazing to ensure rich biodiversity, and healthy soils. As an interesting note, the land once belonged to Buffalo Bill Cody, and was used as a Country club at one point in time. Irrigation became possible from the Shoshone Water Project from 1899-1947,and the water is fed by the Yellowstone Eco-system. The family farm had started a malting company a few years ago and sold to beverage brewers quite successfully. The pandemic put a hold on that business, but the farm began milling flour as the lockdown put a huge demand on that commodity. Sara left the farm at adulthood, but after having a corporate life and kids, she desired a slower lifestyle. So Sara quit her corporate job and returned as the mill had become a thriving business. It turned out to be a very steep learning curve for Sara as producing flour is not the simple process it appears to be from the outside. The company now offers five to six different grains from their mill and their equipment has been upgraded as the company expands and becomes more efficient. Sara also has gone down the proverbial entrepreneur rabbit holes, experimenting with heirloom vegetables, varieties of animals and other commodities that in the end were not good business ventures. Sara points to our changing diet as a driver for their choices of grains. After World War II, wheat was hybridized in order to feed a growing population. That phenomenon has created a very large population of people who are now sensitive to gluten, so that has served to take wheat out of the mix of grains that can be raised and processed for Wyoming Heritage Grains. Now the older varieties of grains are more tolerable, but of course the yield per acre is smaller than the hybridized wheat, so it becomes a price/quantity/quality puzzle for Sara and the family. The big breakthrough has been finding customers who could not eat grains previously and can now eat Wyoming Heritage Grains every day. Filling that market segment of people who cannot tolerate wheat but want the “wheat experience” has been the family’s success to date. For example, their White Sonora grain was originally brought to the Americas in the 1500s and has been very easy to digest for people with gluten sensitivity. And since the company makes a pancake mix out of the flour, it’s a real treat for every family. Wyoming Heritage Grains also sells Einkhorn grain and flour, a grain that has stayed essentially the same for 10,000 years. The family also has experimented with red and blue corn kernels. There is some great news about cooperation amongst food producers who care about the consumer who is eating what they produce. The family communicates with other millers to coordinate what is being grown and milled to make sure consumers are supplied with all the healthy food they desire. You can find their products in farmers markets in Cody and others around Wyoming. They also are about to be stocked in Bayard Grocery stores. Be forgiving when buying online from their website, as it is being re-built and all the recipes were deleted in the process: https://www.wyomingheritagegrains.com/. Follow them on IG, FB and TikTok: wyomingheritagegrains. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#179 It Takes a Scientist - Daniel Stewart, High Country Fungus

Wed, 01 May 2024 15:56:45 +0000

As the Meaningful Marketplace Podcast Show continues its mission connecting food entrepreneurs with resources for success, we explore the six-state Regional Food Business Center one state at a time. Having spent the first two months of this year with Oregon foodpreneurs, we begin learning from Wyoming’s best by joining with co-co host Melissa Hemken from Central Wyoming College. Melissa is the community food systems specialist at the college. Her role is to support market infrastructure and sales channels, boosting food companies from their current level to their next level. Wyoming has a state law that is a big help to entrepreneurs by allowing their cottage industry to flourish. Sounding similar to the Tennessee law discussed in episode #177, entrepreneurs can sell directly from their kitchen to the end consumer without licensing or inspection. The entrepreneur also can sell on consignment through a retailer, expanding their reach far past traditional farmers market sales. Melissa’s program also has put on well-attended multi-day workshops touching on all aspects of the food industry from farming to production to consumer acceptance. Today, the trio is interviewing Daniel Stewart, founder of High Country Fungus offering functional mushroom products for everyday living. They are a small, family-owned and operated business in Riverton, Wyoming and their goal is to offer the highest quality mushroom infused products plus fun merchandise. A physics major in college, Daniel was taking a botany class in 2012 at Washington State University. On an outdoor hike with a group of friends and family in Idaho one of the party came running up with their hat full of morel mushrooms, talking excitedly about all sorts of recipes and what they planned to do with them that week. Daniel had never seen a mushroom before and was fascinated. That moment was Daniel’s "ah-hah!" moment and sparked his continued love and curiosity for mushrooms. Idaho was a perfect spot for mushrooms to grow and while Daniel was working in a restaurant, he began foraging for them. He joined an association, started reading books and began introducing mushrooms into the restaurant. Daniel subsequently moved to Missoula, Montana and had been thinking about starting his own company for some time. He started his first company there in 2019 supplying mushrooms and offering not only mushrooms but also the necessary products for cultivating mushrooms. Then the “roadblock” hit, as happens to all entrepreneurs. It was the beginning of the foraging season for the business. Not only did COVID begin to hit, but while out foraging, Daniel stepped in a wasps’ nest, then blew out his knee running away, requiring surgery. Moment of truth: Keep moving forward to quit? For Daniel, he used the recovery time to think about his next move. The business did not survive, having missed the foraging season, so he and his family moved to central Wyoming, where his wife grew up. It was a high desert climate as opposed to the rain forest Daniel had experienced before. So naturally, he turned to indoor cultivation, which the scientist in him loved as it opened up a whole new world to explore. This was in April of 2021 and started in Daniel’s garage. Daniel has been fortunate to have many mentors along the way and encourages all entrepreneurs to find and work with a mentor if possible. High Country Fungus products are USDA Certified Organic, 100% Mushroom Fruiting Body Extracts. Their mix is made of Lion's Mane, Cordyceps, Turkey Tail, Reishi and Chaga. This mix is at the core of their lifestyle and the foundation of their infusions. The High Five Mix is for all-day energy and clarity; reduced inflammation, bloating, and over all wellness. Shop their products on their website: https://highcountryfungus.com/, Follow them on IG @high_country_fungus and FB@highcountryfungus. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#178 Better Butter - Iliana Maura, Iliana Maura

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 19:03:40 +0000

In this episode, our hosts interview yet another Oregon State University, Food Innovation Center “graduate”, Iliana Maura, Founder of the company that bears her name, Iliana Maura. The company produces dairy-free products for those who wish to or need to avoid dairy. From the start of the show Iliana credits the FIC, for which Sarah Masoni is the Director, for helping refine her product to be ready for the consumer market. The journey to the FIC was a familiar story. Iliana Maura comes from a family of experienced cooks and bakers. Fresh out of college, Iliana was one of the first entrepreneurs to start a line of fruit juice-sweetened cookies. She donated part of her profits from each sale towards helping animals. Her four flavors of gourmet cookies caught on quickly, were sold throughout California and ultimately gained national distribution. Passion for a healthy lifestyle and her love of animals and natural sustainability have always been a big part of who Iliana is. It was only natural for her to explore producing dairy-free products and after experimenting with recipes, began selling in local farmers markets. Iliana Maura foods were an instant hit and Iliana not only had a line outside her booth, but sold out every single week she attended. These markets are the genesis of many successful food products and any food entrepreneur (foodpreneur) who isn’t selling their products in one is urged to check out their local market. In this episode, Iliana has many survival hints for all those entering into farmers market for the first time. It was in that farmers market community she was introduced to and joined the Pacific Northwest Food and Beverage Group, a real family according to Iliana. People in the group told Iliana about the FIC and all the resources available to foodpreneurs. After an introduction to Sarah Masoni, Iliana worked with one of the food scientists and began the process of taking the recipe from kitchen to consumer sales. Iliana Maura currently offers “Divinely Dairy-Free Butter”, an incredible alternative to regular butter, and sugar-free protein bars. Iliana sells both online and currently has one local market carrying her products on the shelf. However, she is always thinking of new products to expand the line and urges the visitors to her website to sign up for her newsletter and offer recipe ideas. In fact, Iliana is launching a new and improved butter product this May, 2024. She has extended the shelf life to five months, for which she again credits the scientist team at the Food Innovation Center. Besides tasting good and a long shelf life, products need great packaging not only to get the consumer’s attention, but to emote an image of satisfying taste, healthy and sustainable processing and the hands-on, caring touch of the founder. Iliana’s logo mark is a stylized self-portrait and says it all for her. It is very feminine, a standout from the more generic butter and bar packaging and is a reflection of her desire to bring wholesome and healthy foods to the world. Besides the one store location and the farmers market, you can order online at https://ilianamaura.com/. Follow Iliana o Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ilianamauraofficial/ . Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ilianamaura/. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#177 A Star in Music City - Donna Parker, Blondy’s Baked Goods

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 17:50:54 +0000

We interviewed Donna Parker, founder of Blondy’s Baked Goods, back in March of 202l - episode 66 for all you baking enthusiasts. A quick background on Donna: Living with allergies for over a decade and always having to compromise on foods, Donna made up her mind to create and share delicious treats that cater to everyone, regardless of dietary restrictions. Her gluten allergy turned Donna into a self-taught cook and baker specializing in dairy and gluten-free baking. It’s been three years since we talked with Donna in Portland, Oregon, so what’s changed? For one thing, she’s moved to the Nashville, Tennessee area with her son and pretty much started her business again from scratch. At first, Donna wasn’t sure if she would restart Blondy’s Baked Goods. In Oregon, she had placed her baked goods in some excellent grocery stores, was in 20 different coffee shops and had kept the business alive during COVID. However, Nashville was an unknown in the gluten-free food category. Donna wanted to keep her company going, but also had a parallel career in the beauty industry and she finally had to choose one. It was a lot of effort and heartache to restart and keep going, but her passion to deliver healthy, nutritious treats was the spark to keep Blondy’s going. Now in her fifth year a big turning point was this January. Donna gave up her career in the beauty industry to be full time Blondy’s. There have been some big challenges. In the Portland area, there were lots of foodies who loved paleo and dairy-free and gluten-free foods but her new market was unknown. However, the town in which Donna now lives has more west coast people moving to the area and demand for allergy-free foods is increasing. Also, the one gluten-free bakery in the area recently closed down, leaving an opening for Blondy’s. Still baking from home, Donna is appreciative of the fact that Tennessee is more lenient when it comes to cottage law than Oregon, but she is extremely careful to have all her corporate papers, permits and licenses in order to be in full compliance. Right now, working from her home kitchen is perfect for the volume of business, but Donna knows she will need to keep an eye on possible expansion. Our host Sarah Marshall of Marshall’s Haute Sauce has a certified commercial kitchen in her family home and urges Donna to operate from her home as long as possible to work out the kinks of production and to keep down the headaches of overhead. And on top of the business at home, Donna is home schooling her son, so not doing a lot of commuting certainly helps Donna keep it together. Donna’s approach in her second business incarnation is backward from her first. In Oregon, she started out as a wholesaler; Donna went right into a commercial kitchen and right into wholesaling. But in Tennessee, she changed her mind after discovering the difference between the state laws. Donna still does wholesale business and caters to cafes and restaurants in the area but without needing a commercial kitchen. There are new items in the product line since our last interview. Many people had come up to Donna asking how to bake gluten free and then were overwhelmed with the number of ingredients it took to do so. That inspired Donna to create baking mixes to simplify home baking. First, Donna took her paleo chocolate chip cookies and turned them into a mix. Next, it was the Blondy Brownie mix and the journey has been very educational for Donna to show that baking paleo doesn’t need to be impossible. Being in this new market segment has also given Donna a chance to be in some fun specialty stores and expand her own professional background. Blondy’s Backed Goods are available in a half-dozen coffee shops in Donna’s local area and online along with the mixes on her website: https://www.blondysbakedgoods.com/. Follow Donna on: IG @blondysbakedgoods and FB @blondysbakedgoods. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#176 Definitely Not a Side Business - Stacy Givens, Side Yard Farm & Kitchen

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 15:40:09 +0000

It’s been since 2021, episode number 76, that we interviewed Stacey Givens, Farmer/Chef/ and Owner of The Side Yard Farm & Kitchen, Portland, Oregon. The Side Yard Farm & Kitchen is a 1-acre plot of land located in a mixed business/residential core area of the city. This urban farm’s philosophy is seed-to-plate, meaning they grow and create meals all from the same plot of land. The company feeds around 15,000 meals annually through restaurants, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes, donations, catering, and farm events. Stacy grew up in Southern California, the youngest child in a big Greek family. With that background, Stacy was immersed within a deep food culture. Her mother taught her how to grow, forage, and preserve food as women in Greece had done for generations before. Stacey gained her first experiences in the food industry at the age of fifteen working in kitchens from Los Angeles to San Francisco and then to Portland. It was in Portland that she found a home and community and founded the Side Yard Farm & Kitchen in 2009. Stacy worked the land and built her catering business up, gaining such notoriety such as winning the Local Hero Award, plus being been featured on Food Network’s Chopped, TIME Magazine and NBC’s Today as well. It took until May of 2020 for the company and the community behind her to purchase the land outright to solidify their place in the community and also preserve it for farmers of the future. Now to catch up to the present with Stacy; what’s changed? The biggest change has been personal with Stacy, she is now the mother of a soon-to-be one-year old. Not only has sleep deprivation been a big change for Stacy, becoming a mother has also affected her business. When she was around six months pregnant, her back began to hurt from the extra load on her body and she was not able to work the fields as much as before. Unfortunately, the pain has continued to haunt her and Stacy has needed a physical therapy regimen to deal with it. All this has changed her role at the farm and not being out there lugging a wheel barrel and joining in the planting and harvesting has taken away one of Stacy’s big joys in life for the time being. However, Stacy is determined to get back out there and you can bet that will happen. Stacy talks enthusiastically about the community outreach programs on the calendar that take place at the farm and she runs through the calendar of events that is jam packed for the next couple of months. The company has brunches, movie nights and other events where everyone is invited and can purchase a ticket online. One spotlight group is the grief group, where those in grief can gather. Many bring a dish that was the favorite of their lost one and can share both laughs and tears with others grieving for a lost one. You can follow the farm on Instagram and Facebook. If you want to attend one of their events, pull up their website: https://www.thesideyardpdx.com/. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#175 Move Beyond Your Own Kitchen - Jolma, Amza Superfoods

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 15:46:50 +0000

Amza. Say it. Now say it slowly with your eyes closed. It hums, it’s peaceful and rhythmic, isn’t it? It’s a beautiful word. It also is a region in Tibet and the birthplace of The Dalai Lama. And fittingly it is the name of Amza Superfoods a company founded by Jolma who is from Amza. Born and raised in Rebbong (རེབ་གོང་།), Amdo region of Tibet and growing up in Rebgong, Jolma was exposed to a vibrant cultural hub known for Tibetan arts (literature, painting & food). Jolma learned cooking at a young age from her beloved late grandmother, Sonam, who also raised her. Sonam was born a nomad and was illiterate her entire life. Still, she understood the value of education and told Jolma, "To discover the world, one must move beyond her own kitchen." Sonam’s determination inspired Jolma to become the 1st girl from her village to earn a college degree and was the impetus for Jolma’s journey from Asia to Europe and eventually to America. She learned English from the ABCs at age 30 and that drive to succeed continued as Joma sought to honor her grandmother and other disadvantaged Tibetan women like her by drafting a memoir cookbook, Beyond Her Kitchen, chronicling Tibet's healthy eating traditions and the stories behind each bite. It was more than a cookbook and more than a tribute, it was the book that her grandmother COULD NOT write because of her illiteracy. Jolma penned the book while working as a product user experience designer to support her son while he was going to a University. After he was done, Jolma then decided to go from cookbook to business. This seed from the cookbook bloomed into a meaningful food business, Amza Superfoods, from her Portland, Oregon kitchen. Amza Superfoods offers a family of nutrition-dense, tasty, sustainable nourishment that celebrates Tibetan culture. Amza prioritizes sustainability, social impact, and local sourcing of 100% natural, heirloom whole grains, delivered in eco-friendly packaging. They also empower underprivileged women and girls in Tibet through education. The hearty Tsamba snacks, barley breakfast mixes, and flaxseed spreads are handcrafted in small batches with Oregon bounty. They provide a convenient way to get high fiber, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids. There is a broad product line of bagged snacks and jars of flaxseed spread. Joma has added some warm spice to some of the spreads and the flavor warms the tongue without being too hot. And check out the health benefits of flaxseed when you have time. Jolma has been selling well at local farmers markets, but anyone can buy online at the website: AmzaSuperfoods.com. Follow Jolma on Twitter – @AmzaSuperfoods, LI - @AmzaSuperfoods, Instagram – @AmzaSuperfoods, Facebook – @AmzaSuperfoods. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#174 Thomas Angel - Altitude Beverages

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 19:55:22 +0000

"Why can’t you have all the good wind-down and relaxed feeling alcohol gives you without the alcohol? That’s the question Thomas Angel had in 2020 along with his partner, Laura Melgarejo Silva. It started the quest for the Bend, Oregon founders to discover a truly delicious taste married with the wholesome ingredients that would offer that relaxed feeling without the after-effects. Thomas calls their company a pandemic baby because that’s the genesis. As you may recall, the isolation of the pandemic led to an increase in alcohol consumption, giving them a challenge to solve. And there was more incentive; both Thomas and Laura came from families that abused alcohol so they were even more determined to offer alternatives to alcoholic drinks but still offer the same relaxing and social benefits. As background: Both became ex-pats living in China, with Thomas having an aviation background. It was an exciting and glamourous life, going from one party to another, but they both soon became aware of the role alcohol consumption took in their lives. When the pandemic hit, they were caught in the quarantine and though most people increased their alcohol consumption, Thomas and Laura went the other way, figuring out how to get it out of their lives. They had always been active people and were in good health, so eliminating alcohol made them feel better. However, they still desired the relaxing part of having a beverage whether with a group of people or just the two of them. So when the quarantine was relaxed, they headed back to the Pacific Northwest and began their entrepreneurial journey. They looked around and saw a social scene that offered opportunity. When there was a social function involving beer, wine or cocktails, people could opt for a can of sparling water of course. However, there was an awkwardness for those people that Thomas and Laura noticed, and that was the gap they intended to close. They decided to move to Bend, Oregon, a beautiful high desert area in central Oregon and begin to chase their dream. Of course, a name was first on the agenda. Three elements went into the name. First, Bend is a high-altitude location. Second, they wanted to reflect the elevated feeling they were achieving in their brand. Last, it’s an ode to Thomas’ aviation background. And so the name: Altitude Beverages. They created routine based beverages designed for a “better you”. The drinks really taste incredible, too; no stevia, erythritol, or allulose and importantly, no metallic aftertaste.
They started selling their home-crafted drinks at local farmer’s markets and have expanded to selling both online and select grocery stores in multiple states in the US. See them online and purchase any of their three mocktails or three lattes on: https://altitudebev.com/. Follow them on Twitter - @altitudebev, Instagram - @altitudebev, Facebook - @altitudebev, LinkedIn - Altitude Beverages.
Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#173 Knockout Punch - Laura Dadap, Djablo Sauce

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 16:15:59 +0000

In episode 171, our hosts reviewed the Winter Fancy Food Show in Las Vegas. They will be attending the Summer Show in New York and so will this show’s guest, Laura Dadap, co-founder of Djablo Sauce. Laura and company will be in the Incubator Alley section and the trip to the show won’t be a long one; Laura was born and raised in Queens. For the genesis of the company, let’s start with the name, Djablo. It is Philippine in origin, and in the region where Laura’s father grew up, the letter “I” is replaced with the letter “j”. The original recipe came from Laura’s father and the letter “j” made the family think of a boxing jab punch, so the hot sauce with a punch made perfect sense. As with any business name or logo, one has to be careful with infringing on trademarks, especially those owned by mega corporations. Laura started quietly to make sure she did not raise the ire of big Taco Bell and their Diablo Sauce, which is sold by the bottle as well as inserted into food orders by the packet. Laura started by doing an Internet search for companies spelling the word using a “j” and saw an opening. Flying under the radar until they had some money to lay a strong legal foundation, she then hired an attorney with a solid background to file the trademark correctly. Laura and our own Sarah Marshall of Marshall’s Haute Sauce share a bond. Both were on season 22 of Hot Ones, the show about hot and spicy foods. And Bobby Flay, the Emmy Award-winning food TV pioneer and acclaimed restaurateur has recommended both Sarah and Laura’s hot sauces. Djablo Sauce is the first locally produced, family owned and operated small batch Filipino hot sauce in the United States. Their zesty ginger and garlic forward sauce packs a punch with round, comforting heat is the answer to the ingredient focused, flavor fanatic searching the shelves of their local grocery shop to make any food more interesting. They officially launched sales in June 2019 with 2 flavors in 2 sizes ranging from $10-20 for those who like a little bit of spice, to those who want a Djab on every bite. They use all natural superfoods like beet and spirulina to keep the colors consistent, and they hand pick all the produce that goes into the sauce. Laura also thinks out of the box, offering recipes to spice up foods you probably had never thought about. See those recipes and shop online at their website: https://djablosauce.com/. Follow them on IG: @djablosauce and TikTok: @djablosauce. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#172 Fit for an Angel - Brittany Futrell, Angel Wing Sauce

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 18:18:42 +0000

Officially a business since 2019, Brittany Futrell, founder of Angel Wing Sauce, started years earlier experimenting in the kitchen making sauces. At the time, it was for a guy she was dating and she enjoyed cooking for him. Because her mother was an enthusiastic cook, Brittany got started creating recipes early in her life. She enjoyed using her date as her taste tester and when he was absolutely “floored” with her sauce as she says, she knew she was on to something. And that original recipe has stayed the same and now is the foundation of Brittany’s company. She brought the sauce to parties and showers and the reception was similar to that of her friend – hands down fabulous! Brittany took the next obvious step, seeing if people would actually pay for her sauce. She began selling door-to-door with great results, and then took a break in 2015 to figure out that next foodpreneur milestone: Going from kitchen to the store shelf. It wasn’t easy, being a single mom and doing research on starting a company, but she persevered and Angle Wing Sauce was born. The magic of her sauce is secret, but the ingredients start with a southern sauce base of molasses, then Brittany adds the heat on top of that. The taste is sweet at first and then you are in for a hot/sweet roller coaster ride. Not too hot, but warm and with a homemade taste. Her company operates out her home town of Raliegh, North Carolina and has become a destination for locals and food tourists. She has branched from multiple flavors of sauce and added a catering division that is very popular. At present, they focus on small events but are figuring out how to do large events in the near future. After a wedding event of 150 people, Brittany realized the company was not yet equipped to handle large crowds and so she has thoughtfully retreated to figure out how. The company continually adds to the catering menu with delights that are new, different and delicious. It isn’t only the food, either. Brittany and company strive to offer customer service above and beyond the call. As you would expect, they shop for the finest ingredients and provide a wholesome sauce, as well as a hot, hot flavor. Shop the different flavors on their website, https://www.angelwingsauce.com/ and have your order shipped just about anywhere. Brittany even ships outside the US. In addition, the sauce can be found in seven select grocery stores on the east coast. Follow Brittany and Angel Wing Sauce on IG: @angelwingsauce, FB: tanytws, Twitter: @agnelwingsauce and LinkedIn: anglewingsauce. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#171 Viva Fancy Food Show! Recap with Our Hosts, Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 18:17:46 +0000

For the third straight year, our hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall attended the Winter Fancy Food Show in that magic town, Las Vegas. For a brief explanation of the show and the organization behind it, the show is where foodpreneurs connect with leading buyers, distributors, and retailers, network with peers and enjoy world-class educational programs. It’s a cost-effective and powerful way to grow business because it is an environment rich with the movers and shakers in the food industry. And everyone is there to spend every minute discovering the latest in culinary delights. So how was the show this year? It was a big group that attended along with our hosts, 21 companies to be exact. Take a look at the roster at the end of these notes. And what were the show favorites for our hosts? For Sarah Masoni, the number one attraction was the generosity of the exhibitors. In particular, the Japanese exhibitors were incredibly kind and generous. One exhibitor who produces a rice cracker snack pulled out a sack and filled it with bags of all the different flavors they offered for her. Sarah Marshall uses the connections at the show not so much as a place to increase distribution directly, but to interact with as many people as possible, get known and teach others how to use her hot sauces in cooking. She feels this spreads the word about her product in a roundabout way that ultimately leads to more magazine articles, blogs, IG posts and also more loyal customers. Another favorite was Mama O’s Premium Kimchi of Brooklyn. They sell kimchi and kimchi starter kits to make your own. They also have a paste that can be used for other spicy condiments and added to other main dishes for hot spice. But the big attraction was the interaction with their crowd. Sarah Marshall was given a starter kit to make her own kimchi, given a Mama O’s bag to pack it around with and then was photographed with the crew for social media posting. That pretty much made Sarah a lifelong fan and a great way of demonstrating how to create an experience, not just another sample taste. One of the big crazes of the show was frozen grapes, dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with assorted crunchies. They seemed to take off like wildfire. Another example of imagination is Athena, a very traditional Greek food company. They took their stuffed grape leave dish and put in Jalapenos for a very different type of fusion. Evidently, it was well received and a great example of never standing still in the food industry. Next show is June 23-25 in New York, so start planning your trip! The Fancy Food Summer Show link: https://www.specialtyfood.com/fancy-food-shows/summer/ Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall. A partial list of the companies attending the show. All are from Oregon except Loren Lee from Waco, Texas: Linda Jodoin, Miss Hannah's Popcorn, linda@misshannahspopcorn.com, Nikki Guerrero, Hot Mama Salsa, hello@hotmamasalsa.com, Lindsay Gott, Gateaux, gateaux.lindsay@gmail.com, Lee Hedgmon, the Barreled Bee, Lee@thebarreledbee.com, Kenny Baker, Sh'Mallow, kennyb@sh-mallow.com, Willis Anderson, My Daddy's Sauces, mydaddyssauces@gmail.com, Loren Lee, Mirth, lorenwho@aol.com, Tina & Patrick Welch, The Pink Wagon, twelch@pinkwagonfoods.com, Ginger McCabe, Chili Royale, spicyordie@gmail.com.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#170 Can’t Get Enough Good Cheese - Sarah Marcus, Briar Rose Creamery

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 20:00:40 +0000

It’s the Sarah trifecta again on this episode. Sarah Marshall and Sarah Masoni interview Sarah Marcus, founder of Briar Rose Creamery, Dundee, Oregon. This is another check-in show, as Sarah was interviewed previously on episode #68, released in March, 2021. For background, Proprietor and Cheesemaker Sarah Marcus is a Bay Area native and started making cheese in her kitchen. In 2005 she took a chance and got a job as a cheesemonger at Cowgirl Creamery in San Francisco. It was there that she fell in love with the world of cheese and developed her palette. Her cheesemaking studies took her to England, Spain, North Carolina, and Vermont. In 2008 she and her husband moved to Dundee, Oregon with the intention to build Briar Rose Creamery. So what has changed with the business and the industry since we last talked? The Creamery did have sheep milk supplied to them for a short while and made a special cheese from it. However, the owners of the farm raising the sheep sold the farm and that product line ceased to exist. But the all-cows’-milk program is working great and the company is selling more cheese than ever before. The company sells whole wheels of cheese only and consolidates the wheels in a Portland, Oregon location where trucks are loaded along with other cheese makers’ products and delivered to the customers. The company is a small business, however, and subject to the ups and downs of circumstances beyond their control. For example, the local area recently suffered unusually cold weather, icing up roads and making travel difficult. It stopped milk supplies and kept employees from getting into work, so now Sarah is trying to balance increasing shifts to make up for the lost days, lost production and ultimately, lost revenue, all at the mercy of the weather. All cheeses from Briar Rose are artisan. As much art as they are food, most of the cheeses are soft and luscious. They are a golden color and the crusts take on that golden glow as well. And as the cheeses age, they get a deeper and deeper golden hue. They also get richer tasting and softer as they age, taking on a buttery experience and complexities similar to complexities found in fine wines. The company and its cheeses also have been featured in Food and Wine magazine as one of the top 50 cheese makers in the US. Sarah still does not know how that happened, as they must have been visited at either their Farm Store in Dundee or at one of the Farmers Markets they attend. So there’s a message here for all foodpreneurs: Treat everyone who shops your products as best you can, because you never know if they are customers or undercover reporters. In addition to the company’s Farm store, you can buy Briar Rose cheeses at local Oregon Farmers Markets and special markets and grocery stores up and down the west coast, including Alaska. Look at the amazing offerings of cheese on the company website: http://www.briarrosecreamery.com/. Follow Sarah and company on FB, https://www.facebook.com/briarrosecreamery/. On IG, https://www.instagram.com/briarrosecheese/. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#169 Jana Jenkins, Oregon Ag

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 18:42:09 +0000

Welcome to the new, expanded format for The Meaningful Marketplace Podcast Shows. Starting with this show, we will be interviewing foodpreneurs from Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, thanks to the NW and Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center, https://nwrockymountainregionalfoodbusiness.com/ . This regional effort offers an incredibly rich center of information, education and connection to the food industry for mid-size growers, farmers and producers. It’s been since episode #81, May of 2021 that we interviewed Jana Jenkins who wears two hats. She is the founder of Oregon Ag, a food distribution company moving mostly local food specialties from producers whose stories and products are unique and interesting. Her other big hat is Sales Director for Oregon Wild Rice, a family-owned producer located in the fertile Willamette Valley of Oregon. We ask Jana, “What’s changed?”. Oregon Wild Rice is owned by the Langdon family who has been farming in the area for over a 100 years. For most of those years the family had drained the farmland to grow grass seed. But a few years ago they committed to a new plan to more effectively utilize their heavy clay soil and the abundant Oregon rainfall. In 2016 they chose to boldly plant Oregon Wild Rice. It took four years to expand the rice crop and to learn how to effectively process the high-quality rice for human consumption. Currently, they sell everything they produce locally. Recent numbers are 25,000 bags of wild rice sold last year in approximately 25 stores. Sarah Marshall also highlighted Oregon Wild Rice on a local TV program. As for changes in Jana’s Oregon Ag company, distribution is still a challenge. She is enthused however after the recent Fancy Foods Show held in Las Vegas (covered in Episode #140 released last March). The shows provide a plethora of offerings close together and in sections that make exploring for new products efficient and successful. Her greatest surprise was in the international section, where foods from Italy and Spain were particularly fascinating. Both the packaging and the foods themselves had incredible eye appeal and gave consumers new, rich food experiences. What does Jana look for in taking on new products? She loves the story and the passion of the maker behind the product, because it’s the story that appeals to the consumer looking for something new. So if you contact her, and she hopes you do, start by simply showing her what you make. If she takes on your product, her favorite stores for placement are Market of Choice, New Seasons, Zupans, Mckay’s Market and Ray’s Market. Jana also has placed products in quality venues such as Willamette valley Vineyards and Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. Her current client list includes Humblebee Honey, Kickin’ Pickles, Portland Salt Company, Nuts on the Run, Wildfire Elixirs, Fields Grassfed Beef, and Franklin and Sons Beverages London, England. Jana is particularly thrilled about Sh’mallow, the first aerosol marshmallow that tops any dessert or beverage. What’s Jana’s advice to all aspiring foodpreneurs? Take every opportunity you get. And don’t stop; no one is doing what you’re doing. Tell your story. Contact Oregon Wild Rice, IG: oregonrice.com. Website: oregonrice.com IG: oregonwildrice.com. Contact Jana, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jana-jenkins-895683186/. Email: Jana@oregon.ag. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#168 Big Cookie, Big Ideas - Andrea Ludlow, Showstopper Cookies

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 18:43:21 +0000

It was almost exactly 100 episodes ago we first interviewed Andrea Ludlow, founder of Showstopper Cookies; episode 69 released March of 2021 to be precise. She had started her business about six months prior to the show. Cookie companies are everywhere and they come and go like streetcars. So how has Andrea’s company endured and what makes her cookies legitimate showstoppers? Answer: Focus. Andrea makes only one, very large, special, salty chocolate chip cookie and sticks with her winning recipe. Every showstopper cookie is lovingly handmade and baked under supervision in their southeast Portland, Oregon location. They use only the best, tastiest ingredients including locally sourced flour and eggs and chocolate from the Guittard Chocolate Company. They source carefully from the Camas Country Mill for flour, the Cairnsprings Mill also for flour. They use only organic white and brown sugars, Maldon salt, unsalted butter. They buy local free range eggs, and to top it off, they use only Andrea’s homemade vanilla extract. Showstopper cookies aren’t made for dunking in milk while enjoying a TV show. They are for gifts and special occasions. When you visit their website you’ll see why, but their description paints the picture: “Showstopper cookies are dancing and singing their way into mouths across the country…a magical way to treat yourself…” Since launching Showstopper Cookies at our first interview with her, what has happened to Andrea and her company since then? For one thing, when asked how many cookies she’s sold since our last interview, Andrea has no idea! And Andrea gives a big thanks to our show hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall, who urged her to learn to freeze her cookie dough to increase the production and shipping components of her business. Special occasion businesses have seasons of course and Showstopper is no exception. From May to October, Andrea attends one or more farmers markets which results in 600 or more cookie sales a week. Then it’s a lull until the Holiday season, then another lull from January until spring. The “lulls” aren’t completely bad either at this stage of Andrea’s business, because it gives her time to catch her breath, look ahead and also think of ways to eliminate the lulls. For example, a customer asked about ordering one giant cookie as a birthday cake. After some Instagram posts, Andrea saw she had a winner and has added that to the website recently. Birthdays are a “lull-resistant” product. Andrea is grateful for the advice she received from Meaningful Marketplace, and would like to pass on advice to other foodpreneurs now that she has had more time in the pilot’s seat. For one thing, ASK. Ask questions of everyone you meet everywhere. Whether it’s the vendor in the stall next to you at the farmers market or the distributor searching for new products. “Be friendly with error” is one of her quotes (I love the way she puts it, ed.) meaning get up every time you fall. Do favors for others and ask for favors, too. And because of COVID and the aftermath, Andrea also has made some big moves. She has spent some advertising money on a popular podcast show (Ask Ronna) and she has started going after corporate accounts, both new moves since our first interview. You can purchase Showstopper Cookies at local Portland area farmers markets and on online at: https://www.showstoppercookies.com/. Follow her at: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/showstopper_cookies/. Also on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/showstoppercookies. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#167 We’ll Teach You How to Dew the Brew - Hannah Crum, Kombucha Kamp

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 22:31:07 +0000

Today we reconnect with Hannah Crum, founder of Kombucha Kamp, with whom we had the pleasure of interviewing on episode #84, released in May of 2021. For a quick refresher, Kombucha is fermented tea, an ancient elixir consumed for hundreds or maybe thousands of years by civilizations all over the planet. The most commonly attributed Kombucha Benefits include better digestion, increased energy, and a clearer mind. Avid drinkers also report Kombucha helping with their digestive tract, liver detoxification, reduced cravings, and athlete support. Hannah got the idea to make kombucha a business when her landlord loved the delicious free organic k-tea that came with her rent check each month. So did her neighbor, who enjoyed sipping the Booch after yoga class as it made her knees feel better. Her husband was hooked and all of a sudden, she was struggling to keep up with the demand. It was time to educate the public on how easy it was to make kombucha to have plenty on hand. Kombucha Kamp was born, a company to show people how to make their own kombucha at home and also provide the products to do the home brew. So how has the business been operating these last years? Well for one thing, the scientific community is doing more and more validating of the health benefits of drinking kombucha, so the industry is not depending on testimonials or anecdotal stories for consumers to believe in its effectiveness. It’s being called the tea of long life, the tea of immortality and so forth, a big boost to all who are involved in getting it in the hands of more and more people. Kombucha is being recognized as a healing beverage, in particular protecting the liver and kidneys. The studies on humans have really put kombucha over the bar in not only acceptance, but in education as well as a benefit for living bodies. The studies are coming out of Georgetown University and Hannah was asked for a referral of a kombucha manufacturer who could provide not only kombucha for the study but also a placebo that tasted the same. Subjects consumed beverages for four weeks, then four weeks off, then another four week consumption, not knowing if they were drinking kombucha or the placebo. The sample size was small, but the findings dynamic enough that the scientists are seeking funds to conduct a much larger scale study. One big finding was that people with type two diabetes who drink kombucha daily for four weeks show significantly lower fasting glucose rates. The conclusion was that kombucha supported a healthier liver which helps metabolize sugar more effectively. Now, there is a mild controversy in that sugar is added to the tea to aid in fermentation to produce kombucha. The FDA has dictated that the label must show that sugar has been added, but Hannah points out that chemically speaking, the fermentation process changes the sugar molecules and do not produce the same reaction in the body as table sugar. Hannah has been a huge advocate for the industry and all the providers and continues to promote a healthier planet. Her giant book of recipes, “The Big Book of Kombucha” has sold over 375,000 copies worldwide, so she is definitely being heard. Get educated and check out their offerings online at: https://www.kombuchakamp.com/. Follow them on Twitter - https://twitter.com/kombuchakamp, Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kombuchakamp/, Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/KombuchaKamp. . Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#166 Nutrition in a Pinch - James Barry, Pluck

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 18:19:58 +0000

Organ meats are nature’s multi-vitamin, according to James Barry, founder of Pluck. Pluck is seasoning for foods, but not just for taste and it’s not just any seasoning. Freeze-dried organ meats are mixed with spices and salts to not only increase the taste of the dish, but to provide a supercharge of nutrients. The flavor Pluck seasoning adds is more than just the spices too. The organ meats provide the savory Umami taste, a unique flavor. The principles of ancestral eating drive Pluck’s operations. The philosophy of nose-to-tail eating, no waste of the animal is primary in their mission. They feel people are missing out on the nutrition benefits when only the muscle is consumed. Or as James puts it, “As close to nature as possible”. There also is a connection to ancestral eating in James’ family as he found out. Apparently, his family lived in Brooklyn, ate liver and onions regularly and would go to the open market for items like chicken. They’d pick out a live chicken, then come back later after the chopping and plucking and take home a warm carcass. That’s about as close as you can get to the source. But organ meats aren’t widely consumed in the US, mainly because of the odd taste. That’s where James’ 16-years as a professional chef came in handy, to add the organ nutrition to any food without the traditional organ taste, the perfect gateway into capturing the nutrition of organ meats. That plus the fact he was a very picky eater as a child and young adult, not having an adventurous palate at all. He grew up eating fast food and frozen vegetables and microwave meals. But the real impetus for introducing organ meat nutrition to the world came when his two-year old daughter became afflicted with Shiga toxin, a life-threatening disease. She became extremely thin and weak as James and his wife struggled to get nutrition into her body. She survived and is a healthy specimen today, but the experience left James with his determination to provide a functional food product anyone could consume without having to step outside their comfort zone. James points to the book, “Eat Like A Human” to underscore his philosophy of consuming the entire animal to be completely healthy. In the book, the author points to the development of human beings, going back a few million years. Our ancestors were foragers, then scavengers; neither role amounting to much nutrition to aid development. Then around 2 ½ million years ago, they developed tools to be predators and that’s when humans started to evolve. They consumed organ meats, blood and fat, which led to larger bodies, more developed brains and the evolution into modern day humans. It was more nutrients with less effort. So James looks to provide the nutrition from organ meats to today’s consumer, but also wants the consumer to have quality organ meats. He sources only quality grass-fed, grass-finished, humanely treated, pasture-raised animals raised with no GMOs or hormones. He currently sources them from New Zealand as he has not had success finding that quality in the US, but he keeps looking. The spices and herbs come from sustainable farms as well. All this to make getting better nutrition as easy as replacing your salt and pepper with Pluck. And this daily habit is microdosing, which has a cumulative effect of making you healthier. You can find Pluck in special places in 17 states currently. Buy online at https://eatpluck.com/. Follow them on Twitter - @eat_pluck, Instagram - @eatpluck and Facebook - @eatpluck. Follow James on IG, @jamesbarry, FB @jamesbarry. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#165 Eat well, Feel Well - Carrie Solomon, Greater Goods

