Scaling Up Processing
Mobile Processing Cart
Iowa State University, 2025
ABSTRACT
COVID highlighted many constraints in the local food system and supply chain. Specifically, farms and food businesses have shared needs for tools for increasing creating value-added products for specialty crops as a means for scaling-up and connecting to new markets. A transdisciplinary team has collaborated since 2017 focusing on local farm and food enterprises and their efforts to develop and produce value-added fruit and vegetable products. From this focused work in the food systems the team has developed a scaling-up processing toolkit in three languages and identified opportunities for value-added products for food retail businesses. Based on these previous projects to tackle the constraints of fruit and vegetable processing in Iowa, there was an identified a need to create options for small scale value-added fruit and vegetable product across businesses and organizations. Since 2019 Iowa State University Extension and Outreach has explored the needs and potential solutions to combat this gap in processing, which led to designing and building a prototype mobile fruit and vegetable processing cart in 2021. Since development of the cart, a collaborative team at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach piloted the mobile processing cart in four locations, looking to understand community and business development, food innovation, and food safety.
INTRODUCTION & SCOPE
This pilot project involved supporting new and existing Anglo and minority farmers and food businesses in their efforts to process fresh fruits and vegetables. Iowa has specifically identified a need for processing and aggregation infrastructure for scaling-up processing of fresh fruits and vegetables. The project addressed many of the considerations a food business would need to address when considering adding value-added processing at any scale including food safety licensing and regulations, business development and feasibility, design and development of equipment, and local food procurement availability. This project will build on the existing research and work of a prototype mobile processing cart and evolve into a scale that is appropriate for on-farm processing for larger scale processing. It will also include conversations with farmers and funding partners for the potential of a fruit and vegetable processing bricks and mortar location. This research project involved assessing the need for processing and aggregation infrastructure for scaling-up processing of fresh fruits and vegetables in Iowa. The project built upon existing research and development of a mobile processing cart, which was tested in different non-profit and private business settings. It also created a conceptual design for an on-farm processing trailer that would be accessible and food-safe for farmers to process on their own property. The following paper describes first the findings from the mobile cart in regard to financial modeling for the utilization of the cart in non-profit and private business settings and redesign needs based on pilot partner testing. It then reviews the reasons behind the creation of a fruit and vegetable processing trailer and basic conceptual designs for further exploration.
Mobile Cart Full Report
Development of Food Business Case Studies and Decision Aids
Oklahoma State University, 2025
A multi-use spreadsheet template that can model the feasibility of building and operating inspected, value-added processing facilities as an incubator kitchen or owned/operated production facility.
Food Business Case Studies Full Report
Scaling Specialty Crop Processing: Development of toolkit, business tools, and prototypes
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provided over $318 million of funding to farmers and ranchers to help aid them in adding greater market value for agricultural commodities, such as adding processing or marketing of new products. Twenty-eight percent was distributed in the Midwest. However, there are other services and technical assistance needed for this target audience in providing value-added processing. A multi-disciplinary team at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach has on-going work providing technical assistance to Iowans involved in the local foods system, providing support and networking to assist small local food producers providing local foods to consumers. Typically, these producers lack the facility and funding to develop high impact processing of their product. This project revealed gaps and the potential for the ISU team to collaborate with Iowa local food producers to develop and implement technical assistance resources for those scaling specialty crop processing into their business operations. This scaling specialty crop processing project included the following overall goals:
- Provide local producer and food business partners with technical assistance in addressing food safety and quality training for value-added produce processing to meet Iowa laws and regulation requirements.
- Provide business support to local food producer and food business partners to address specific needs for a successful transition implementing or scaling specialty processing.
- Provide design templates and best practice design guidelines for layout and logistics needs for scaling specialty processing.
This Scaling Specialty Crop Processing brought together a team of ISU Extension and Outreach professionals from the units of Farm, Food, and Enterprise Development (FFED), Food Safety and Consumer Production, and Community and Economic Development (CED). This team utilized a process that included surveys, interviews and pilot projects to understand food business needs. The primary categories that arose from this project include areas of visioning and pre-feasibility, food safety, business development, and layout and logistics of processing space.
OVERVIEW
An online assessment survey was created in February of 2019 and sent to potential partners to gather detailed information about the food based businesses throughout the summer of 2019. The survey was open until July of 2019, and resulted in 10 survey responses and 14 site visits and interviews. These interviews and site visits were conducted with a variety of food based businesses including: shared-use kitchens, farms, food hubs, farmstands, processors, grocers, restaurants, community and event centers, and entrepreneurs looking to start-up their own processing food business. The interview and site visits included on-site observation and evaluation with food producers and businesses. Site visit questions were designed to learn more about the businesses daily schedules as well as their future goals. Additionally, there were discussions on barriers to scaling processing and needs in reaching their goals for the future of food processing. Site visit inventories and interviews led to understanding of:
- Existing conditions and site categories
- Understanding of common needs amongst food producers and businesses
- Identification of basic processing equipment and interior needs as well as layout and logistics
- Desire for business skills and scaling-up opportunities from financial perspectives
- Identification of food safety considerations, regulations and licensing
Following the interview and surveys, a pilot selection matrix was utilized to determine 3 pilot projects suited for scaling project needs. Selection criteria included readiness, identification by the interviewee their desire to scale-up or add value-added produce processing to their business, and different categories of business operations. In early August 2019, scopes of work were developed for three pilot partners, with business categories of community center, retail, and aggregator. Throughout early August and end of September, the Scaling Specialty Crop team met and consulted with each partner regarding food safety, layout and logistics, and business development.
Scaling Up Specialty Crop Processing Toolkit
