This fall, KCARD is hosting another round of our funding focused Growing Your Farm and Food Business workshop series. We kicked off this series with the first workshop in Grand Rivers on October 23rd. You can still join us in Springfield on November 13th or in Jackson on November 19th!

A well-hosted class or workshop can be one of the more profitable (and fun!) ways to engage visitors on your farm and offer agritourism opportunities. However, they can be quite labor-intensive and require lots of planning and thoughtfulness. Check out these tips to get you started!

The recently announced first round of the Business Builder Subawards through the Appalachia Regional Food Business Center is a potential grant opportunity for farm and food businesses.

To help understand the grant, review the FAQs and feel free to contact us at (859) 550-3972 or kcard@kcard.info. We can help you determine if this opportunity is a good fit for you and your business!

Do you have employees working more than 40 hours a week and making less than $844 per week (equivalent to $43,888 per year)? If so, it’s important to review your payroll and staffing hours for 2024 and 2025 as overtime rules have changed.

KCARD works specifically with farmers markets on a wide range of topics, including where to find funding, how to structure the market, and how to think of the farmers market as a business entity. In this post, Terryn Varney, KCARD Business Development Specialist who specializes in farmers market assistance, answers questions about how and when KCARD can help your farmers market.

Engaging visitors on your farm through agritourism can transform a simple trip into a memorable experience. As more people seek authentic, hands-on activities, farms have a unique opportunity to diversify their income and connect with visitors by showcasing daily operations, offering interactive tours, and hosting fun, educational events.

Since agritourism is such a growing industry, you may also be wondering how to set yourself apart from everyone else. Here are 5 ways to engage visitors on your farm. 

KCARD helps clients with a variety of services, including business planning, grant facilitation, recordkeeping, and financial development. In addition to those services, KCARD works with clients on developing marketing plans and social media strategies. Kati Bowman, Marketing and Business Development Specialist, answers a few questions about how KCARD can assist you with your marketing.  

“What do I need for a commercial kitchen?” is a question we often hear at KCARD. Typically, the answer is not a simple one as several factors play into what will be needed for a commercial kitchen to be a useful and efficient endeavor.  In this post, we’ve included some of the first steps we discuss with those interested in a commercial kitchen and resources to learn more.