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 21:25:47 +0000

As we continue to check in with guests from previous shows, we circle back to Carrie Solomon, co-founder of Greater Goods and, as we learn in this podcast, Microjoy as well. Microjoy is new since our last show with Carrie, episode #67, released in March of 2021. For a quick background recap, Carrie and her husband started a medical cannabis company in 2014 with a very potent and great smelling topical, and then quickly launched an edible line of truffles and chocolate bars. The products were a hit and they rapidly expanded in their home state of Oregon. That has continued into a thriving cannabis business in the recreationally legal market. In 2019 they took their creations to a wider audience of consumers outside of our the state, launching Greater Goods to provide high quality products that were also conscientiously crafted and joyous at the same time. Since Carrie and her husband are both food and CBD enthusiasts, they only use ingredients that are organic and delicious, including fine chocolate, locally and responsibly sourced inclusions to add fun flavor profiles to their products, as well as Oregon sungrown hemp oil. However, in 2020, as the couple rolled “profoundly into the depths of the pandemic” as their website says, they noticed what that they missed the small joys, the miniscule interactions, of daily, routine life and assumed there were many others who felt the same way. Those infinitesimal moments that had punctuated life without trying; the microjoys in life. And their second business was born. Microjoy offers uncomplicated remedies that actually work and taste good; each formula created to address a specific challenge meant to be effective, quickly. Handmade in their own facility ingredients are sourced from the best suppliers – same philosophy as Greater Goods – and created to help unveil a more calm, well-rested, resilient person. The couple’s background in CBD, hemp and dabbling in certain mushroom ingredients has helped create the mood-enhancing gummies in Microjoy and the candy selection, tinctures and gummies offered in Greater Goods. Carrie makes a big point that there are NO psychedelic ingredients or effects from any of the company’s products. The big difference between the two companies is the phenomenon called microdosing. The benefits of microdosing are leveraging the use of certain mushrooms to be sub-perceptual to merely sub-perceptual levels to assist in managing traumatic events or depression by creating more activity in the brain. In more pedestrian language, it helps prevent shutting down and going into a funk. Most people use this method episodically, but some use long term for more chronic situations. The couple has evidently hit on a hot market, as their Greater Goods and Microjoy products are available in 12 states in the US, with many locations in both Oregon and Texas. They also have gone international, now selling in both Amsterdam, Netherlands and in Australia. Of course, you can buy online at https://hellogreater.com/ and https://microjoyful.com/. Follow them on IG @grtrgoods, FB @hellogreater, IG @microjoyful. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#164 Saucy Family - Lisa and Maly Douangphoumy, Sao Noi, LLC

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 21:13:07 +0000

We first interviewed Lisa and Maly Douangphoumy, sisters in the family business Sao Noi, on episode number 54, released September, 2020. Their company produces flavored chili oils and flavored beef jerky, all originated from the family’s restaurant business in Hood River, Oregon. Their mother, Marnie and father, Tom started the restaurant and quickly became a staple for the community because of Tom’s peanut sauce and Marnie’s chili oil. The business name, Sao Noi literally means “little girl” in Laotian as Marnie is the youngest of her eight siblings. She began making her sauces from their cozy restaurant kitchen. The exotic flavors in Sao Noi‘s sauces reflect their Southeast Asian roots, evoking a nostalgia for the family’s traditional Lao and Thai culinary recipes. Marnie used her chili oil on one of the restaurant’s premier dishes and an employee commented the taste was so fabulous she should bottle it and sell it. The family did start producing the oil in jars and selling in small quantities. One day Maly took a jar to the CEO of the company where she worked and the next day he called her in to place an order for a jar for every employee in the company, 210 in all, the largest order the company had received up to that time. On top of that, the CEO had a recipe contest for everyone in the company and those recipes plus the family recipes went into what is now the “Sao Noi Kitchen” cookbook, available on the website and on Amazon. Much has happened to the family business since our last interview. The oil product line has expanded to three flavors, original, lemon grass and ginger. They also started a beef jerky line thanks to one of their food brokers. He came into town to call on them, and overnight dreamed they would have a line of beef jerky. The family liked the idea and the broker introduced them to a copacker who could make it happen for them. That was a relief to the family, as dealing with an animal product puts you under USDA regulatory control and the family did not have time for that learning curve. In addition to knowing the regulations, the copacker was instrumental in taking the three oil flavors and experimenting with the formulas to come up with the three scintillating jerky tastes. Although they started selling the oils in the restaurant in 2015, it was really 2017 when the family expanded out into the community and sold in farmers markets. Their popularity has led them currently to being available in 46 retail outlets in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest and East coast. Market of Choice, an Oregon grocer, has been their biggest volume seller and a superb supporter of the local community. Sauces and jerky are available for purchase online. The sauces are still handcrafted in small batches locally to ensure that “a whole ‘lotta love goes into every jar!” as their website says. Their website: https://www.sao-noi.com/. Follow the on: Facebook- @saonoipdx, Instagram- @saonoipdx. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#163 Bring the Heat - Kelly Calabria, Kelly’s Jellies

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 17:34:56 +0000

This show is another check-in with a former guest to see what’s changed since our last interview. Today we talk with Kelly Calabria, founder of Kelly’s Jelly. We last chatted with Kelly on episode #46, released in June of 2020. A quick background: Kelly’s Great Aunt Danny had a special recipe for peppery jelly that was irresistible and downright addicitve. However, part of it’s specialty was the difficulty in making it. The hot flavor came from the habanero peppers, which unleash and incredible burning sensation to skin and eyes when they are cut into. On top of that, boiling sugar water can also create a messy and dangerous situation. But Aunt Danny’s Habanero Pepper Jelly was worth the work and Kelly and husband Adam would create jars of it for family and friends for the Holidays. Then that same story you have heard before, everyone said “You should sell this!” and the entrepreneurial journey began. Starting in 2010, it was local Farmers Markets and the name change to Kelly’s Jelly, which had more market zing to it. Apologies to Danny. So what’s changed since our 2020 show? COVID caused many problems with food service and supply chain issues, which have improved but still haunt the company. Inflation is a bigger problem confronting the company now and distributor mergers have taken away choices and eliminated competition for distribution channels, meaning higher prices for the food producers. But the company has also countered with new products for their audience. In addition, they have come up with smaller sized jars of their pepper jellies to fit in cheese and deli sections where the shelf real estate is very valuable. Charcuterie boards also are a perfect place for specialty jellies, and the smaller jar fits right in with that venue. The newest product is a pepper honey product developed in cooperation with the Oregon State University’s Food Innovation Center (host Sarah Masoni is the Director) which just shipped the same week as this interview. In addition to the pepper honey, the product line is an assortment of delicious pepper fruit jellies and fruit spreads in individual jars and gift packs. Fruit flavors are pineapple, strawberry, blueberry lemon and marionberry, the company’s number one seller. All berries are Oregon grown and all ingredients are sourced from producers who represent the best of their local production. Kelly’s Jelly is family-owned and woman run (Kelly). Kelly loves the challenge of the CEO role, relishing the problem-solving of issues that face her company on a regular basis. She loves navigating the path through the food industry hurdles for a small company slaying the big dragons of the grocery store shelf. The big questions facing her now are: Go national? Distribute 100% through distributors? These are huge questions because they put a CEO in the position of committing a company to expenses and obligations that can sink the ship if things don’t go to plan. But Kelly and Adam seem to be faring very well to date. You can buy their jellies and spreads online at: https://kellysjelly.com/ You also can find them at local Portland area grocers, and national grocers on the west coast. Follow them: IG @kellysjellyoregon, FB @kellysjelly. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#162 Allison Sodha - The Better Boba

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 19:22:59 +0000

Boba has been a highly popular addition to tea drinks worldwide for some decades now. Originating in Taiwan in the 1980s, it has taken the US by storm, served in restaurants, tea bars and sold in grocery stores. The popularity encouraged mass production. Enter Allison Sodha, founder of Better Boba, because Allison believes people deserve the best boba. If you are not familiar, boba is tea with pearl-sized nuggets that have a mild flavor offering a heartier drink than tea alone. The preservatives and additives that make up most packaged boba pearls in the US don’t match up to the natural, artisanal boba sold in Taiwan. Besides taste, the mass manufactured boba are not as healthy as those made with a few, simple, natural ingredients. That is Allison’s mission, to put soft, supple, easy to digest original recipe boba in the hands of US customers. It’s not only the health of the customers that is of interest to Allison, it’s also the health of the planet. She works to constantly develop more sustainable manufacturing and distribution processes. In addition, Better Boba has all-natural packaging to further stress her passion for sustainability. This all began with Allison’s tea shop, where the boba distributed through food services seemed hard for some of their customers to digest. It started her on a worldwide tour of the various manufacturing processes and led her to discover the artificial ingredients and shortcuts taken to produce boba faster and in larger quantities. The business reasons for this practice were rational, but Allison was not buying in. She went on a mission to put authentic boba within reach of the public by not only offering her products through participating tea shops, but also on grocery shelves where the consumer could take the boba home and enjoy the real thing. She is raising the education level and the boba pallet of the consumer. The pandemic also wound up being a friend to Better Boba. As boba supplies dried up with the withering supply chain, tea shops reached out to Better Boba just to stay in business. This made Allison realize that a US manufacturing facility up to her standards was needed and she embarked in the effort. This also opened up new possible worlds for people to enjoy healthy boba. It can be included in snacks and other versatile additions and now the company offers both drinks and snacks. You can shop for all those products online on: https://thebetterboba.com/. Follow Allison on IG: @thebetterboba. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#161 Accidents Happen to the Nicest People - Robin Rosenberg, Bobbie’s Boat Sauce

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 18:25:38 +0000

We first interviewed Robin Rosenberg, CEO of Bobbie’s Boat Sauce on episode 64, released November, 2020. Actually created at sea on a sailboat, Bobbie’s Boat Sauce borrows its name from a repair concoction used by boaters, but not the kind of “sauce” you want to eat. While cleaning out the refrigerator on the boat and with some jazz playing in the background, Robin accidently created a flavor and zest she had never experienced before. The creation went fabulously well with the fish she was cooking, then the eggs she prepared the next day and a new flavor was born. As she says on her website, “Bobbie’s Boat Sauce is an addictive tomato-chili concoction enhanced with aromatics, lime, and fish sauce. Squeeze a little spicy, tangy, umami on everything you love to eat!.” Bringing the recipe back to Portland, Oregon, Robin formed a company and began the journey. That took her to the first road bump, the name Boat Sauce. Her legal consul determined the name was too broad and would be difficult to trademark, since many boaters, especially those with wooden boats, all had their own secret boat sauce they invented to make repairs on their particular boat. However, the bump was cleared and so were many others on the way to what is now national distribution of Bobbie’s Boat Sauce. But much has changed since our first interview with her. Back in 2020, Robin had one sauce flavor plus a hotter version of that flavor. Since then there has been an explosion of product offerings. Her first addition was a marinara hot version, tomato-forward but with a briny tang. The new flavor was actually a production mistake (another fortunate accident), as she was in the middle of changing co-packers and although the recipe was not followed correctly, it yielded an outstanding new product to the line. It’s the serendipity that happens to determined entrepreneurs like Robin. A very new venture is mixing the her sauces with cheddar and cream cheeses. Robin began doing this at Holiday season in a commercial kitchen and then selling it at markets and fairs. She now has distribution in three Portland stores and has many inquiries. However, she is still a company of one, as she says, and the aspect of scaling that part of the business is daunting. Going from a shelf product line to a refrigerated product line is a huge and complex step and takes lots of resources, including human resources, let alone all the extra space required for processing and transporting. The good news is that the cheeses freeze well, which makes inventorying for Bobbie’s and Bobbie’s distributors easier. Another idea at the back of Robin’s head was to create seasonings for her audience. So now she is launching Boat Dust seasonings! They are basically dehydrated Boat Sauce flavors in a two ounce shaker glass available in boutique food stores and small fairs. Ever the inventor, Robin continues to produce Holiday and special treats on a limited basis, always experimenting with the public to see what catches on. Check out the line on her website: https://bobbiesboatsauce.com/. Follow her: IG@bobbiesboatsauce. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#160 Retail Ready and Food Biz Wiz Podcast - Allison Ball

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 18:30:26 +0000

It was three years ago we interviewed Allison “Alli” Ball, founder of Retail Ready and Food Biz Wiz Podcast. It was episode 59 for those of you who want to listen again, or if you missed it the first time. Alli is a former grocery buyer who shares her insider secrets to help packaged food entrepreneurs scale up their sales. She knows what buyers are looking for and what key information buyers need to start a conversation with an entrepreneur, or “foodpreneur” as Alli calls them. She shares many great hints and perspectives in her weekly podcast show, which recently posted its 200th episode. The whole idea of Food Biz Wiz Podcast is to help food founders step up their strategy, get on the shelf and grow their business. Alli brings in industry experts, students from her Retail Ready program and draws on Alli’s career as a buyer to help listeners get into that buyer mindset to understand how to best communicate and persuade grocery store buyers. While it’s incumbent on all entrepreneurs to soak up all the free information available, there is a limit to where that can take them. To get the secret sauce, you need to pay for someone else’s knowledge and contacts that they, in turn, had to pay for to get that most valuable knowledge. Retail Ready® is the program offered by Alli which gives founders the tools, strategies, and support they need to get on retail and e-tail shelves, and to have high sales once they are there. Retail Ready has schooled over 2,500 founders with emerging food brands with curriculum, live strategic support, accountability and a live community for the tools to set up sales systems to get on the shelves. The program is for food brands in production or just ready for production, but not early stage food development. It’s 90-day program, which is a big change since our last show with Alli, when the program was 12 months. The reason? Each foodpreneur had a different set of circumstances, based on their food category, geography, finances, energy and so forth. Some people would breeze through the program in 30 days, while others would complete the 12-month program and sign on for another 12 months. Alli found that when she told prospective students that the program was 12 months it turned them off. The Retail Ready team did a survey of students and found that the 90-day mark was the success point for most of them and so the dialog was changed to a 90-day program and it has been well received. And since many of the founders in the program re-enroll and want to stay part of the valuable community, the program is really more of a “go at your own pace” experience anyway, so the 90-day label really doesn’t matter once a foodpreneur has started. The other new wrinkle since interviewing Alli last time, is the 90-day program also includes one-on-one support sessions in addition to all the video courses. There are courses for which the foodpreneur has perpetual access and some that require monthly subscriptions. Find out more at her website: www.foodbizwiz.com. Follow Alli on Instagram @itsalliball, Facebook @foodbizwiz, LinkedIn @Allison Ball. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#159 Don’t be Scared - Nafy Flatley, Teranga

Wed, 27 Sep 2023 19:13:16 +0000

Back in May, 2020, we interviewed Nafy Flatley founder of Teranga Foods; the show was released in July, 2020. In this episode, Sarah Masoni talks with Nafy to see what’s changed in her business since then. As a refresher, Teranga literally means hospitality in Wolof, the Senegalese national language. It is the spirit of camaraderie and acceptance of one another. Nafy’s favorite childhood memory is of her grandmother using baobab fruit to make refreshing, invigorating and nutritious beverages. She and her mother continued the tradition after her passing and when the family moved to the US Nafy wanted to bring the flavors of her childhood with her. Baobab is special because the Baobob tree, also known as the tree of life, grows throughout most of Africa and is an essential part of African cuisine and culture. In Senegal, baobab is a natural remedy for many ailments. It has more Vitamin C than oranges, more magnesium than kale, more potassium than bananas, more calcium than milk and is high in soluble fiber. It's a superfood, and it's in most of Teranga’s products. Teranga offers snacks, drinks and hot sauces in their line, all natural and wholesome. Beside the online business, Teranga’s products are now available in 17 San Francisco Bay Area farmers markets, cafes and grocery stores. COVID of course pushed sales to online during the lockdown, but even as guidelines loosened up and grocery stores did more volume, Nafy sought new distribution channels for her products. In the Bay Area, you can now buy her foods through Ubereats, and she is a big proponent of Good Eggs, an online platform born out of the COVID lockdown. Her push for sales has also resulted in her most distant delivery - to China. A previous customer was putting on a conference in China and wanted some Teranga products for the swag bag. Getting the products into the country turned out to be a struggle but resulted in many orders later from the US attendees upon their return home. Another big change since the last show was the opening of a restaurant in the Municipal Market in San Francisco’s Tenderloin area. The market is owned entirely by Women immigrants from half a dozen countries, so Nafy fits right in. Not to be overlooked are all the recipes Nafy offers on her website, healthy, nutritious and delicious. She also has contributed to a nonprofit cookbook with recipes, including the last meal she made in Senegal before immigrating to the US. Her business is growing and thriving and her words of wisdom are, “…share that passion with the world, don’t be scared. Go for it, make your delicious sample and then take it to whomever…”. That’s an attitude you can take to the bank. Visit her website: https://www.terangafoods.com/. Follow her on: IG @terangafoods FB@terangalife. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#158 Don’t Sell the Farm - Laura Ellis, Mt Hope Farms

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 17:05:03 +0000

This show is definitely authentic, complete with real tractor noise in the background. Yes, we’re coming to you live from the Ellis family’s farm in Mollala, Oregon where they operate their farm-to-consumer business and live a very full life. We had Laura Ellis on our 58th show released back on September 11th, 2020 and our hosts are very interested in checking in with her to see what’s been happening with the farm and the business. Just to give a quick background, the Ellis family – Mike, Laura and sons Samuel and Mason – began with Mike and Laura meeting at Eastern Oregon University, where Mike received his degree in Range Ecology and Management. Laura grew up on a rural Alaska family farm so it pretty much was a match made in heaven. They first lived on Mike’s family farm in Mollala which is over half a century old and where they have constantly enriched the soil and quality of its output. But opportunity called and the couple started their own farm business and fruit spread line in 2014. All their fruits and berries are grown to the highest standards with a finely honed commitment to quality. They have created farm-to-jar products from the fruits they both grow and source, while also using local ingredients such as Oregon rum, sea salt from the beautiful coastline, and freshly ground spices from a Portland shop. They use certified Organic ingredients (such as sugar and lemon juice) whenever possible. They don't add any high fructose corn syrup, artificial preservatives, flavors, or coloring. Everything they make is natural and non-GMO. However, on the day of our first show with Laura, they had to wonder what was in store for the future. That day, the family had a combine catch fire and at the same time, that’s when Western Oregon wildfires started happening and they didn’t know if they would have to evacuate the farm. Luckily, they avoided disaster and kept moving forward in their journey. It has been a learning experience and Laura shares some lessons with our audience of food entrepreneurs. For one thing, their original goal was to build a big business. But after time, they realized what they really wanted was to own and work their own farm, grow and produce a quality product and support their family. Scaling and all its inherent risk wasn’t really a strategy for them. That big change in strategy has paid off. Not only have they created a business that has involved other family members, their personal relationships with the community have allowed them to survive the wildfire setbacks and cash flow difficulties they have faced. Succession is also an ongoing question, as passing down the farm and business to their son or sons is a possibility and will resolve itself over time. But Laura and Mike absolutely do not pressure them one way or the other. The family also has learned to pivot on a moment’s notice, as weather, fires, crop yields and consumer tastes change continuously. They have come up with their offering formula, however. There are six fruit spread flavors that are standard, every other flavor is based on the local availability and quality. This formula has allowed them to keep their customers supplied with a stable supply of favorites while sprinkling a surprise flavor on a regular basis to keep things interesting. Distribution has obviously increased since the last show, as Mt. Hope fruit spreads are available in select stores across the US and still available both online or by pickup at the farm. To order direct: https://mthopefarmsoregon.com/. Follow them on Instagram: @mthopefarms and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mthopefarms. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#157 Original Idea from the Ground Up - Julie Sullivan and Carolyn Cesario, Ground Up Nut Butters

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 17:46:30 +0000

Following the growth of our past guests and seeing their success has been a truly inspirational experience, and checking in with Julie Sullivan and Carolyn Cesario, co-founders of Ground Up, is another uplifting show. Our last interview was show number 19 which was released January 22nd, 2020 and for your background, Ground Up is a company that delivers peanut-free nut butters in amazing flavors. The company began in 2016 when Julie returned from Uganda where she had been overseeing an employment training program for women overcoming poverty. Back in her hometown of Portland, Oregon, she soon recognized the need for a similar program at home. However, she needed a product and a company as a base for the training programs. Coincidently, Carolyn had been perfecting sugar-free, peanut-free nut butter recipes due to dietary constraints and when the two met, it was destiny. They took a unique angle at their business model, calling themselves a “not-only-for-profit” business. They partner with local nonprofits (currently 30-40) to employ womxn overcoming adversity who have the motivation but need the opportunity to get back into the workforce. The company does NOT do background checks on the applicants as they believe in second chances and anyone coming forward with a good attitude receives that chance. By working in Ground Up, womxn get job training in a 6-9 month program and are part of a team selling healthy and delicious nut butters to the public. Great place to start, but what has happened in the last three-plus years? Julie and Carolyn have expanded the product line and part of the expansion is to produce seasonal flavors, often highlighting their vendor partners. At the time of this show, Funfetti is the highlighted product. They partnered with Mia Swinehart of Gathered Nutrition, a treasure trove of nutritious and delicious recipes. Mia loves funfetti cake and also has an obsession to add almond extract to baked treats. She has always had a “dream” nut butter and now has gotten to live that dream with Ground Up. This almond and cashew butter tastes just like cake batter (but of course, healthier). It's made from a blend of almonds and cashews, then blended with cacao butter and almond extract, and finally, finished with swirls of honey, cacao nibs, and plant-based sprinkles from some of Ground Up’s other vendor friends. And definitely follow the company for their upcoming fall release, which they are coyly keeping under wraps as of this show. The company has always done 100% of its manufacturing. That in-house passion means superb quality control, but also comes with challenges. Especially for the Ground Up concept, where Julie and Carolyn are marrying a job training program with manufacturing a consumer food product and there is a myriad of regulations and health requirements. Specifically, they have faced big problems with their squeeze pack machine. The squeeze packs were originally created so people could sample the product without having to open a whole jar. So they were perfect for events such as trade shows and other marketing opportunities and people have loved them. However, the blankety-blank machine that makes them is most temperamental and it’s taken roughly two years of trouble-shooting to get the hiccups down to a reasonable frequency. A huge change since the last show has been the explosion of distribution. You can now find Ground Up Nut Butters in grocery stores in the pacific northwest. And a recent deal with Target means you can find the Nut Butters in many locations on the west coast. As in the beginning, you can buy online at: https://grounduppdx.com/. Follow them at: Twitter - @grounduppdx, Instagram - @grounduppdx and Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/grounduppdx/. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#156 We Don’t Want to Be Talked Down to - Genevieve Brazelton, The Bitter Housewife

Wed, 06 Sep 2023 16:53:49 +0000

Back on May 13th, 2020, we released show episode 39, an interview with Genevieve Brazelton, self-proclaimed “Bitter Housewife” and founder of The Bitter Housewife cocktail bitters. You realize very quickly there is absolutely nothing bitter about her, but her products certainly are. Quick background reminder: The Bitter Housewife products are cocktail bitters, handcrafted in small batches in Portland, Oregon. Bitters are a mixture of botanicals, roots, and spices steeped in a spirit base. They are used to complement, soften, or heighten the flavors of alcohol and cocktail ingredients. Adding bitters to a drink makes for a more complex flavor profile. Think all bitters are alike? No. You'll never find flavoring, coloring, or artificial preservatives in any of their products. They use only the highest quality whole ingredients to craft unmistakable flavors. Genevieve got tired of being “told” by bartenders and others about what to drink in a cocktail and tired of the eyerolls at some of her orders. Drinks shouldn’t have rules, she decided, and set out to produce a full line of bitters for others who were tired of being talked down to. Real ingredients, great taste and fun make a great cocktail. So what’s changed since our last show with her? On the first show, the company had one flavor. They quickly expanded to three but a quick look at their website shows eight incredibly creative flavors for your cocktail. However, that first product, a canned bitters-and-soda flavor was very popular and at one point was 50% of their online sales; a huge success. But then they killed the entire line. Distribution chain problems, production cost increases and cans became scarce and the whole perfect storm made continued production impossible. Grocery store shopping also came to a screeching halt because of COVID and the challenge was to get people to find their bitters, mainly online. Even that became an issue as well since Facebook and Google ads started changing their algorithms and ad response tanked. Plus breweries were putting more product in cans and that hurt because the company couldn’t get can production. So, regroup, as all entrepreneurs do! Production is much simpler now than blending bitters and soda and canning it. And then there are fewer skews to track as well. The downside is, of course, smaller revenue with the canned beverage line gone. It causes the owners to crawl through the financials line by line to see what’s necessary to keep the boat afloat and keeps the organization lean. It also makes decision-making clearer when dealing with a simpler product offering. You can find the eight flavors in grocery stores in the local Portland market and in specialty stores across the US. You can buy online at https://thebitterhousewife.com/. Follow them on: Instagram - @thebitterhousewife. Tiktok - @thebitterhouse. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#155 You Can Handle It - Catherine Kuerbis, Heat You Can Handle (HYCH)

Wed, 30 Aug 2023 17:31:38 +0000

This show is a repeat of the “hottest” episode in Meaningful Marketplace’s series. Our own Sarah Marshall of Marshall’s Haute Sauce, interviews Catherine and Matt Kuerbis, Founders of Heat You Can Handle (HYCH) makers of another great hot sauce. They were first interviewed February 5, 2020 (episode #25) when the company was called Hoss Soss and we’re going to see what has changed in their business since then. These two traveled the world and eventually landed in Salem, Oregon to start their own company. Dissatisfied with hot sauces they would take home and find simply too flammable to swallow, they began to experiment with other ingredients and found great recipes they could enjoy cooking and eating. And since they had seen so much of the world and experienced so many other cultures, it was only natural to include those other exotic flavors into their sauces and start sharing them with the world. In 2016, they launched from their home kitchen and have been at it ever since. Both Heat You Can Handle and its acronym HYCH (Hitch) were adopted in January 2023 in place of the original name, Hoss Soss. The couple just knew they wanted to get rid of the more generic play on words and after session upon session of trying to find the perfect name, they saw it right in front of their own eyes. They had already trademarked the phrase “Heat You Can Handle” so why not let it be the company name? And HYCH fell right in line with “hitching” a ride on the carousel of world flavors the company offers, so it was a natural fit. Initially, the couple thought they would need a complete rebranding and did some label mock-ups getting rid of the black background, the flames and changing the type font. However, their customer base resisted, feeling the original graphics were more in tune with the spirit and attitude of the company. Catherine and Matt also discussed changing some of the flavor names, because they thought the international names were difficult to pronounce. Again, the loyal customers replied those names were authentic and helped make their company unique. So they renamed their company and rebranded the products while keeping the magic of the original name. The new name and rebrand effort took much more time than they anticipated and in hindsight, the couple wishes they had started the journey earlier. Key to their success was communication. Not only by being sensitive – and smart – going to their loyal customers first, but also by being out in front of the brand change with their retail customers. Catherine and Matt (married since their first show with us; congratulations) made sure as the old product ran out on the shelf that the new product was brought in to sit alongside the old and make the transition smooth for the shopper. When you visit the website, https://heatyoucanhandle.com/, you’ll see the video of Chef Matt (he has all the credentials) giving a rundown on all the flavors, with subtitles so you can read the exotic names. You can order sauces from there and find HYCH in retail locations. Follow them on: Twitter - @heatucanhandle, Instagram - @heatucanhandle, Facebook - @Heat You Can Handle, TikTok - @heatucanhandle. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

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#154 Humans Should Eat So Well - Kate McCarron, Portland Pet Food

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 16:19:30 +0000

Continuing our check in with previous show guests, Sarah Marshall talks today with Katie McCarron Founder of Portland Pet Food. Our last show with Katie was January 8, 2020 (episode #14) and to refresh our audience on her background story, Portland Pet Food began with the family Poodle, Rosie. At 14 years, Rosie had lost her appetite and her health declined. Determined to find something healthy that Rosie would love, Katie began cooking meals for her at home. She used locally-sourced, natural ingredients, and Rosie loved it. She regained her appetite and stayed strong for two and a half more years, living to 16 ½ years old! Just like that, Portland Pet Food Company was born. All products are human grade, no preservatives, hormones or meat by-products. Only natural and local meats, vegetables and grains are sourced. All meals and toppers are packaged in slim pouches that need no refrigeration. The company also produces baked goods for dogs and cats. Since our pre-COVID show with Katie, the company has added a couple of new lines to the product mix, but the most popular item continues to be the beef and rice dish originally served to Rosie the Poodle. The lockdown caused huge problems with the supply chain, hitting many industries hard and the pet food industry in particular. However, PPFC sources its ingredients locally, so they had a big advantage over other pet food purveyors. Not only that, but cans were in short supply during the lockdown as well. There again, advantage PPFC; the company packages it’s meals in pouches and the pouch supply did not suffer. The company also had the advantage of being an essential business, so they could remain open, but of course, people had to be protected. And during the lockdown, they managed to get by with no COVID cases. The company was also counter to the lockdown trend, its business growing instead of shrinking. However, expanding during the lockdown was tricky to navigate. The kitchen with which they started was small and volume got to be overwhelming. They added a second location, with their office still in a third location, and inventory, production and keeping track of everything became a nightmare. That challenge was solved when they moved into their current, 15,000 square foot building where they can maintain better control. Of course, there’s always a trade-off: The larger facility is a larger financial commitment which has added another challenge to the business. Plus, wheeling and dealing with distributors and grocery stores is a daunting task and finding the people with whom you can trust and do business with in the long haul is never easy. Katie and company also learned much about promoting their products in the last years. They used to promote all products at the same time and have learned to be more selective about both timing and products to promote. They enjoy store locations in both the entire US and much of Canada, a testament to their quality and the loyalty of pet lovers everywhere. They also enjoy a strong consumer direct business as you can see when you visit their website: https://portlandpetfoodcompany.com/. Follow them on: Twitter - @portlandpetfood Instagram - @portlandpetfood Facebook – IG @portlandpetfood. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#153 Getting Vodka from a Cow - Tessa Koch, TMK Creamery

Wed, 16 Aug 2023 17:14:55 +0000

As we continue to look back and interview previous guests to learn how they are doing currently, our host Sarah Marshall talks with Tessa Koch of TMK Creamery. Our first interview with Tessa was November 20, 2019 (episode #6). They had just released their first dairy alcohol product, Cowcohol Vodka. And then the lockdown hit. The facility that was going to do their distilling suddenly had to switch all production to hand sanitizer and the big pivot was on. Tessa and her husband began to construct their own distillery and obviously learn HOW to distill alcohol. But not just figure out the final product, but also how to use the curds for new food products, purify the water and recycle it to the cows and turn the whole operation into a zero-waste production. The operation also is a closed system. TMK uses only the milk from the Cowlebrities (that’s right, new word invented by them) they own, no outside milk purchased. And in keeping with their complete transparency policy, they are very open to the public, encouraging visitations and offering tours. Of course, COVID and the lockdown threw a wrench into that model. At first, the numbers of visitors needed to be limited, but being an outdoor facility helped the company comply with protocol and still be able to allow the public access to their production process and beautiful acreage. The husband/wife team is very focused on educating children about the wholesome dairy business and will have 2,000 – 3,000 young people visit their farm every summer. The food and beverage operations are behind glass for health reasons, but the Cowlebrities and Junior Cowlebrities are in open barns and available to walk up to them and pet or feed them, or both! There also is a food truck with all their food items plus ice cream and ice cream treats and cocktails from their distilled beverages. So once more, entrepreneurs figure it out because they have a goal and a vision and the determination to get there. COVID pulled the rug out from under TMK’s plans by first taking away their distiller and then cutting down on their agritourism visitors. So Tessa and husband dug in, built their own distillery, managed their visitors and have come out with a unique and popular business educating and entertaining many. The tagline on their website at https://tmkcreamery.com/ says it all: Real Farm. Real Food. It all starts on the farm. Follow them at: FB and IG TMKcreamery and YouTube TMKcreamery. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#152 Fighting Through COVID and Winning - Lori Hunter, New Seasons

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 18:32:23 +0000

In 2000, three families got together to open a neighborhood market, a place where local communities could come together to connect with where their food came from. They wanted a friendly, inviting place that honored its region’s farmers, ranchers, growers and makers—helping them – and their customers – prosper for generations to come. They called it New Seasons Market. A previous New Seasons guest on our show, Lori Hunter whose title is Local Finds and Culinary Events Program Manager (say that three times in a row fast) joins our host Sarah Marshall to talk about the difference in operating their grocery store chain now, in comparison to her first, pre-COVID lockdown interview. Loris starts by saying that having an online presence has been one of the biggest changes since then. The shift worked well for New Seasons as people went to online shopping and grocery store pickup, because the company had aligned with Instacart early on. New Seasons also has a dedicated e-commerce team that worked with its vendor partners to load their product pictures and pricing information onto the website to keep sales moving. And to go the extra mile, New Seasons put its local vendor products on end caps and helped their vendor partners develop new recipes to stimulate sales. In the beginning of the COVID lockdown, they limited the number of people in the store and had all the social distance, masks, hand sanitizers and dots on the floor to keep customers and staff super safe as no one was sure what was going to happen. One of the big curve balls the lockdown threw to grocers was the proverbial toilet paper “shortage”. The grocery store that was popular was the store with toilet paper, right? But when the TP started getting distributed again, delivery trucks were full with nothing but TP, because the boxes were so large. This, of course, created a shortage of other products because there was no room left on the truck. But because New Seasons’ vendor profile has always been local makers and growers, their deliveries of cheese, fish, meat, vegetables, wine, fruit and all the other great foods didn’t change and they dodged the rows of empty shelves that many other grocers faced. Another big change was the traditional in-store sampling. The lockdown made the New Seasons’ team take a new look at staffing structure for that activity. Their previous formula was to let people in each store conduct sampling activities spontaneously and was heavily recipe driven. As Lori’s title of culinary events demonstrates, sampling is now arranged as a promoted and targeted event company wide. As an example, the chain recently promoted sockeye salmon in their sampling to create a great customer experience revolving around trying something new, liking it and buying it. The salmon is local and in addition, New Seasons promotes the sauces and spices to go along with the recipes and those are also locally sourced. And this cooperative spirit comes back to New Seasons: Their local vendor partners create recipes for the promoted items on their own social networks and wrap the effort around the item being sold at New Seasons Market. It all works to support the company’s mission: To build community through good food. Go to their website for a great experience: https://www.newseasonsmarket.com/. Social media: IG@newseasonsmarket. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#151 Everybody Curl Up - Yvonne Fide, Momo Cocoa

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 23:24:07 +0000

Yvonne Finde, founder of Portland, Oregon based Momo Coco was the very first guest in our show series. This interview is a great opportunity for aspiring food entrepreneurs to hear not only how a fellow founder has survived and grown over the last years, but also managed to navigate the challenges of the COVID lockdown. She is the maker of a variety of non-dairy coco mixes so that everyone can enjoy a delicious, warm cup of coco. Most of their products are vegan and all are gluten free. The high coco butter content makes the drinks exceptionally creamy and highly comparable to dairy based coco drinks. So, since that first show in 2019, how have things changed for Momo Coco? For one thing, Yvonne was a startup back then with two or three products. The line has expanded greatly and the company has revamped its packaging since then. The coco mixes now come in a pouch you tear open and the company logo was enlarged and a bright color coding scheme was adopted to differentiate between flavors and to help the package stand out on the shelf. And if you look at the package you’ll see, front and center, a cat. That’s Momo, who represents “Curl Up With a Cup!”, the company’s trademarked slogan. Yvonne’s creativity and her mission to have everyone enjoy a cup of coco has earned the company Good Food Awards. These awards are given by organizations that support and honor food companies whose products are nutritious, sustainable and created with quality control. It’s not only an honor to be recognized, it’s great publicity and puts Momo Coco in a category shared with only the best companies. Part of the magic of Yvonne’s story is that chocolate is everywhere in the world and offers a way for everyone to connect. And by including those who cannot tolerate dairy, the ingredient becomes even more omnipresent in the globe. Momo Coco can be found in Farmers Markets in the Greater Portland/Vancouver area, at regional grocery stores plus The Meadow and its NYC stores, or purchase online: https://www.momococoa.com/. Follow them on Instagram - @momo_cocoa_co and Facebook - @momococoaco. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#150 Feeding the Sugar Addiction Without Sugar - Margaux, Margalaxy Snacks

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 17:09:22 +0000

A Florida native now living in Portland, Oregon, Margalaxy founder Margaux (no last name apparently; you know, Cher, Sting, Madonna) always had a passion for creating healthy bodies by feeding them healthy food. She also had a love of baking pastries since the age of 14. So with that as the background, here’s the story. Margaux got her degree in International Baking & Pastry Arts and spent 15 years in the baking world, seeing the gut busting cane sugary consumption of everyday Americans and pondering how to offer healthy pastries. She experimented with refined-sugar free, and healthier dessert options and upon arriving in Portland, her passion developed into helping individuals with their sugar addictions by offering her creations as an alternative. Margaux’s business savvy also plays heavily into her story, as she realized early on if she wanted to be successful in helping people, she needed to have a successful business strategy. She took the crawl-before-you-walk approach by offering a grab and go coffee cart which is still operating, then transitioning to a superfood bar and café location of which she is co-owner. Of course, the bar and café opened right at the beginning of lockdown – a familiar story – but pushed through the pandemic and survived. Margaux’s “Galaxy” as she explains it, happened when she put together the perfect orbit of grab and go, mixed with healthy foods, mixed with delicious dessert. This trifecta has evolved into a sugar liberation movement for all who wish to indulge without the side effects of refined sweet foods because her pastries are easy for the body to break down and use as fuel. Her products are made without ovens and refined sugar and Margaux is constantly experimenting with new recipes. Recently, the café and bar were honored in the top 20 vegan restaurants in Portland, a city with a huge vegetarian and vegan community. Margaux’s website, food cart, bar and café combination offer an incredible number of smoothies in addition to pastries and cookies. If you go to the galaxy website you’ll see the dazzling array of raw, dairy/gluten/soy free, nutrient rich of desserts: http://margalaxy.com/. Currently, Margalaxy’s products are available consumer direct from the website, food cart and bar and café: http://bestfriendpdx.com/ . Follow her on social media: IG @bestfriendpdx @margalaxysnacks, FB @bestfriendpdx @margalaxysnacks. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#149 Balancing What We Crave with What We Need - Clare McLeod, Ona Yogurt

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 17:56:24 +0000

Sitting in her apartment, Clare McLeod took stock of her relationship with food. Like many young women, she had been addicted to “healthy eating”, restricting added sugar, calories, processed foods, etc. Because of those restrictions to only eat "clean" foods, she intensely craved "unclean" foods. That swing between restriction and indulgence was exhausting - physically, mentally and emotionally so she decided to do something about it. Clare adored Greek yogurt and consumed it daily but desired a dairy-free option to keep with her more vegan lifestyle. She tried 30 different brands looking for yogurt high in protein, low in sugar, thick in consistency, creamy, good tasting and under $10 a jar. Nothing! And so the inspiration to create her own brand to satisfy her desires and – hopefully – the desires of many other consumers on which to build a food business, was born. Clare started at the beginning of the COVID lockdown in 2020 to develop the right recipe in her kitchen. This was in Washington, D.C. where Clare was working an intense job but starting her business on the side. She was accepted into an accelerator program but the directors wanted her to quit her day job and that was not an option financially. This prompted her decision to move back to her home town of Portland, Oregon knowing that there was an intense community focus on Farmers Markets where she could begin sales and distribution on a startup budget. Back in D.C., Clare branded her first product alt, short for an alternative yogurt, but after moving to Portland, wanted a fresh start and therefore a fresh new name, ona. Clare liked vowels and short names and ona just rolled off the tongue. Clare’s recipe starts with tofu as a base and adheres strictly to a non-GMO sourcing regimen for the three main flavors, Oregon strawberry, Oregon marionberry and plain. She also believes in sourcing locally and supporting local businesses. The brand strikes a balance between what our bodies crave (a touch of authentic sweetness) and what we need (protein to get us through the day). After a year-plus break to work a job and perfect the yogurt culture, Clare launched the packaged ona product in 2023, so the new brand is still young. She sells only in Farmers Markets in the greater Portland area so far, but her success and drive will obviously keep her business growing. Website: https://www.onayogurt.com/about. IG @Ona.yogurt. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#148 Longlines and Long Family Lines - Sena Wheeler, Sena Seafood

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 18:41:37 +0000

Sena Seafoods (pronounced see’ nuh) has a long, long history of fishing. As Sena Wheeler of Sena Seafoods recounts, her grandfather immigrated to the Ballard, Washington from Norway with his brothers and became a commercial fisherman in 1938. They fished using traditional Norwegian longlines, and passed the knowledge to their children, who passed it on again. Their boat logs show the family fished the waters from as far north as Alaska and as far south as Mexico. Sena's father, Art, fished for thirty years, and Sena has fond memories of making trips with him on the Alrita as a teenager. Now in their fifth generation of fishing, the family loves what they do and are contributing the dinner table as well as to the environment. Our hosts received some fishing education in this episode and want to pass it along to the listeners. Salmon are caught in smaller boats because they are found at the mouth of a river as it empties into the ocean. By contrast, a longliner is typically fishing for halibut, black cod and bottom fish out in the deep ocean. The term longline comes from using one very long line that is dropped to the ocean floor. It lays on the floor for about a mile and every three feet is attached a shorter line with a hook on it, called a ganyard. Crews are usually five fishers and the boat is large (imagine the boats in the show, “Deadliest Catch”) with hydraulics to pull in the longline. Processing is done in Sena Seafoods’ fisherman-owned custom processing facility in Cordova, AK (60 North Seafoods) where they focus on the frozen portion of their business, freezing six-ounce portions, wrapping them in parchment and individually vacuum-sealing each and every prize piece. They specialize in premium quality and traceability which means the fish never leaves their hands and they have complete control of our entire process. Selling directly to the consumer has allowed Sena Seafood to keep a high quality product by also educating their customers to the “whys” of their fish tasting better and what to look for in a quality cut of fish. Sena Wheeler is well qualified to handle the quality control aspects of the business as well as manage the environmental issues. She has a masters degree in Nutrition and Food Science with a specialty in quantifying omega 3's in fish, and determining preferred handling practices for premium quality. Go to their website to order amazing cuts of fish, spices, smoked fish and delicious recipes: https://www.senasea.com/pages/about-us. And follow them on social media at Instagram - https://instagram.com/senasea_seafoods and Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/senaseafoods/. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#147 Food Can Pay It Forward - Richa Gupta, Good Food for Good

Wed, 14 Jun 2023 17:53:21 +0000

"Inspiration is always the key to the startup, and Richa Gupta, Founder of Good Food For Good, got that inspiration in 2015. Growing up in India, her mother cooked three fresh meals each day – every day – for her family. Using only fresh and natural ingredients, Richa got to experience a nutritious childhood bathed in goodness. But upon moving to North America and having a demanding career in marketing at General Mills, Richa experienced a time squeeze that her mother never had. With a huge proportion of her time spent keeping up in her job, there was no time to purchase fresh ingredients and prepare fresh, home cooked meals for her children. And serving fast food such as pizza and burgers to her children was leaving her wracked with guilt, not being able to pass down the experience she enjoyed as a child. So the big question confronting Richa was this: How could she help other mothers create meaningful, nutritious meals for their children by providing them with wholesome ingredients to cut down on the time it takes to prepare those delicious, fresh cooked meals she enjoyed? It was a challenge, but nothing this bright and energetic woman was about to shy away from. First, none of her products would contain any refined sugar, soy, corn syrup, gluten, dairy, or preservatives. They would be certified organic. Her philosophy was, if you wouldn’t add it when cooking from scratch, you wouldn’t find it in her products either. And unlike most store-bought sauces you can find, she did not believe in relying on sugar and artificial additives for flavor. All of her organic sauces would be Keto, Paleo, Vegan, and Whole30
Approved. There are two “Goods” in the company name for a reason. The first is for the food, the second is for the good that goes to the world for buying her products. Every time you buy one of their products, they donate a meal to someone in need. They are a Buy One, Feed One venture on a mission to make the world a better place for all. Along with their customers, Good Food For Good has donated over 900,000 meals through partnerships with food banks & nonprofit organizations across the US, Canada and India. As a B Corp Certified™ Company, they use business as a force for good in the world. You can buy line at https://goodfoodforgood.ca/ and shipping is free in the US and Canada. You also can find her products in stores across North America. Find out more: IG @goodfoodforgood. FB @goodfoodforgood. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall. Instagram - @masoniandmarshall."

