Food trucks are the new celebrities of Metro Detroit.

There’s no simpler way to explain why 3,000 hungry eaters will descend on Ferndale next Wednesday, March 21 to nosh on tacos and ice cream served out of four-wheeled mobile carts.

Street Eat Wednesdays are a weekly food truck rally hosted by the Michigan Mobile Vendors Association.

Organizers for the first event, held last month at the Royal Oak Farmer’s Market, planned for 500 to 700 visitors.

March 13, Detroit Free Press: That gathering drew at least 3,000 visitors, although organizers had expected 500 to 700 and set up only half the market for the event, market manager Shelly Mazur said Tuesday. Many waited in line up to an hour for service, and most vendors were out of food by the end of the evening.

They’ve now added more seating, more cooks and more room for Metro Detroit’s growing base of passionate food-truck eaters. And at least eight trucks will be steered to Ferndale on March 21, each possessing its own carefully-curated set of standbys.

Will the raised beef short ribs folded into a tortilla from Jacques’ Tacos, fried dill pickle spears with sweet-and-sour ketchup from Concrete Cuisine or Chow Catering’s bleu cheese slaw be on the next Street Eats menu? Hard to say. Like the mobile units themselves, food truck cuisine is never content to just spin its wheels.

For the full article click: http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/detroit/index.ssf/2012/03/ferndale_braces_for_3000_eater.html

The People’s Pierogi Collective’s Jalapeno Popper Pierogi: MyFoxDETROIT.com

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVID LEWINSKI

With its abundant offerings of produce and local cottage-industry edibles, an outing to Eastern Market can spark a craving in any shopper. For Kim Stricker, a pierogi hankering while browsing the sheds one morning in 2008 sparked an appetite for entrepreneurship.
“Friends and I were down there doing our normal Saturday shopping and we thought, you know what would be good down here is pierogi,” says Stricker, a Ferndale resident who co-founded People’s Pierogi Collective.

Stricker grew up in a traditional Polish family, listening to her maternal grandparents speak Polish at home and enjoying her grandmother’s cooking. That meant eating plenty of pierogi, an Eastern European dumpling traditionally stuffed with potato, sauerkraut, meat, or cheese.
Stricker and a friend approached Eastern Market about cooking and selling freshly made pierogi once a week. The market welcomed the proposal and encouraged her to bring a cart. She asked her father, a metal fabricator, to make her one.

“After he stopped laughing, he asked, ‘What’s a pierogi cart?’ ” Stricker says. “He spent the winter building me this pierogi cart, which is like a hot-dog cart and, in the spring, I took it down to Eastern Market.”

While her father made the cart, Stricker, who also works as a marketing and advertising consultant, turned to Twitter and Facebook for input on her nascent company’s name and logo, and the People’s Pierogi Collective (PPC) was born. Once she got the green light from Eastern Market, she and her business partner, Sheryl Gregoire, whom Stricker calls “a phenomenal cook,” set about tweaking tradition; the company’s lighthearted name reflects its dedication to consumer feedback and input on pierogi fillings.

“We did quite a bit of research, and I have 30 pounds that I gained [to show for it],” Stricker says. “We wanted to make sure we respected Polish culture in how we went about making the pierogi. There are some purists out there, especially my grandmother. We make sure the base is great and that people really enjoy that and build it from there.”

That means making lots of traditional pierogi in their Hamtramck kitchen, but also “riding the line between traditional and experimental,” Stricker says, using Eastern Market as a test market for creative concoctions. One of PPC’s biggest sellers is a breakfast pierogi, stuffed with scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheese.

“The breakfast pierogi has been a huge seller,” she says. “I think it’s become part of people’s ritual in the morning to come [to the market] and get some pierogi and do their grocery shopping.”

Other options include pierogi stuffed with sweet potato, peanut butter and fresh strawberries, peach cobbler, and jalapeño popper — all the result of consumer suggestions.
Stricker says that being open to unconventional inspiration means a bit of trial and error: “I can say that with the peanut butter and jelly, even though everyone was excited about it, once they tried it they were like, I don’t know about it.”

As PPC got off the ground, it connected with the Michigan State University Product Center for business support. Frank Gublo, an innovation counselor with the center, says Stricker’s marketing and products both stand out.

“She’s created a community around the product using social media,” Gublo says. “Lots of people do a non-traditional filling, but it’s kind of the sideline. What makes her different is she features her non-traditional fillings and embraces it.”

