People with Dreams ... and the Woman who makes them Possible

OurLIC Video Special Report: Visit to The Artisan Baking Center Kitchen Innovations (ABCKI) and Interview with Kathrine Gregory, Mi Kitchen Es Su Kitchen, and Michelle Hughes, GreenMarket

Where do aspiring food entrepreneurs go to live their dream...to take their food business out of their home kitchen and possibly become the next Mrs. Fields?

Kathrine Gregory, Director, Mi Kitchen Es Su Kitchen   Michelle Hughes, Project Coordinator, GreenMarket   Part 1: Artisan Baking Center Kitchen Innovations Incubator. Kathrine Gregory, Mi Kitchen es su Kitchen. 3/26/2010 Part 2: Artisan Baking Center Kitchen Innovations Incubator. Kathrine Gregory, Mi Kitchen es su Kitchen. Greenmarket. 3/26/2010 Part 3: Artisan Baking Center Kitchen Innovations Incubator. Kathrine Gregory, Mi Kitchen es su Kitchen. 3/26/2010

Long Island City, New York March 26, 2010 - This 5,000 square foot kitchen is a beehive of activity whether at 8am or 2am. The passion of chefs/bakers/food entrepreneurs involved in creating, with deft hands and boundless love, their line of granola or maybe a variety of cheesecakes or perhaps some palate-pleasing chocolate covered pretzels; a whole panorama of distinctive delicacies that find their way on to the shelves of Whole Foods or Takashimaya. Alongside them, caterers are busily involved in prepping whole platters of mouth-watering dishes for the next day's banquets. So...Where do aspiring food entrepreneurs go to live their dream...to take their food business out of their home kitchen and possibly become the next Mrs. Fields? The Artisan Baking Center Kitchen Innovations (ABCKI) is the place for them, nurturing their growth, supporting their ideas and giving them the ability to build a business based on what they love. Bakers, candy makers, hot sauce makers, caterers; all of them have found a home here at ABCKI. "August 2005 we started with one tenant" says Kathrine Gregory Director of Mi Kitchen es su Kitchen "and now we have 63. It is amazing and heartening." Gregory came to Lurie/The Consortium of Worker Education Inc. with the concept of working together to create an incubator-a commercial kitchen facility which could be rented by start-up food entrepreneurs as they needed. It was a win-win situation; the Center had a beautiful kitchen in use only 4 days a week, 10 hours a day. Now the kitchen is buzzing 7 days a week,24 hours a day! In addition, the job training programs provide a steady stream of willing workers for these businesses. But there is still room for more tenants...for more businesses to satisfy the needs of the educated consumer... for more food mavens to create the next new taste we will all love. Michelle Hughes explains the New Farmer Development Project of GreenMarket. OurLIC had an opportunity to talk with Ms. Hughes and several of the farmers. The GreenMarket website says "The New Farmer Development Project (NFDP) identifies, educates, and supports immigrants with agricultural experience by helping them become local farmers and establish small farms in the region." "By training the next generation of regional farmers, the NFDP helps preserve local farmland and rural farm communities, strengthen farmers markets and regional food security, and expand public access to high-quality, locally-grown farm products." The GreenMarket New Farms Project is just one example of how the availability of Kathrine Gregory's incubator, Mi Kitchen es su Kitchen, these new farmers are able to learn how to create new prepared foods that will help them to preserve food and also expand revenue for their farms. Go to Brochure for The Artisan Baking Center Kitchen Innovations Full video interview with Kathrine Gregory and also with Michelle Hughes of GreenMarket along with farmers getting tips and instructions. Available in the left column in three segments of approximately three to five minutes each. The farmers are looking to prepare value added food products to expand their businesses. Highlights: Entrepreneurs, farmers, and other food people can learn about food and food preparation. Bakers, candy makers, pickle makers, and others use this large commercial kitchen available for rental. Pizza and bread baking ovens are available. Classes for start-up entrepreneurs are available. Revolving rack oven can accommodate 40 full size sheet pans at one time. It spins as it bakes. Bakers do not have to rotate their trays Sixty-three entrepreneurs are under contract with The Artisan Baking Center. As their businesses grow, they use longer periods of time in the kitchen. New farmer development project, a project of GreenMarket, helps immigrants with agricultural experience start farms. Reference: Kathrine Gregory Mi Kitchen Es Su Kitchen 212 452 1866 212 452 1767 FAX www.MiKitchenEsSuKitchen.com www.womenchefs.org www.RoundtableFoodNYC.org Michelle Hughes Project Coordinator, GreenMarket 212-341-2256 www.cenyc.org/greenmarket/nfdp