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#146 Baking is a Hot Business - Joanna Strahm, Small Baking Co

Wed, 31 May 2023 18:38:18 +0000

Founder, CEO, Mom and Baker, Joanna Strahm takes on all the challenges of a female food entrepreneur and keeps moving forward. She is every inch the baker, beginning with her Mom in the family kitchen, side-by-side. The passion continued, and she chose to formalize her hobby into a profession, receiving a pastry certificate from Tante Marie’s in San Francisco. Although she had a fulltime job, she shoehorned in an internship at Tartine Bakery during the morning bake, the sure sign of a hardcore entrepreneur. The experience made her very employable at Batter Bakery, a very busy neighborhood bakery. It was there she learned to incorporate whole grains into baked goods to elevate flavors, a skill that would become the foundation of her own company. Batter Bakery also provided her with a crash course in starting a company from scratch. The Batter people decided to open up a satellite branch with Joanna the chosen implementor. Getting a baking business up and running from the ground up – on someone else’s dime – proved invaluable to Joanna in starting her own company. When the satellite branch did not work out, the Batter management encouraged Joanna to go out on her own, and that was the jump off point. She opened Small Baking Company in 2016, baking out of a shared kitchen space in Portland, Oregon. She was inspired by the style and flavors of the PNW and immediately built her recipes around them. First sales were in the ample locations of Farmers Markets in the area, and her success was quick. She still consistently sells out at nearly every market day, leaving sad customers who got in line a little too late! The company has wholesale accounts and their delights are available at select restaurants. They also accept orders online for pickup at the Farmers Markets. However, it’s a good idea to order early, the company is still not able to keep up with current demand. The menu includes lots of different whole grain cookies and rotating flavors of scones, cakes, and more. Joanna uses seasonal, locally sourced ingredients whenever possible, including organic whole grains and seasonal fruits. Just this year, Small Baking Company moved to their very own kitchen in their hometown, Oregon City, where they plan to have a drive up window soon. Besides their retail channel, Small Baking Company creates custom orders for your very special occasions such as weddings, graduations, anniversaries and so forth. The website is well crafted and shows off the line well: https://www.smallbaking.co/. IG: @smallbakingco. FB:@smallbakingco. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#145 Always in the Mood for Great Food - Masha Darabi, Moody Chai

Wed, 24 May 2023 17:45:03 +0000

In the late 1980’s Mahsa Darabi’s family made the big immigration jump from Iran to Lake Oswego, Oregon, USA. That’s the real beginning of her company, The Moody Persian, because it was Mahsa’s heritage from Iran that she learned to fall back on and from which to draw both strength and happiness. As a Middle Easterner dropped into a very Western culture, she endured the slurs and laughter sent her way by those who saw her as different. At first this was humiliating to her, but then she found that clinging to her culture and background made her proud that she had a different point of view on life and that her point of view was warm and beautiful. And much of that culture revolved around succulent food shared at a big table with family, friends, singing and dancing. As Mahsa began cooking and sharing her Iranian dishes with others, the heckling and cat calling started to die down and the cultural gap began to evaporate. Once again, the power of sitting down together and sharing a meal broke down previous cultural barriers. Mahsa had another talent as it turned out. Starting at about 14 years old, she began acting in TV commercials and launched a budding modeling career. Yet again, she found her background “differences” – her facial and body features – that made her feel like an ugly duckling were considered exotic and exactly what modeling agencies look for. Then COVID rocked her life, cutting off her work and leaving her in terror for the health of her family, including the recent birth of their third child. This is where Mahsa turned again to the power of cooking and sitting down to a meal together. She didn’t want her daughters to Zoom away their day, so she started teaching them science, math and culinary arts. She had them all in the kitchen cooking and preparing meals and that made sitting down together afterward an even richer experience. Mahsa has always found the kitchen as the place where she could concentrate, and it was there that the idea for her company was born. She always liked being in front of the camera so she decided to share recipes on Instagram. Then, when assembling recipes to write a book, Mahsa remembered that there was usually some person who inspired her to create that recipe and put her into the mood to create that dish. The Moody Persian name was born. Also part of her Iranian/Persian culture is tea, and she drinks lots. Too much as it turned out, as she was getting the jitters from too much caffeine. So she looked for decaffeinated tea but did not like the taste and longed for the spices and richness of her home tea but without the caffeine. Back to the kitchen, Mahsa took a year of experimenting and came up with Moody Chai, which is available on her website. Mahsa has been a finalist on Food Network’s Cutthroat Kitchen. She’s also been a real estate agent, private chef, accidental influencer, and has enjoyed an enduring career as a model and actor in the Portland area for over 20 years. Website: https://www.moodypersian.com/. Social media: @moodychai @themoodypersian. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#144 The Gift They’ll Never Forget - Leigh Griffith, Bella Vino Gifts

Wed, 10 May 2023 17:32:42 +0000

Always looking for that REALLY unique gift? Lots of people, and lots of companies, are looking all the time. To dazzle the recipient, brighten their day, or make a memorable impression. That’s the business of Founder Leigh Griffith who owns Bella Vino Gifts. Bella Vino is a hyper-local gift procureing company that puts a dazzling touch on the cornucopia chosen by the buyer. Bella Vino’s packaging, whether boxes, baskets or bags, is simply stunning and is so hand crafted it gives a custom, “made just for you” impression. The uniqueness of the company is in the sourcing. All items in the gift are from Oregon women-owned and small-family owned businesses. And those Oregon food entrepreneurs have an amazing, imaginative range of gifts from food items, toys, snacks, wines and beers. Wine and beer have some restrictions on shipping, but nothing major. This ambitious business works because of a robust website. Individuals can order a box or basket online with some room for customizing the gift and then putting the sophisticated ribbons and bows on from there. Custom orders can be really fun as well, and you should visit the website to see that there is no limit to the imagination for Leigh to turn into a gift. Corporate gifts are custom and volume oriented and this is where a company’s brand gets glowing reviews. Any company looking to make a lasting statement with their customers and partners can score big time with Bella Vino Gifts as they are breathtaking. And small businesses and individual consultants, real estate agents and others who have a personal connection to their clients also can benefit from the Bell Vino mystique. The company is located in Corvallis, Oregon, home of Oregon State University (whose OSU Food Innovation Center is a sponsor of this show) and most of the products sourced come from this area. How did Leigh think of this great idea? Well, speaking of OSU, Leigh graduated from there with a degree in exercise and science which led her to do the “gym thing” in Portland, Oregon for a while. A back issue scratched that career from her life list, but she found that she was extraordinary in the field of gift packaging, which she stumbled onto simply by creating packages for her friends. Baby showers, birthdays and other occasions started the word of mouth and pretty soon someone convinced her she could sell her packaging talent. Leigh then did her homework, researching magazines and searching the Internet to figure out how to start and maintain a business. She made the decision to look locally for food gifts initially and magically found the best items were from the small family and women owned businesses. That turned out to be a huge selling advantage, as customers were eager to support those types of businesses. Of course, the focus of our show, “Meaningful Marketplace”, is to highlight female food entrepreneurs, we so truly have a mutual admiration society going here. Website: https://bellavinogiftbaskets.com/. Insta: @BellaVinoGifts. FB: @bellavinogiftbasketspage. Pinterest: @bellavinogifts1. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#143 Don’t Waste the Planet - Pallavi Pande, Dtocs

Wed, 03 May 2023 15:39:21 +0000

Dtocs Founder and Mompreneur Pallavi Pande explains the company name “Dtocs” comes from the obvious word that means “a cleansing journey”. And this is what inspires her mission to collect fallen palm leaves and use them for beneficial purposes before they deteriorate beyond usefulness. The slight variation in spelling is to catch a person’s interest and begin the conversation into the life benefits the company has to offer them. But Pallavi’s detoxification process is much larger in scope than the usual cleansing of the body, she is looking to detox the planet. Their products are straws, spoons, bowls, plates and party packs made from naturally fallen palm leaves on which to enjoy your clean, healthy meals while having the knowledge that the utensils you are using are completely biodegradable. They are chemical free, plastic free, compostable, microwave safe, elegant and single use disposable. And Pallavi’s design sense for a clean, lean, minimal impact on the planet company goes one step beyond being sustainable and environmentally careful. Dtocs employs a majority female workforce and part of the proceeds from sales go towards improving education for the poor local communities in India. Her line is tasteful, uplifting, and beautifully designed, to show you can be a sophisticated person and still be responsible to Mother Earth. How did she get there? Her upbringing is from India and the diet and philosophies of her upbringing continue today. While in India, she wanted to spread the consciousness of being aware of one’s senses and surroundings. When visiting a farm that grew nuts that fell from palm trees, she got the idea of making something of the fallen leaves before they rotted. By heat-compressing the leaves, they are easily shaped into the designer table wares and their natural beauty is an added attraction. This particular palm only grows in India, so don’t go taking the leaves off the palm trees in your neighborhood and expect to make plates and straws. Now people have a choice for their single-use utensil products; ones that sit in the landfill or Dtocs utensils that give back to the earth. Pallavi sums it up best on her website: I started DTOCS with these 3 things in mind- Sustainability, Community and Usability. Dtocs products are available online, https://dtocs.com/. Wholesale prices also are on the site. Personal Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pallavi-pande-bb5abb1b/, Business Linkedin for Dtocs- https://www.linkedin.com/company/57414687/admin/, Fb page- https://www.facebook.com/dtocsplates, Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dtocsplates/, Tiktok- https://www.tiktok.com/@dtocsplates, Pinterest- https://www.pinterest.com/palpande/ , Twitter- https://twitter.com/DtocsL, youtube channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9fvPs051hLboYHa_XjxlUg. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

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#142 Putting Down Roots - Amanda Martinez, Thimbleberry Collaborative Farm

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 17:29:00 +0000

There are wheat farms, corn farms, even fish farms, but not a lot of thimbleberry farms. In fact, we only know of one and that’s the Thimbleberry Collaborative Farm located in east Multnomah County, Oregon. So what is a thimbleberry anyway? It fits on the end of your finger as does a thimble and is similar to a raspberry with a bit more tartness. It grows wild and makes a great hiking snack, so look for them on your next outdoor trek. When the founders of Thimbleberry, including Executive Director Amanda Martinez, came up with their concept of a sustainable collaborative farm, the thimbleberry plant made the statement they were looking for. Thimbleberries grow by expanding through their root system; they pop up naturally in all kinds of locations. That made it a popular symbol for the founders as they wanted their farm concept to grow in the community the same natural way. It also is notable the group calls their farm a collaborative and not a collective. The founders recognized there were other great organizations that had been serving the community longer than they had and so collaborating with them in workshops, education, CSA efforts and so forth expanded everyone’s reach and success in the community. Thimbleberry has focused on the vegetables and fruits that grow well in the region with impressive results on a half-acre plot. That will change soon as they expand to a five-acre plot close to their current location. The farm is a constant experiment in agriculture to always be on the leading edge. The founders just started a deep mulch initiative, which will allow for an earlier start to the growing season. And there is a learning garden for experimenting with new foods and new growing practices as well as producing food for the community members and serves as the classroom for their field trips and workshops. Although not open to the public at all times right now, the group has applied for all the necessary permitting for their new, larger farm to allow much more public interaction. Amanda’s background is a natural for her Executive position. She grew up in the hills near San Jose, CA, where she and her family raised farm animals as pets. She attended Stanford University, where she studied Sustainable Food Systems and Agriculture on the University farm. She has worked on educational farms, directed summer camps and managed nonprofit organizations which shaped her dream to start an educational community farm. Additionally, Amanda recently graduated from an MBA program at Yale School of Management. Find out more at Instagram is @thimbleberrycollaborativefarm. Website: https://thimbleberrycollaborativefarm.org/. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

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#141 Cocktails with Love, Not Alcohol - Shelley Elkovich, For Bitter For Worse

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 17:51:43 +0000

Shelley Elkovich and husband Jeff were always entertaining people, with Shelley taking the role of bartender. Then, the couple took a whale watching trip on the Salish Sea where Shelley developed an extremely rare neurological reaction to the boat trip. It affected her equilibrium and cause her “break up with booze”, as she puts it. Shelley soon became aware of how people can feel marginalized when they don’t join in with a drinking crowd and it bothered her. A self-described food nerdie, Shelley looked for, but couldn’t find, alcohol free drinks that met both her palate standards and her ingredient standards. And as happens so often in the entrepreneur world, when you can find what you want, start making it yourself, and that’s just what the couple did. In spring of 2020 they launched For Bitter For Worse. A playful pun on their wedding vows, yes. But more, a heads up to the consumer that Shelley, the Taste Maven of the company, likes cocktails with spark, with zest and drinks that create a memory, this from her years behind the bar. Her experience also determined the line, offering two sparkling drinks currently, which are great as aperitifs or spritzers. One still beverage is a red beverage basically an alcohol free red wine. The other still is a potent, smoky nightcap, so the entire entertainment evening is covered from AF aperitifs to AF nightcaps. The couple also has taken their AF red wine and added single servings in cans, keeping up with consumer preferences. The process to create these elixirs is quite fascinating. Jeff’s the Reverse Bootlegger. For Bitter For Worse uses all botanical ingredients for their beverages. They macerate this proprietary blend of herbs and botanicals in neutral alcohol and water to extract the flavors. Using a still, the remove the alcohol (“reverse bootlegging”). This creates their robust, bitter spirit base. Jeff invented the patent-pending process and converted Shelley’s recipes to scalable formulas, no easy fete. This is how the couple is fulfilling their mission: To provide sober folks and those who are simply cutting back on booze a way to embrace occasion and community, inviting opportunity for richer relationships. They aim to create a healthier, more inclusive culture. For Bitter For Worse beverages are available in major groceries stores in Oregon, select grocers across the US and online at http://forbitterforworse.com/. Social media at @forbitterforworse and Twitter @drinkFBFW. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#140 Fancy Foods Show Recap from Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall, Hosts

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 17:15:49 +0000

It’s Fancy Foods Show time again, the big industry show of the Specialty Foods Association. SFA is a membership-based trade association in the United States representing 3,000+ member companies. The SFA was established in 1952 to foster trade, commerce and interest in the specialty food industry in the U.S., worth $148 billion as of May 2020. Our very own Sarah Masoni is on the board of SFA and so is a strong believer in the benefits aspiring food entrepreneurs can receive. Attending the Fancy Foods industry show puts company owners face-to-face with distributors and retailers alike. The Association obviously has accumulated tons of data available to company owners and also offers many instructional courses for going to market and expanding. Regional support staff also is close by to answer entrepreneur questions and help keep your company growing. Enough about the organization and on to the Winter Fancy Foods show in Las Vegas this last January. Sarah Masoni took a group to Incubator Village, including Nomad Snacks, FiMi Kingston, Portland Salt Company, Community Co-Pack Northwest, TaTu Protein Waters and Tan Tan, Deli, all previous guests on our shows. Feedback from everyone was positive and there also was an Oregon pavilion which drew good crowds. Oregon State University’s Food Innovation Center, of which Sarah Masoni is Director, had a space in the Innovation Village. And in that space, our own Sarah Marshall, Marshall’s Haute Sauce, had her first pop-up chef’s counter. Sarah cooked for some of the food companies Sarah Masoni brought along highlighting their products in her dishes. The extra room to cook made for a much more kitchen-like area for preparing than the usual crammed booth and the results were very well received. On the menu: Steak and potato bites on a skewer and later on, lettuce wraps. The creative and new idea brought people in who filmed the action and not only the Association but also YouTube channels filmed and played the unique idea. It has resulted in great publicity for Sarah, her Haute Sauce line and also for the recipes she has created and offers in her books. Of course, we are students in life and constantly learning, and Sarah Marshall now has learned more about transporting food and cooking utensils. One of the best parts of the show is expanding one’s palate because of all the fine foods from around the world brought to one location for sampling. The other great aspect is seeing where the food trends are going to keep up with the industry. Here are the top 10 as Fancy Foods sees them: 1.Non-Alcoholic Cocktail Culture, 2.Fermented for Function, 3.Honey Is Hot, 4.New Packaging Form and Utility, 5.Starters, Bases, Kits, and Shortcuts for Convenience, 6.Pantry Without Borders, 7.Sustainable, Upcycled, or Regeneratively Grown Ingredients, 8.High-Quality Meal Prep, 9.Health in Balance and 10.Beneficial Beans (and Lentils). Interesting; we’ve seen many products in these categories show up on the show and many more being produced in Oregon, home state of our hosts. So tune in even deeper on social media for Sarah and Sarah: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#139 Healthy People are Mindful People - Jacoba Gundle, Mindful Proteins

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 22:00:48 +0000

Guest number nine on our podcast show in late 2019, Jacoba Gundle was just getting ready to launch their new product a protein beverage. That, of course was the beginning of the COVID lockdown and a lot of commerce came to a screeching halt, including their targeted marketplace. The company had been readying packaging, fine tuning its recipes and had called its drink Restore Protein Water. Co-packers were all lined up and then…nothing. The market strategy was to sell at yoga studies, Pilates studios, exercise gyms and all in-person types of venues, which of course were vaporized. So from that point until 2021, the company rebranded, changed their marketing strategy, kept the formulation engineered at Oregon State University’s Food Innovation Center (our very own Sarah Masoni is Director) and named the drink Tatu (tah too’) Protein Water. There are two flavors, lemon ginger and orange mango, both loaded with 15 grams of protein but zero sugar per can. So the sudden stop of the lockdown became a blessing in disguise according to Jacoba, because it forced the company to slow down, make more thoughtful decisions and clearly this new path is working well. The company, Mindful Proteins has created its distribution through grocery store shelves and online sales. However, now that in-person venues are revitalized, the company is also selling in the yoga and exercise studios it originally targeted. Orange Theory studios and cycling studios have been particularly popular places to sell Tatu as people are paying attention to health more and more. And Mindful Proteins is right there to serve them as their mission is to create a family of high-protein, functional foods and beverages made from healthy and simple ingredients. So the vision is for many lines of healthful food products for people seeking that healthy lifestyle. Tatu is the first and appeals to the active person because of the high protein content. At 15 grams per can, each can delivers about one-third of the daily recommended amount and it’s the protein, especially right after a workout, that restores muscle growth, helps prevent soreness and provides an energy lift after exercise. The word is getting out. BevNET, a Beverage Business Insight industry blog and highlighted by Fancy Foods as a new trending item. There is a mission behind the mission, as well. Mindful Proteins is sustainable at every turn, including the cans, packaging and a commitment to people, planet and profit. They track with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and you can check their progress on their website: https://mindfulproteins.com/. Also: IG @drinktatu. Tiktok is apparently live but Jacoba didn’t know the handle at show time. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#138 Heartbeat of the Neighborhood - Lisa Hall, Montavilla Farmer’s Market

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 00:33:08 +0000

2007 Was the birthday party for Montavilla Famers Market of Portland, Oregon, when the local residents and business people decided to get together, raise some money and provide a community resource. It has remained a staple for the neighborhood and indeed the city and is still located on the same grounds. In 2020, Lisa Hall joined as the Marketing Manager, doing such an outstanding job that about a month ago, she was named Executive Director of the entire operation. It’s only natural. Not only does Lisa have a marketing background, she lives in the Montavilla area, circulates amongst the neighbors and truly has an ear to the ground for the community’s desires for an open marketplace. Montavilla is the real Goldilocks size; not too big and not too small, 80-90 vendors during the year. That gives the populace a place to shop for craft foods without being crushed by the masses and yet have a great selection of specialties to take home. Lisa has a solid background for running the Montavilla market, having been part of the Portland Farmers Market previously. That organization ran five market places and was one of the largest in the area. The big difference was of course resources; the Portland organization had more vendors and revenue and could do special events such as bringing in name chefs for demonstrations. However, the neighborhood market scene caters to the loyal neighbors who live close by, shop regularly and it maintains a family feel you don’t get with the big crowd of large events. In fact, a survey recently showed about half of the people at the market walked there from their home. To become a vendor, a company applies online and if their product looks enticing and like it would add to the overall offering of the market, they are invited to present to a taste test group for a final approval. If the company has a viable product that would appeal to the shoppers, then space obviously is the next consideration, as a small, intimate marketplace needs to remain small. That aspect comes into play during seasonal items, such as fruits and berries, which take up a lot of the limited room. Another wrinkle about being a reflection of the neighborhood is recognizing its ethnicity. Not only does the market offer ethnic foods desired by the community, the market’s website highlights them in different languages to cater to the people living there. And in keeping with their mission to provide local, healthy food to the community, a vendor requirement is that at least 25% of their ingredients be sourced directly from farmers. Many vendors source an even larger percentage and therefore stand out. This guideline keeps the authenticity and vision of the boutique market alive. Plus, it adds to the farm-direct offering of dairy products, farm-direct wines, beers, ciders and even beans and grains by solidly engaging the local farmers. The market is open fulltime year-round now as the vendors and farmers wanted the outlet for their foods and the neighbors were delighted to have fresh foods offered year round. Win-win. So you have a number of businesses trying to survive and shoppers looking for their food treasures. The rhythm of the market meets the rhythm of the community. Harmony on display. To learn more: IG and FB: @montavillamarket. Website: montavillamarket.org. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#137 Got Goat’s Milk? - Emily Davidson, Portland Creamery

Wed, 08 Feb 2023 18:10:27 +0000

In 2011, Liz Albeth started Portland Creamery, a goat cheese (ch’evre if you are in the know) and whey producer. Not just any goat cheese mind you, but the best quality from a single herd of prized goats and cheese made on the farm using traditional practices. This herd is internationally ranked and considered one of the finest in the US. In 2018, she sold the operation to Shawn Fels a cheese industry veteran who wanted to spread more quality cheese to more consumers and, in his words on the website, “while maintaining its roots as a delicious and ethically produced food that nurtures ones love for food with every bite.” This fervor for quality has made their brand a outstanding part of fine foods as they have blended their cheeses with many complimentary flavors all of which are sublime. Control is the key to quality and the Portland Creamery is a farmstead operation. That means the herd, milking parlor and cheese making is all done not only on the same farm, but in the same building. There are only two walls separating the goats from the cheese processing; you can’t get more stringent quality control than that. During the unfolding of the creamery’s story was the story of Emily Davidson, currently the CEO. Starting out as a ¨Bovine Beautician¨ prepping cows for competition, Emily worked on dairies during college and eventually found her “whey” as a cheesemaker (and a lover of good puns). After living in France in 2019, she joined Portland Creamery and moved up to CEO in January of 2022. With all the verve, passion and vision of the Portland Creamery history, Emily embodies the company’s goals and has been the driver to take their fine product out to the world. One of Emily’s company directives is to build the whey portion of the product line. She’s done this by developing whey caramel syrups. Beautifully bottled, these syrups infuse whey and other flavors into caramel to create a unique taste that simply must be sampled. Similar to real maple syrup in some ways, these syrups offer a warm, homey flavor to all foods and recipes where syrups are used. Emily was the driving force in repackaging the syrups, adding new flavors to increase the line and emphasizing they had an extended shelf life for salability. This process does more than expand the company’s sales. Whey is about 80% of the milk, so utilizing the whey instead of disposing of it is a fabulous way to stop waste. But distribution is the key to sales for any company and Emily is working on expanding it. Both the cheeses and the syrups are available online at https://portlandcreamery.com. They are sold in restaurants mostly in the Portland, Oregon area. You can find their products on the shelves of grocery stores in much of Oregon and in Farmers’ Markets in Oregon as well. In addition to their website, find out more on Instagram: @portlandcreamery and @friendincheese and Facebook: @portlandcreamery. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

# 136 Chicken Soup for the Soul, but Broth for the Gut - Julia Baker, Brothy LLC

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 19:23:24 +0000

It was tummy troubles for founder Julia Baker in the summer of 2018 that created the impetus for the company to be called Brothy. Or to put it far, far less delicately as Julia says, she spent a lot of 2018 “on the toilet”. The issue of gut health has been the inspiration and desperation that has caused the birth of many a new food product, and Brothy is a classic example. Her tumultuous journey lasted for about a year, trying traditional medicines to alleviate the condition without success. A naturopath friend suggested Julia had leaky gut and wondered if Julia had tried bone broth. And as we have seen in many of these shows, a desperate person will try anything so Julia started eating broth which turned out to be the magical cure. Julia stresses she was definitely not the stereotypical food entrepreneur. She didn’t grow up in the kitchen playing with recipes and delighting in serving a great food to a big table of family and friends. In fact, she grew up going to restaurants and leaving the cooking to others. Who knows what caused Julia’s abdominal problems, but the extreme discomfort and looking for relief has lead to becoming founder and CEO of her own company and reinforces that necessity is most assuredly the Mother of invention. But Julia didn’t just go to the store and get off the shelf broth. Absolutely not. She went to farmers’ markets, sourced high-quality, local ingredients and started experimenting and formulating her own recipes. After a couple of months, Julia began feeling better, much better. She continued to make bone broth a staple of her diet and soon began to share it with family and friends, always having a big mason jar of bone broth in the refrigerator. Then her story became a more traditional food startup story. The friends loved it, asked for more and so Julia took the plunge and started a business to introduce her broth to the world. About a year old now, the company is getting traction as many people are experiencing the healing power of broth. The healing power, in Julia’s opinion, comes from all the collagen that gets extracted from the bone and surrounding tissue. One of the amino acids related to good health, collagen is prominent in helping repair the leaky gut Julia’s naturopath friend had diagnosed. Not recognized by traditional medicine, leaky gut is thought to be caused by stress and a diet heavy in processed foods that tend to deteriorate the gut lining, causing leakage. This then disrupts food digestion, causes inflammation and leaves many people, “on the toilet”. The recipe for Julia’s bone broth is not traditional, she has her science down. The simmering will be 24 hours or so for chicken broth, up to 72 hours for beef bone broth. Julia’s broth, however, is made by roasting the bones with vegetables in avocado oil before they go into the simmering pot. This brings out a better flavor she has found. Brothy can be purchased at Portland, Oregon area farmers’ markets or their website and shipped to your home. You can find Brothy at, website: https://www.brothypdx.com/, IG: @brothypdx on Instagram. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#135 Go Get Your Sunshine - Lucy De Leon, Salsas Locas

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 17:00:40 +0000

It’s definitely a journey from working in the farm fields that provide the restaurant food to owning the restaurant itself, but that’s what the De Leon family of Portland, Oregon has done. The journey started in 1973, and this interview marks the grand opening of Lucy De Leon’s newest restaurant, Salsas Locas. They operated their first restaurant for 23 years before moving to the current Salsas Locas location. The business started, not surprisingly, in Mrs. De Leon’s kitchen Lucy De Leon’s Mother). She specialized in tamales and salsas for family and friends. Then the usual entrepreneur script played out; word of mouth made her delicacies popular and she and family realized a business could be created. In addition to serving these and more items in the restaurant, the De Leon enterprise sells the tamales, different flavored salsas and flavors of burritos to local grocery stores, including in our sponsor’s stores, Market of Choice. But the family has always been about community as well as commercialization. Their generous farm to school program serves the children. A written goal in Lucy’s office, she wanted tamales on children’s lunch plates and has had that dream come true. And it has come true thanks with help from another of our show’s sponsors, Oregon State University’s Food Innovation Center. Their programs helped Lucy and team navigate the regulations and food formulations so that the meals could meet school standards. The family has also adjusted the tamale fillings to each particular school district. Districts with large Hispanic populations prefer meat tamales with red sauce. Others prefer vegan tamales, green chili and cheese and other combinations that the company has willingly accommodated. The story behind this is a typical one of “right place, right time”. Lucy was at a food show where Portland Public School personnel were also attending. The supplier of their tamales was a California company whose building had just burned down, leaving the PPS high and dry. So after the introduction, Lucy was asked if she could have 15,000 tamales ready in one week. Of course, every entrepreneur answers “Yes!” to the opportunity, then figures out how to deliver later. But Lucy figured it out, made good on the order and it has been a solid relationship since. Lucy’s parents started the business and while in college, Lucy decided to take a year off and join them. All went well but COVID forced her parents to retire and now it’s Lucy running the business with some part time help from her husband and her son when he’s not in college. The company currently employs 32 working the restaurant, wholesale, retail, school programs and catering businesses. Catering has its interesting story too. Lucy worked farmers’ markets for eight years promoting her products. It was tough, rigorous and sometimes disappointing work, but the exposure gave her gigs that got her brand out in the community and lead to her current success. Lucy credits her work ethic to her parents, migrant workers with a dream. One of her father’s sayings is, “The sun shines for everyone, but you have to go get it!”. Website: https://salsaslocas.com/. IG @salsaslocas. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#134 One Fish At A Time - Eryn Domeyer, Trefin Foods

Wed, 23 Nov 2022 18:05:05 +0000

You might say Eryn Domeyer and her husband got “hooked” on fishing originally as a hobby, then as a sport, before it became a business for them. After getting married, they moved back to the Pacific Northwest and were invited by friends to do some Albacore tuna fishing. They loved the excitement. Soon, they were keeping score with their friends in how many fish they could catch and even entered some fishing tournaments. Because they were good fishers, they had more catch than they could eat, so started giving it away to friends and family. After they had been told their fish was the best their friends had ever tasted, the entrepreneurial question popped up: “Would people actually PAY for our fish?”. So in 2014 they began fishing and selling Albacore, halibut and salmon out of Ilwaco, Washington. The trio offering is what spawned the name Tre-Fin; three kinds of fish. Then in 2019 they expanded their harvest to ling cod, rock fish, petrale and more. Commercial fishing for salmon did not work for them after awhile and the company switched to sablefish as a replacement. The company has an official designation as a Community Supported Fishery, CSF, making their fish on your dinner plate a hyper-local event. It works like this: Customers sign up as members of the CSF and pre-order and pre-pay for a certain amount of fish, usually in five or ten-pound boxes. This gives the fishers not only a goal of fish to catch so they don’t over-fish, it also gives the company and employees financial security for their season. Then from July through October, the Tre-Fin crew goes out on one boat, in and out each day. They line fish, meaning they only use a pole and catch one fish at a time. Each catch is brought into the boat using a gentle net, not a piercing gaff. Each fish is handled by a person, not a machine, and each is hand-cut, fresh frozen and sealed for the freshest meal possible. The boxes of fish delivered are of the same weight but not always the same number of cuts, or loins as they are called. Since no two fish are alike and since they are custom cut, they loins vary a bit in size and shape, but that is the hand touch, authenticity and specialness that customers are looking for from Tre-Fin. Members can order one kind of fish or an assortment and there are multiple pickup locations in Oregon and Washington during certain days and times to get their fish. Home deliveries also are possible. The stability of a CSF also allows Tre-Fin to deliver quality fish at a slightly lower price than other markets. The creed of Tre-Fin’s founders is simple: Sustainable fishing. They only catch the number of fish that have been ordered, they only fish for healthy stocks and they only fish their local waters. This is a very powerful concept that provides conscientious consumers with a mechanism to enjoy eating fish harvested in a responsible manner. Website: https://trefinfoods.com/. Instagram - @dayboattuna. Facebook -@Tre-Fin Foods. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#133 Real Pros Are Always Learning - Cat Fields White, Farmers Market Pros

Wed, 09 Nov 2022 17:47:55 +0000

How do you spell CAT? Wrong. It’s CATT, at least when you’re talking about Catt Fields White, the high-powered organizer, teacher, consultant, author, podcaster and believer in connecting farmers and those who believe in nutritious, creative foods through 21st century farmers’ markets. Her background prepared her well for this path, starting out as a food writer, then becoming a marketing consultant for restaurants, then a construction project manager for a company that built restaurants, then a turnaround consultant for restaurants. One of her turnaround clients, after receiving Catt’s advice, simply offered her their restaurant and so she operated it for a few years. Then she took all that accumulated knowledge and shared it with independent restaurant owners through a trade publication she started from scratch. But after the kids were grown and out of the house, Catt tired of the car-oriented life of Phoenix, AZ and moved to downtown San Diego, CA where almost everything was accessible on foot. The only thing missing was grocery shopping. The few Italian delis in Little Italy didn’t add up to a full shopping experience for fresh items, so she offered to the Little Italy Association to start a farmers’ market and with all her restaurant and purveyor contacts, began putting the pieces together. The idea was to split the profits and so everyone agreed. However, about six months into operation, the Association felt the traffic was too light, the market was an embarrassment to the neighborhood and wanted to shut it down. Catt convinced them to give it a little more time and that turned out to be the tipping point, success from then on. Dubbed the Little Italy Mercato in 2008, it has grown into the county’s largest weekly year-round farmers’ market, stretching over six city blocks, with 180 tents any given Saturday and around 22,000 attendees. They have added a Wednesday market so that local neighbors can shop without the crowds. Just as Catt shared her restaurant knowledge as a consultant and publisher, she began sharing the steps to her farmers’ market success with other farmers. She founded Farmers Market Pros to make the journey easier for small farmers, food makers and other market managers and to advocate for farmers markets’ critical place in local food systems. She usually worked in conjunction with community associations and business improvement organizations, stayed close to operations until managers could be transitioned in. Now with Farmers Market Pros, she consults all over the US and is headed soon to Canada and the UK as her fame and reputation keep growing. Farmers Market Pros is where Catt offers education to farmers through her Vendor 101 program series, a conference called InTents: A Farmers Market Conference, and her weekly podcast, Tent Talk. All meant to educate and help farmers be successful. Find out more at cattwhite.com, Instagram at @farmersmarketpros and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FarmersMarketPros. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#132 Happy Trails to You - Aiyesha Christian, Nomad Mix

Wed, 02 Nov 2022 18:57:55 +0000

A Pacific Northwest camper, hiker, fisher, and ocean swimmer. That’s the growing-up bio of Aiyesha Christian. And being the super outdoors person, Aiyesha also was obviously a big consumer of trail mix to keep her nutrition gauge from going empty. But the trail mix she found was just too dull; either too much salt or too much sugar, always the same ingredients and definitely not enough flavor. Aiyesha loved her outdoor life and wanted all the diversity, flavors, freshness and spirit to be reflected in the food she put into her body, especially when she was on the outdoor trails – being a nomad of course. She had the food background to begin her venture, having worked in restaurants and having tended bars. She began the grand experiments in her kitchen and her friends and family ooed and ahhed over her creations. Some of them also steered her to the Oregon State University’s Food Innovation Center in Portland, Oregon and straight to the Director, our show host Sarah Masoni. Sarah was duly impressed with the great taste of the trail snacks and immediately encouraged Aiyesha to continue with the recipes and learn how to commercialize her products so that more people could share in her discovery and the Nomad company began to take shape. One of her first big wins was being part of the Food Innovation Center’s holiday markets, where she became introduced to Market of Choice, one of our show sponsors, and got signed on to be displayed on their shelves. Each flavor of Nomad mix has its own special story, Tide Pool to represent the coast, Forest for the woods and so forth. But Aiyesha has a guideline for each product and flavor. Each bag contains at least one type of seed, nut, fruit, and vegetable. It is gluten free, paleo, and almost vegan except for locally sourced honey as the only added sweetener. All the snacks are great to share with your pet, but Aiyesha is contemplating a pet line of snacks as well. So why this foyer into the saturated market of trail snacks, a market that is old, dominated by big food companies that bought up all the small ones years ago and have all the shelf space already taken? In one of her Masters of Business classes, Aiyesha was introduced to the book, Blue Ocean Strategies, that talked about finding new opportunities in old, stodgy markets. This gave her the insight to find her new opportunity and she is making the most of it. Her packaging is exquisite and truly reflects the mission of her company, and the website is impressive. Grocery store shopping is localized in the Pacific Northwest currently, but all products are available online. And in alignment with Aiyesha's love of the outdoors, Nomad gives a percentage of profits to partnered organizations that focus on the protection, rejuvenation, and integrity of our precious communities and environments. Website: www.nomadmix.com, questions: Info@nomadmix.com, IG: @nomadsnackmix. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#131 Definitely Pass the Salt - Becca Christansen, Portland Salt Co.