Gublo calls himself a traditionalist who favors sauerkraut pierogi. “For me that’s from growing up — I’m a Polish kid from upstate New York,” he says. “But my girlfriend is a vegetarian, and her favorite is the portabella mushroom.”

As Stricker’s pierogi grew in popularity, she added some Tuesdays at Eastern Market and began selling them at the Birmingham Farmers Market on Sundays. She also serves her dumplings at private parties and is exploring retail sales and franchising her carts.

“The food-cart business is hot right now,” she says. “People are looking for something more than a hot-dog vendor or elephant ears. We’re focused on doing a quality product but in more substantial quantities. If people want to franchise, we can build them a cart and can get them product.”
Even as the PPC expands, Stricker is focused on not straying too far from her roots.

“We’ve stuck with basic ingredients … eggs, flour, potatoes, farmer’s cheese,” she says. “We want to bring a quality wholesome product you remember from grandma’s kitchen.”

To see the original article:  http://www.hourdetroit.com/Hour-Detroit/March-2012/Filling-Station/

Deciding to add value to farm production or diversifying by launching some unrelated enterprise requires more than a creative idea.

It takes work targeted at marketing and a financial plan. However, having a passion for what you’ll be doing will turn most of that hard work into enjoyment, and hopefully, generous profits.

The first step is to think creatively about new product development. Brenda Reau harkens to the old Beach Boys’ hit with the probably familiar refrain, “Wouldn’t it be nice if…” Reau says finishing that phrase can be a powerful tool for would-be entrepreneurs. “Don’t get stuck worrying about the feasibility or how to implement the idea. The goal is to get you thinking about desirable products or services that would be ‘nice,’” she says of this easy brainstorming technique.

Reau, a long-time Extension educator for Michigan State University, was recently named assistant director of MSU’s Product Center. Working out of Monroe, Mich., she’ll provide leadership for the Innovation Counselor Network of Extension educators across her state, facilitating business development and value-added enterprises in the area of food, agriculture, natural resources and the bioeconomy. She and her family live on her home farm, raising Suffolk sheep. They direct market and sell breeding and show stock. Reau’s 15-year-old daughter has a large rabbitry and a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) produce business.

Reau provides a few real-life endings to “wouldn’t it be nice if” Moms didn’t have to wash, core and slice apples for their youngsters. She says Peterson Farms in Shelby, Mich., has it covered. They sell fresh-cut apple slices to consumers and restaurants.

Say you like hard-boiled eggs, but don’t like cooking and peeling them. “Wouldn’t it be nice if” you could buy hard-boiled and peeled eggs at the grocery store? This product is now available in the dairy section of many grocery stores, brought to fruition by someone’s creativity.

“This simple method for generating great ideas for new products works!” Reau stresses. “A new product that serves an unmet consumer need and solves their problem will be poised for success.”

She says local foods “with a story” are very appealing to consumers. Many families have favorite recipes passed down for generations. There’s opportunity to commercialize these family favorites and market them to consumers looking for homemade taste and who “love a food product with a story behind it.”

Kim Stricker grew up making Pierogi with her Polish grandmother. This stuffed type of dumpling is traditionally filled with a potato, cheese or sauerkraut filling. Stricker recognized the appeal of this simple home-style food and launched People’s Pierogi Collective in Detroit.

Reau cites John Spillson, the third generation in his family to make Greek rice pudding here in the U.S. When his grandfather came to this country from Greece in 1918 he’d brought with him the treasured family recipe for rice pudding. Spillson is still making the same recipe for Spillson’s Rice Pudding, now in the dairy case of southeastern Michigan grocery stores and expanding across the Midwest.

As long as we’re talking Greece, Reau says Greek-style yogurt is gaining favor among consumers, resulting in dramatic sales increases. Consumers are attracted to Greek yogurt for its rich, thick texture and extra protein it provides. (It has twice as much protein as regular yogurt due to the process used to make it, she notes.)

“All yogurts are made by heating milk and cooling slightly and then adding active cultures and allowing the mixture to ferment until set. With Greek-style yogurt, the mixture is strained to remove the whey which results in a concentrated, thick and creamy mixture that will stand up on a spoon. Whey is the liquid portion remaining after milk is cultured; it contains several nutrients including whey protein. Most Greek-style yogurt processing separates and removes only the liquid portion of the whey, leaving the whey protein intact in the yogurt,” she explains.

“It requires more milk to make Greek yogurt which is a plus for dairy farmers. Most Greek yogurt is made from non-fat milk, so there is no fat in the product despite its lush texture,” she adds of what might be a product for a farmstead dairy processing start-up.