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 00:23:25 +0000

It was the worst of times, it was the best of times. Yes, that’s backward from the original prose, but that was how Becca Christansen, Co-Founder of Portland Salt Co, and her partner got started. It was December, 2021, COVID/pandemic when things couldn’t look bleaker that they took the entrepreneurial plunge. Becca’s background is certainly tailor-made for business, having a finance and sales resume and 18 years in the fast-moving technology sector. She and partner Justin loved and lived to travel the globe and enjoy each culture through its local cuisine. Their passion helped them find their way into some of the world’s top restaurants and learn from famous chefs. They had always felt that the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean held the finest salts on the planet and so it became their hobby to harvest it and enhance it with spices to highlight the flavors in different foods. Their steak salt became famous in their circle of family and friends to the point of being asked for shipments of the condiment. But it was the worst of times - the lockdowns during COVID – that increased the frequency and quantities being requested to the point of propelling them into birthing their new business, The Portland Salt Co; the best of times. Much of the magic of the company is in the balancing of the purity of the Pacific sea salt with the added herbs and spices. Becca wants the cooks and chefs using their product to spend time and effort over the stove and not extra prep time blending and mixing spices and rubs. All this comes from Becca’s lifelong love affair with food as a lens into people’s enjoyment and culture. She loves to cook and entertain, so she definitely has her audience in mind when creating condiments and rubs to add to their ceremony of preparing meals for family and friends. Obviously, the company is young. And Becca’s time in hi-tech is not over, Portland Salt Co is a side-gig for now until it takes on more popularity. However, the couple has accomplished much in a relatively short time. You can find their products on select grocery store shelves in Oregon and Washington, including those of our sponsor, Market of Choice. Also, you can order from their website, which is very tastefully done. There are individual condiments, spices and rubs in addition to terrific looking gift packs. Their website reflects their philosophy of being in business: “Connecting through culinary experiences is our love language. We hope our products inspire your cooking and lead to delicious adventures and lasting memories of your own”. Website: https://portlandsaltco.com/ Instagram: @portlandsaltco Also on LinkedIn and Twitter. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall Instagram - @masoniandmarshall

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#130 You Don’t Have to Chew to Swallow - Reva Barewal, Savorease

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 17:43:01 +0000

You have a delicious meal in front of you. You chew, you taste, you swallow and enjoy. You think nothing of it. But a huge group of over 25 million adults and children cannot perform this pleasant daily ritual without great pain because of a swallowing difficulty called dysphagia. This condition forces them to a diet of very soft or pureed foods that are bland or filled with sugar and with very limited choices, so add boring to the long list. Although not afflicted with the condition, Dr. Reva Barewal relates to the pain and suffering of all those who are. Born in India when babies were delivered via forceps, her jaw was crushed. Consequently, she did not eat well as a baby and her parents and doctors could not diagnose the cause. The family moved to Canada, where more advanced medical analysis revealed the reconstruction that needed to be done to her jaw. Dr. Barewal then spent her life from childhood up to the age of 17 either in a dental chair or the surgical suite, science teaching her jaw to grow to the correct shape. During that period her only choice of diet was soft food because of the pain she experienced with food of any real texture. That is when her experimentation began, trying to find soft foods that were enjoyable and delicious to eat. It’s also when she decided to help others with jaw configuration and chewing issues as she had experienced. But first, culinary school at age 16 to learn more about cooking those soft foods people with those issues could enjoy. Dr. Barewal went to Cordon Bleu from afternoon until evenings while attending dental school from morning until noon beforehand. Ambitious. She then decided to help people diagnosed with head and neck cancer, because when going through those treatments, the patients had severe chewing and swallowing issues and she was determined to help them. So she moved to the US and her company, Savorease, was born. Since her work with cancer patients, Dr. Barewal has discovered that people who have suffered a stroke and people diagnosed with dementia and many others also have trouble with chewing and swallowing, and her soft foods can help. There is another discovery: When people eat with their fingers and not utensils, they tend to eat more food. For those having trouble gaining weight or coming off trauma and needing to gain weight, her finger-food snacks are the perfect answer. The company’s product offering is extensive, which certainly helps prevent boredom for its audience. Recently launched is the vegan cheese snack and both the harvest chicken and popcorn are longtime favorites. Her pediatric line is extensive too and is famous for its soft, quick-dissolve characteristics. Sales have been through the website and institutional sales through entities such as hospitals, where her snacks are used to help stroke patients not only get nutrition in their bodies, but also using the finger-food aspect to teach them to chew and swallow again. Senior centers and memory care centers also are huge prospects for Savorease as she continues to expand her marketing plans. One challenge has been to overcome the misunderstanding of texture. Even though Dr. Barewal explains that her snacks do not need chewing, that they simply melt in people’s mouths, there is a suspicion built into every sales prospect. You can view the product line at her website, www.savorease.com and follow her on: Instagram, Facebook and Linked In. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall. Instagram - @masoniandmarshall

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#129 Co-Packing with the Whole Package - Hannah Kullberg, Community Co-Pack (COCO)

Thu, 06 Oct 2022 16:51:06 +0000

Co-founder and Director of Operations Chris Baily saw a need in the local Portland community for offering co-packing along with the expertise to guide food entrepreneurs through the gauntlet of successful commercialization. Coincidently our guest, Hannah Kullberg, Business Development Director, was at the SBIC seeing the same gulf between food startups and becoming successful food companies. The need was definitely there to assist these fledgling companies and help guide them over the hurdles. They met, decided on a strategy of offering entrepreneurs co-packing, the first step between the entrepreneur’s kitchen and the grocery shelf, and additionally the experience of Hannah and Chris to fill the knowledge gap to success. Hannah had the background for certain. While co-founding and scaling The Better Bean Company from farmers markets to national distribution, she intimately experienced the barriers to success. Over nine years building Better Bean Company she held all roles in the business including business development, sales, marketing, HR, basic accounting and operations. While operations manager, Hannah implemented a HACCP program and supervised three-fold growth in production, adding equipment, new filling lines and hiring new team members. She took the business through Non-GMO and B-Corp certifications. As sales and marketing manager, she launched the product into several new regions growing sales and velocity. They applied for a grant from Business Oregon to launch and even talked about that on our show on Episode #29, January, 2020! And so was born Community Co-Pack, or COCO as those on the inside call it. Currently with about 10 clients, Hannah and Chris have worked out the kinks of their startup and are producing entrepreneurs. Hannah fields inquiries in a very efficient manner. Inquirers fill out a form which also links to a mutual NDA and her calendar to schedule a call. Then begins the screening process. Criteria are pretty simple, as COCO’s equipment and resources don’t fit everyone’s needs. However, referrals are a big part of COCO’s services, as they believe in helping everyone build a strong food community. COCO has a fryer for snacks, a pouch packer, a blender for beverages, can do light vegetable processing and can do fresh also. They want to offer more services, but they also stick to their knitting for the present. And they want to focus on their local community, even though they have been approached by potential clients from out of the area. Hannah stays true to her calling and her mission to collectively build an equitable, regenerative, resilient, regional food system. Website: https://www.communitycopacknw.com/ Instagram - @communitycopacknw @hannahkathrynkullberg Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#128 Let A Singer Help You Find Your Voice - Jyssica Yelas, Style Opal

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 17:21:22 +0000

We need great food entrepreneurs, and they need great marketing and promotion. Enter Jyssica Leilani, marketing guru. She and our host Sarah Marshall met when Sarah was taking a business course through RAIN – Regional Accelerator and Innovation Network – where Jyssica was speaking on social media and all the available marketing channels for budding entrepreneurs. What Sarah particularly enjoyed was how Jyssica empowered her audience to find their own voice for their companies and to express it in a way to make it exciting, individual and interesting. Female entrepreneurs often “stand in our own way” as Sarah puts it, and Jyssica does a great job of coaching people through that. Sarah Masoni adds that women are often reluctant to do something unless they are 100% certain and it’s hard to be brave and take risks for many of them, which Jyssica tackles. She does all these wonderful things through her company, Style Opal, a social media and online agency for brands and entrepreneurs. That list of services covers social media management, email marketing, photo shoot and video content creation and influencer marketing. Jyssica’s background has helped her approach to her business. She grew up loving acting and singing, and having fun is part of her success and her client’s success. And singing is a natural foundation for finding a client’s voice as well. Acting also adds to her power to dig in and really understand the brand, the audience and get the feel of a product. Sarah Marshall makes the point that finding the voice means the voice of the product and what it says to the audience, not necessarily the voice of the entrepreneur. What counts is that the audience “gets it” and makes an informed decision to buy or not based on how it fills their needs. Jyssica says you do that by seeing your marketing as going to one person. Ask how that one person is receiving that Instagram or FB post. Analyze how they process the visuals, sound and words. Ask if you are conveying the benefits that make your product incredibly special and seemed to be custom made for that one person. Jyssica keeps close contact with clients with monthly touch-base calls; what’s new?, what’s exciting?, what’s changed? that help keep messaging fresh. And she asks the offbeat questions such as, “if you WERE a beverage, which one would you be?” to get more insight into the personalities behind the company. Jyssica also urges her clients to video themselves every time they make a product, to demonstrate the hands on craftsmanship of their product and then send it to her to create a reel or a story. Which goes to Sarah Marshall’s point that hiring a social media agency doesn’t mean they are taking that function away at all, they are making it more consistent and more meaningful. Visit Jyssica’s website for this freebee: A worksheet page from the Instagram Bootcamp workbook, her Ideal Follower Avatar Mad-Lib worksheet. The link to download that is bit.ly/followeravatar. Website: www.styleopal.com. Listeners: You can save 20% on Jyssica’s self-paced, virtual Instagram Bootcamp course at www.styleopal.com/instagram-bootcamp, using the special code MARKET. @StyleOpalMedia, @UpperLeftLadies, @Jyssica.Leilani (her personal), Facebook Group: Upper Left Ladies for soul-led entrepreneurs and leaders, Pinterest @StyleOpalMedia. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#127 ”You Gotta Make a Buck” - Hannah Jodoin, Miss Hannah’s Gourmet Popcorn

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 18:12:05 +0000

“You gotta make a buck” is the driver for entrepreneurs in Hannah Jodoin’s view. Her parents were always involved in restaurants and loved food, and always took the family to popcorn and kettle corn booths for snacks so popcorn became a family staple. Then, a friend suggested that popcorn wasn’t that hard of a way to make a buck as a side hustle, and that spurred her on to set up a kiosk in a local mall. With an small, electric movie-style popper, it took two batches to fill a bag, so it was a terrific lesson on how important production was to a business and its revenue. They then moved up to festival sized equipment with propane heat and started serving their popular treats on a large scale, making more revenue and profit in a shorter time frame. This led to their first breakthrough, the Portland Farmer’s Market. There they developed a loyal clientele and also a big buy in from the community who gave them great suggestions on new flavors, which the family, in turn, produced. Miss Hannah’s Gourmet Popcorn took off. As we have mentioned many times before, our host Sarah Masoni had a hand in helping the company get off the ground with her advice and wisdom. Early on, Hannah’s parents took some of the popcorn to Oregon State University’s Food Innovation Center of which Sarah is the Director to get her opinion on the commercial appeal of their product. Sarah’s positive review and encouragement was pivotal in the company having the confidence to dream bigger. Hannah’s involvement has been from the beginning, obviously, but there was a detour in her life. Her college degree was going to lead to a profession in the Christian ministry, but she came back to work in the business for a summer and that led to a unique job title for her. She was in charge of figuring out how the business could operate without a family member always being present to produce and sell the popcorn. At the time, their storefront was a kiosk and Hannah put together all the procedures and training so that employees could operate the kiosk successfully and free up the family members to work on marketing and sales. They now are focused on opening up distribution on more grocery stores to keep spreading the brand name. Along the way, Hannah has dug into how popcorn is grown and become somewhat of an expert as to the pollination of the crop and how large popcorn is developed. You can buy Miss Hannah’s Popcorn at their storefront in the high-end Bridgeport Village in Lake Grove, Oregon, or their manufacturing facility in Newberg, Oregon, also the heart of Oregon’s wine country. There also are various retailers across the Pacific Northwest, including our sponsor Market of Choice. For those not in the area, order online. And their gift boxes really are a work of art so think about Miss Hannah’s for a special surprise present. Website: https://www.misshannahspopcorn.com/contact, Twitter - @Hannahspopcorn, Instagram - @misshannahspopcorn, Facebook - @misshannahspopcorncorn, Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#126 Supporting All Those Rebels Swimming Upstream - Sarah Weiner, Good Food Foundation

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 17:30:21 +0000

San Francisco based Good Food Foundation does so, so many things. Support is the one word that comes to mind, but hardly begins to enumerate this multi-faceted organization and the impact they are having on helping America eat better. Their website says it best in their mission, that they exist of help the “passionate and engaged, yet often overlooked” food entrepreneurs who are being authentic and responsible “in order to humanize and reform our American food culture.”. Now that’s a big idea, but it takes follow up. The Good Food Foundation supports all those passionate and engaged people with five big, key programs that build incredible awareness for those folks. First is the awards program, a rigorous process by which the winners receive huge awareness and publicity. Second is the nearly 500-member guild, where membership is based on meeting high standards and is an amazing arena in which to talk shop. Fifty percent of American food dollars are spent in the grocery store, and the Merchants Alliance is where those store owners practice putting only the best food on their shelves. The Mercantile program is the grand trade show series, which includes the big NYC show and a Traveling Mercantile. These shows bring 350-800 retailers and media to meet with 200 crafters to show their stuff, each in the same size booth. The Fund program is a work in progress, to intensify innovative programs to unite crafters and merchants to keep good food in front of consumers. Their work has given immeasurable help to growers, ranchers, makers and merchants who buck the big corporate trend. How did this great effort get started? The Executive Director, Sarah Weiner (yes, there are three Sarah’s on this episode; try not to get confused) jumped into the fray fresh out of college. As Director of Communications for the Slow Food International Office, Italy, she became a staunch leader for the food movement. Moving then to California, USA, she became Alice Waters’ (famous author and national public policy advocate for universal access to healthy, organic foods) “Girl Friday”. Sarah then went on to produce a cavalcade of successful event; Slow Food Nation with 85,000 guests, Organic Food Festival with 20,000 attendees and Sips and Suppers, a fundraiser launched with Alice Waters, Joan Nathan and Jose Andres. These events evolved into bigger visions and missions, including Farm to Desk in Washington, D.C. organizing gardening, classroom and cafeteria programs in public schools where food topics were part of the curriculum. It was the Good Food Awards Project that really blossomed. The first event in San Francisco drew 2,000 entries from all 50 states and from there the team launched project after project, which ultimately became the current five programs of the organization. And the foundation of each of those programs is based on those two important themes: Authentic and responsible. Social media: @goodfoodfdn. Website: goodfoodfdn.org. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall, Sarah Masoni LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-masoni-67182a23/.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#125 Be Ready to Take Notes - Sarah and Sarah on Secrets for Food Entrepreneur Success

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 19:41:18 +0000

For budding food entrepreneurs, this is an hour of pure gold, or pretty close to an hour. This show is our hosts, Sarah Marshall, founder of Marshall’s Haute Sauce and Sarah Masoni, Director of Oregon State University’s Food Innovation Center in Portland, Oregon, giving freely of their advice on being successful with your brilliant new food idea. On this episode, they get into the details of leveraging both trade shows and your own food communities to build your path to sharing your food creation, helping to bring people together. They start with community, and one of the biggest and best is OSU’s Food Innovation Center. Sarah Marshall talks about rolling into the Center once directly from Seattle for a mini-trade show, getting delayed by a train, showing up late but absolutely being surrounded by people she knew and didn’t know asking if they could help out. The Portland food community has always been supportive, cooperative and amazingly helpful to all food founders and feel that everyone can be successful; no need to have a win/lose attitude. So find that community where you live, or as close to you as possible. This particular Center mini-trade show event brought in journalists from the food industry to look over the latest research and meet the new food entrepreneurs, a tremendous opportunity for the founders. You can see pictures if you look on Sarah Masoni’s LinkedIn page. And here are some tips for interacting with people at these trade shows. When there are media people, you want to be part of the show’s story. When Sarah Marshall goes to shows, she sets up differently to stand out from the crowd. She has things for people to eat so they will stand there, chat, get to know her and understand her business. She doesn’t give the usual elevator speech but instead “sells” her story naturally and deftly, getting to know people by getting them to know her. They understand the WHY she has developed this unique food product, not just he HOW. And the food she set out was not a big spread. It was a few small snack items at a time, all freshly made. Also, she cautions be conscious of other’s food allergies and make sure you put out samples that appeal to a wide number of people. Also, change up your offering every day to attract different people and display the variety of package sizes as well. Sarah and Sarah also draw from two well-known sources, consciously or subconsciously. First, from the Boy Scouts: Always be prepared! Anytime you show up to any place, have your samples. Be ready to meet complete strangers and let them know about your outstanding treasure and where to buy it. As they say, every person is like a mini-trade show. Second, Woody Allen’s quote, “98 Percent of success is showing up.” Be there. Go to the trade shows that are worth while and work them. The good ones are like digging in a vein of pure gold and the returns are all out of proportion with the effort involved. However, be aware that some media people must be careful not to accept gifts, so have some mini-sizes that are obviously sample sizes and not in the gift category. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall, Sarah Masoni LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-masoni-67182a23/

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#124 Heat Is More Than Just Hot - Khia Nelson, K Bloody Mary Mix

Wed, 17 Aug 2022 17:30:44 +0000

Philly native and Brooklyn resident Khia Nelson is founder and owner of K Bloody Mary Mix, an overnight success after 10 years of hard work. Winner of the 2020 Good Food Awards, a major specialty food competition, and Gold Medal Winner of Fifty Best in 2021, Khia’s plugging away one step at a time is really paying off. And no wonder. Her unique formula is organic, vegan and gluten free and that equals a unique taste. Her mix is not just hot, it’s savory and begs to be rolled around in the mouth like fine wine. Fabulous with alcohol in the traditional Bloody Mary, Bloody Maria or Red Snapper, it also is delicious and refreshing over ice. So, it’s the perfect item for any party to surprise both the alcohol and non-alcohol guests equally. It’s such a versatile elixir it also doubles as an addition to a cocktail sauce recipe or a marinade to add a spicy kick to your favorite foods. All this because of Khia’s background. 20 Years in hospitality as a bartender, restaurant manager and vegan home chef, she has always been a fanatic Bloody Mary lover. But she was always constantly tweaking her recipes because she never quite fell in love with other people’s mixes. It was at a social gathering a decade ago that Khia’s dream of starting her own company was conceived. She was always experimenting with her recipes during her bartending stints, but at this particular event, her latest creation drew raves and accolades just too good let pass as mere kudos. It was a sign that she had something special and it was time to share that recipe with the world. Khia had other goals for her recipe besides great taste, she wanted it to be of the highest nutritional and sustainable qualities. Therefore, her mixes are hand made and bottled in Brooklyn, New York. All ingredients are organic and gluten free (other Bloody Mary mixes contain Worcestershire sauce, which contains anchovies). All are bottled in glass, which is recyclable and easier on Mother Earth than plastic. This makes K Bloody Mary Mix more expensive than most other mixes, but you get what you pay for. Great side story: Khia and our host Sarah Marshall first met at the Good Food Mercantile Awards in Brooklyn setting up booths across from each other. Khia offered Sarah a bottle of her mix and it wound up being a meal for Sarah. In the rush and hectic race to set up for the show, Sarah hadn’t had time to eat any breakfast, but the rich, nutritious K Bloody Mary filled her up, gave her energy and the spicy flavor gave her a much needed recharge to get her through the day. You can purchase bottles online at the website and the packaging is absolutely gorgeous. Gift packages also are available and make very special presents. Distribution is growing but check the website for stores near to you and also for restaurants that serve the mix. And somehow, with all this going on in her life, Khia also is a former model, animal rescue advocate, animal lover and eclectic music lover. https://www.kbloodymarymix.com/the-mix/, FB and IG @kbloodymarymix, Twitter @kbloodymary Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#123 A New Way to Toast the Party - Victoria Pustynsky, Aurora Elixir

Wed, 10 Aug 2022 16:35:28 +0000

The inspiration couldn’t come from a higher source: Aurora, the Goddess of the Dawn. And it was the dawn of the recreational cannabis laws passing, intersecting with Founder Victoria Pustynsky’s background in beverages that gave her the idea to make cannabis-infused drinks. Her experience was mostly in wines and beers, so she focused on adult audiences and flavors. And Victoria’s target audience was easy to identify, she targeted people like her. Females who liked well balanced cocktails, not too sweet, to be part of a social situation without being too intense. It also worked well that she created the dawn of a new kind of cannabis consumption. Each flavor is about enhancing the plant ingredients and celebrating natural infusion with a slightly bitter but slightly sweetened taste with a pleasant citrus forward glow. All ingredients are natural and have undergone rigid testing. All elixirs are made with a blend of broad spectrum hemp oil and raw extract hemp oil. And Each 200ml bottle of hemp beverage contains 25mg of hemp extract and zero THC. Vitoria recommends starting with one bottle of their beverages and noting the sensations you experience to better understand how this and other products containing cannabinoids and hops interact with your individual body. Here’s the background story. Victoria started out like most food entrepreneurs, in the kitchen. She started with alcoholic extractions of herbs but quickly realized that was going to take a very long time. Plus, she was mixing in hemp oil and oil was another ingredient that changed the chemistry, not being water soluble. This was in 2016 and not many hemp products were available in the US, so she was experimenting by sourcing overseas with all the quality and transportation issues. How do you solve this puzzle? If you are a Reed College graduate like Victoria, you call the chemistry department at Reed. Lo and behold, she found a chemist who had a great food background and began figuring out how the oil was going to be part of the beverage formula. Victoria knew what primary flavors she wanted the drinks to deliver, and the secondary and tertiary flavors as well, so there was an excellent road map for the chemist to follow. Thus began the quest for an “Elevated beverage for luxury occasions”, which is Victoria’s mantra for the space she has carved out. A visit to their website will not only display an incredibly sophisticated marketing and packaging touch, but will show two distinct product lines. There is the Aurora line, hemp infused and Lolo, the hop sparkling beverage. You can order online or go to a store if you live in Portland, San Antonio, Los Angeles or Erowhon. The distribution is bound to grow as the party beverage scene evolves, so there should be many more locations soon. Website: https://auroraelixirs.com/about-us/ IG: VP personal @victoria_verve, @drink.lolo, @auroraelixirs. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall

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#122 On Cloud Nine - Sierra Thomas, Pink Cloud Beverages

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 17:01:55 +0000

Recently launched at The Good Food Mercantile and The Portland Night Market, Portland, Oregon, in April, 2022, Pink Cloud Beverages is out to change the attitude on drinking and enjoying it. Without alcohol. Sierra Thomas is founder driving force behind this beverage product line that is much more than a delicious drink. Being very new as a company, Pink Cloud Beverages is currently targeting Portland’s elite chefs, of which there is an impressive list, and selling at select small grocery stores in the Portland area and online from their website. As their website says, Pink Cloud is made with love in the Pacific Northwest, Oregon. Now for the story behind the impetus for Sierra to take on such a world-changing challenge. In 2010, she stopped drinking alcohol while working in the music and media industries, where it was “party time” pretty much all the time (Sierra compares it to the “Mad Men” series). There were challenges to being sober in that industry, as the non-alcoholic choices were few. But her wellness had taken a back seat from the fast pace of her career and it was time to put her health first. With all the entertaining she did as part of her job, it was hard to carve out a non-alcoholic beverage at a bar, restaurant or hotel at that time. She then got out, graduated from schools in Oahu, Hawaii, and was contacted by a friend who had grown up in the area. Her friend knew Sierra was having trouble sleeping and adjusting to her sobriety, and suggested she research the health benefits of CBD. The stigma of associating CBD with the intoxicant THC from the same hemp plant was in Sierra’s mind, as she did not want to abort her recovery, But when she found that pure CBD had amazing natural healing powers and was not addictive, she became a convert. Then, driving back from a New Year’s Eve party with husband and friends, the idea for the company was born. Sierra had been mixing CBD with other flavors to make mocktails, and her husband turned to her and said basically, “Why not make start a company with all these drinks you’re inventing?”. After laughing, Sierra had the idea settle and then the fire to start a company consumed her. The name, Pink Cloud, is a term known by those in recovery. The first couple of months of sobriety bring a feeling of euphoria and clarity that is truly a rebirth. The euphoria of course gives way to the day-to-day of living at some point, but is always a memory of having come through the hard part of becoming sober. Sierra has added her own term to the process, “sober curious”, meaning, if you are addicted to alcohol but curious about being sober, then experiment. Try just one day being sober. If that works, try another, then another; you get the point. Sierra’s market appears to be growing. Pink Cloud appeals to a growing group of non-drinkers who want to enjoy the social side of drinking without anxiety or the negative effects alcohol has on our mind and body. The goal is to create inclusion and normalize sober drinking as a movement so people can take pleasure in a refreshing adult beverage over a good meal, concert, just like they would with wine, seltzer, and cocktails. The company’s mission is global, too. They are passionate about the beaches they love and have dedicated 1% of Gross Sales to go back to protect our oceans from the challenges threatening the vitality of the ecosystem. Pink Cloud Beverages website: https://pinkcloudbeverages.com/pages/faqs Social media: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/pinkcloudbeverages/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pinkcloudbeverages/ Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/pinkcloudbeverages/ TikTok (not active yet) - https://www.tiktok.com/@pinkcloudbeverages Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall

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#121 She Shines Through It All - Allinee ”Shiny” Flanary, Come Thru Market

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 16:49:17 +0000

The enthusiasm will come through your ear phones when you hear this week’s guest, Allinee, “shiny” (small “s” on her website) Flanary, founder of Come Thru Market. If you check her website, you will see a true system of farm-to-market education and assistance focused on black and indigenous farmers and makers. There step-by-step tutorials to walk participants through the process of developing a product, readying it for market and getting into marketplaces. Also, shiny books private consultation sessions for those wanting to accelerate their projects. Come Thru Market is open the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month from May through October, 3-7pm. She also takes her Scrapberry farm to Portland’s Montavilla Market which is mainly the last Sunday of each month. Scrapberry Farm is shiny’s medicinal herb farm, which is heavy on spicy peppers. Her journey began with her own chronic diseases and disabilities. She pursued herbalism to heal herself and quickly discovered the false claims and fraud in the industry. Many products had the right idea for healing, but sourced their herbs from agribusiness entities which produced inferior herbs. To correct this, shiny started a small garden in the front yard of her Portland, Oregon home. The longer she tended the garden and consumed her own herbs, the more the neighbors in her community commented on how much better she looked and felt. They said she seemed “shinier”. At the time, she was a college professor and librarian, with absolutely no experience in farmers’ markets and no real desire to be part of them. But the black and brown herb growers and farmers she knew pushed her hard to pursue a path to farming. Her first foray was a small plot in a hilly, rather cold part of the state with a growing window of about two months. It helped her see that food was much more difficult to grow than herbs and they became her focus. So now that shiny had a product, where to sell it? And that was the entrée into farmers’ markets. Of course the path is never easy and she had to navigate state regulations while also having the FDA watching over her herb claims. At the same time, shiny wound up bumping into more and more black and brown farmers who needed help marketing their food and herb products. So as difficult as the regulations were, as complex as the steps to running a successful farmer’s market, shiny saw the big opportunity to put together a farmer’s market, complete with the “how to” educational component and offer a path for the farmers who were looking for a sales outlet. With all systems “go” in her comprehensive business, shiny juggling lots of plates but certainly has the energy to keep them in the air. The market: IG - @comethrupdx. Website: https://www.comethrupdx.org/home. IG - @scrapberryfarm, TW - @scrapberryfarm, TikTok - @scrapberryfarm. IG - @bbhx.pdx. IG - @racemefarmers .

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#120 2022 Summer Fancy Food Show Recap

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 18:45:23 +0000

For background, the Specialty Foods Association’s (SFA) mission is to shape the future of food by championing, nurturing and connecting their members to deliver innovative products and expand the consumption of specialty foods. They have built a culture based on core values that include transparency and integrity to inspire sustainability, creativity and expand their industry. To promote those values, the SFA hosts trade shows to encourage networking, opportunity and the building of lasting relationships. The latest Summer Fancy Food Show was held at the Javits Center in New York City, Sunday through Tuesday, June 12-14 and was attended by our hosts, Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall. They recap their adventure in this episode. The unfortunate sideline of Sarah Masoni catching COVID and being down for a couple of days did not dampen the thrills of this incredible event. The event was full; lots people, interest, new food items and enthusiasm for a more normal business environment. Our hosts wanted to share information about the people they met, the food they ate and about food shows in general and what a vital part of the industry they provide. To start, there were over 1,700 exhibitors displaying foods from all over the globe so that gives you an idea of the enormity of knowledge the participants are exposed to. Sarah Marshall also visited the Good Food Mercantile Show the day before the Fancy Foods Show, which is a great way to increase her network. Good Food Mercantile tends to be more specialty foods merchants and a smaller venue, so there is a completely different viewpoint than Fancy Foods. Sarah encourages all food entrepreneurs to see as many of the good trade shows as their budget allows to keep growing their base of contacts and keep abreast of what’s happening in the trade. While in New York for the show, Sarah Masoni also did a film clip to be shown in the Chicago Museum of Ice Cream. Opening July 17th, the Museum is very experiential and interactive and fun for the whole family. Sarah Marshall’s philosophy on travel is to find one fun thing to do each day, so while in New York, she and Sarah Masoni walked The High Line to the Chelsea Market. Then, it was visit to Art Tech House where there was an exhibit called “Life of a Neuron”, which is evidently an amazing film. They also visited Mercado Little Spain and enjoyed some of the best olives they had ever eaten; and that compliment comes from a couple of olive experts. Sarah Masoni presented at the Fancy Foods awards ceremony and recognized those in the food industry who had contributed for years to its success. One story of note was from the person who introduced the Calamata olive to the US; it was encouraging, inspirational and heartfelt. And there were many other stories of food pioneers who brought new tastes and experiences to the US. The main Fancy Foods Show mission remains: Be more of a community than a trade show. Make the participants feel included and that they also have equity in promoting nutritious, creative and delicious food that is part of the wonderful experience of being human. SFA culture: https://www.specialtyfood.com/specialty-food-association/about-us/culture/. Good Food Mercantile: https://goodfoodfdn.org/mercantile/. Chicago Museum of Ice Cream: https://www.museumoficecream.com/chicago. Little Spain: https://www.littlespain.com/.

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#119 No Need to Go Hungry - Traci Hildner, The Lucky Larder, LLC

Wed, 13 Jul 2022 16:39:50 +0000

Avid gardener Traci Hildner loves the Pacific Northwest’s climate and soil because it allows affectionatos like her to grow a variety of fruits and vegetables, all filled with fabulous taste and nutrition. But Traci also was interested in keeping as much of the crop as possible and not wasting much, if any of her bounty. And so, she began researching the preservation of our great variety of foodstuffs and has become a leading expert on the subject. So much so she started her own business to teach and encourage others to share her passion for revering the food harvest and making sure it all was consumed. Her company, The Lucky Larder, LLC, takes a bit of explanation. The word lard may conjure up visions of clogged arteries, but the word larder actually translates to pantry; the storage of food for off season, hard times or even emergencies. Traci started her company in early 2015 after years of self-tutoring in the art and science of canning and preserving. That education came with the purchase of she and her husband’s first home, which led to the planting of her first garden. Excited after the harvest of her first year’s crop, Traci expanded her garden for the next harvest. That move led to an oversupply of fresh food and Traci was faced with the reality of throwing away the unconsumed portions. Then around 2013, she went through Oregon State University’s Master Food Preservation program and her certification became the foundation for the business. This same extension program reaches out to all families to assist in helping them stretch their food supplies. And they can be reached via phone or email by the general public. Part of the key to Traci’s success with The Lucky Larder is the business is built on teaching and that is a big part of her background. She taught high schoolers for 15 years and loved it. In fact, if she had not gotten dissatisfied with the “larger system” she would still be there. But it gave her a background in handling a class and measuring their progress. Her classes are mostly hands-on, as Traci feels that is the best way to reinforce learning and drive it to the visceral level. Her classes have been given in the university and college campuses around the state and she does private classes as well. Traci puts on special events and signing up can be done easily on her website. Her exciting news is hopefully she will be moving into a bricks and mortar space soon, which will allow her to offer more classes at a consistent location. Traci’s personal garden grows more fruit and vegetables than can be listed here but suffice it to say her variety and range make her imminently qualified to assist any gardener anywhere. Follow Traci’s two Instagram accounts: @luckylarderpdx and @kitchenculturepdx.

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#118 Emily Greene - Foodie Snitch

Wed, 06 Jul 2022 17:05:42 +0000

Our hosts are back from the Fancy Foods Show in New York, but with a casualty. Sarah Masoni has become a COVID statistic and while not able to interview with a sore throat on this show, promises us she’ll be back next week for a Fancy Foods Show rundown next week. So Sarah Marshall is interviewing today’s guest, Emily Greene, founder of Foodie Snitch. Emily is a food photographer/journalist and food stylist who currently resides in the Portland area. Emily loves to support Portland businesses and lifestyles through photography and video. She especially focuses on new restaurant openings and show them off through social media. The emphasis is to make things look fun and draw people into their establishment and of course, bring in more business. Emily feels she has so much to work with in the Portland area, that there is so much in terms of innovation and creativity in the food scene plus the added dimension of being in the middle of an agriculture cornucopia. Also, even with inflation, Portland is still one of the more affordable places in the country to explore restaurants. What makes it amusing for Emily is constantly asking herself the question, “What are my top five _______?” (fill in the blank; bars, restaurants, breakfast sandwiches and so forth). She explores that question through her video work but actually answering that question is impossible with all the restaurant choices and new ones popping up all the time. Emily isn’t limited only to the Portland area and pre-COVID travelled frequently outside of Portland. But even now, she finds when her reviews are within driving distance from Portland, her audience is quite willing to travel to her new finds. Emily grew up in Southern Oregon and attended the University of Oregon in Eugene before graduating and moving to Portland. Her degree gave her a graduates’ “dream job” covering restaurant openings with all the glamour and food and drink to make each assignment a party. And going to five or six new places a week got Emily familiar with all the city very quickly. The restaurant scene wasn’t the only assignments for Emily, as she also covered outdoor and community areas, which helped her round out her skill set and contribute to the stunning visuals she creates. But between the connections that food brings to people plus the lack of politics in the food community, Emily chose to focus on the food scene. She has grown to love the teamwork between owners, chefs, staff and patrons. There is also a love for interior design that makes every little detail of the restaurant from the walls to the napkin rings appeal to her. Emily also has a big perspective on her visual journalism profession. She has a handle on what forms of media are getting results, and short, effective videos are definitely leading the way. Emily also emphasizes that many of the videos getting results are done with hand-held mobile devices, which are often referred to as cell phones. To follow Emily, her Instagram and TikTok handles are the same: @foodiesnitch. Her website: https://www.foodiesnitch.com/.

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#117 Maureen Nikaido - Good Food Mercantile

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 16:17:58 +0000

Our show hosts are headed off to New York next week for the Fancy Food Show. Follow them on @masoniandmarshall . And now for a chocolate show, a fan favorite. Maureen Nikaido, is founder of Moku Chocolate a chocolate company with a great story. Since Maureen sponsored a Nicaraguan child and made a visit to the country, she has been dedicated to spotlighting cacao farmers around the world, Her chocolate handcrafts high-quality, bean-to-bar, single-origin chocolate from raw, direct trade cacao beans. Moku’s direct trade beans are sourced from farmers in Nicaragua, Peru, Dominican Republic, Sierra Leone, Madagascar, and Colombia. This ensures socially responsible compensation to the cacao farmers and fosters prosperity among the farming communities with a focus on integrity, quality, and environmental sustainability. However, it’s the stories she shares with her customers about the farmers, their country and their lives that creates a bond far beyond eating a chocolate bar. Maureen and our host Sarah Masoni originally met at the Portland, Oregon Good Food Mercantile, sponsored by the Good Food Foundation. Its mission is to celebrate, connect, empower and leverage the passionate and engaged, yet often overlooked, players in the food system who are driving towards tasty, authentic and responsible food in order to humanize and reform our American food culture. Maureen started selling Moku Chocolate in February 2021, but the idea had begun on that Central America tour in 2013. She went to a chocolate museum in Granada. The story of cacao bean, the source of chocolate, the fact that it grew on trees, the natural beauty of the region and the care and craftsmanship that went into creating chocolate was so richly told that Maureen was hooked. There was another side to the story, however. The cacao bean was essentially a second crop for the farmers, to bring in some extra income. But the share of the global market value they received as incredibly small, and most families were barely subsisting. After a few years, Maureen jumped into researching the chocolate craft community and in 2019 things got serious business-wise. Luckily, she found a legion of people who wanted to make chocolate treats, but also support fair trade and a better life for the farmers. Maureen then took some online classes to learn how to make chocolate and since then the notoriety has been excellent. Her first big award was International Chocolate Awards for her goat milk chocolate. And the awards have been stacking up ever since. Maureen’s packaging is extremely sophisticated and consistent, so take a look on her website when you have a chance. Her distribution is currently online and about two dozen grocery stores down the central valley of Oregon. Where to find out more about Maureen and Moku Chocolate: Website - Moku Chocolate – moku chocolate
Instagram - Maureen Nikaido (@mokuchocolate) • Instagram photos and videos Twitter - Moku Chocolate (@MokuChocolate) / Twitter Good Food Mercantile - https://goodfoodfdn.org/event/good-food-mercantile-portland/ @masoniandmarshall on Instagram

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#116 Small Farms Think Big - Teagan Moran, OSU Small Farms Program

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 17:12:40 +0000

Oregon State University supports small farms and the people who run them. OSU’s small farms program offers workshops, online resources and site-specific gatherings that cover the entire state. Recognizing that farm soils, topography, weather and so forth vary greatly across Oregon, the program addresses the different regions and the different knowledge it takes to farm successfully. In-person individual farm tours are starting up again with the COVID lockdown behind us. Teagan Moran runs the south Willamette Valley program and got involved after her college education. Dissatisfied with what she felt was isolation brought on by the tight nuclear family, she searched for communities that were cohesive and working together for a common good. Her conclusion was that small farming communities, working together in the production of food for themselves and others were the communities where she wanted to spend her life. She marveled at finding people who nursed each other with both healthy food and healthy relationships. She spent the next years living and working in the communities that she loved, always tortured with the societal belief that farming was not a sustainable way of life, that economically it just didn’t work anymore. After traveling, learning and being part of these loving communities, Teagan came back to her native Oregon to do graduate work. She pursued community-based education, focusing on the adult population, the theory being communities had much of their destiny in their own hands and education was the best way to help guide good decision making. A side benefit of grad school, Teagan met her now-husband in the process, who also made farming his focus and passion. The two of them began working in the greater Portland, Oregon area, step by step debunking the myth that farming was not a viable path for people. After two years and much training, they went on to manage a farm, start a family and continue to solve the challenge of how to be a family in Oregon that wanted to farm with no access to land. They now have their farmland, but Teagan’s husband manages another farm while Teagan works for OSU’s small farm program, so the difficulty of sustainable small farm operation is reflected in their very lives. The Oregon Small Farm News is one of the program’s communication vehicles that pulls all the threads of the activities around the state, plus it contains the research findings of the program’s professors and keeps farmers up to date. In addition, it gives a voice to supporting organizations and individual farmers to keep the industry viable and relevant. There are three main areas of interest, small acreage stewardship, commercial small farms and community food systems. One of Teagan’s ongoing questions comes from the “newbies”; people who fell in love with the idea of farming, found acreage to buy, moved in and are asking the question, “Now what?” A good publication is “What can I do with my small farm?” to get started. It walks the reader through a series of questions that help them form a decision on the best way to manage their new venture. One of the toughest hurdles Teagan helps people get through is to understand that farming is more than the land and weather, it also depends upon the personality of the farmers and their family philosophy. Some of the great breakthroughs for the program have been laws that allow direct farm to consumer sales and assistance for farmers who want to create value-added foods. And the guidance from the program also includes navigating the complexities of Oregon law, especially in the area of water rights. Learn more by going to the website: smallfarms.oregonstate.edu. The online news publication can be found here. https://smallfarms.oregonstate.edu/smallfarms/about/oregon-small-farm-news.

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#115 Be the First AND the Best - Amanda Gillies, House of Spain Olive Oil

Wed, 25 May 2022 16:28:09 +0000

It’s always great to be first, and Amana Gillies of House of Spain Olive Oil created the first. The first producer of Premium CBD infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil. However, not JUST the first, but also the best. She uses only the highest quality, organically grown, Oregon hemp derived CBD. Their CBD contains zero heavy metal or heavy solvent residuals and completely non-detectable THC. And they use the purest CBD crystalline available worldwide. How did this all come about? The company name is a big clue. Amanda’s father is Spanish and immigrated to the US in his later 20s. No money, no English language but his background in furniture and indomitable spirit was the springboard to a real American success story. Amanda and her husband had spent their working lives in the service industry and had experience in hospitality and restaurants and then Amanda’s entrepreneurial father approached them with an idea. Since they had deep family connections living in Spain, would they be interested in importing the country’s premier olive oils? Her husband, Peter, and she had wanted to start their own business anyway, so the timing could not have been better. They received their first half-pallet of olive oil and before they had any business materials, even business cards, Amanda signed them up for the Northwest Food Service Show in 2018. Talk about fearlessness! There was one hitch; since they didn’t even have a legal entity, they had to sign up under Amanda’s father’s business name, House of Spain, in order to be in the show. The show was a huge success for them, and they had tons of names for follow up, but it was definitely too late to change the name of their business. So, it stuck. They did add on the phrase EVOO, which stands for Extra Virgin Olive Oil, but essentially they have kept the father’s namesake. A quick look at their website will show how their product offering has evolved and expanded since those first days. However, the company name really does reflect the authenticity and sourcing of the company’s products. Combining her family heritage along with the millennial-long history of Spain is an amazing story behind the product in the package. Beyond the romance of the story, however, is the practical matter of sales and competition. Olive oil is a saturated market and even with their early success, Amanda and Peter knew they needed to ladder on more products to grow the business. The idea of infusing the olive oil with premium CBD came about because they were both using CBD and in a brainstorming session, it seemed very natural to create something that differentiated itself and was also making people’s lives better. Beyond olive oil, they also have infused CBD into gummies, teas, pet products, tinctures, salves and honey. House of Spain products are available in select stores and online, where they ship from their headquarters in Portland, Oregon.

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#114 The Only Thing Forbidden Here Is Guilt - Anne F. Grossman, Rebel Daughter Cookies

Wed, 18 May 2022 23:55:58 +0000

From her Norwalk, Connecticut headquarters Anne Grossman, founder of Rebel Daughter Cookies bakes up much more than cookies. She also bakes up, as her website says, “Women empowerment and giving yourself permission to indulge and savor every bite.” Here’s the story behind the cookie. Rebel Daughter was the nickname given to Anne by her Mother. Always pushing the boundaries, always doing what she was told she couldn’t do, Anne was really rebelling against any limitations put on her and always urging others to do the same. To not be pigeon-hold or stifled and to flourish as we were all born to do was her mission. She came from a rather conservative family who played by the rules and so asking questions and challenging the status quo made her stand out as rebellious, a trait that would carry through to her company. Started in November, 2019, Rebel Daughter Cookies was the perfect challenge for Anne. Mother of two with absolutely no official culinary background, this impossible, unachievable goal was the perfect ceiling for Anne to break through. And in addition to all those hurdles, COVID hit the company right away. Even though Anne had no formal culinary training, she did grow up in the kitchen cooking and baking with her Mother and Grandmother. It was her curiosity added to her determination that gave her a scientific approach to producing her amazing, indulgent and unique cookie product line. As she says, for some cookies she gets the recipe perfect in three tries, others take 20. Her chocolate chip walnut cookie, for example was born trying different ingredients, adding more of some, less of others and having her husband be the one-person taste panel. After testing cookies about every other day, he said, “This is it, you’ve got the recipe” and a new cookie was born. Naturally, her cookie recipes “rebel” against the status quo and if go to her website, you will see testimonial after testimonial saying her cookies are far and above the most famous brand names around. There are about 9 or so flavors currently and all sold online. The packaging also reflects the care, craftsmanship and quality of the cookies and is truly stunning. It wasn’t easy getting the packaging where it is now, either. Anne started with FedEx boxes, then wanted to improve the looks and searched around for a manufacturer. This was during COVID and of course, everyone had supply problems, delays, shutdowns and the whole story. But Anne persevered and found a west coast company that could produce the quality and quantity she needed in a reasonable timeframe. If you’re thinking of a unique gift, you should take a look at her site. The cookies are large and creatively decorated. And for new mothers, there are even three special lactation cookies formulated just for them. Whether or not you are a rebel daughter or have one in your family, order some up and indulge without guilt.

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#113 When Synchronicity Hits Serendipity - Laura Briscoe, Laura’s Gourmet Granola

Wed, 11 May 2022 17:15:27 +0000

Our show’s hosts, Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall, are well connected as you know, and today’s guest is connected with Sarah Masoni as a fellow committee member and attendee at the last Fancy Foods show in Las Vegas. Laura Briscoe of Laura’s Gourmet Granola and Sarah are mutual advocates for promoting crafted, artisan, healthy and delicious new foods and provide incredible support to the industry. After graduating from college as a Poli-Sci major, Laura went to work in the tech industry in sales. The crunch of 2001 convinced her to get away from the hectic tech pace and find a new avenue. It was a movie, “Eat Drink Man Woman” that was the epiphany for Laura. She identified with the daughter in the movie and was inspired to check out the best culinary school in the area. Laura then enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu in Arizona. It was during school she realized that she did not want a business partner to open a restaurant, she wanted to do it all by herself and began her business plan then. The school allowed her to do her externship to create her business so upon graduation she hit the ground running. Of course, she found out the entrepreneurial path is bumpy. She once cooked for a wedding party of 240 and the only equipment was a grill. Yes, learning to improvise is a mandatory skill. Around 2002-3, Laura began playing with a recipe that eventually became the granola for which she is now famous. But while she let that percolate her private chef and fine dining business really took off. She gained a reputation quickly that not only included running a great business, but led to local news and talk show cooking segments that grew her brand name. But the granola recipe lingered in the back of her mind. She became addicted to granola in college and would stuff herself right out of the box even in the classroom. Then she saw a recipe in a magazine to make granola and decided to make her own with exceptions. Those exceptions were butter, sugar and other ingredients she just would not eat. But she experimented with the recipe substituting ingredients acceptable to her and then one day, her original vanilla crunch granola was born (It is still the flagship flavor of the line). When Laura baked, she baked a bunch and had so much she gave it away. Of course, the rest is a familiar story: Friends loved it, wanted more, gave it to their friends and suddenly Laura was beseeched with offers to pay her, trade her, any compensation to have some of her fabulous granola, and the light went on. A best friend said she should sell it so she started talking to stores but couldn’t get to the decision makers. Then, synchronicity and serendipity, as Laura likes to say, hit. She walked into a store to get some ingredients and noticed a bunch of men in suits holding court. When Laura asked the checker what was going on, she was told the store was going to be turned into a AJs Fine Foods store and pointed out the owner. As soon as the owner broke from the pack, Laura was there pitching him on her product and her plans. He told her he’d give the product a try and, true to his word, she got a call 10 days later saying they would stock the granola on their shelves. That was the start, as the store wanted more flavors and Laura began adding flavors and the line just kept growing from customer demand. Laura’s has grown tremendously and her granola in lots of stores – check out her website – sells online and has Laura’s Gourmet Granola on menus from Florida to Alaska in hotels, restaurants, corporate dining, professional and collegiate sports teams and healthcare food services.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#112 Much More Than a Meal, Bar-B-Que is Community - Tory Campbell, Felton and Mary’s Artisan Foods

Wed, 04 May 2022 16:00:48 +0000

In this episode, we break tradition. Meaningful Marketplace interviews female food company founders and female entrepreneurs in the food marketplace. But Tory Campbell’s family business is truly worthy of a message that needs to be shared with the entire food world. Their company, Felton & Mary’s Artisan Foods, produces the magic behind that glorious, mouth-watering global pastime, Bar-B-Queuing. Along with the spectrum of sauces that cater to all tastes, Felton & Mary also offers spice rub for advanced meat preparation, and they have now branded their very own link sausages, a recipe of ground pork, ground beef and an ideal blend of their special seasonings. And now the story behind the company name and the family. Felton and Mary Campbell were Tory’s grandparents. If you knew them you would have known, as Tory says, “…two amazing people who really had a knack for hospitality…”. They always had big pots of food on the stove at their home and always welcomed friends, family and neighbors to come over and enjoy their food. To them, community was built through hospitality and food. Felton and Mary met in the Bay Area and retired up to Portland, Oregon in the mid-80’s. Their children and grandchildren, including Tory, followed them there and it was only natural to start a family business around the food and community they had enjoyed all their lives. Felton and Mary were particularly adept a Bar-B-Que and there’s a reason behind that. Bar-B-Queuing is an intensive love affair with the meal. It’s a commitment of time, labor, multiple ingredients and is a community project. There’s downtime in the process, time where people play board games, shoot the breeze and catch up on events. Plus, there’s tradition and showmanship; the cook has center stage. It also revolves around a big fire, so it’s somewhat primal as well. The recipes developed at home were the impetus to start a restaurant, which coincidently wound up being in their home. Felton, Mary, kids, grandkids and neighbors all pitched in, knocking down walls, painting and pulling up tree stumps (Want a tough job? Try that some time.) and the quaint home became Campbell’s Bar-B-Que restaurant. They were big believers in urban farming and utilized the collard greens, basil and other ingredients from their backyard garden. It ran continuously until a few years ago, with Tory’s aunt in charge. Then in 2014 after the closing, she turned the recipes over to Tory, telling him it was time for the third generation to take the ball and run with it. Tory’s mission is to spread his family’s recipes and traditions to the world in an effort to create communities everywhere. The labeling is homage to Felton and Mary for a couple of reasons. First, Tory feels people want to know the source and authenticity for a branded food. They want to know the reason someone was compelled to search for a recipe or a process that was different and worth sharing. But second for very practical reasons, there are lots of Bar-B-Que sauces out there and as Tory says, “You’ve got to stand out!”. A college friend of Tory’s used to go to the restaurant and went on to become a successful graphic designer. He was a natural to work on the labeling and one more shining example of the community that has been built around the Campbell family. Currently, the business is not yet large enough for Troy to be involved fulltime, so he has recruited family members to handle different parts of the business until it grows into a full-time occupation.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#111 Spreading the Word: Food Creates Memories - Sandra Arnerich, Renata PDX

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 16:36:11 +0000

Chef at two trailblazing establishments, Renata Wood Fired Italian Restaurant and Nourish Mindful Meals, Sandra Arnerich is an amazing juggler of fine cuisines. Sandra’s journey started about as early as it can be done; she was, in her words, “…born a chef”. After a couple of years in a Texas school, she realized food was both her passion and her life’s dream and enrolled in culinary school in Canada. Her choice turned out to be a game changer. One day in class, the teacher gave everyone a library card to check out cookbooks. Not really knowing the restaurant scene of the world, Sandra picked up a cookbook from the world-famous The French Laundry in Nappa, California. She couldn’t put it down. Sandra went straight to her teacher and said she wanted an internship there, which was a huge ask considering it meant an international challenge. However, the school gave it a try and lo and behold, she landed it! As an intern Sandra became enthralled with the art of fresh ingredients and sourcing to create optimum dishes. The French Laundry has its own orchard and garden from which many of its dishes are created. As a real bonus, Sandra also met her husband there and the team worked successfully in restaurants around the Bay Area for some years. However, with two children now in the family, they decided to move to her husband’s home town, Portland, Oregon. Her husband’s family showed them the restaurant scene in Portland so the couple had a very clear idea of what they wanted to open. They felt Portland had great food but they wanted to integrate all that a great restaurant could be; a great wine list, cocktail list, impeccable service and great food. It was that detail-orientation the couple learned from The French Laundry that they wanted to bring to the area. And so the birth of Renata, wood fired Italian fare, including exceptional pizzas, pastas and meats. Their cocktail menu will drive you wild if you’re a cocktail lover like me. Currently, they’re only open Thursday through Saturday and if you look at their reservation list, they are booked. But don’t despair; if you love their pizza you can pick up their frozen pizzas at select grocery stores, including Market of Choice, one of this show’s sponsors. This endeavor has meant developing the strong partnerships with local farmers, partnerships that were tested during COVID and have stayed in tact. Sandra and her husband’s other venture, Nourish, started with, oddly enough, Sandra’s husband’s back surgery. While recovering and going through his rehabilitation, he found a trainer/coach who had a meal prep program that included a shopping list and recipes. However, the trainer’s big dream was to be able to deliver those nutritious and delicious meals to her clientele and more. So, one person’s dream meets those who can enable that dream and another great business idea was born. The challenge to put together both nutrition with caloric values plus great taste was exactly in Sandra’s wheelhouse and she went to work. Now her circle is complete and strong. She knows that food brings people together, forms fond memories and good, nutritious food is the most important thing people can do for their health. But to really, really spread that philosophy, Sandra and her team know they can’t depend on one restaurant location and meal delivery. That’s why they have increased their distribution into grocery stores, beginning with frozen pizzas, so that everyone can take their hand-crafted wares into their own home.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#110 Easy Cheesy - Shan Wickham, Rally Pizza

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 16:46:35 +0000

When it’s dark, cloudy, rainy and depressing outside and you’re having trouble getting motivated, you need to RALLY yourself. That’s what Alan Maniscalco and Shan Wickham have done for, and to, each other since starting Rally Pizza in 2016 in Vancouver, Washington. And that’s how they feel about their customers, that they too should rally into their restaurant to celebrate, whether a birthday, an anniversary or just to get out of the house on a rainy Tuesday and shake the blues. The husband-wife duo has a great division of labor. Shan is Rally Pizza’s General Manager and Pastry Chef. She grew up baking with her mother and grandmother before attending California Culinary Academy, and now creates Rally Pizza’s incredible vanilla frozen custard sundaes, shakes and Midwest-style ‘concretes’ mixed with her house-baked goods. Alan serves as Executive Chef with more than 20 years' experience as a baker, cook and pizza maker. The two met while working at Restaurant Zibibbo in Palo Alto because Alan had hired Shan right out of culinary school. They went on to open Stone House Bread South in Michigan, consult for community supported bakery Avalon International Breads in Detroit, and redesign the Whole Foods Market artisan bread line - Shan managing the bakery and Alan running the bread program. From 2006-2016, Alan led the kitchen at Ken’s Artisan Pizza in Portland, when it was considered one of the city’s most respected restaurants and among America’s top pizzerias. When they struck out on their own, their mission was to provide an uplifting atmosphere along with authentic Sicilian dishes and local, fresh ingredients and that is clearly evident when you walk in. The dining room is open and bright, the location is easy to get to for the greater metro area residents and there is plenty of parking. The restaurant is family-friendly, specializing in ingredient-driven Neapolitan style pizzas, bountiful farm-fresh salads, handcrafted muffulettas, decadent frozen custard desserts, and tempting cocktails. And according to Shan, they hand make “darn near everything” including the custards and the hand-pulled mozzarella cheese, so it is truly a craft restaurant. The community has appreciated their effort and has been a terrific supporter. Known as one of the “Best Pizza Places in Vancouver” on TripAdvisor, Yelp and Slice Life, the community “rallied” around them with plenty of to-go orders during COVID restrictions. That allowed Shan and Alan to keep themselves in business and the local farmers and suppliers in business as well. The custards are knockout and the salads delicious, but pizza is the calling card here. Start with the dough; the experience at Ken’s Artisan Pizza is of course the main ingredient. Shan as the pastry expert uses the basics of flour, water, salt and yeast to begin the simple vegan dough they make every day. It’s left in the refrigerator up to a day-and-a-half to give it that tangy flavor. Then the sauce, vegan tomatoes, garlic, chili flakes and salt and as Shan says, “easy cheesy” cheese is next. Sourcing local meats, the couple makes their own lamb and beef meatballs. They offer many gluten-free dishes but sadly, there is no way to serve up a gluten-free pizza. And there are amazing drinks for the adults. Shan and Alan have concocted some incredible cocktails using their custards, handmade syrups and spirits. They make up some “boozy floats” like their Blackberry G & T Float, comprised of house blackberry sauce, frozen custard and a can of Freeland Spirits Gin & Rose Tonic. So rally on over when you’re in the area.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#109 Nothing Sweeter - Lee Hedgmon, The Barreled Bee

Wed, 06 Apr 2022 16:10:41 +0000

Lee Hedgmon grew up in Portland, Oregon, there was a culture of craft so making sweet drinks came very naturally and there are plenty of bee keepers in the region and lots of honey. Making a great brew is one thing, selling it commercially is another. So Lee has partnered with other spirits producers, among them Freeland Spirits of Portland, for whom she also works as a distiller. Previously a distiller for McMenamin’s, a regional pub owner, Lee knew people in the business. She began asking around if people had barrels they were dumping anytime soon and when they did, they went to Lee! In exchange, the distillers got some bottles of Barreled Bee and go their names on the bottle tag for advertising and everybody was a winner! And since distillery barrels have more than one life, Lee also gives her barrels away after she uses them; it’s a great ecosystem and great community. Beyond the actual brewing regimen, Lee is an astute marketer. Her packaging is superb, with distinctive bottling and labeling. The label looks “sophisticated woodsy” and the lid is reminiscent of any fine liquor bottling. A master stroke: She has added the signature wax sealant on the top ala Maker’s Mark. And luckily during the lockdown, her production numbers were small enough she never experienced a shortage of bottles, so distribution was not disrupted. Growth plans are in the works and the challenges to overcome are basic. Lee needs space, the right kind of space. Barrels are large and when filled with honey, very heavy. And as mentioned, temperature and humidity control are crucial. If too cold, the honey can crystalize inside the barrel and it’s not a fun rescue, if rescue is even possible. Aging time is about four months, and the barrels are mixed and tested in between. Drinking the honey straight is probably for the very few, it’s best as part of a cocktail recipe. And here’s a good one (write it down): The Honey Drop. Geneva Gin (from Freeland, Lee makes it also), Barrel Aged Honey (of course), lemon juice, a bit of Cointreau and egg white. Yes, your mouth is watering, so go make one and enjoy.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#108 No Bird Brain Here - Ashley Chase, Bird Seed for Humans

Wed, 30 Mar 2022 18:22:14 +0000

We love to interview food founders who also listen to our show, and Ashley Chase is one of them. Ashley has just changed her company name to Bird Food For Humans (originally Bird Seed Food Co); but why? It’s been a big journey for Ashley. Celebrating five years in business, becoming a solo Mom and barely hanging on to her business, Ashley did something both creative and brave. She sent out an email to a select group laying out her situation plainly and honestly that she was looking to either sell her business or find a strategic partner. Lo and behold, she was introduced to a woman named Tessa who had been out of the workforce for some time but was looking for a project and the stars began to align. Tessa not only had a food product background, her husband also happened to be the CEO of a large dairy company. Tessa brought connections and knowledge to the table, but it was still a few months of back and forth to put together the deal. Tessa and husband invested in Ashley’s company and are now the majority owners, but they also brought in more friends who have wound up being strategic partners. So one of the early projects was to end the confusion of “is it bird seed for birds or bird food for humans?” with the name change. That’s the glowing situation today, but the back story provides the real impetus for Ashley’s achievement. Back in 2013, she was a healthy, active person outdoors hiking and indoors leading Zumba classes. Feeling like the vision of health, Ashley was shocked to find out she was actually a rather sick person after running a full blood panel at her doctor’s office. Hearing that she had half the amount of blood as a normal person, Ashley was told not to raise her heartbeat to high levels as she could be prone to a heart attack. Time to open a new chapter and that’s exactly what Ashley did. First was a blood transfusion to get her stable and then tests for all sorts of possibilities. Luckily, she saw a naturopathic doctor who identified gluten as the sole culprit for her woes. Her extreme allergy meant her blood was not being replenished effectively hence the drop in supply. After the change in diet, Ashely was a new person. The allergy had her body performing at half capacity and now at full capacity she was twice the person as before. Bursting with this new lease on life she ran a marathon and many other robust activities. But she got to thinking about all the other people in a similar situation; what could she do to help them? Become a naturopath? She was now a voracious reader and came across a passage saying that having a product was a way to be a microphone for a story and that passage stuck. While managing a coffee shop, Ashley always had a mason jar full of her homemade granola, which a co-worker called bird seed. Everybody loved it and suggested it go on the menu, which it did. Then Ashley got the idea that some attractive packaging would be more appealing and the snowball effect was in gear. They called it the obvious – bird seed granola – and sales took off. A food blogger friend suggested hosting a breakfast and so Ashley built a website by herself, finished it the day before the breakfast and sold $800 from that one event. More shows, more social media and listening to podcasts kept the momentum going and led to initial grocery store shelf space. That grew to 75 locations up until COVID. 2020 Was a tough year and Ashley as for many food founders and she is digging her way out. But it’s working as her loyal customers have stayed alive and kept ordering.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#107 Specialty Food Association’s Fancy Food Show Recap

Wed, 02 Mar 2022 17:47:12 +0000

The Specialty Food Association puts on a show, a really big show, It is the largest U.S. event focused exclusively on the specialty food industry and although COVID slowed down the show schedule, our very own hosts, Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall, attended the first 2022 show, February 6th through 8th in Las Vegas (yes, it's a tough job, but somebody has to do it). In this episode, they talk about the things they did, the people they saw and the great foods they ate. The Association is comprised of specialty food manufacturers. Specialty foods are hand-crafted, of extremely high quality and this association helps protect their standards, build a community and keep promoting good eating of nutritious foods which are generally found in specialty food stores, certain sections of a grocery store or shops such as your favorite cheese shop. Twice each year, the association puts on their Fancy Food Show, essentially a trade show for their members to reconnect, share, grow their knowledge base and help promote each other’s wares, and to connect with Buyers! Our hosts had a little time to enjoy the big art exhibit on tour and catch a few venues recommended by friends. Of particular interest was the art exhibit. To enter, you go through a door that feels like a minimart with real and not-real products. As you explore, you can go through a refrigerator door, look behind a meat case, open a file cabinet drawer and it opens a secret door – very Alice In Wonderland. Outside in the city, our hosts found a very clean, not crowded Las Vegas. And the food in the restaurants was wonderful; this episode contains a great list if you're interested. But back to the food show. Part of the value of a show is new connections for young company food entrepreneurs and Sarah Marshall gives us a case study in this episode. Tonia Farman, whose company is Queen of Hearts Hemp (episode #82), was personally introduced around by Sarah. Tonia met new food buyers and grocery buyers. These are buyers who would normally take weeks, months and years of door knocking to get an audience and even then might be impossible to see. But a person-to-person setting with a qualified introduction by a known quantity can make a huge difference in the growth trajectory of a budding food company. Queen of Hearts Hemp is one of a long list of Oregon food founders who got to meet and greet important people in the industry by our hosts. It’s great to see business is getting brighter and brighter. And stay tuned to more episodes! Our two hosts are working on a secret “new idea” which will probably be revealed over time…"

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#106 Creating New Recipes and Even New Food - Shannon Feltus, Urban Farm Foods

Wed, 16 Feb 2022 19:30:53 +0000

Chef, garden advisor, recipe writer and more! That’s the introduction to Shannon Feltus, owner of Urban Farm Foods, a real information center and shopping place for those who love fresh and inventive meals. Her career began learning from “Gram”, who taught her hearty and wholesome recipes from her secret stash. That evolved into canning foods as a hobby and her generosity evolved into sharing her canned treats with others. An unabashed food nerd, Shannon was herded into the cheffing profession by friends and family who worshipped her cooking. They asked her over and over again to cook for them professionally (meaning Shannon got paid) for dinner parties and special events. This made Shannon feel confident she could enter the chef’s world and that was the beginning of her entry into the commercial world. Around 2012, after gaining notoriety both on local television shows and nationally on the Food Network, she started working seriously on creating her own brand, which is basically her knowledge, passion and energy. Besides being a chef on TV and catering pop up dinners, Shannon puts on classes to teach others. She instructs on proper gardening so people can grow their own nutritious food, invents and shares custom recipes and points to books for background reading. She is so inventive; she is currently developing new seeds for a local seed company, going above and beyond the normal food preparer or even food grower. Shannon loves how she is involved in creating new plant varieties, test-tasing them, and creating even more new recipes to share. An admitted vegetable pusher, Shannon appreciates how her seed producer is creating seeds for plants that will continue to produce year after year, rather than the “one and done” seed production from most companies. And of course, COVID has changed her business model. Not feeling comfortable going into people’s houses to cook for special events as in the past, Shannon channeled her time and energy into more recipes and sharing them along with Urban Farm Foods merchandise to spice up the special meals you can serve. That’s where you’ll find procured book titles as well, and the superb food photography will really put you in the mood to cook. You would do well to check out urbanfarmfoods.co – NOT .com (somebody grabbed that one). You should also note Shannon’s high standards for more than food and seeds. She has eschewed becoming an influencer even though she has had multiple offers. Shannon doesn’t feel right pushing products, she prefers the path of being an honorable businessperson. Her business success is no surprise based on her moral success.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#105 New World Digital Marketing. Old World Meals - Stefania, Stefania’s Kitchen

Wed, 09 Feb 2022 17:19:18 +0000

Lots of food entrepreneurs start in their kitchen and then go commercial. But Stefania (please note the spelling) got her start in her mother’s kitchen. A stay at home Mom in Perugia, Italy, Stefania’s Mom along with Stefania’s aunts cooked homemade pasta. Stefania’s Dad worked with farmers and would bring home fresh produce and the family had absolutely delectable dinners. They sat around the table and talked and laughed. Of course, friends and other family members would join in the feasts and at the tender age of four, Stefania was hooked on cooking fresh and authentic. Stefanie, her husband and two boys moved to Portland, Oregon around 2008 and Stefanie was rather shocked to discover grocery shopping in the US. She would go to the store and see people filling their grocery carts with processed foods! Stefanie had learned the Italian way: You go to the baker for bread, the butcher for meat and so forth. You only buy fresh ingredients, take them home and spend a good portion of the day creating masterpieces that go far beyond simply “fueling” the body, you also fuel the soul. And as we have seen before, Stefanie decided to offer her talent to the public. She started a small operation in southeast Portland offering take out dishes including soups and frozen meals. She also sold her foods at a farmers’ market as more or less an experiment, but decided that venue was not the best way to showcase and sell. And now she operates Stefanie’s Kitchen, which is a fascinating case study in dealing with the COVID situation. Stefanie hangs her hat on homemade, fresh ingredients, authentic Italian meals, sauces and pastas. The pasta meals are made with fresh pasta and are available to either pick up or be delivered next day. So, no restaurant with employees and worries about being closed unilaterally, just cook and have meals ready. The magic of her business is her website. Check it out. It is easy to navigate, absolutely sizzles with mouth watering images, and makes it easy to choose and buy. And she has really merchandised well. She offers not only her own cooking, but also direct import Italian products for your pantry (she only offers the best; I have been to the Gentile pasta factory in Italy and it’s world famous). Plus, you can buy her custom napkins, utensils and other accessories. And don’t wait; every day Stefanie loads up the quantities of the different fresh dishes on the website. You will often see “sold out” on the popular dishes that day if you dally too long.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#104 Some Like it Hotter - Althea Potter, The Flavor Society

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 18:00:36 +0000

There are a few hot and spicy flavor companies out there certainly. But Althea Potter’s company combines crunchy, hot, spicy and tasty like no one else. Her love for spicy flavors began early. As a mere baby, her parents gave her pepperoncini peppers as snacks and Althea never lost her craving. Whether you call the taste chili oil or chili crisp, it’s all those things and more with a crunch. Taking from the world’s table from China, Mexico, Central America, Japan and Thailand, Althea has created a flavor base to go in just about any dish to make it more special. Or, as many of her customers write on her website, eat it from the jar! During her career as a chef in Portland, Oregon she received accolades from Portland Monthly, Eater Portland, the Portland Mercury, Willamette Weekly, Imbibe, Time Out London, USA. That 10-year stint was cut short by the COVID lockdown, as the restaurant went the way of so many during that period. And entrepreneurs are borne of that necessity/desperation; Althea decided to pursue her passion in a way to make her own living via a food brand of her own. Like many of our guests, a huge help in getting launched was reaching out to the Food Innovation Center, headed by our host, Sarah Masoni. At the time, the class was offered by teleconference and the lessons learned by Althea saved her much time, heartache and money in getting launched. The instructors were awesome and inspired Althea with confidence. In 2018, with her local press as credentials, she was contacted by The Food Network to apply for Guy's Grocery Games while working in the restaurant. Althea applied, got on the show, filmed it in California and won! That prize money bootstrapped her new venture, The Flavor Society. She is doing it right; packaging is in jars with art-deco like labels that are supremely designed. The jars are clear, so you see the ingredients that are hand crafted in Portland. The Flavor Society website sells Bagel Crunchy Sauce and Pizza Crunchy Sauce jars in combinations online.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#103 A Library, Bakery, and Cookware Shop... in a Bar - Robin Wheelright, Vivienne Kitchen & Pantry

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 18:44:38 +0000

And why would anyone named Robin call her business Vivienne? Vivienne is the French spelling of the name and represents the idea of a Grandmother – Robin’s Wheelright’s best version of a Grandmother – to give people that comforting, genuine feeling when they walk into her Vivienne Kitchen and Pantry, Portlands newest Culinary Bookstore! And to make the feeling even more real, there’s a portrait of dear Vivienne in the store. It’s similar to the Betty Crocker mystique as pointed out by our own Sarah Masoni. Vivienne Kitchen & Pantry is a relaunch, a very ambitious relaunch, of Robin’s former restaurant. The old model before lockdown just didn’t work going forward, so Robin completely changed the layout and offering of her store to be more community-based. Instead of a traditional menu, Vivienne has culinary books to cover the spectrum of recipes and food related stories. And Robin has continued the afternoon bake shop from her earlier restaurant plus she serves a variety of sandwiches. She also has kept many of the take-and-bake items from her original restaurant offerings during the lockdown. In addition, there is a European-style bar, featuring foods and selected natural wines not available anywhere else in the neighborhood. She also offers cookbook workshops for those who wish to further their expertise in the art of food. Patrons are taught from a particular cookbook recipe, learn the techniques for the dish they are preparing, and leave with the cookbook to continue their exploration in their own kitchen. And for those who cook at home, there is a shop full of vintage and new cookware. Vivienne is a two-woman run business, so everything is handled, molded and cooked by Robin. Also, Robin’s background and education is in minimal waste and she is most pleased to call Vivienne a zero-waste business. The café and pantry is a work in progress, however. To launch, Robin started a crowd funding campaign, and is in fact in the middle of another one. Ordering books and cookware, let alone baking supplies, takes capital and Robin wants to raise it from the community she desires to serve. Her café is a “connecting point”, a place of food and comfort blended with a library devoted to food and food’s important place in our lives. Vivienne is located in a great community also, in the heart of Portland, Oregon’s Hollywood district which is a mix of traditional and gentrified living.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#102 Something Special to the Community - Tracy Oseran, Tracy’s Small Batch Granola

Wed, 12 Jan 2022 02:05:40 +0000

It will be hard to find Tracy Oseran’s company, Tracy’s Small-Batch Granola on social media. That’s because she focuses her media outreach through her non-profit organization, Urban Gleaners. That’s right, this double-barreled startup founder lives by the philosophy emblazed on her website: “There’s something special about baking by hand and using organic, wholesome ingredients. There’s something even more special about making a product that gives back to the community something special.” Tracy loved to cook growing up and her cooking experiences were with her father. As she says, it would have been hard to survive on their cooking, but she and Dad had a lot of fun! She then had a catering business in Los Angeles where her popular dish was enchiladas. So popular in fact that she sold them to a grocery store chain that in turn sold them as frozen; her first venture into the food industry. Her big foray into the world of food products was rather typical for food entrepreneurs. It began in 2004 when she couldn’t find good granola in her hometown of Portland, Oregon. So, she started making her own, in small batches. And as the old story goes, family and friends couldn’t get enough of it and soon Tracy was convinced she had a commercial product. Also in 2004, Tracy met our own Sarah Masoni of Oregon State University’s Food Innovation Center and that began her catapult from kitchen to sales. She took the leap in 2006 and approached City Market in Portland. She simply asked if they’d like to sell her granola, they said, “yes”, and her first sale was made. During this same year, Tracy was driving one day listening to an NPR show about a woman saw so much good food in her community being thrown away while there were so many people going hungry. The woman began picking up the excess food and getting it to hungry people. Tracy was touched by the story and also troubled that she and her friends had plenty of good, nutritious food while so many in Portland, including children, were hungry. To make it worse, she knew of the perfectly good and delicious food that went into the garbage as waste everyday, simply because no one would make the effort to get it to the ones who needed it. She decided that she could accomplish the same thing as the woman on the radio show. And that was the beginning of Urban Gleaners, the organization that gathers, packages and distributes the useable food to those in need rather than throwing it away. COVID has been challenging because the schools have been shut down and many of the children and their families go to the schools to pick up the food. But moving some of the distribution to the parks has helped get back on track plus more schools have opened back up again. All profits from Tracy’s Small-Batch Granola go to support Urban Gleaners, and the organization runs on volunteers and donations above that. "Maybe we should just eat it."

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#101 Some Poets Write with Pastry - Linda Naylor, Essential Confection

Tue, 07 Dec 2021 21:39:43 +0000

All entrepreneurs are on a mission of some kind. Something in their lives gave them a strong sense of duty and steeled them to jump out into the uncharted waters of business life. And Essential Convection’s Linda Naylor says it well in her website, “We model and live the soft skills of hospitality – relationally.” It stems from the Supreme Candy Goddess, an imaginary friend created years ago. The genesis is Linda’s family’s incredible cream candy. It’s a pulled candy similar to taffy, except the candy sets overnight and the next day has this amazing creamy taste of vanilla or maple or whatever flavor was put in from the beginning; almost indescribable. The fascinating thing was, there was no recipe, it was a skill. And Linda had a lot of challenges to master the making of it, but it was the beginning of becoming a confectionary master, if not goddess herself! That passion to be skilled and be a perfectionist also comes through in her writing. She is the author of everything on her website and in particular her blog, “Our Pleasureful Pastry”. The word “pleasureful” is a touchstone for Linda she says, and exemplifies how she feels about confections and how she wants those who taste her confections to feel as well. It’s an uncommon ability to be an artist with words as well as confections. That drive for perfection obviously includes high standards for ingredients and to Linda, it also means finding local ingredients that meet her standards to support other local food entrepreneurs. Growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio, Linda had an early interest in baking. The baking industry was rather unimaginative in that era, but Linda had the fortune to visit Italy as a teen. It opened her eyes to a world of food and culture that she treasured and never looked back. It spurred her on to the Culinary Institute of America in New York in the mid-80s and later at the Midwest Culinary Institute in Cincinnati. There was a side venture, however, as Linda spent many years selling residential and commercial real estate in Cincinnati. She kept baking all that time however, and her special cookies and candies were big hits with her clients. Even in real estate, she was reaching others at that most visceral level. But after 25 years, she took stock and felt it was time to live her dream. She moved to Portland, Oregon and enrolled in yet another culinary school, this time the Oregon Culinary Institute, earning a degree in Pastry Management. After a couple of great internships, she became pastry chef at a restaurant. Simultaneously, she enrolled in a course called, “Getting your recipe to market”, a collaborative effort with Food Innovation Center and the CLIMB Center of Portland Community College . New Seasons stores picked up her recipe in 2015, launching her reputation. After the restaurant career ended abruptly in 2020, she put more time into fine-tuning her formulae and started her company, Essential Confection. Flexibility is key for the entrepreneur Linda says because pivoting is a regular part of the journey. And also a sense of mission plus a feeling of accomplishment when you have served others an uplifting experience and made their day a little brighter with good food.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#100 Doing Social Good with Good Foods - Kim Wilson, Cocoa Future

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 21:53:40 +0000

Our One Hundredth show guest! Kim Wilson of Seattle-based Good King Cacao joins our hosts to explain snacking cacao. It’s a whole, crunchy caramelized cacao bean, exactly like chocolate except it’s processed so it doesn’t melt in a tropical warm climate. The impetus to making a snack that doesn’t melt is Kim Wilson’s story. Having attended two great business schools and worked with the world’s largest winery, you would think Kim was set to climb the corporate ladder. But her heart spoke loud to her about social causes, in particular extensive bonded labor, child trafficking and unfair wages in the chocolate industry. And since she was a life-long chocolate lover, she began to think and pray about how to solve those human problems by augmenting the chocolate market and not competing with it by driving the chocolate makers away. In addition, the solution had to work with the primitive resources available to the poor farmers, such as unreliable electricity and lack of running water. And then it came to her, make a snack out of the cacao bean instead of a chocolate candy treat, providing the farmers with an additional income stream and the public with a healthy, delicious snack – that doesn’t melt! In 2014, Kim connected with show co-host Sarah Masoni at the Oregon State University Food Innovation Center in Portland, Oregon. As she has done for an incalculable number of food entrepreneurs, Sarah saw a multitude of challenges that needed to be addressed for the final product to be shelf ready. But the two of them dug in and solved the problems along the way and Kim had a plan for success. The beans currently come from Indonesia and Honduras and from coops that are providing women with the opportunity to earn a good wage. Women historically have been left out of the chocolate industry employment scheme. The beans are peeled and processed and the snack is a nutrient-dense, allergy-friendly, stable superfood. They are naturally bite-sized so perfect for a snack around the house or for taking on a hike. And they complement, rather than compete with chocolate. Beans are single sourced, which means they come from one growing region only and are not mixed with other regions. That way, the consumer gets a unique flavor and not a commoditized product. Plus, the growers are paid more for raising a premium product. Kim works directly with the coops as well, ensuring quality control and consistency. Good King Cacao beans come in different flavors, some quite spicy. People who prefer black coffee, bold wines and whiskey neat tend to love snacking cacao beans. For those who need a milder snack, Good King Cacao beans also are packaged with more traditional nuts for a mixed snack pack. It looks like Kim’s prayers are being answered, and there are many communities enjoying a higher standard of life because of her big heart, smart business sense and hard work.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#99 A Lot of Small Steps - Jaime Landsverk, Sidekick Provisions

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 18:11:25 +0000

The pandemic lockdown changed career paths for many people when the industries in which they were employed simply stopped. Besides restaurants, movie theaters and sports, conventions and meetings were closed down. And with it, the jobs that entailed putting on those events. And so it was with Jaime Landsverk whose event management career suddenly disappeared. Not to despair, however. Originally from Minnesota, Jaime loved all the Midwest cheese but her lactose intolerance made it difficult to enjoy dairy based dips and sauces. She needed to solve that problem of enjoying that taste but without the dairy. Her nutritional education in grad school at the University of Natural Medicine, Portland, Oregon helped solve that problem and gave her the inspiration to go more culinary than clinical with her degree. During school, she interned at a small food company and got to learn some of the basics about the food business. Jaime had considered being a consulting chef while she continued to work her event manager job through school when the COVID lockdown laid her off. She had always spent time in the kitchen making her proprietary snacks, but now she had more time and began to leverage her treasures trading with friends to cope with the layoff. One of the trades was with a friend who was sewing hard-to-get facemasks. The friend encouraged Jaime to sell her snacks as they were both novel and delicious, not to mention healthy. Then next steps were very familiar to other food entrepreneurs. Jaime sold some to friends who told other friends and her snacks became known. Then she offered her snack to sell for some fund raising activities and she became known by those in the food business circle. Soon they were telling her how to take her snacks from her kitchen table to the store and helping her take those many small steps. Farmers’ markets have helped boost the awareness for her company, Sidekick Provisions. The big selling point of Jaime’s snack foods is the ingredient selection, fueled by her nutrition degree. If you look at her website, you will see that all ingredients are organic and selected because of their medicinal qualities. They help balance cholesterol levels, detox the kidneys, liver and brain, aid in the absorption of iron and many more ways to make bodies healthier. Sold online and in select stores, Jaime also uses her event experience to showcase her dips and sauces at select events throughout the Pacific Northwest. Jaime also takes time to remind herself to appreciate the success of the small steps it takes to get a project off the ground. That helps her through the rough spots, which every entrepreneur experiences. Healthy body, healthy mind.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#98 Still Around Because of the Coop - Melissa Collman, Cloud Cap Farms

Thu, 18 Nov 2021 18:12:11 +0000

The year was 1924. Gary Moore’s grandfather, Melissa Collman’s great grandfather, bought acreage in Boring, Oregon to start his dairy farm. But there’s a backstory. The grandfather left Switzerland for the U.S. at age 15. He then travelled to Wisconsin to milk cows by hand, and finally trekked across the US to Oregon to found what is now Cloud Cap Farms. He was a colorful character and even had a reindeer herd he would put in the local parade at Christmas time. He also was a traditionalist, using horses to plow the fields and milking the cows by hand as he had learned. When the farming age changed, he grudgingly accepted tractors and milking machines, although he never trusted them. Then in the late 70s, grandson Gary came back to be part of the company and began getting the farm in tune with the times, including implementing artificial insemination to strengthen the heard. In the 80s, things got tough and the family had to try new and revolutionary methods to keep the farm alive. In 1999, a visit from George Siemon, CEO of Organic Valley Coop changed everything. George came through the area looking to increase the organic milk run into the Pacific Northwest. George had been told to visit specific farms, luckily including Cloud Cap, to join the Coop. Gary was thrilled but Grandpa was terrified that the cows would get sick from converting to the organic model and that the whole farm would go bankrupt. Gary deferred to his Grampa for the time, but after Grampa’s passing, Gary got hold of Organic Valley and joined in 2004. Being part of the Organic Valley has been great because their model and mission is to protect the family dairies. It’s also been great for Melissa as she actually worked for the coop for some years and still helps occasionally. Organic Valley also makes their farmers part of their marketing team and gives them all a chance to get to know each other and to learn from each other. The coop is now 1,700 farms with over 80% of the dairies with herds less than 100 cows. Currently Clud Cap's milk is processed in Portland, Oregon. So has it been worth it to be part of the coop? Absolutely. According to Melissa, Cloud Cap Farms probably wouldn’t be around today without the coop. As proof, she points out that there is no dairy within 45 minutes of Cloud Cap, when there used to be 20 on their road alone. Her county alone has seen a 50% drop in dairies in two years, so there is no doubt Cloud Cap is a survivior and Melissa credits the coop. Dairy farmers are in the industry for the passion, for the cows and they rarely get rich. So when the market eventually swings down, those farms without some financial padding get wiped out. But being part of Oraganic Valley has added stability to the financial side of the business by taking out the high and low swings of the market. This has created a much more solid future for the family and now the fifth generation is fully and happily engaged.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#97 There’s No Cream, but Who Cares? - Katelyn Williams, Kate’s Ice Cream

Wed, 10 Nov 2021 20:23:59 +0000

Everyone loves ice cream and Katelyn Williams certainly had her share growing up. Her mother always had it in the house and would routinely send Katelyn to the grocery store to pick up a gallon of the family’s favorite. And Katelyn was always instructed to buy on sale. Katelyn’s craving continued even through college and ice cream was often a complete meal for her. It was a lifetime love affair. Katelyn realy just "fell" into being a food entrepreneur. Fresh out of college, she and her husband moved from Louisiana to Boston where Katelyn started making ice cream just for fun. She’d go around Cambridge and review the ice cream shops, started a blog and because she was so meticulous about the ingredients and taste of ice cream, her reputation as an expert started to flourish. At the same time, Katelyn became more conscious of her own health and began to research being gluten-free and dairy-free. Realizing how much milk went into her beloved ice cream, she took a big step back. Then on a visit home, she told the family she was making ice cream as her gift to everyone. Her youngest sister told it was a fabulous idea and to go ahead and do that for the rest of the family, but she unfortunately couldn’t partake. Katelyn simply could not have the entire family sit down to homemade ice cream and have her sister left out! So she found a recipe for nutmeg ice cream in Bon Appetite magazine and started turning on the hand crank machine. It was awful! But these are the impetus moments for entrepreneurs and Katelyn began assiduously researching the ingredients available for plant-based ice cream flavors. The experiments were continuous and the ice creams turned out better and better until people began to try them and ask for more. Yup, a business was born because and entrepreneur was giving people what they wanted after being the one to “crack the code”. Plus, as she began to shop the competition in the stores, she realized nobody could touch her product in the gluten- and dairy-free segments, so she knew she on to something business wise. After a few years in Boston, Katelyn closed the business and upon moving to Portland, Oregon, she jumped back in with her new company, Kate’s Ice Cream. Starting in a farmers’ market her reputation grew fast and she moved into Kate’s Kitchen to make larger batches to match burgeoning demand. Kate’s Ice Cream is made using organic coconut and cashew milk and is 100% plant-based and gluten-free. The company collaborates with local, woman, and minority owned businesses and uses fresh seasonal produce from local Pacific Northwest farms. Their ice creams are available at pop-ups around the area and in select grocers. They also will be moving into a brand new ice cream shop on Portland’s trendy Mississippi Avenue soon.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#96 Building Reputations, Especially Her Own - Lindsay Strannigan

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 05:20:30 +0000

Lindsay Strannigan’s degree and background in public relations and marketing is a natural one for an entrepreneur. Afterall, people need to know about your company and have a positive impression, who better to lead that charge than the founder? Living in Portland, Oregon, Lindsay had desk job with great benefits but the boredom factor got to her. So she started a food blog that included recipes and “inserted” herself into the local food community by serving on the board of a farmer’s market. Her blog turned out to be her self-marketing tool as she was approached by the owner of a sandwich shop asked her if she could help them out. The shop turned out to be an early adopter of Instagram and Lindsay guided them to very successful awareness and ultimate success. That led to additional clients as Lindsay’s word-of-mouth spread throughout the business owner community. Because of the early start, Lindsay has become a social media guru in this fast moving and fast changing field. She has self-taught through the evolutions of the industry including teaching herself to do video and reels, staying on top of the latest trends to keep her clients current. And here is her current advice on social media platforms: Instagram is the best for food related companies, as it’s visual and people can handle their own account. Tik Tok is a rising platform in popularity, but generally only big companies with their own video production facilities can really use it to an advantage. And you have to be watching every day for trends so you can jump on them quickly. Lindsay bills herself as a social media strategist and works with her clients to build a plan, budget and execution schedule. Sometimes, she creates content including overseeing the photography and copy. Her iPhone is her tool to create almost everything except when a professional photographer is needed. And she is often the spokesperson for the client, being on the frontline answering questions and de-escalating problems. COVID has been a big issue for Lindsay, as many of her clients are restaurant owners and have had to react to lockdowns and restrictions. But she has led them through the tough times, kept them afloat and served them well. Reputation is everything.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#95 South East Asia Fusion in a Jar - Holly Ong & Patricia Lau, Sibeiho

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 21:51:38 +0000

You always miss the food from your home, no matter where you go. That’s exactly what has been the driver for Holly Ong and Patricia Lau, founders of Sibeiho. The Singapore natives who have known each other over 17 years always loved to cook for family and friends. Patricia’s husband is an Oregon native, and when they made the move to Oregon seven years ago, they still cooked the same amazing South East Asia dishes for family and new friends. And they love their new home in Oregon. They particularly adore going to the farmers’ markets and finding fresh produce and the unusual foods. A trip to the Oregon coast introduced them to the local crab and gave them the idea to make their Singapore dish, chili crabs, using the crab from their newly adopted home. This led to starting a supper club, which blossomed as their reputation for delicious dishes grew. People kept asking for their special home dishes and wondering if they could produce the sauces, or Sambals as they were called back in Singapore, commercially. They kept producing what they could in their kitchen and selling it to their group of friends and soon word of mouth made them popular with the public. COVID stopped their supper club sales but their delivery business kept them afloat. However some customers kept asking if they could buy the Sambals in a store and that led to a conversation with our host, Sarah Masoni and her team at the Food Innovation Center, Oregon State University, about how to stabilize the product for commercialization. Holly and Pat attended a class at the center on food processing and production. They got into the science of giving a food product shelf life while not losing the flavor that made it popular in the first place; every food entrepreneurs’ challenge. They worked in the Center’s kitchen with Mike Adams who is incredibly experience in working out the magic formulas for any food item. And so birth was given to their growing business of selling the enticing flavors from China, Malay, India and Peranakan that their line of Sambals give to every dish you cook. Of course they offer their own incredible recipes to prepare authentic South Asian dishes on their website. Currently, the company sells online and out of their retail store. There’s only one way to experience it: Try it! When you do, you’ll understand the Chinese word, Sibeiho (See-Bay-Ho) which in English roughly means something very, very good. And their company also is very, very good indeed.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#94 You CAN Have it All: Business, Family and Time - Lisa Nguyen, HeyDayPDX

Wed, 20 Oct 2021 17:50:23 +0000

Lisa Nguyen got interested in baking in the Bay Area, California after the birth of her first child (she now has three) and went the traditional route with all the schooling and a degree and was set to enter the bakery world. The family moved overseas and she could not work, so plans got put on hold. At that point, she thought the dreams of a career were over but when the family moved to Portland, Oregon, she got that entrepreneurial “flash”. In the summer of 2019, just before COVID hit, she was sitting with her Mom eating some of the fabulous donuts they had just made. Donuts were a family tradition in Lisa’s life. Her Mom and Dad and the whole family always celebrated happy moments baking, creating and enjoying their unusual donuts. While sitting at the kitchen table, Lisa’s Mom remarked they could make the donuts even better, then Lisa’s husband called at that exact moment. Lisa playfully remarked they could do donuts bigger and better – and her husband remarked, “Let’s do it!”. And the journey of HeyDeyPDX began. (For those not of the area, PDX is the airport symbol for Portland and is used for short hand in a lot of communication) They planned to launch in March, 2020 then all the COVID restrictions hit. At first, Lisa thought it was a sign that this venture was not to be, but they had invested so much time and money into the business that they decided to give it a couple more months. Good decision. They launched in May of that year and haven’t looked back yet. They’ve dealt with COVID by selling through pop-ups in what they call a partnership arrangement. Coffee shops, tea shops, restaurants and bakeries all have a scheduled day where HeyDayPDX Donuts are offered. From a business standpoint, they sell about 500 donuts at each pop-up. And they do that sometimes in 15-30 minutes! They originally thought they would sell their donuts at farmers’ markets. But with Lisa being the entire production staff, they realized they could never have enough product to stay open for three or four hours at a market booth. Lisa has no plans to do the usual production ramp up and sell more donuts. Sure, they realize demand is huge and they could work longer and harder and probably make more money. However, they have a very comfortable life/balance right now. Lisa can pursue her passion, have a profitable business and be a Mom and wife. Life is good.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#93 COVID Can’t Stop Her - Cheryl Wakerhauser, Pix Patisserie

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 19:53:16 +0000

As they say, in 2001 a piece of France landed in Portland, Oregon. Cheryl Wakerhauser, who had given up a career as an astronaut to train at the prestigious pâtisserie of MOF
Philippe URRACA, started her authentic French dessert restaurant, Pix Pâtisserie. There she served up both innovative and traditional French desserts, chocolates and house made ice creams along side a plethora of top notch beverages. As her website says, “Some women buy shoes, Cheryl buys Champagne”. The walls held over 700 cuvées, including vintage and large format, with a focus on small grower producers. Cheryl wanted quality wine to be affordable while providing a relaxed, fun environment in which to enjoy it. People noticed. Her offering was awarded World's
Best Champagne and Sparkling Wine List every year from 2014 - 2020 by London's World of Fine Wine Magazine. Her creativity didn’t stop there. In the same space, Cheryl also housed a proper Spanish tapas bar named Bar
Vivant. Amazing bar food with a quality selection of wine, beer, cider, Sherry and tasty cocktails. The atmosphere was pure fun and patrons were even encouraged to throw their napkins on the floor and not be afraid to “get a bit rowdy”. You may have noticed the use of past tense, because COVID came along and put the brakes on all of it. Hopefully those days will be back but that formula is out for now. However, Cheryl thinks outside the box. Out of necessity she developed a non-contact, incredible new vending machine with a wistful name typical of Cheryl, the Pix-O-Matic. It’s a 24-hour vending machine holding Pix desserts, macarons, conservas from Bar Vivant and other random stuff to make you smile. The machine is thoroughly cleaned and restocked each day at 10AM. Selections can be purchased with the contactless credit card reader. At first, it was a Hail Mary experiment, but it made $100 the first day. Then $400. The $4,000! Before COVID, Cheryl had a staff of 20+, was trying to find employees and all the other headaches of a restaurant owner. Suddenly, she was making as much money as the restaurant would make on a busy Saturday, with one and half employees. Hmmmm, life suddenly got easier. She has now recreated the previous whimsical experience around a couple of vending machines and a superbly fun room in which to enjoy your food and beverage. In an almost Disco-like atmosphere, individuals and families can enjoy themselves all hours of the day. Her story was not missed by Business Bites podcast as a brilliant way to create a revenue stream in the lockdown era. Fall down seven times, get up eight.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#92 The Real Italian Experience - Cathy Whims, Nostrana

Wed, 22 Sep 2021 17:38:17 +0000

Nostrana, is an Italian word, translated to English loosely means “ours”. And for the Nostrana restaurant, Portland, Oregon, “ours” means the food you are served is as fresh as can be because it has travelled the shortest distance possible. Hence it is Nostrana’s “own” production. The food is local and from the patrons’ own area, so authenticity is the restaurant’s marque. In most of Europe, markets are required to say where the produce originated, and this is Nostrana’s way of bringing that genuineness to their customers. Cathy Whims is founder and owner of Nostrana, a fixture in the community for 16 years now. And she has created not only a loyal following, she has created some dishes that have remained popular and on the menu since day one. One is the Grilled Beef Tagliata, a flat iron steak grilled and served on a bed of arugula with a garlic sauce (I think I’m getting hungry) an item always in demand. However for the rest of the menu, Cathy likes to keep things in flux so there is always something new to try and be delighted. Cathy started her culinary career as a chef because her mother was a great cook. Cathy was a vegetarian in high school and had to teach herself how to cook and share with the family. She simultaneously studied Latin in school and this gave her an affinity for the Italian language and cooking. So when she moved to Portland, she was lucky enough to get hired at Genoa, which at the time was an exclusive, special occasion, Northern Italian cuisine restaurant with a huge following. People were served a seven-course meal with a few choices and every item was premium. The experience of seven years as a cook culminated with Cathy becoming one of the owners and that evolved into a 20-year love affair with her dream job and dream business. She learned so much about Italian food and about local sourcing, especially the local wine. She became the buyer and began getting to know the Italian wine representatives, who urged her to come visit Italy as their guest. This gave her a great understanding of real Italian food and pure, simple Italian ingredients. Her knowledge base now greatly expanded, Cathy decided to follow her passion and create and serve real Italian food in a casual, relaxed atmosphere and that is exactly the Nostrana experience.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#91 It’s Not Just the Food, it’s the Experience - Judiaann Woo

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 17:13:15 +0000

Marketing, PR/culinary consultant, advisor and all-around Food Guru Judiaann Woo joined Sarah Marshall on this show to help out the aspiring women food startup entrepreneurs of the world. Judiaann has her own podcast show called, Food People are the Best People, so it was very nice of her to do some cross pollinating with Meaningful Marketplace, as Sarah had just been on Judiaann’s show recently. Judiaann is a Portland, Oregon home grown celebrity. Although she has lived other places, after children were born, Portland was where she wanted to be. And having been a food aficionado in the big foodie cities, she is an expert who can rightly claim that Portland is on par with any of them. But it isn’t just Portland that ranks high on the food experience. Judiaann travels around the entire state to take in the differences in geography and food and shares the experience usually through Instagram, since she considers herself a “visual person”. As she says, part of what makes Portland a great food city is all the statewide agriculture that is grown, harvested, picked and caught and can be brought into the city to create the fantastic dishes that receive critical acclaim. And yet, the state is still small enough that when you go to visit the winemakers, cheesemakers, meat smokers and so forth, there’s a good chance you’ll be seeing or even sitting next to the owner. It’s the close, hands on source-to-plate atmosphere she enjoys as a rare, if not unique, experience. At one time, Judiaann worked for the State of Oregon to help promote tourism and that really put her around almost every square mile of it to realize how incredibly diverse the geography, lifestyle and people are. And the quirky, one-off experiences are the best ones and she has shared those with her family to help them have lifetime memories. Especially during these lockdown times, that becomes very important. The pets go along too so not only is it the complete family experience, it’s also a big treat for the other tourists they meet along the way. Judiaann has found a way to share true experiences with her audience so they, too can discover things in their life that makes living more enjoyable, fuller, richer and something more than punching in and punching out.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#90 Don’t Waste it, Ferment it - Sarah Pesout, Fermentista

Wed, 25 Aug 2021 16:54:04 +0000

Sarah Pesout uses locally produced vegies in her fermented vegetable products. And she sells locally in the Portland, Oregon area farmers’ markets from her booth and online. So far, her audience is extremely loyal and word of mouth coupled with Instagram has been her marketing effort. She seems to have no trouble selling everything her company can produce. The company name? Fermentista, of course. A natural for what Sarah is and does. A California native, Sarah grew up in the beautiful foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. From a small town, Sarah left right after high school and entered UC Santa Cruz, traveled a year, then accomplished an associate degree in culinary studies. She subsequently moved to Portland and that’s been her home since. But it was in Santa Cruz she had “the best job ever” as she says. She was looking for a bakery serving farmers’ markets and the amount of produce was absolutely overwhelming. With more produce than the local area could consume, Sarah began looking into canning, preserving and fermenting the excess production. So, when in Portland, she surveyed the farmers’ markets and observed the amount of excess produce that usually wound up as compost. Sarah reasoned that if she could pay the farmers for what would become unsellable excess, ferment the produce and sell it to people who wanted fermented vegies, that could be a good and responsible business and everybody wins. Her company intensely produces her product line and she is currently at capacity. She began selling olives to restaurants and because of the bureaucracy of selling fermented products, has been able to let restauranteurs stay current with the health department. Of course, COVID lockdown has hurt that business line so it is currently on hold. Her crafted fermented veggies stand out with packaging that reflects an attitude of “from our hands to yours."

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#89 Cute as a Bunny - Adeline Marshall, Adeline’s Bunny Puffs

Wed, 18 Aug 2021 17:02:57 +0000

Adeline Marshall, absolutely related our host Sarah Marshall (daughter), is founder, owner, CEO and everything else of Adeline’s Bunny Puffs. Adeline’s freeze-dried berries and candy are sure to be a big hit, as is this young, vivacious mature-beyond-her-years entrepreneur. The name? Well, Adeline loves bunnies and when the fruits are put in the freezer, they puff up. So naturally, puff up, bunnies…you get the picture. And the logo, which you really need to see, continues the puffed bunny theme as well. An aspiring seven-year-old second grader, Adeline is most dedicated to her startup company and right now the Skittle candies seem to be the current favorite. In fact, two of Adeline’s best friends are “obsessed” with the Bunny Puff Skittles and ask for them every time they come over to Adeline’s house. Adeline gives them free bags of the candy because they are her friends, plus it’s marketing technique to get product trial as well. The brand building doesn’t stop with product and packaging either. Adeline has built her own vending machine (OK, it’s made out of cardboard, but heck, it’s a vending machine) with a saran wrap front and toilet paper rolls for dispenser buttons. When the friends come over, they like to use the vending machine to get their Bunny Puffs. Probably the debit card slot is next 😊. There are many flavors of Bunny Puffs and Adeline’s favorites are the berries, including triple crown blackberries. For the non-friend, paying customers, Adeline charges four dollars per bag and her most profitable product is probably the raspberry Puffs. When at the Farmers’ Market, Adeline cannot sell the candy Puffs, only the berries. At the Night Market, it’s the opposite, where she sells only the candies. Fellow entrepreneur, if you want inspiration, if you want feel-good, if you want proof the young generation is capable and strong, tune in to this young person. This podcast is an absolute MUST HEAR.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#88 Kickstart Your Day - Holly Kurzhal, Kurzhal’s Kickin’ Pickles

Wed, 11 Aug 2021 17:24:00 +0000

It all started in the home kitchen; same song with a new verse. Holly Kurzhal’s and her husband loved their father’s homemade pickles and asked for jars so often that he finally suggested they start making their own. So they did. And after sharing with family and friends and getting requests for more and more jars, they decided to take some jars to the local Farmer’s Market, where they sold fast. They took more jars the next time and still more the next time until it became obvious they were on to something. They originally marketed the Jalapeno, hot spicy pickles but kept getting requests for milder flavors. That’s when the product laddering began and they branched out into other pickled vegetables and brines. After the birth of her second child, Holly decided to quit her job and take Kurzhal’s Kickin’ Pickles to the next level of production. They started in Holly’s kitchen for the first five years or so, then moved to a home commercial kitchen where the cooking and warehousing now take place in the additions to their home. Holly’s favorite recipe is Jalapeno Bread and Butter pickle, flavored in what Holly calls the bread and butter brine, a sweet brine with garlic, chiles and other spices. Most of the cucumbers are grown on the family’s property. They are not certified organic at this point, but the company picks, puts on ice and process them within 24 hours to ensure freshness and nutrition. There’s more to the family story as well. The original pickling formula comes from Holly’s husband’s mother, so it really is Gramma’s old-fashioned formula. And the genuine touch of a hands-on crafted food comes through in the irregular, non-corporate sizes and shapes of the cucumbers themselves. The company pickles asparagus, beans, carrots and other vegetables in a wholesome but delicious variety of flavors. The product offering is quite extensive and impressive and is sold online and in multiple grocery stores currently in the western Oregon area. They can’t keep up with demand either; everything they make is sold almost immediately. So with a home business working very well family all together in one place, they are livin’ the life and definitely kickin’ it.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#87 Do Good Things for Your Health, Then for Others - Annie Fisher, Wildfire Elixirs

Wed, 28 Jul 2021 23:02:27 +0000

“My goal is to bring health and vitality to my community through plant medicine” – Annie Fisher. This quote from the video on her spectacular website sums up Annie Fisher’s company, Wildfire Elixirs. However, the story behind the goal is most compelling. Mother of two youngsters ages one and three, Annie caught pneumonia, then got the double whammy of getting shingles on top of that. Absolutely drained of energy and stamina, she was inspired to regain her health naturally by herbalists like Rosemary Gladstar and began formulating a drink of herbs, fruits and vegies in a fire elixir to rebuild her immune system. She packed her immune boosters into a one gallon batch she called “fighter”, posted her concoction on social media and instantly had 100 comments, most asking for some of the drink. With that signal that she may be on to something, Annie subsequently made a five gallon batch. The process was about 4-6 weeks to brew and bottle and yielded a batch of 36 bottles that were all pre-sold. Of course, that lead to making three more batches with the same routine and a business pattern began to emerge. When one of the five gallon jars broke in her pantry, Annie knew it was time to step up to a commercial kitchen and begin to scale her home business into a bigger volume and that the demand was surely there to support her. A bartender for 16 years, she took the plunge and quit, throwing herself into the belief she was doing great things for others and that deed would reward her with an independent lifestyle. That was 10 years ago. She’s learned much about the difference between homemade and commercial grade, including pH testing, and other compliance. From her home in Eugene, Oregon, Annie sells her products online (so far) and has broadened her product line impressively. Not only are there many varieties of elixir, she also sells seasoned salt and a coffee alternative, all which improve people’s health.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#86 Want to See Behind the Curtain? - Larissa Zimberoff, Journalist and Author

Wed, 07 Jul 2021 20:26:49 +0000

Author Larissa Zimberoff has a strong connection with our own host Sarah Masoni, Sarah’s in her book! The book, “Technically Food: Inside Silicon Valley’s Mission to Change What we Eat” is available both in book and audio format and is the story of Larissa’s love of both technology from living in the San Francisco Bay Area and her love of food. Sarah Masoni sums it up perfectly with her quote, “The only thing more intimate that eating food is writing about it”, which Larissa has done masterfully. The details of the thought that goes into the planning, experimenting and creating food for the world then putting those details in the correct words is truly a challenge and Larissa’s book is as much art as it is science. The route to becoming a successful writer (meaning you can make a living doing it) was of course the familiar route of necessity. After being laid off from two Bay Area high tech jobs and being accepted to grad school in between those jobs, Larissa packed it up and moved to New York to finish grad school. Two years later, she received her MFA in creating writing and began starting a career. Having type one diabetes and a need to know about the food she was consuming was part of her pursuit to write in the area. But it was also fueled by the questioning by family, friends even strangers on the street who wanted to know about the new foods: “Are these new foods healthy?’ “What’s in them?”. And with all the movements going on such as Farm-to-Table and Farmers’ Markets, more and more transparency was coming to the food chain. The new movement has become the technology behind everything and that technology is complex and not easily understood. Partly to satisfy her need to know and partly to educate the world, Larissa began understanding, documenting and dissecting the situation in order to tell others. A thought leader in pulling back the curtain on food sourcing and processing, Larissa covers the topics from Algae as food to lab-produced whey to plant-based meats to give the real story on what people are putting into their bodies. She also talks about food marketing and takes a look at the future, asking select experts what they see food will be in 20 years. An incredible perspective from a brilliant and inquisitive mind.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#85 Drink & Shop Mamey, Support The Community - Cydnie Smith-McCarthy, Drink Mamey

Fri, 02 Jul 2021 03:26:50 +0000

Cydnie Smith-McCarthy came up with the name for her company from her Dad. A Barbados native, the number one fruit in the country is Mamey Sapote (mah may supp oh tay). It’s used in many different dishes, the equivalent of avocados in the US. So the company name, Drink Mamey, is a legacy to Cydnie’s Dad and his background. Cydnie calls herself a mixologist because she spends a huge chunk of her time mixing different juices and powders and supplements to get just the right taste in her premium cold pressed juices. You can visit her Portland, Oregon company by just walking right in. You’ll see a wall full of plants and a huge section of her cold pressed juices in premium glass bottles. You also can order up a smoothie carton to take home or mix one up right there in her factory. And if you want extra supplements in your smoothie, you can get them right at the company. And there are build-in neighbors. The company houses seven black-owned businesses in the wellness industry and related industries. So she houses sections that emphasize feel good, look good and taste good – the trifecta of wellness. The rambling location that has worked out so well came about in a typical spider-web manner. A client of Cydnie’s was hit by the COVID lockdown and had to close a location. When offered up to Cydnie, she took it and has never looked back. Cydnie has a background in design and communications and started out in photography and graphic design. She worked in public relations and event planning and has always loved creating aesthetically pleasing situations and products. Also a lifetime wellness advocate, she started juicing for her family and friends and the word got out. So, she decided to bottle her juice and put a logo on it and her explosive growth has been, forgive me, organic. The toughest part of the business was the commercialization and learning the regulations of selling a food product. But once she got into a commercial kitchen and into a store, she was past the big learning curve.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#84 Brewing Up a Storm - Hannah Crum, Kombucha Kamp

Thu, 24 Jun 2021 03:36:11 +0000

What is Kombucha Tea good for? Hannah Crum, or “Queen of Kombucha” as our own Sarah Masoni calls her, can tell you. Hannah’s company, Kombucha Kamp is THE encyclopedia (or Wikipedia if you prefer) of Kombucha Tea. Her mission is to teach, inform, supply and tell the world about the good things Kombucha can do – and cannot do – for the body. Her journey began when she visited a friend in San Francisco in early 2000. The friend had a jar with floating “stuff” in it and was told it was Kombucha. It wasn’t ready to drink, so when Hannah got back to Los Angeles she immediately went to Whole Foods where Kombucha was everywhere. It was the typical love at first sip and Hannah was hooked and had to learn to brew it. She checked out every book in the library and started making it for her own consumption. Eventually, friends tried some, liked it and wanted to make their own as well. Hannah saw this as passion turned into a side hustle and figured she could charge people to teach them not only how to brew their own, but it’s usefulness as well. That’s when she started Kombucha Kamp at her house. She began a blog around 2007 and then there came the Kombucha withdrawal around 2010 which saw commercial brewers get squashed by taxes and led to the formation of the Kombucha Brewers International to fight against the unfair tax. She has served as Master Brewer for several commercial operations and wanted to share her knowledge. For some reason, the Kombucha world is very secretive and don’t want to share the golden nuggets, but she has changed that. Hannah wants people to avoid anecdotal stories about the so-called miracles of Kombucha Tea and look for scientific fact. For example, there are many stories of people whose joints suddenly stop hurting when they begin drinking Kombucha. There are even stories of Chernobyl residents who avoided cancer after the meltdown with daily consumption of Kombucha. But here are the facts: 1) Kombucha helps repair damage to the organs and 2) Kombucha reduces the absorption of dangerous gamma rays. Armed with these scientific facts and more, Hannah offers her free DIY Guide book so each person can make up there own mind about the benefits of Kombucha and brew their own if they choose. A teach, an author, a speaker and activist for health and wellness, Hannah Crum brews on.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#83 Careful How You Spell It - Michele Davis, Cocacao

Thu, 03 Jun 2021 20:55:33 +0000

Our guest's chocolate candies were recently awarded best chocolate candy at the Oregon Chocolate Festival in Ashland Oregon, now that's something to celebrate! Michele Davis, President and CEO of Cocacao, (pronounced Ko’ Kuh-Kow) runs a company that makes “twelve chocolaty bites of paradise”. They are confections but not chocolate, as the treats do not have the coco butter to meet the true defintion of chocoalate, that's why they are called chocolate candies. Their base is only three organic ingredients and the consumer enjoys a milk chocolate extravaganza without the dairy. The reason is a typical one: Jeff Davis, Co-Founder and husband of Michele, had severe dietary restrictionsu and loved sweets. Jeff experimented scientifically for years to find a chocolate treat he could eat. Upon meeting and marrying Michele, the couple both desired to start a company and sell the treasures Jeff had invented. Each piece is packaged individually in a twelve-piece box and that packaging strategy has been a five-year journey, according to Michele. With humble beginnings in a farmer’s market, the company sold a plain white box of treats in individual baggies. They then moved up to a box that held twelve pieces, but in warm weather did not travel well (think melty mess by the time people got them home). Moving up the food chain (pardon the pun) they moved to a quarter pound bar that sold for ten dollars. The bar was retailed by our sponsor, Market of Choice and sold well. However at the farmers’ markets, still a big source of revenue for the company, it didn’t allow for sampling before buying the expensive bar which was a huge incentive, so it was back to the packaging drawing board. They completely re-branded and went to the pre-portioned treats of all their flavors in an attractive box and focused completely on retail locations and wholesale distribution. They also sell online, but retail is by far the bulk of the sales. The packaging is exquisite; check out their website.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#82 Tonia Farman, Queen of Hearts Hemp

Wed, 26 May 2021 18:26:53 +0000

Her grandfather was called the “Pickle King”, but she’s the Queen of Hearts. Why? Well, Tonia just decided it was time for a Queen in the family legacy! And that legacy is a long one in the Pacific Northwest. The family company, Farman's Pickles, operated for decades in the State of Washington area and created a strong brand. Over time, the was sold to a larger food group, then again to a larger one and you know how that story goes. So a new chapter was opened by Tonia, who found that a specific grain of hemp grew well on the eastern side of the west coast mountain range, where wheat and barley also thrive. The plant also grows tall and dense, is male/female reproducing so there are seeds, and it's the seeds that Queen of Hearts process. The seeds are the super food of the plant, with an amazing amount of nutrients. Processing is to remove the outer shell of the seed and ship the heart of the seed to the company to process into its incredible food products. So, we have the "Queen" of the Farman family legacy, the "heart" of the seed and it just rolls right. The seed is so versatile it works in any number of food products so the company can offer a large line of nutritional items. Even the shell is put into animal food products as a nutritional fiber. The oil can be added to salad dressings, bread dip, a smoothy or as a great tasting supplement by the spoonful. The “cake” left over from the pressing is then ground into a protein powder, so there is literally no waste to their raw product. And they are pure and organic up and down their food chain. Only American farmers who grow organically are sourced because of the country’s higher standards, and the products are tested intensely for purity. You’ll love how Queen of Heart’s apologizes for not being cheap, but explains how you have to work hard at a quality product and that hard work has a cost. Go to their website and read the “…6 reasons why we think we’re different…” and that will explain it all.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#81 Finding Those Hidden Gems on the Farm - Jana Jenkins, Oregon Ag

Wed, 12 May 2021 20:24:21 +0000

Jana Jenkins wears a lot of hats. She is both Director of sales at Oregon Wild Rice and co-owner of Oregon-Ag. Oregon Wild Rice was started by two brothers in the mid-Willamette valley in Oregon. Fourth generation Oregon farmers on a farm about 120 years running, they went from grass seed growers to rice because the soil was heavy clay and did not drain water very well. So why fight it? They switched to rice crops which love the water five years ago and have been producing bumper crops of “wild” rice ever since. As crops go, rice is one of the easier products to cultivate. First you dam up some land, let the Oregon rain fill it with water and make a pond, sprinkle the seed in the pond and let it germinate. No plowing, discing or weeding, just wait until it grows to about six feet tall over a few months. The rice is then harvested with a combine, just like most other tall farm crops. Growing rice is not a huge industry in Oregon yet, but obviously with the ease of growing and the amount of rainfall available, it should increase. Oregon Ag came about with Jana being in stores talking to the store owners, who would refer her to other food producers, urging her to check out their products. These referrals led to a stable of clients that Jana and her business partner can take store-to-store and ask the owner what special Oregon products they need, such as a Hazelnut producer, or a wild rice producer or good pickles. Then they fill the need, acting as a built-in distributor for companies not large enough to have their own sales and distribution division. Only started last January, Oregon Ag has already built a great list and it is growing as they find more and more craft products.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#80 She Writes a Never-Ending Script for Her Life - Kelly Cox, The Original Fare

Wed, 05 May 2021 16:29:19 +0000

Kelly Cox does what she wants. That’s a quote from Portland Magazine, and our hosts get Kelly to explain exactly what that means. For the past five years, Kelly has traveled the globe seeking the origin of the best food ingredients as the content of her award-winning series, The Original Fare on PBS. As her website says, she has done everything from plucking tea leaves in Sri Lanka to hunting seals on ice floats off Newfoundland, sharing the experiences with the public. The mission is to find where food comes from and understanding the work and culture that goes into producing food ingredients. The show is part travel, part food but mostly the people behind the food, showing our commonalities and our difference. There’s another reason for Kelly’s drive. She works with young women around the world with common initiatives, Girl Power and Gender Equality. In 2014, she made her debut as a film director with Big Dream, a show that follows seven ambitious young women around the world who stop at nothing to achieve their big dream. It’s available on Amazon. Portland, Oregon is Kelly’s home base and there is a strong connection and support, especially with our host Sarah Marshall. And when COVID lockdown hit, Kelly realized that an international program such as Original Fare was going to come to a halt when there was no international traveling! She then turned her focus locally for projects, which had mixed results, so she and her husband moved in with her parents in California. Now that odyssey has taken them with her parents to Idaho, where they are currently still treading the COVID waters. What’s next? There are a couple of wild acres on the property, so Kelly has taken to starting her own ambitious garden and also growing a chicken flock, for fresh eggs. Not surprisingly, Kelly’s life reflects her show. It’s Original.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#79 No sugar, No Dairy, No Gluten but Sweet as Honey - Laney Sisun, Honey Palette

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 18:26:04 +0000

Laney Sisun first started healing herself, then started building a company to heal others. A sufferer of Crohn’s Disease, an auto immune affliction of the gut, and it’s miserable. To manage it, she turned to the Specific Carbohydrate Diet which limits all sugar and fruit except honey and keeps the carbo count low. It worked. Then she began cooking and baking for herself because she was, as she confesses, a “junk food junkie” and giving up the donuts, cookies, etc. was not an option. But finding a recipe took lots of experimenting to come up with the desserts that were, as her Honey Palette company says, are exciting and decadent. Also a Registered Nurse and certified AIP Health Coach, Laney saw there were few products available to the public that would help them stay on the strict diet and manage afflictions like Laney was able to do. She wasn’t sure she wanted to start her own company at first, so she took a business course offered by the Oregon Entrepreneur Network, a comprehensive look at setting goals, planning strategy and of course, financing the endeavor. Also, the networking with other founders was invigorating and gave her the inspiration to give it a try. She entered pitch competitions which sharpened her vision and strategy, and built her confidence (check out her YouTube session), She won a competition that catapulted her from only selling at a local farmer’s market to getting shelf space as two Oregon grocery store chains and she was in business! Her products are especially a god send for those with diabetes, who think they can’t have the sweet things in life ever again without harming themselves, and Laney’s absolutely gorgeous looking desserts can fill that void.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#78 Nutrition In, Nutrition Out - Amanda Ramirez, Eat Pluck

Wed, 14 Apr 2021 18:19:56 +0000

Amanda Ramirez holds down two inspiring and demanding roles that are a result of her commitment to better nutrition for the world. She is a personal chef running her own business, Made to Nourish, and is also community builder and social media director of Eat Pluck. Her personal business advocates recipes that offer great tasting and nutritious meals. Eat Pluck has created spices from meat organs that are incredibly rich in natural nutrients and have added vegetables that give meals a unique spicy taste. How did she get to be the nutrition guru? In the fashion industry at the time, Amanda had health issues that western medicine could not heal. So she turned to changing her diet to natural healing and in two short months she felt 100% better. She wanted to share her good fortune and knowledge with the world and started her personal chef business began in 2013. And luckily, some of the first people she met was James Barry, founder of Eat Pluck. She simply HAD to work with James and his company after hearing him speak. The parallel stories have worked well, as Amanda has now grown her team to three women chefs who specialize in creating recipes for people with auto-immune system problems, food allergies and those dealing with cancer. They want food as healing to be a message carried forward as an alternative to pharmaceutical medication. And it’s more that good tasting, good for you food. It’s a total mental health, physical health and spiritual growth program that comes with a new way of living and thinking for many. It’s mainly what Amanda calls elimination diet, a process of eliminating the foods that irritate the gut and lead to many common maladies.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#77 That Which Stings You Can Also Cure You - Melissa Mutterspaugh, Mountain Mel’s

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 15:07:15 +0000

As a backpacking guide and wilderness therapist in Oregon’s Mount Hood area, Melissa Mutterspaugh, AKA Mountain Mel, was almost horrified when the group would stop and people would pull out artificial snacks in the middle of a perfectly natural environment. The experience gave her the motivation and mission to create natural foods and food products to replace the “toxic” ones they were using. A clinical herbalist, Melissa has a use for most of nature’s plants. Take nettles, for instance. They sting, trust me, but Melissa will tell you that you can pick the top of the leaves with your bare hands, and if you chew the leaves from the top, the small hairs on the bottom side will crumble and you won’t be stung by them. And if you have chronic pain from some old injury, you can rub the underside of the leaf – the stinging side – and after you endure an hour or so of discomfort, you’ll find your chronic pain may be gone! Her clinical background was achieved by attending the Elderberry Botanical Studies school in Portland, Oregon where she learned the chemical properties of plants and how to harvest. Feeling the background was helpful but a little “hippie dippie”, Melissa wanted to know more about the human body and the mechanics of interacting with the beneficial elements of plants. She next attended Portland School of Traditional Herbalism, where she heard from some of the best herbalists around how natural elements dance with the human body to help heal itself. Mountain Mel’s herbal products include herbal teas, body and lip balms, hand sanitizers and special tea blends for mothers and expectant mothers. They are available online and at certain Oregon stores currently.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#76 For People Who Love Lovage - Stacey Givens, Side Yard Farm & Kitchen

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 15:01:38 +0000

Stacey Givens is a real urban farmer. On an acre pretty much in the middle of Northeast Portland, Oregon, The Side Yard grows local, fresh and delicious food for the community. And she’s a proponent of lovage, a plant that pops up in spring and is a food that may soon be discovered by many. Stacey remarks how the leaves are great for pesto and other sauces, and at a certain stage, the stems make terrific Bloody Mary straws. They grow up tall, then get dried out cut to one foot lengths for many uses, not the least of which is putting in the smoker for smoked fish! Stacey has curiously found that visitors from Germany in particular are pleased to see lovage offered in the US, as it is quite common in Germany and much of Europe. An urban farm is a different kind of place, as some of the 10,000+ annual customers have a hard time figuring out if they are parking their car in someone’s yard, but when they get in the growing area, it is truly magical and a world of its own. Stacey has about 27 large beds of herbs and plants, so it is a sensory delight. Stacey has so far decided not to chase the organic certification because they have established a reputation with restauranteurs and the public, plus they are part of the Portland scene. However, she was reminded by host Sarah Masoni that through the Department of Agriculture, she might be eligible for a $750 rebate on the certification cost. “What???” was Stacey’s reaction. Good things come from this show. The future, however, is dicey. Urban farms are disappearing left and right, Stacey says, as the acreage needed for growing becomes more valuable as a space to develop. But for now, Stacey Givens’ The Side Yard is literally spreading its seeds, offering a subscription of seeds for those who want to start their own garden. So for now, Stacey continues to grow in many ways.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#75 Everybody Wants a Little Bite of Delicious - Tiffany Miller and Carnie Wilson, Love Bites

Tue, 30 Mar 2021 17:14:17 +0000

Tiffany Miller and Carnie Wilson have created more than Love Bites, they’ve created Love coffee, scented candles and even hand sanitizer. Love Bites by Carnie, has created a sweet sensation Bite Mob Team and have an extremely loyal audience who orders their treats online that are delivered from their Sherwood, Oregon location. Both entrepreneurs love to cook and have found their cooking and business freedom after teaming up over 40 years ago. As best friends, they tackle the challenges and unknowns of business together and support each other even through the inevitable differences of opinion. And this they manage with home life, children and delivering delicious treats as a balancing act. Carnie got started in business journey in a rather typical way, cooking bite sized treats in her kitchen that EVERYBODY raved about and got her started thinking: Can I sell enough of these to make a living? But how to make it happen? So she put a package of desserts together and took them to a Los Angeles restaurant that quickly offered her a deal. Not having much business savvy, Carnie turned to her best friend Tiffany who had the business background and asked about the demands that would go with the deal, including scary things like “exclusivity”. After some hand wringing, Carnie said, “Let’s be partners!” and the company was born. The first year was spent on the road and actually taking the desserts to the bite-size they now sell. The support for each other also gets them over the hump of being in different cities and still operating successfully. COVID has hit them hard; they had a café to serve their coffee and bites they had to close and are not certain if it will reopen. It also has affected production, but they have weathered so far, mainly because the flavors Carnie has created and continues to create have captured the public’s imagination. COVID put their grocery store distribution on hold, but now they are planning to co-pack rather than expand their own production. They plan to expand the brand and products nationally – one bite at a time.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#74 She Doesn’t Wear a Cape or Fly, but She’s a Real Superhero - Sarah Delevan, The Good Food CFO

Tue, 30 Mar 2021 17:07:00 +0000

Sometimes podcasts hosts all get together for a show, and that’s the case for today’s episode. Sarah Delevan, founder and owner of The Good Food CFO, also hosts her own Podcast show “The Good CFO”. For six wonderful years, Sarah was a buyer, responsible for sourcing the BEST ingredients from California farmers, ranchers, and fisherman. She spent her time in markets and in the fields, sampling the best food and tastes in the world, and loved it. But she had an even bigger love: Building spreadsheets and as she says in her website, “sitting at my desk - deep in spreadsheets + tools…identifying ways to improve the financial sustainability and profitability of the business that I was working for.”. Geeky? No, just passionate about NOT letting great food products fail simply because most food entrepreneurs close their doors because they hadn’t learned the financial aspects of their business yet. Sarah saw owner after owner fail because they were overspending on ingredients, undercharging for their products or allocating resources to all the wrong places. So in 2017, her mission to offer that critical piece of the puzzle became real and The Good Food CFO consulting business launched. As her website says, she has 50 clients and counting, and the reviews are beyond positive. She has literally been the life preserver for chefs, food cart owners, caterers and more. She has believed in Instagram for her business and her clients, so you might check that out for in-depth information on her career.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#73 Hey Mahn, Here is Real Jamaica! - Nhu and Craig, FiMi Kingston

Mon, 22 Mar 2021 18:17:37 +0000

The story begins with the Peace Corps. Nhu, a native of Vietnam, was volunteering in Kingston, Jamaica. Craig was part of Peace Corps Jamaica’s administrative staff. They both have a passion for education and believe that education changes lives. Hurricane Floyd brought them together, as Craig visited Nhu presumably to bring her supplies, but actually to ask her out! They lived in Jamaica for years, but Nhu longed to move back to the Pacific Northwest and they landed in Portland, Oregon. The move was difficult for Craig at first, so Nhu would shop for all the Jamaican items she could find locally so Craig could have a piece of his homeland. But it was difficult to find spices and rubs, so they started to make their own. When they had parties, they served their Jamaican dishes and friends and family raved about it. But Craig and Nhu realized there was a difference between pleasing friends and family and selling to the public so ventured carefully into the business of selling their Jerk dishes and the spices that flavor them. Jerk has been a part of Jamaica’s culinary tradition for centuries and is a way of cooking pork, chicken, seafood, beef and vegetables. The taste of Jerk best exemplifies Jamaica and the Jamaican people; spicy and hot, yet sweet! Jerk rubs are typically hot with scotch bonnet peppers (habaneros). The couple sells their dishes from a popular food cart and sell their spices there and online to encourage others to cook authentic Jamaican dishes at home. That is their way of educating others to the joys of Jamaican hospitality and food. And the name Fi Mi Kingston? It’s a slogan from the patios (pronounced “pat-wa”) dialect spoken in Jamaica. Fi Mi means “my” and it is the warm way of saying “My Kingston.”

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#72 It’s the All-American Story, Straight from Thailand - Nong Poonsukwattana, Nong’s Khao Man Gai

Mon, 22 Mar 2021 18:12:08 +0000

With two suitcases, $70 in her pocket and no English, Nong left her native Thailand and landed in the U.S. She quickly learned that her $70 was not going to take her far and hustled for a job and started picking up English as quickly as possible. Her work ethic had been cast in steel; her mother was the sole provider for her family and money was always a struggle. But that kept them close and became the basis for her strong determination coupled with an unlimited compassion for others. Nong worked as a food server seven days a week and saved and saved. She also cooked. A very, very special dish that is basically chicken and rice but finding words to describe it is difficult. People loved it and Nong realized there was a market for it if she opened her own business. Living in Portland, Oregon, a food cart came up for sale for $800 and she jumped on it. Nong has an incredibly honest and fearless approach to life; she is very candid about what she does NOT know, a trait all entrepreneurs should emulate. She had a product, a place to sell it but no knowledge of business. But with her ambition and her humility to ask for help, she learned fast. The food cart exploded into a full kitchen and staff that now cooks, prepares and serves her chicken and rice in traditional Thai butcher paper wrapping to hundreds daily. Nong also has expanded by bottling her amazing sauce which is available on Amazon. Her compassion also is out in the open; she’s proud that her employees enjoy a robust health insurance plan and are well cared for just like her customers. Do yourself a favor and check out her videos on her website, her true personality comes through. And just to demonstrate how the American Dream has come true for her, we talked to Nong from the island of Maui, where she is vacationing with her family.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#71 Romancing Your Customer - Anna Bradshaw, Writer and Content Strategist

Tue, 16 Mar 2021 20:11:29 +0000

CPG means Consumer Packaged Goods for the uninitiated, and Anna Bradshaw is a Black Belt in the art. If you are going to have your food product move off the grocery shelf, you have to tell a story to the shopper quickly and make them taste it before they pick it up and put it in their cart; and that isn't easy. And here's a great case study: Go to Episode #24, Josie's gluten free. She became a client of Anna's and here are the results. Go to Josie's website and check out the words, aka the copy. It's pure magic and that's the magic Anna brings to your product. And it's more that website copy, it's email copy, about descriptions and product descriptions, packaging, the words that sell more product by making it more appealing to the audience. Yes, the right words equal sales. How? By romancing the reader and convincing them the product will fulfill a need and that it is fairly priced. In the online world, it means clicking the "Buy" button, which is called "Conversion", because we have now converted your potential buyer into a real customer. Conversion rate optimization is a little deeper in the science, that's the art of taking your current customers and getting them to buy more from you, either more of the same product or trying some other products of yours if it's a good fit for them, of course. The other benefit of Anna's experience is for those who are starting up. Startup founders often can't tell their own story in the best light because they are too close to it and have trouble seeing it from their audience's point of view, or maybe feel like they're bragging. There's always the temptation to look at competitors' messages and try to copy it and lose their own identity. That's another place a seasoned professional like Anna can help. Anna also is an expert in showing startup founders how to get good research on their market without having a huge budget.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#70 Buy Milk You Can See First, in a Glass Bottle - Janina VanDam, Rising Sun Dairy

Tue, 16 Mar 2021 20:02:43 +0000

If you're old enough you remember milk in good old glass bottles. If you’re not, you’ve probably seen pictures. The Rising Sun Dairy has brought back those days with their family run dairy delivering fresh, pasteurized milk in a bottle to people in Oregon’s mid-Willamette Valley. Husband and wife couple Janina and Mark VanDam first met at a Bible retreat, Mark from Oregon and Janina from Canada. Both grew up on family run dairy farms so they had an immediate connection. Mark told Janina he wanted to do dairy farming with milk packaged in glass bottles, not the conventional dairy distribution methods. And so the journey began. The couple put two years of research into the idea and in June of 2019 produced their first bottle of milk on a farm they rent from a family member. Milking is done all by hand and each day Mark packs the coolers and delivers the milk bottles to two public markets, one in Corvallis, Oregon and the other in Salem, Oregon. However, they have been expanding their business. In addition to the public markets, they have landed accounts at a local coffee house and at a bakery. Plus, they have added flavored milk to the product mix, including seasonal flavors such as eggnog. They also are doing deliveries, but only in Corvallis because of their limited level of production and staffing. Because their philosophy is fresh, local and responsible, the company also has its own bottle deposit and return system. They charge a $2 deposit per bottle. When people bring the empty back and purchase more milk, there is no charge. And if they simply bring back the empty, their $2 is refunded on the spot. Besides being environmentally responsible, glass also preserves the flavor better than conventional methods, according to Janina. With two children and 15 cows that must be milked twice a day, it’s a full schedule. But they are living their dream and loving it.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#69 The World Simply Can’t Have Too Many Chocolate Chip Cookies - Andrea Ludlow, Showstopper Cookies

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 22:08:26 +0000

She does one thing, one thing only, and she just crushes it. Or should we say bakes it. Andrea Ludlow is a one-product startup founder and Showstopper Cookies is her company. She has always loved chocolate chip cookies but wanted to make only the best, real showstoppers. Her journey is a typical entrepreneur's one. She owned and ran a school for 18 years and decided recently that she needed a change. Then COVID hit and as the neighborhood baker, she was always asked to bake a pie or a cake with the added, "and be sure to include some of your cookies!". People wanted dough or cookies for gifts and Andrea noticed the people who took dough and baked it had the cookies turn out differently than hers. Then she did a fundraiser for an event and raised over $700 in a bake sale and figured she had a business here. She has a strong, disciplined sales structure as you can see on her website. Cookies are all 3 oz. and because they are hand baked, will be different in size and shape, which of course sings of craftsmanship. And she explains how her process works: Dough is made and refrigerated for 48 hours on Fridays and Sundays. Baking is on Sundays and Tuesdays. You will probably wait 4 days to get your order. This is real anticipation of the marketplace and Andrea is building a following that will wait in line for a hand made quality product. Smart marketing so far. But now the challenge; going from the customer-direct, from the kitchen production to ramping up volume and sales, without losing the magic. And this is where our hosts help Andrea and all listeners of the show. Sarah Marshall tells Andrea she needs to decide: Grow a team with all the added expense and headaches? Keep selling directly to consumers and stay small? Sarah Masoni chimes in with the question: Since people who buy your dough have the cookies turn out differently - why? That's a production question that will need to be addressed if Andrea wants to go commercial. Also, what temperature in the freezer and for how long will the dough need to be refrigerated in large volume? There are tricks and tips for extending the cookie life if Andrea wants to go into stores. But take a look at Andrea's website. You can see in the FAQs that she is on a journey and very open about constantly experimenting about how she delivers these incredible treats from the best ingredients. And if you look at her picture, you see someone who absolutely enjoys what they are doing, enjoys the journey and will figure it out.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#68 It’s Art Disguised as Cheese - Sarah Marcus, Briar Rose Creamery

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 00:56:57 +0000

Well, this episode is Sarah, Sarah and Sarah; try not to get confused. Sarah Marcus started her career in San Francisco, taking a job as cheesemonger for Cowgirl Creamery. She fell in love with cheese and developed her palate there. The company sent her to the processing plant where she learned the entire cheese making business and she wanted more. Her cheesemaking studies took her to England, Spain, North Carolina, and Vermont. In 2008 she and her husband moved to Dundee, Oregon with the intention to build Briar Rose Creamery. They chose that area because of the natural beauty: rivers, forests, and farmland, and the wineries make some of the best Pinot Noir in the world. Plus, the water adds a flavor found nowhere else. Our own Sarah Masoni (again, try not to get confused) has been deeply involved in dairy products and in 1985 was Oregon State University's Dairy Products judging team and was the number one judge for the national butter and ice cream competition. After that, she ran the Blue Heron cheese factory in Tillamook, Oregon. Currently, she is one of 65 judges for cheese, butter and ice cream products. A lot of cheese knowledge in this episode. But back to the guest (aka Sarah number three). Sarah Marcus is a typical founder, whatever needs to be done for the business, she gets it done, wears every hat that Briar Rose Creamery has. She also is an incredible photographer, and has chosen Christine Hyatt to post photos of her cheeses on her website. They make you feel as if you can smell and taste them. Probably her background in selling music has added to her artistic background but she left the 9 to 5 world for the cheesemonger job because she "knew how to sell". But you have to do more than sell to have a cheese factory, you have to be a business person too. A cheese plant is expensive to start up and Sarah's experience in England taught her how to source equipment that produced beautiful cheese as economically as possible. Luckily, the cheese community in her area is very open and the owners share information on how to stay in business easily and work hard to support each other. Sarah has rebuild her business "three or four" times when life threw her a curve. But she's dialed in and determined to live her dream.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#67 It’s Not a High, It’s CBD - Carrie Solomon, Greater Goods

Thu, 04 Mar 2021 19:25:24 +0000

The body regulates a variety of functions including inflammation. CBD is a hemp extract that encourages things like controlling inflammation, relaxing muscles and other functions but is not, repeat not the same thing as THC, which makes people "high". That distinction has become more understood over time, so the people who sell CBD products have been able to distance themselves from the traditional head shops. And Carrie Solomon, founder of Greater Goods, has taken that distinction to a greater level with delicious chocolate bars and other CBD/chocolate derivative products that are enjoying huge success for those seeking the relief of CBD but wanting to pare it with a food. Carrie is part chef, part scientist and sourcing the best, most tractable CBC ingredients to keep the quality of Greater Goods' products at the highest level to keep the trust of their very loyal audience. They source CBD processed oil from extremely trusted suppliers and the product is tested and certified. And there are tough and complex rules and regulations that go along with selling CBD products. Just to be safe, Greater Goods has registered with the FDA for endorsement. And the company has taken a new marketing wrinkle. Unlike traditional wellness products who package their foods in muted colors, Greater Goods bars and tinctures are packaged in bright, joyous colors, celebrating the wellness their chocolates deliver. The company has also brought back pop rocks. Good old fashioned candy products that is sugar candy but with the added benefit of getting into the system faster because they elicit salivating. But payment processing is tricky because of the schedule one problems, so Carrie has been very helpful to other CBD product makers telling them how to use the correct language when utilizing digital financial processing.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#66 No Dumb Blonde Jokes, Please - Donna Parker, Blondy’s Baked Goods

Wed, 03 Mar 2021 23:18:32 +0000

Gluten free? Paleo? Baked Goods? And they taste as great as they look? You've probably heard that one a million times and the pastries don't live up to the hype. Well - at Blondy's Baked Goods, they do. Donna Parker a big part of the Portland, Oregon food community, has been gluten free for ten years but only started Blondy's about one year ago (if you wonder where the name Blondy came from, check out her picture on her website). Although she didn't seek out a food business, but her allergies forced her into a strict diet. And because she has always loved a challenge, the challenge of eating paleo, gluten free goodies appealed to her. She loves being able to give someone a chocolate chip cookie like they remember growing up only to find out it is free of all the inflammatory ingredients in a regular cookie. Do yourself a favor and try Blondy's Bites. They're a cookie dough base pastry baked in a muffin pan. They currently come in two flavors, almond poppy seed and chocolate chip toasted pecan. Donna urges everyone to look for them in the coffee shop, and if you don't see them, as her website says, " Don’t see them on the menu? Ask your local shop owner to try adding them to the menu, because good things are meant to be shared." In fact, that's how Blondy's was born. While sitting at her local coffee favorite, she mentioned to the owner it was a shame there weren't any pastry items she could enjoy there. And being in the greater Portland area, surely there had to be a demand for the gluten free pastries that she made at home. The owner agreed and got the staff together to try Donna's goodies and the vote was unanimous: We love 'em!. Donna says now that "push" is what made her feel she had a calling and needed to see it through. A big boost also came from Oregon's Market of Choice (yes, we know they're a sponsor, but they're great people!) who has been instrumental in helping a multitude of food startup companies get on the shelf, including Blondy's. Another great supporter was Stella's kitchens, a gluten-free commercial kitchen. A full time single Mom, Donna balances like a tightrope walker. She has support from her friends and fellow business owners, however and that keeps her afloat, COVID has caused pivots for just about every company, including Blondy's. Having a following before the lockdown help Donna changer her strategy from trying to be everywhere and expand quickly, she decided to focus and be very particular about taking care of the her gluten free community with extra careful attention. Of course, Blondy's has taken a hit during this lockdown, but Donna has used the experience to steel her dream for Blondy's success.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#65 No More Stomach Aches and No Headaches - Sascha Archer, Sauvie Shrubs

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 19:04:33 +0000

We make small batch, cold pressed, hand-crafted, fermented drinking vinegar concentrates, bitters, and health elixirs. Whew! Say that three times in a row fast. Sascha Archer does it all on an island right out of Portland, Oregon called Sauvie Island (pronounced Soh' vee or Saw' vee, your choice). Sascha suffered a lifetime of indigestion and heartburn and turned to a cider vinegar to ease her symptoms. Despite soothing her digestion problems, both the flavor and the acidity were too much to "stomach" for her. Because she was a cook and a gardener, Sascha started mixing various herbs and fruits to make the ACV, apple cider vinegar, more palatable. It worked. Sascha lost not only the digestive irritants, she lost 80 pounds in about a year and a half. You might check out Sascha 's Shrub Club. It's a monthly delivery and supports the farms out on the Island. Twice a month, Sascha does a seasonal batch that is always a surprise. They can be cocktails or mocktails, or straight shots. Shrub Club members get first pick, so it's a good idea to get in the queue. Sascha has worked hard to get more Farmers' Markets out on the Island. Local regulations have made it difficult, but she wants to support the other farmers and urge people to enjoy the wildlife and the relaxed environment in the rural island so close to a city. Meeting demand has been the main challenge. Her kitchen is small, her production limited and scaling up is a big decision to make. Sascha counsels other food entrepreneurs to remember you can be small and profitable, and that moving up to being large with more headaches is not always the best way to go.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#64 The Unique Experience Becomes the Unique Product - Bobbie Rosenberg, Bobbie’s Boat Sauce

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 19:25:31 +0000

Robin Rosenberg became "Bobbie" for two reasons. First, no way could she trademark Boat Sauce without an added word, and secondly, she was "Aunt Bobbie" to one of her friend's children, so Bobbie just seemed right. An eight-week tour through the Inside Passage of the waterways of the Pacific Northwest by a friend gave Robin a chance to sail part of that tour. Starting from a remote fishing village, she spent a couple of weeks sailing a very remote part of the world. The friend caught a fish during that time and asked Robin what to do. She recommended grilling it, then went down into the galley, cleaned out the refrigerator and found the "stuff" that needed to be cleaned up and used it to start a concoction. Of course, the trial and error led to the invention of the Boat Sauce. The unique event became the unique food product; she pretty much decided right there on the boat she was going to make the product, call it Boat Sauce and that - was that. When she returned home to Portland, Oregon, Robin started experimenting in her kitchen with fresh chiles, ginger and all the other non-fresh ingredients that were on the boat. Robin took the first batch to our very own Sarah Masoni, who knew right away she was sampling something different and good. Encouraged, Robin pushed forward, visiting Sarah more than once during the development of the current sauce. Robin now works with a co-packer, as that business model worked best for her situation. An advertising background definitely did not hurt her marketing effort, and now Bobbie's Boat Sauce is available literally coast-to-coast in the US (There's still some room in the middle of the country). So go try it!

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#63 Sip Slowly and Enjoy Life - Jenny Affan, Back to Broth

Wed, 04 Nov 2020 16:47:51 +0000

Jenny Affan and her partner Chelsea Benjamin were studying at the National University of Natural Medicine, Portland, Oregon when Jenny's psoriasis kept flaring up and she started treating it successfully with good old nutrition from natural foods. The way the two of them decided to treat more ailments naturally was with nutritionally-balanced broth. Distribution is as old-fashioned at broth; through Farmer's Markets in Oregon and online sales. And don't wait to order, lots of items will sell out as their popularity is starting to exceed supply! But more importantly, the attitude of the company comes through in its products. They come in canning jars and are delivered with intention, not speed. The idea is to be mindful, purposeful and thoughtful about the planet. It's a philosophy the founders have fostered and put above the simple precipice of business for profit. It is their way of life, their way of telling people to slow down, take care of themselves and each other.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#62 East Meets Southwest - Rippy and Sukdev, Khalsa Salsa

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 17:31:39 +0000

Indian fusion salsas. Sound new and tempting? Trust us, they are. Rippy and Sukdev have taken Indian spices and blended them with three vegan salsa recipes, classic, black bean and mango habanero. The literal meaning of Khalsa means honesty and is also the name of a religious group meaning the same and reflects honest, hard working way of life. And, as both of them say, it also rhymes! The ingredients reflect this philosophy, they use only wholesome ingredients and the three flavors are vegan. The couple made the recipes for their friends at first and got rave reviews - a common story amongst food company founders. However the big push came when they had a big party of friends who adored their salsa. Unfortunately, they ran out of their own salsa, so Rippy ran down to Costco and bought some national brand and served it. After severe disappointment from their guests, the couple knew they were on to something. Although both had steady jobs they had the hard talk and in June, 2018, they went to the SBA and then came their big moment, talking with our own Sarah Masoni. As they say, "the most valuable one hour we ever had" was spent with Sarah as she walked them through the stages of taking something great from the kitchen and putting it on a grocery shelf while maintaining the magic of its original taste. The couple now has distribution in nearly 20 stores and the reputation is growing.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#61 Because Strong Gals Deserve Strong Gin and Other Good Spirits - Jill Kuehler, Free Land Spirits

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 23:02:57 +0000

Jill Kuehler is founder of woman-owned Free Land Spirits, a Portland, Oregon company producing distinct spirits in their distillery. An east Texas native, Jill grew up working the garden of her grandmother, Memah Freeland, and fell in love with fresh tastes straight from the earth. Her desire to offer that experience to consumers of spirits is the foundation of Pacific Northwest flavors inherent in each bottle. In addition to the distinct gin, Free Land bourbon and mixed cocktails also are offered on their website. On a personal side, this writer has tried pretty much all the products and they are fantastic! (And I enjoy good bourbon).

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#60 West Meets West, Ivory Coast Tradition with an American Twist - Affouet M. Price, Hibis Bloom

Wed, 14 Oct 2020 17:13:47 +0000

Affouet M. Price of Portland, Oregon, learned how to prepare the traditional recipes of her native Ivory Coast from her mother and grandmother. Her greatest joys in cooking are the storied history of traditional recipes, and the connections that she sees people make when they enjoy those recipes together. Affouet also founded La Casserole Gourmet, a food and beverage social media presence meant to promote West African Cuisine, so she is definitely a serial entrepreneur. But her focus right now is the family business, making beautiful bottles of cocktail and soda mixes from the seeds she and her mother originally planted! The Hibis Bloom drinks blend West African culture with American tastes for a refreshing drink offering a cultural treat.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#59 Secrets on How to Create a Brand That WORKS! - Allison Ball, Retail Ready & Food Biz Wiz Podcast

Thu, 08 Oct 2020 18:13:12 +0000

Most food producers don't know how to work with wholesalers and get their product sold after it hits the shelf. But Allison - Alli - Ball does. Her background was working with San Francisco based Bi-Rite, a family company since 1940, choosing the right products for a grocer and getting them to fly off the shelf. Her in the trenches work changed when the company expanded and she spent more time working with financial statements than products. Her most frequently asked question is obviously, "How do I get into Bi-Rite?", but she quickly directs the producer to understanding their category and where they fit with competition. And mistakes are costly, so her advice is incredibly valuable. Alli's background is working with the grocer, not product development, so her clients are either in production or just ready. She thinks about why the consumer will pull out their wallet and buy that particular product rather than a competitor, and that thinking through process is what makes her clients successful. It's the emotional element that' is the "secret" that she knows.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#58 High Tech Meets High Touch on the Farm - Laura Ellis, Mt Hope Farms

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 18:00:43 +0000

On their Instagram account, Laura Ellis and her family share the day-to-day experience of operating Mt. HopeFarm. Laura's parents also farm with them and being exposed on IG has been an experience they needed to get used to, but have adjusted. A great example of following them has been their recent grape harvest. They have documented how they take such care raising, testing and then harvesting the grapes at just the peak time for eating. And they walk their viewers through their method of getting the grapes to the grocer as quickly as possible so their consumers have the freshest grapes possible at the peak of flavor. A fifth generation farm family on Laura's husband's side, they also are third generation on the land. The family also produces fruit spread and suggests recipes for all sorts of good eats and drinks, including the fabulous Autumn Apple Whiskey Sour! Technology has played a huge part in making a family farm successful by connecting the farm directly to the end consumer. In particular, consumers can easily go from Instagram to the website and even to the exact recipe because Laura uses Link Tree for the consumer's convenience.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#57 Actually, it’s Been Very Exciting - Serafina and Jenn, It’s a Boring Life

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 20:24:31 +0000

Serafina owner of It's a Boring Life and It's a Boring Life cafe, also owns a farm in - yes really - BORING, Oregon. Now for the journey. Our host, Sarah Marshall, actually grew up in the area and can relate to the life. A joint venture between Serafina and wife, Jennifer Johnson, Serafina started her career raising lots of money for non-profits. Starting a chicken farm to take wholesome chicken nuggets to the public, they started from a knowledge base of nothing. But it took off exponentially and sold in 2018. Serafina took over as CEO for about a year, then they decided to move and chose to go to Oregon to be closer to Serafina's family. Landing in Boring was close to family even though they had said "never again" to a startup, they eventually got back into building a business. They're sage advice to budding entrepreneurs: Make a large margin on your product or else you'll be raising money to get it off the ground.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#56 Back to Basics - Anna Henricks, Sweetheart St. John’s

Tue, 08 Sep 2020 21:52:57 +0000

Anna Hendricks' website introduction says it all, " My cakes and pastries are botanically-inspired, hand-crafted of the finest seasonal ingredients and decorated with Natural Flourishes". This business is a collision between a florist and a baker and a sculptor. Of course, even with these works of art, COVID has had an impact, specifically wedding business. With large gatherings not allowed, weddings have been postponed - and so have wedding cakes. So Anna has pivoted her Sweetheart St. John's, Portland business. She had to ask herself how she connected and got customers in the beginning. She knew how to bake incredible edibles, but didn't know any marketing techniques. So she went back to her roots - pastries - but a new way to deliver. She now has a CSA-type model, delivering pastries to homes in the Portland area and is making it through the summer, and through the lockdown.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#55 The Right Food in the Right Store - Amy Thompson, Full Shelf Foods

Tue, 08 Sep 2020 21:47:23 +0000

A varied background lead Amy Thompson to her food brokerage business, Full Shelf Foods. Starting as a cheesemonger, an amazing way to "learn about food" according to Amy. Talking with the consumer face to face and constantly sampling the goods and looking for new flavors gave her a great on-the-ground beginning. Cheese means talking about the entire chain, cow to process and all the agriculture in between. And cheeses come from all over the world. It gave her a tremendous understanding of putting great food on the table. Residing in NYC, she has come to find unusual foods most interesting and taking them to new markets and new consumers is her passion. Milk products seem to be a specialty, she has branched from cheeses to specialty ice cream with her recent client on the west coast. Right now, she is growing her client list, then growing her team and territories.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#54 The Name Means ”Little Girl,” but This is a Woman’s Business - Lisa Douangphoumy, Sao Noi, LLC

Tue, 08 Sep 2020 21:42:23 +0000

Chile oils and peanut sauces, typically only served fresh, have been been engineered to be sold with a great taste in the store by Lisa Douangphoumy, of Sao Noi. Another student of our host, Sarah Masoni, Lisa and her mother, Marney, came to Sarah and the OSU Food Innovation Center to become one of the first peanut butter sauce brands to be sold in a grocery store cooler. The name is Lisa's mother's nickname, which in Laotian literally means "little girl". She was the youngest of eight siblings, so the family is everywhere around the globe. Marney met her husband in Hawaii and started a restaurant there, then came to the Pacific NW in 2006. Lisa has kept the connection with the Pacific NW outdoor beauty and keep the natural taste and genuine ingredients to reflect that nature. Getting started was the hard part. Her mother made some terrific noodles and created some chile oils to go with them. An employee suggested contacting a supply company to distribute it and after a lot of hard work, things began to take off.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#53 Salad Lovers Dream, Delivered to Your Door - Quinn & Theus, Farm Punks

Wed, 19 Aug 2020 22:19:36 +0000

Greens grown chemical-free and till-free. They're the most supple, freshest and delicious and LOCAL. Quinn and Theus, founders of Farm Punks started farming rather recently, they were not the usual siblings who grew up on a farm. Starting their business only a year ago, they are passionate about locally-grown and locally-supported farming. And they want you to enjoy the vegetables they grow so carefully, so they'll deliver it to your door - by bike! The company's brand building is very sophisticated, thanks to Quinn's graphic background, and the bags dropped off at your front door are outstanding and add a credible, serious image to a down-home business; they do not look Mom 'N Pop. They also offer their same ethical salad dressings and herbs to complete the total quality offering to your door. Their Punk Farm is located in Gresham, Oregon as part of a community plot of farm land where people can grown their own food and can rent the equipment they need, making it affordable for almost anyone wanting to grow their own, their own way.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#52 Becky Westby, Oregon Fruit Products

Thu, 13 Aug 2020 00:19:48 +0000

As Director of Sales, Becky Westby steers Oregon Fruit Products, a 1935 icon. OFP's canned products are in over 25,000 grocery store outlets. DotFoods is a redistributor who has become a big and important partner over the years to help spread the great taste of Oregon fruit to the world. Headquartered in Salem, central to the fruit growing valley, OFP has a stunning processing plant and hopefully will be the center of a fruit campus some day. The company offers a plethora of recipes to show how to enjoy Oregon fruit in an unlimited number of dishes and drinks. Oregon fruit is a part of family holidays and summer dinners and inseparable from good times around the meal table. It is a proud and enduring legacy to the rich, fertile valley that has been the horn of plenty to the world for decades.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#51 Spirits from the Treetops - Faith Dionne, JAZ Spirits

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 21:26:19 +0000

Frenzied, running three businesses simultaneously, Faith Dionne lost track of some of the basic things in life, including family. So J-A-Z stands for Jack and Zoe, her children. It was a deliberate move to get control of that balance between business and life. She started a healthy candy bar company, Bees and Beans, in 2010 that she subsequently sold, so Faith is an experienced entrepreneur, growing the company naturally and steadily and then exiting. Then the move to JAZ, not all that distant from Bees and Beans, using the local and natural environment to inspire a new food offering. Faith grew up in a forested area, engaging nature and JAZ Spirits embraces the native foods and spirit to distill and produce the liquors. Currently, the company produces a line of gins that embrace the great northwest and its ambiance.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#50 Eating Right is a Human Right - Justine Reichman, Next Gen Chef

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 20:40:03 +0000

Aspiring chefs are hungry not only for good food, they're hungry for information and education. Yes, there are culinary schools - although fewer today than a couple of years ago - but they are localized and structured. What every aspiring student needs is a mentor, and Justine Reichman, founder of Next Gen Chef does that to the Nth degree. Pretty much the pastime of her family, connecting people was a natural thing for Justine to do. Her foundation is built on the philosophy of "it's not what YOU know, it's how you surround yourself with people who do know". She uses LinkedIn, speaking engagements and is part of the Founder Institute in the East Bay, which has a huge source of mentors. And Justine is always recruiting, encouraging our hosts to apply as mentors! The great part is there are so many people who want to help others that when a mechanism such as Next Gen Chef exists, it becomes a magnet. But why food? Justine explains that she was in Mexico City with her partner and not able to take a job. A chance encounter with someone who offered help with her Spanish connected her with a group that helped people grow organic foods and be self-sustaining. And like all good organic things, it grew from there.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#49 Manny the Pup is the Inspiration - Cindy Anderson, Manny’s Choice

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 20:33:10 +0000

Found alongside the road and 24 hours from death, little Manny stole Cindy Anderson's heart and so she took him in and got him healthy. However, a few years later, Manny began having seizures, and Veterinary doctors couldn't seem to stop them. Cindy's degree from Oregon State University was in dietetics and nutrition, plus an MBA drove her to believe that Manny's diet was the cause. Taking Manny to a clean and natural diet stopped the seizures within a week. AH HA! It hit Cindy that she should start a company aimed at sharing products for those seeking a cleaner diet, especially those who were gluten-intolerant, like Cindy. And another big event in Cindy's life: Breast cancer. She is now a cancer survivor and whether or not the clean and natural diet was the cure or helped the cure, Cindy lives what she teaches.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#48 These Are Really Sweet People - Judy and Paul Fuller, Sweet Creek Foods

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 22:31:17 +0000

Paul Fuller started Sweet Creek Foods the long way. He was looking for a job and the opportunity that popped out was refrigeration. He built a cooler for one farm, started building and installing walk-ins for other farms and continued to fix them. So when everybody got new equipment, he had to start something! He had been in the back room of all the farms and he and spouse Judy had been canning all their lives, so it came together to start Sweet Creek, canning local fruits and vegetables. But they don't really do canning, they do "glassing" only glass containers. They like the concept of offering co-packing/canning for small runs of whatever is in season for local growers. And since Paul started by buying used equipment and fixing it up for a fraction of new equipment, he was able to start the co-packing plant for a song and offer his cost savings to their customers. Everything from tuna to apple sauce to pickles, everything is local and keep our small farms alive. Good for them.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#47 It’s No Wonder Why This is Good for You - Paula Phillips, Kombucha Wonderdrink

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 22:24:16 +0000

Paula Phillips is President of Kombucha Wonderdrink, a 20-year old maker of kombucha "discovered" by Tazo Tea co-founder Stephen Lee when on a trip to Russia. He fell in love with the fermented tea and then discovered all the health benefits of this prebiotic drink. The prebiotic part is a vegan based fiber that complements the probiotic - good bacteria - already in the body. It's food for the gut, in layman's terms. Available now in flavors such as ginger, pear, watermelon and other flavors, the company has worked hard to create a refreshing and tasty beverage that is great for your health. And though kombucha is fermented, there is no alcohol in the drink, so no problems raising your children on it. Luckily for our hosts, samples were sent to their homes, since we are interviewing remotely during the lockdown, and you can hear the rave reviews in the show!

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#46 They are Hot Hot, Hot - Kelly Calabria, Kelly’s Jellies

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 22:14:56 +0000

Our special guest on our Anniversary Show! Kelly and Adam Calabria co-founded Kelly's Jellies and Hillary is the official head of operations but the unofficial head of keeping the ball of yarn from unravelling. It was Great Aunt Danny's recipe for habanero pepper jelly that turned into holiday gifts. Not an easy recipe to make let alone at the commercial level, the friends and relatives raved about the holiday jars they received and begged for more. When they offered to pay for the jelly in between holiday gifts, Kelly and Adam knew they were on to something. But, same old story, going from kitchen to the grocery store shelf has a lot of steps involved to keep the magic of the original delight. They began with two children, making 36 jars a night in their own kitchen. The company now uses a co-packer to keep up with demand, and it is still tricky to keep consistency and color correct. Local ingredients and fresh peppers are part of the secret and that's a high standard for many manufacturers, but that's what has separated Kelly's from the pack. And spicy foods and condiments are growing as a market, which is good for the Calabria family.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#45 From Farm, to Noodle, to You - Lola Milholland, Umi Organic

Wed, 08 Jul 2020 19:48:49 +0000

A Portland, Oregon native, Lola Milholland's Umi Organic fresh ramen noodle dishes started with a workshop. She took a week long noodle making tour with other ramen noodle companies and was hooked on the idea of providing the best noodle making kits people could make fresh in their own homes. Most people don't realize what a creative space ramen noodle making can be. There's a limitless amount of ingredients that can be added, and taking the organic angle is very new. Raised in the culture of grocery stores, Lola's parents were involved in the food business and she spent much of her after-school time stocking the refrigerated goods and salad sections of a store; so she knows the business from the backroom. Lola studied the Japanese language in school and bent toward the culture and food. She blended that with the farm-to-school movement early on when moving back to Portland. It was program that connected the farm meals with the local food producers and Lola took that early experience and mission into forming her company. And her team is impressive, including experience in Wall Street banking and startups, and growing the largest organic farmer-owned cooperative.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#44 Superfoods from a Super Founder - Nafy Flatley, Teranga

Wed, 08 Jul 2020 19:44:35 +0000

It's about hospitality. Literally. The Senegalese word Teranga means hospitality and Nafy Flately imbues the word in her products. All the juices and snacks, super foods all, come from a variety of ingredients, but mainly from the Baobab tree, which is considered the "tree of life" for all the incredible levels of nutritious ingredients it offers. In Senegal, baobab is a natural remedy for many ailments. It has more Vitamin C than oranges, more magnesium than kale, more potassium than bananas, more calcium than milk and is high in soluble fiber. Whew! In fact, one of the bottles of juice or one of her snacks is really a meal, which can make a trip to the grocery store faster. Which has also made for an interesting wrinkle during the pandemic: Teranga has built up enough consumer awareness that people have been ordering her foods, picking them up or even getting local home delivery. Makes sense. Nafy got the inspiration from early memories of her Grandmother using the Baobab fruit to make snacks and juices for the grandchildren and when her family moved to the US, she and her mother continued the tradition.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#43 She Puts the ”A” in Alternative - Amy Colville, Amylk

Wed, 17 Jun 2020 17:20:37 +0000

Health issues often are the impetus for founders to look for healthy, nutritious new foods, and that is certainly the backdrop for Amy Colville's story. Going through a very stressful time, Amy started uncovering new knowledge and kept track of how certain foods were making her feel. Then she had her "aha" moment when her plant-based milk snapped her into shape almost instantly. She started producing commercially after an R&D period and in 2017 she was rolling. Her manufacturing and warehouse operations are in Portland, Oregon. And her branding was easy. She wanted an alternative spelling of "milk" and "mylk" worked. And when she put the "A" in front, it spelled her name AND stood for "alternative milk" as well. Must have been predestined.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#42 Heidi Lovig Heidi Ho!

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 16:52:25 +0000

A Farmer's Market, Portland Oregon, "neighbor with our host, Sarah Marshall, Heidi Lovig is a chef on a mission. Living in Cambodia for a few months, Heidi fell in love not only with the people, but feeding them as well. Shopping with the women, cooking over an open fire and feeding nutritious meals - especially to the children - became a special place in her heart. Returning to the Pacific Northwest, Heidi recognized that the abundance of delicious natural ingredients would offer her the opportunity to continue that passion. She enrolled in Cordon Bleu and studied the gluten-free, dairy-free diets that she admired. She freelanced with restaurants helping them develop vegan options on the menu because the restaurants were getting requests and her reputation grew. She didn't want just vegan food, she wanted good tasting vegan food. She did her own manufacturing for a while, but went to outsourced production so she could spend her time designing new dishes rather than running a plant, as she puts it, "staring at spreadsheets and asking men for money". Now she is back to her roots, feeding people.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#41 Go Where You’ve Never Gone Before, and Eat Well - Ashley Lance, Fernweh Food Company

Wed, 13 May 2020 19:40:19 +0000

Fernweh (fern' way) is a German word that means a very, very strong desire to explore and experience places you haven't been to. With a background in hospitality, Ashley Lance was really groomed to help people who liked to backpack responsibly and have good meals along the way. Originally a side hustle, Ashley began making her own trail meals of dehydrated foods that were locally sourced and responsibly packaged. She was most distressed at the garbage she would encounter at trailheads and decided she could do better. In addition to the reduced packaging, Ashley also wanted to take advantage of the all the fresh, good local food available and so acquires fresh fruit and vegetables and dehydrates them at the peak of their flavor. Her company also gets the "seconds" - the ugly, but still tasteful and healthy foods - and prepares them for packaging.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#40 Treats Good Enough for Sainthood - Jami Curl, Baking Gold Cookbook, Quin Candies, St. Cupcake

Wed, 13 May 2020 19:30:02 +0000

In some aspect of the food business since she was 12, Jami Curl and a friend were deciding what to do after college. In Ohio at the time, they read that Portland, Oregon was a place for coffee, beer and books, which appealed to her. She got a marketing background in some non-food jobs, and was baking cakes in her spare time. Jami then found her passion in baking and started looking for a space to bake for the public. She found it and opened up St. Cupcake, which took people by storm. Not prepared for the success, Jami pretty much played every day by ear, baking for the people who showed up and having the front of the store handled by her friend. The company expanded quickly and got to 40 employees and multiple locations. She also decided to expand into candy and that evolved into a candy shop. And that expanded into e-commerce and building a national brand, including the authoring of a book. A divorce and other stresses made Jami decide to simply close St. Cupcake. It was an emotional, not rational decision and indeed turned out to be a learning experience, because six months later, a person came forward wanting to buy the company and reopen it. It's still operating today as a testimonial to the great brand she created.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#39 She’s Not Bitter at All - Genevieve Brazelton, The Bitter Housewife

Wed, 13 May 2020 19:06:49 +0000

Great Drinks. No Bullsh*t. is the headline on their website, and Genevieve Brazelton, founder reflects the serious "whiskey drinking friends" for whom she began developing her bitters. At this lockdown time, liquor store sales are up and this has led to a solid increase in sales for The Bitter Housewife. In addition to the bitters in the traditional bottles that add a dash to cocktails, the company has non-alcoholic bitters and soda drinks. In real life, Genevieve is definitely not a bitter person, and not even a housewife. But while writing a blog, became intrigued with the idea of creating and selling bitters with her husband. They did a search, found the name "Bitter Housewife" and snagged it. For those not familiar with the category, bitters are an extract, similar to vanilla. The purpose is to harmonize a drink; to blend the tartness of lemon, the sweetness of sugar or other additions to the liquor in the cocktail. Just like you would add basil to tomato soup.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#38 To Preserve and Protect. Claudia Lucero, Urban Cheese Craft

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 17:47:50 +0000

Author and CEO of Urban Cheese Craft, Claudia Lucerno is enjoying families being housebound right now, because they're looking for projects and making delicious dairy and non-dairy cheese is in demand. Both food preparation and preservation are meditative processes that the entire family can participate doing. And children especially enjoy making something that is their creation and an edible one at that! Our own Sarah Masoni also made some French cheeses while in Tillamook, Oregon and understands the process of culture to curd. Growing up in urban, high density areas, Claudia always had a desire to be able to sample more rural experiences and the idea of making cheese in an apartment or condo always appealed to her. It's all tied to the fermentation movement, to help prevent waste and promote self-sustenance.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#37 You say ”Salami”, I say ”Salumi” - Martinique Grigg and Clara Veniard, Coro Salumi

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 17:47:26 +0000

Salumi is Italian for deli meats. And Coro is Italian for chorus. Put 'em together and have Coro, a restaurant and deli offering the most fabulous cured meats. Using the old world methods, new world thinking and new world spices, Martinique Grigg and Clara Veniard picked up the tradition in Seattle begun by Armandino and Marilyn Batali and have grown it to the stellar establishment it has become. Part of the incentive was to show that two women and also mothers could start and grow a specialty food business, and they have succeeded. Their philosophy is that good food is what we live for and they have done so much to share that philosophy with others. Salumi is an art, not a science. It is practiced differently in different parts of Italy, and the founder Armandino learned his technique from a certain area in Italy and brought it to Seattle. In taking over the business, Martinique and Clara were nervous about changing an institution without losing the magic that made it famous, but gradually they learned the formula for keeping a beloved name alive while updating it and keeping it going.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#36 Hosts Sarah Marshall & Sarah Masoni Discuss the Current COVID-19 Pandemic and the Food Industry

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 16:44:32 +0000

Operating from their homes like the rest of the planet, Sarah and Sarah do a special show dedicated to exploring the current pandemic situation and the aftermath when COVID-19 is contained. Already, grocery stores are open, but six-foot markers on the floors and even the sidewalks outside are becoming standard. Cornell University's Risk Management List has put together the contemporary "Bible" for food processing. Number one is, no surprise, hand sanitizing for all. That means units at all entrances, exits and transition areas. Gloves are a great safety item, whether working in a plant or going shopping. You CAN wash and re-use them if you're careful. And when you go shopping, better to use a phone app or credit card than money that's been circulated. Bleach needs to be used correctly; remember it's concentrated and needs to be diluted. PH strips can be used to test the water to check the balance. For those with food products, shipping has changed. Sarah Marshall says curbside drop off is becoming common when picking up supplies, no more going into the warehouse. And there are are supply problems, too. Some producers can't get certain ingredients, so Sarah Masoni recommends change your recipe and produce anyway. The product may not be exactly the same, but your fans will understand.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#35 Big Flavor AND Nutrition in a Pinch. Christine Janae Leoniak, Oomph Cooking Blends

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 16:38:08 +0000

Christine and Michael Leoniak bring health and wellness into great tasting food. Their daughter had eczema growing up and Christine and Michael sought to cure it through food. They did. And that quest meant a lot of trial and error but ended in complete success. The family went from a healthy diet to an "extremely", and limited, diet. The balance between pure nutrition and sanity (good taste) was very difficult. But getting a dehydrator was a start and led to the AH-HA moment they could create a beautiful and delicious food additive that could serve the planet. Calling their products synergistic, they have figured how to take a wet vegetable to a dry vegetable and help people put a nutritious meal on the table, especially when there is so little actual cooking, but more assembling and serving. Parents can get the veggies into their kids' diet by making their mac 'n cheese tasted delicious with their additive. And several heart patients swear that having Oomph Cooking Blends are how they can have a great tasting meal and stay on track with their stringent diet. And because a pinch of Oomph adds so much flavor, their products have actually been getting people to do more cooking and less assembling.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#34 Creating a Big Buzz. Andrea Wade, Honeybee Sparkling Lemonades and Syrups

Thu, 05 Mar 2020 20:22:28 +0000

Who can't love honeybees? Andrea Wade loves the little, hard-working creatures who produce the most natural sweetener in the world. They form the basic ingredient in her all natural, low-sugar syrups that produce some of the best lemonade you ever tasted, and give you other fruit flavors for refreshing drinks or flavor additions to your dishes. Put them in sparkling water for a drink, or on top of ice cream or cheese cake for a delight. Andrea also put the same thoughtfulness and care into the packaging. Side by side, her syrups hold their own against the best Italian syrups around. In the beginning, Andrea took her drinks to a local Portland, Oregon street fair at an up and coming part of town. She went through 342 drinks in one day with her three existing flavors. This was the impetus to start her company and in only five months, she got into Market of Choice, a Eugene, Oregon grocer that supports local products and companies. She jumped right into 11 stores, and although it was a tremendous amount of work, she recruited her family into helping and made it. She has since increased her distribution to more grocery stores and a few bars as well.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#33 It’s a Ugandan Word, but it’s also the Root Word of Amazing. Renee Dunn, Amazi

Thu, 05 Mar 2020 20:17:15 +0000

Amazi is a Ugandan name, meaning water. Water is used to grow things, and Amazi is a company that wants to grow. Get it? But why Uganda? Renee Dunn spent a lot of time in the country and after returning to the US, wanted to source food product from Uganda and sell in the US to raise economy and awareness in Uganda. Renee is a big proponent of ethical sourcing and international trade. The dried fruit snacks she produces masquerade the fact Amazi is a social enterprise, Renee jokes, but she also is passionate about clean living, including diet. A fact backed up by the fact she was managing a yoga studio before venturing into food. And she continues to live a well-rounded healthy life, coaching at a strength and conditioning gym. But back to Uganda. It's a country that produces a large amount of organic produce - second in the world. And it has some of the most amazing fruit Renee has ever encountered. Now to introduce it to the world.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#32 Ice Cream Sandwich Defined. Lisa Herlinger, Ruby Jewel

Thu, 05 Mar 2020 20:08:04 +0000

Ruby Jewel is an ice cream sandwich you can't describe in audio, it's that good. Lisa Herlinger (hard "G") is an OSU Food Innovation Center grad and started in the Food 101 program. She had always adored ice cream but didn't know how to produce it. The first season was spent selling her ice cream sandwiches at Portland's Farmers' Market. With a culinary background and experience in restaurants, Lisa had a pedigree but realized there was a lot of science involved to produce the premium brand she envisioned. Going to full production has kept Lisa from creating as many different flavors as she did when she sold in small batches, but she has started a second production place where small batches of inventive flavors can be made. Her ice cream is made from local ingredients and so they keep their farm to table philosophy in tact. Ruby Jewel has been experimenting in Malls with mixed results, but shows the company's desire to keep experimenting with its unique marketing program. That's the ice cream part. Now to the cookie part that makes it a sandwich. Not so easy to produce either. The cookie has to be consistent in diameter to package and has to be the right thickness so there's plenty of ice cream in the middle. And it can't get squishy either, it has to start out crispy when being eaten. That has been an experiment as well but now the recipe and production are under control.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#31 Heather Arndt, Food Writer for Sunset Magazine

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 19:07:35 +0000

Sunset Magazine is so much more than a magazine - it's an American icon for living the dream. Heather Arndt, a food writer for Sunset, is a huge part of that dream. She is also the garden editor of the magazine, and a Portland, Oregon resident. With a degree in botany, Heather was writing about food and dabbling in vinegars when a call out of the blue landed her at Sunset. So - just add water and here's your career! In addition to writing about food, Heather also includes her own recipes because she continues to keep one foot in the business. She is a food historian as well, so the books she has authored also contain a great background on everything from products to food carts. She has quite a few books out, including Breakfast: a History and a food biography of the city of Portland, Oregon. These incredible resources for knowledge are available in your local bookstore, and in every issue of Sunset Magazine.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#30 Lori Hunter, New Seasons

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 19:02:38 +0000

New Seasons Market is a specialty grocer that focuses on well sourced, quality foods with a focus on local providers whenever possible. Building trust in their stores is job one. Lori Hunter is the local founder for New Seasons, who not only sources local foods, but also puts on events for the company. Formerly with Williams-Sonoma, Lori not only has a palette, but an eye for the kitchen and what an ideal one should be. She has spotted many now-successful food products, such as Jacobsen Salt, and has been a big part of making them successful through promotion at New Seasons. Lori tries to eliminate all obstacles to startup founders, and if you have a food idea you think is hot, you can fill out a simple online form and drop your product off at headquarters. Lori always meets the entrepreneurs face to face and goes to their company to really understand their dream. Trusting the New Seasons brand means trusting Lori, and that is an easy thing to do.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#29 Hannah Kullberg, PNW Package Food Group

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 18:57:04 +0000

Hannah Catherine Kullenberg - if you are looking for her digitally - is a holistic brand maker, consultant, new product launcher and more. Her first startup company was a bean company and all that experience is now for hire to other founders. She starts with the obvious questions of her clients, "What is your ultimate dream?". She has partnered with some of her clients in the past, but now sticks with her consulting and advising skills, doing more active marketing and sales. Hannah had gone through a food program at Portland Community College, a program her father went through at the same time! She met our host Sarah Masoni during the program when she was a junior in college. She and her father grew the Better Bean company and eventually sold it, so Hannah has seen the full cycle of entrepreneurship.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#28 The Good Book. Megan Scott, The Joy Kitchen

Wed, 12 Feb 2020 19:07:18 +0000

"The Joy of Cooking" is as close to the second Bible as it gets. Megan Scott met the grandson of the book's family business when she asked him out! The eventually married and even though her husband did not want to take over the family business, Megan got "sucked into it" as she says. Megan's background is baking, and she has added that emphasis in the recent updates of the book. It's a living document, as "Joy" continually keeps up with new ideas, new fusions and changing tastes. And it's a true cookbook, rugged and able to be packed around kitchen to kitchen, sitting upright while cooks read recipes while they assemble and create meals. Plus, it is about recipes, ingredients and directions, not pictures. After all, it's about cooking, not looking.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#27 Spartans Would Drink This. Jessica Craig, Tarta Beverages

Wed, 05 Feb 2020 19:30:52 +0000

New Jersey startup founder Jessica Craig is just now launching her seltzer soft drink, balsamic flavor infused beverage company. If you think coming up with the recipe was hard, it evidently wasn't as difficult as coming up with the name. But when they came up with Tarta, Jessica's husband goes into his "Sparta" yell! Coming from the health industry, Jessica became a Mom and decided her children would be raised on a healthy diet and set them for life. However, birthday parties, advertising, social settings and other distractions pushed them to have a "normal" diet, including drinking Sprite. So, experimenting in her kitchen, one day she found the healthy drink her children liked as much as the soda pop, and knew she was on to something. At the Fancy Food show in New York, Jessica met a bunch of Oregon people (including our host!) and that got her out to the Oregon State University Food Innovation Center, where she and Sarah Masoni gave birth to yet another meaningful food for the planet.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#26 Lisa Tran, Tan Tan Cafe and Delicatessen

Wed, 05 Feb 2020 18:59:44 +0000

The word "Delicatessen" just isn't used enough, shorted to "Deli" and just doesn't give the importance to its original namesake. That's how Lisa Tran feels, and that's why the Tan Tan Cafe and Delicatessen is different. They make their own hams, meatballs and pates, so they are the REAL DEAL. A family operation, Lisa's parents have stayed in the same Beaverton, Oregon location for 21 years now. Tan Tan is Vietnamese for "new beginning". And it certainly is. Lisa was born in a refugee camp in Indonesia and landed in Beaverton in 1981. After building their life, her father was laid off from Boeing, her mother retired from Nike, and with some recipes from an uncle in Canada, they decided to launch the business. Open everyday, the family delights an amazingly loyal following, all by word of mouth. A fabulous adventure.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#25 What’s in a Nickname? Catherine and Matt Sutherland, Hoss Soss

Wed, 05 Feb 2020 18:44:03 +0000

When Matt Sutherland cooked in kitchens, he was nicknamed "Hoss" for his physical presence (Hoss was a character in the TV show "Bonanza" for all you youngsters). He decided when he and Catherine started their sauce company that he would pare the Hoss with Soss - and there you have it. Matt loves to teach others to cook as well. He teaches at the local Salem, Oregon high school, up on Oregon's Mount Hood and in Costa Rica, so he is amazing at spreading the word about good food. And Costa Rica has become a home, where he and Catherine offer a retreat for a dozen people to visit local food producers in a tropical paradise. Cheese, chocolate and pepper farms are the lure and Hoss Soss promises it is a lifetime memory. But let's talk about the sauce, or should we say Soss. Whether you need a soup base, want to spice up your tacos, noodles or leftover pizza, there are three flavors that bring both flavor and heat to all your foods.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#24 Cakes on the Griddle, but Hold the Gluten. Josie Johnson, Josie’s Best Gluten Free Mixes

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 18:32:10 +0000

In her late teens Josie Johnson experience a plethora of health issues that escaped the diagnosis of many doctors until Josie saw a homeopathic doctor who isolated a food allergy: Gluten. Next step, be gluten-free! But after that, how to make truly delicious, truly gluten-free food for the world? Josie decided the best way was to offer gluten-free mixes for people to cook up their own food. That direction came from the fact that she and her husband have children and one of the favorite family activities is around pancakes in the morning. The aroma, the warmth and the gathering were what she wanted to recreate for others. It took recipe iterations galore but she persisted until she reached perfection. The company has increased its product line and figured out how to move into the co-packing world to increase volume. But they also have been able to remain a family company for now, including Josie's father.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#23 Best Coconut Macaroons Ever - Just Ask the ROON Master. Jenn Toplif. ROONS

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 18:27:59 +0000

Jenn Toplif was baking with her daughter at her parents house years ago. Her parents were in the food business when Jenn told her Mom she was going to get ingredients for chocolate chip cookies, her Mom commented, "That's SO pedestrian. Why don't you do something more interesting like macaroons?". It was seven years of perfecting the recipe of gluten-free macaroons, but after heart-to-heart talks, she and her husband agreed for Jenn to quit her graphic design business, go to one income and take the family down the path of ROONS. With her background in graphic design in lots of food packaging, naturally ROONS pop out on the grocery store shelf. Her ROONS have a shelf life of a couple of months and can be frozen for a long time. And they pare with absolutely every wine. Available on the east coast and the west coast as well as online, ROONS are starting to get big traction as corporate gifts.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#22 Every Child in the Foster System Deserves Support. Jeannine Mills, Smashed Boozy Jams

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 18:14:23 +0000

Jeannine Mills just decided to jump into a pool of jam, sink or swim. Living in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, Jeannine realized there was a plethora of fresh fruit, wine and alcohol brewing and put them all together. She's gone from the kitchen to co-packing but is now on a mission to build a radical new kitchen in the mid-range co-packing area - brand new. A combination of crowdfunding and private funding is behind the building of Gather Community Kitchen, which will be home to food and beverage development. A huge community will develop because the Kitchen will employ young adults who have come out of the Foster System to provide an opportunity for transition into the adult world. A Foster Child herself, this is the way Jeannine can give to other Foster Children a better system that she experienced.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#21 Learn From Each Person’s Kernel of Truth. Lisa Sedlar, Green Zebra Grocery

Wed, 22 Jan 2020 18:13:15 +0000

Growing up in Detroit, Lisa's Dad used to take her to the eastern market, where she had some of her fondest memories of the personal touch between people and the food they eat. She remembers the cheese munger who would hand slice a piece of cheese and hand it to her. And the fresh grapefruit and the glassed in butcher shop at the center of the market. It made an impression. Although she started college aiming to be a large animal veterinarian, a stint running the salad bar of the commissary sent her to a culinary school where she excelled in Chicago. She then worked for a grocery chain bought by Whole Foods, continued with Whole Foods and wound up at New Seasons. Starting Green Zebra Grocery has been interesting to say the least. Lisa believe in building community outside the store and inside. Treating employees well is part of her philosophy and that hasn't played well with investors. They see a smaller profit margin where Lisa sees a solid company in the long run. But she has learned a kernel of truth from the cheesemonger, the grapefruit supplier and the butcher from her youth that authentic is here to stay.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#20 From Russia with Love. Yana Yakhens, Only Child Chocolates

Wed, 22 Jan 2020 18:06:02 +0000

Yana Yakhens started out at a baking company in Portland, Oregon, but always wanted to break out on her own. She had been experimenting with chocolate for some time and loved it for its qualities as well as the taste. The fat and oils help it maintain its taste through processing and makes it a favorite for food product developers. Her first idea was the HeartBreaker that she produced for Valentine's Day. Along with the chocolate heart, the package contains a hammer made by her husband - a true family affair - that the recipient uses to smash open the heart. A true "hustle" and reflective of Yana's entrepreneurial spirit. But custom products like that can't get a business to volume, so the company's main business is unusual chocolate bars. "Rosemary and ginger walk into a bar" is a great example of a unique combination of flavors, a great name and hand-crafted looking packaging for the bar that Only Child offers. "There's so much joy around us in life" Yana says, and her chocolate bars show that and offer her philosophy to those who enjoy her bars.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#19 Providing the World with Much More Than Good Foods. Julie Sullivan, Ground Up Nut Butters

Wed, 22 Jan 2020 18:01:08 +0000

Pure nut butter and delicious. Gluten free, no processed sugar and no peanuts, cashew and almond nuts only - not an easy task. But Julie and Carolyn slaved in the kitchen experimenting, getting friends and family taste testing until the first recipes were developed. And the variety of flavored nut butters is impressive, including lavender honey. And now they're authors, having just finished their first cookbook using their unique nut butters in such delights as fudgey nut brownies. But beyond the delicious nut butters and a business that functions, there is a mission here: Changing the lives of women. Ground Up Nut Butter deliberately seeks to offer employment to women of all backgrounds, to teach them skills and confidence to create a better life for themselves. GUNB is a stepping stone to different employment, and more importantly, a place where women get their chance at bat. Good business, good intentions, good world.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#18 Two Words: Food Innovator. Qian Deng, PowderPure

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 18:45:54 +0000

Growing up in China, Qian Deng started as a biological engineer, working on fermentation that utilized e coli! Of course, that' a four-letter word in the food world, but in pharmaceutical research, it's pretty routine. But food science had a bigger appeal to Qian and the fermentation of both baking bread and making soy sauce became much more interesting to her. And creating foods with extra antioxidants became a focus for her. When she applied for grad school, it was to be a food science major and she was accepted to study in the US at Oregon State University. She currently works for a company located in The Dalles, Oregon, which has a river location, good co-packing facilities and warehousing as well. Using natural food extracts to put healing ingredients, they have created new scents and tastes with nutrients and healing traits not found in other additives. The company was sold some time ago, and that allows the PowderPure products to spread around the world.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#17 Versatile Vinegars. Connie Rawlings Dristas, Blossom Vinegars

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 18:39:55 +0000

Blossom vinegars are culinary vinegars and mixers for soda water and cocktails. The vinegars are for salads and additions, the mixers are a new generation. No added sugar makes the mixers stand out on the shelf. But people need recipes, and when Connie Rawlings Dristas recognized that, it turned things in an upward direction for the company. A mentor to other budding food entrepreneurs, including our own Sarah Marshall, Connie has inspired others while she inspires herself. And her inspiration came from a milestone birthday where she took a long look at her diet lifestyle and the long-life history of her family. So she changed her diet on a dime, started eating differently - especially salad dressing - and started figuring out what really made vinegar and how could the flavors be altered.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#16 When You Get Squeezed, Make Juice. Julie Ueland, Ryan’s Juice Co

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 18:35:34 +0000

The Ryan family started their business out of necessity. Julie Ueland of Ryan's Juice recounts the story of how David Ryan began the company. David Ryan's father died suddenly when David was 15, and the family had a farm that grew a lot of apples. A doctor had given David's mother an apple pressing machine and she started making cider. The children sold it door-to-door, unpasteurized. When the mother was in Portland, Oregon delivering cider when she was hit and killed. It took amazing courage to turn the tragedy into triumph, but the older sister got custody of the siblings and they stayed together. David was the salesperson and pushed the sales regionally. A relationship with Costco mushroomed sales, and when that ended, the company went to tankers delivering ingredients that are as close to fresh pressed as it can possibly be. Julie Uleand's role at Ryan's is "Pluto". Not the dog, the planet - or not a planet? That's the point; Julie does whatever needs to be done to keep things moving at the company. Maybe "Utility Infielder" is better?

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#15 Plant Based and Proud of it. Laura Taylor, Proud Label

Wed, 08 Jan 2020 18:33:10 +0000

In the beginning of her food journey, Laura Taylor has produced plant based meal accompaniments that are colorful, tasteful and mimic their mainstream counterparts beautifully. They are, as the website says, "mindful alternatives" to processed sauces, salad dressings and sweet additives. Even though the company is young, Laura's branding and organization for her distributors and retailers is way ahead of the curve. Her previous employment in the food industry prepared her well. And how did it start? After giving birth and taking some time off, Laura decided she wanted a food product that reflected a reverence for good nutrition and good taste. And since her husband was getting an MBA at the same time, they made the new company his capstone project, where they could run financials and business plan in academia before implementing in the real world.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#14 Fido Should Eat Well, Too. Kate McCarron, Portland Pet Food

Wed, 08 Jan 2020 18:28:59 +0000

Katie McCarron's son had just graduated from college and jumped in to help the family business get started the first year. The background story: The family's dog, Rosie, was 14 at the time, and had started to go downhill, losing weight and energy. Katie started doing some research and began creating Rosie's food at home. Rosie began a remarkable recovery, gaining weight, getting stronger and living to a ripe old 16 1/2. It's a real family affair; daughter handles marketing, son is a resident physician but helps with the nutrition development in new products, and husband, also a physician, works on distribution and fundraising. Now in over 800 stores, the popularity is because Portland Pet Food uses natural and wholesome ingredients and has been able to package the food without cooking it to temperatures that destroy the nutrients.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#13 Pass the Energy Please. Judy Goodman, BGood Bars

Wed, 08 Jan 2020 18:18:48 +0000

Starting as a fisheries research biologist Idaho, Judy Goodman was a big outdoors person. Going on a hike with some friends, she took her homemade energy bars with her and her friends told her she had a dynamite breakfast bar recipe. Since it was the 80's and breakfast bars were only beginning to be accepted, Judy was ahead of the curve with her backpacker superbars. She made those for years, then moved to Joseph, Oregon and trained as a chocolatier. The owner of the shop encouraged Judy to come up with some energy bars since the area got a lot of backpackers. She got started producing bars, left for another job, then was told by the original owner there was tremendous demand for her bars and so it began. Judy got her production kitchen going and now the company is still headquartered in beautiful Joseph.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#12 Keep it in the Family. Michael Pan, Pan’s Mushroom Jerky

Thu, 02 Jan 2020 21:04:09 +0000

Not originally a food guy, Michael Pan began his professional career as an engineer at Motorola. It taught him teamwork and controls to business, a great foundation for founding his company. While visiting family in Malaysia, his cousin gave him a bowl of delicious food that Michael thought was a dried pork product. When told that the dish was actually a vegetarian food that fit with his religion and diet, Michael was amazed at the texture as well as the look and taste. Using shitake mushrooms, their daily production is created with care and pride. By sharing the recipe with people in America, he is carrying on the family tradition of plant based and vegan eating. But it didn't happen overnight. It has taken years to bootstrap the company. Initially, his cousin would make the product in Malaysia and Michael imported and sold it. Moving to US production to Portland, Oregon in 2018, Pan's has moved from a shared kitchen to building their own kitchen and really taking off.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#11 Be Mindful of What You Put in Your Body. Jacoba Gundle, Mindful Proteins

Thu, 02 Jan 2020 20:54:59 +0000

Named after her two grandfathers, Jacoba Gundle co-founded Mindful Proteins to produce a line of high-protein foods and beverages using clean ingredients. Sounds like a lofty goal? Well, it is, but their first product, restore is a protein water. Beautifully packaged, this original idea was inspired by Jacoba's enthusiastic exercise and yoga regimen. Getting protein in the body within 45 minutes of exercise, she had tried other powders but they had sugar and artificial ingredients that she did not care to ingest. Also a believer in sustainability, Mindful Proteins pays attention to their packaging as well as sourcing locally for their ingredients.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#10 Nobody’s Allergic to This Creole. Elsy Dinvil, Creole Me Up

Thu, 02 Jan 2020 20:50:32 +0000

Author of the cookbook, "Cooking With My Mother", Haitian born Elsy Dinvil really didn't have a choice to be in the kitchen, it was expected of the women in the culture. So she cooked and cooked until illness struck her in 2005. For the next six years, she underwent tests and surgeries until she decided to take charge of her own diet and body. She developed her own recipes and figured out how to avoid many allergies. She trained as a chef in Haiti and is certified. A thrifty business owner, Elsy has figured out how to stretch her money. Beginning with doing pop-ups, she has spread the word on her packaged food in the trenches and now with more mass media with her cookbook. Her hustle also got her in contact with a commercial kitchen to increase production.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#9 A Class Program. Shannon Oliver, Red Duck Foods

Wed, 04 Dec 2019 21:12:54 +0000

It REALLY was a class program. In the University of Oregon's MBA program, Red Duck Ketchup was a project for Shannon Oliver (hope she got an "A"). Over a basket of Tater Tots, the idea was hatched. The Tots were flavored but the ketchup was definitely not and the idea of coming up with a sauce that matched the spicy food. Now in over 5,000 stores and expanding to barbeque sauce, cocktail sauce and taco sauce, Red Duck is taking the culinary world by storm. Still run by the original three university students, each has their area and specialty and the team runs well. But there was a learning curve, and luckily there were things like YouTube to tell you how to wrap a pallet when you're at the stage of shipping your own stuff. Now with all the experience behind them, maybe Shannon will be teaching the next MBA class...

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#8 Viva Brasilia. Junea Rocha, Brazi Bites

Thu, 21 Nov 2019 19:59:38 +0000

Pretty straightforward beginning, Junea Rocha and her husband decided to bring their Brazilian cheese bread to the US market in 2011. But nothing stays straightforward. Junea went to Oregon State University's Food Innovation Center's "Recipe to Market" class that gave them a big boost developing a product to show to a buyer in 12 weeks. They were excited with their start, but it was a full year to have a product ready for market. They developed it through Kitchen Crew a community commissary. But full production required eventually opeing their own facility until they got to a volume that's landed them with a co-packer - the complete evolution! Frozen AND gluten-free made the journey difficult because it was a unique category at the time, so these pioneers opened the door for many entrepreneurs with the passion for good food and good taste. But what's it like to be husband and wife running the same company? Sometimes have been really intense getting things off the ground, but the rewards of reaching their goals has been a great business and personal partnership.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#7 We DO Know Beans About Food. Vivian Lee, Mung Dynasty Foods

Thu, 21 Nov 2019 19:51:44 +0000

It's all about mung beans. To solve the long standing problem of lackluster flavor and texture in veggie burgers, Vivian Lee saw the mung bean as the golden ticket. And along the way, give people who want plant based food alongside their animal proteins. Mung Dynasty Foods is an infant company and Vivian is just now getting her veggie burgers in stores. Vivian is a child of Korean immigrants who loved Korean food had it every meal When they bought an all American diner in Ann Arbor, Michigan Vivian soon had Hungarian goulash, hamburger steak in addition to more great Korean food. So her palate grew as well as her discrimination for good tasting food. It also was the inspiration for working Korean kimchi flavors into her line.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#6 Milk Cows, Make Vodka. Tessa Koch, TMK Creamery

Thu, 21 Nov 2019 19:47:56 +0000

Cows are not cows at TMK, they're "Cowlebrities". Treating the cows with tender loving care and showing them at fairs and winning ribbons is part of getting the best natural milk on the planet. And it goes into fabulous cheese, soft serve ice cream - and vodka too. Tessa and Todd Koch also involve the community. They have tours seven days a week and show off the farm so they are transparent about where your food comes from as it gets. Oregon State University had a big effect on their life with its tremendous agricultural program, and the creamery there provided the foundation for being in business. And the vodka? What's that about? It's called "Cowcohol" (of course). The whey that's left after the cheese making is fermented and distilled. Entrepreneurs are ALWAYS thinking, even about their cows..

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#5 Eat Great, Live Great. Lucinda Whitacker, Great Life By Lucinda

Thu, 21 Nov 2019 19:44:30 +0000

Starting after the last econ crash, around 2009, Lucinda left her vegetarian restaurant on Oregon's Coast to sell her packaged food products. Great Life By Lucinda offers butters and cream cheeses of imaginative flavors in the cold section of the grocery store. The dry products are the latest and becoming the greatest. You just add water to her veggie burger mix and you have a meatless meat product for burgers, tacos, lasagna or whatever you can think of. Cutting meat consumption is Lucinda's hot button right now. Her claim is that if people cut 1/3 of their meat consumption it can cut emissions 50%. And that makes Life Great.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#4 Entrepreneurs Have Fire in the Belly. This One Sells it Too. Valerie Roth, Mind Your Manna

Thu, 21 Nov 2019 19:39:58 +0000

Holistic health tonics. That's what Valeri Roth, of Mind Your Manna produces. Under the product name of Fire Brew (great name!) these all-natural drinks are distilled from plant nutrients and are akin to "drinking your daily vitamins". People take these power shots usually in two-ounce doses, each bottle contains about four shots. Drink with some sparkling water, mix it in with your food or put it in your water bottle for flavor and health. About five years ago, Valerie went back for an education to become a nutritionist and really dug into the healing qualities of food and particularly Eastern foods. She learned of a health tonic that was hot and fiery, home-brewed and amazing. When she found out the consumer couldn't buy this tonic at a store, she had her epiphany, taking the tonic to the people. The fire was lit.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#3 Yvonne Fide, Momo Cocoa

Thu, 21 Nov 2019 19:35:12 +0000

With Sarah Masoni at the Fancy Foods meeting with a Food Innovation Center contingent, Sarah Marshall talks with Yvonne Fide and Ian Levy In their third year in business, Momo Cocoa innovating and pushing forward. A new product in the brewing cocoa category, their tea is made with whole bean cacao, ground with a bit of black tea added. It is then roasted similarly to coffee beans, and is then brewed like tea in a pouch or French press. The company currently has six flavors of cocoa mixes, non-dairy and organic with organic spices added. Ingredients come mainly straight from the farm and are part of elevating the art of sharing chocolate with family and friends. This came from Yvonne's growing up in Southern California and embracing the fall comfort time even in the background of warm weather. Her determination to create a warm and cuddly environment in spite of the sunshine was her driving force to build the company she has today.

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#2 Meaningful Marketplace: Masoni Interviews Marshall

Tue, 22 Oct 2019 21:47:53 +0000

Now we switch roles, Masoni interviews Marshall. Sarah Marshall's first food experience was her Mom's homemade approach to meals. Referring to her as a Hippie Mom, Marshall remembers her Mom's home-baked bread in a coffee can. Although not all that practical because it tended to crumble and had too many seeds, it was sweet and comforting and was a family activity. And it lead Marshall to the local-sourcing, homemade taste that is the foundation for her company today. Her passion for canning bloomed when she was a social worker in the Portland, Oregon area. The work was emotionally tough, and canning food at home became her therapy. As she canned more and more, she began teaching others. And she started creating sauces for the children she oversaw. Since many were on the "spectrum", she had to pay special attention to avoiding additives, so her penchant for pure, fresh food took hold. Her recipes reflected this philosophy and became the blueprint for her future products. Taking business classes while still a social worker, Marshall considered a food cart at one time, but decided to can and distribute her sauce instead. Now, her company is a certified kitchen in her home where she, husband and daughter have made a life doing what they love.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

#1 Meaningful Marketplace: Marshall Interviews Masoni

Tue, 22 Oct 2019 21:43:47 +0000

The show hosts interview each other so you can get to know the them in depth; their background, experience, attitudes and ethics. In this episode, Sarah Marshall, founder of Marshall's Haute Sauce interviews her past mentor and now friend, Sarah Masoni of Oregon State University's Food Innovation Center. Masoni's mission is to help food entrepreneurs take their product to market successfully, or give them the tough love news that their product isn't ready for prime time. Marshall calls her the "artist and Fairy Godmother making food dreams come true", because Masoni has an amazing palate that has guided many companies through the maze of going from the kitchen to the mass production process that gets the product to the consumer's table. Masoni doesn't go for gimicky ideas either. She's interested in real food, ethically procured and processed with a fabulous taste and she's very straightforward and candid with her clients. A speaker, sought after panel member and budding author, Masoni considers herself "CEO to a thousand food companies", because her candor and integrity has the ear of the C-suite when they need to hear the truth about their food products.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Listen to the "Masoni and Marshall the meaningful marketplace" live on-air every Friday at 9:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.