Even though the average price of Greek yogurt is considerably higher than regular yogurt, it’s attracted the attention of many consumers, looking for “more natural and authentic food products”; Greek-style yogurt fits that image, according to Reau.

Reau says consumers are also seeking out “heritage breeds” of livestock, and meat products from those breeds.

“What’s old is new again, at least when it comes to breeds of livestock. Consumers are becoming increasingly interested in heritage breeds in their quest for food with a story. They not only want to know where their food comes from but want to know the history behind it,” she emphasizes.

Generally, notes Reau, a breed is referred to as “heritage” if it’s existed for more than 100 years. The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (http://www.albc-usa.org) is the national organization that working to preserve and promote heritage breeds and educating the public about their attributes. “ALBC feels preserving this population of animals is a significant facet of preserving the agricultural roots and tradition of farming and maintaining genetic diversity,” she remarks.

Both chefs and consumers are increasingly willing to search outside of traditional market channels to seek out producers of these breeds, which they feel offer special attributes. Take the heritage turkey market for instance. Heritage breeds like Bourbon Red and Standard Bronze are making a comeback—at premium prices. These turkeys grow slower than the usual Broad Breasted White, have darker meat and a different flavor.

There has also been growing interest in heritage breeds of hogs such as Tamworth and Berkshire, and heritage breeds of cattle like Dexter, Devon, Belted Galloway and Highland. These cattle breeds are well-suited to pasture-based production. (Grass-fed beef is also sought after by a growing number of consumers these days.)

“As with any niche market, producers need to create value in their products and relay that value to the consumer. Heritage meats and poultry are most often direct marketed to consumers, which requires an additional time commitment and the willingness of farmers to interact with consumers,” she notes.

Another idea for livestock producers is meat snacks, like jerky, snack sticks and pork rinds. Reau says they’ve seen a 20 percent increase in sales over the last five years. While the average jerky customer is male, between 35 and 54 years of age and has a household income of $50,000 to $70,000, women are also now discovering meat snacks. A recent Penn State University, says Reau, assessed the snacking interests of active women between ages 18 and 45. Evaluating the hunger-satisfying properties of 100-calorie samples of beef jerky versus 100-calorie portions of other snacks, the study found that women reported beef jerky to be far more satisfying and effective at controlling their appetites. Sixty-five percent reported they’d select beef jerky as a snack.

“Opportunities may exist to further develop niche markets within the meat snacks industry. Natural snacks that rely on salt rather than sodium nitrate may have appeal to some consumers as well as snacks made from organic or no added hormone meats. New label designs on existing products may also increase the appeal to female consumers,” says Reau.

Utilizing coupons for your value-added products can increase sales by tapping into the growing trend of coupon use among consumers. Placing coupons in local food guides is a way to maximize attracting customers who want locally made products and are looking for savings. Business owners may also print their own coupons and distribute them throughout the community target specific locations or groups of consumers.

A relatively new trend is consumers printing their own coupons off of the Internet. Farm businesses that have their own website may want to consider placing a coupon on their site for potential customers to print. This can be a great method for attracting business without additional cost.

Reau says a business plan is especially critical for entrepreneurs starting new businesses. It’s the roadmap for the business and helps to explain your business in common language. It can also be used as a measuring stick for performance of the business. A business plan forces you to take a good look at all aspects of the business, and can be used as part of a financing proposal.

“The business plan should be written before anyone is hired or the first product is made or service rendered. If you think you are too busy trying to launch your business and don’t have time to do the plan the time crunch will only get worse once you launch your business,” she states. “It sounds like it is a big job and it is! Creating a business plan may take a significant amount of your time but it is well worth it. A well written plan will be a useful tool in creating a roadmap for your business and help you go from a bright idea to a successful enterprise.”

It’s a way to “make sure you’re grounded before you make a major investment,” she adds.

Besides local foods, today’s consumers are also very enthusiastic about what might be called the “farm mystique.” “There’s a segment that “absolutely craves knowing where their food comes from” and is thrilled for the opportunity to meet a farmer, Reau concludes, noting this is, in large part, the driving force behind the “explosion in farmers markets.” Tap into people’s desire to meet a real farmer and get back to basics by buying food directly from the producer—even better if that food has a “story” behind it.

The highly anticipated opening of the downtown outdoor food cart courtyard is here.

Seven concessionaires will offer ethnic street food ranging from pulled-pork sandwiches to paella at the W. Washington St. location.
Construction is in its final stages at Mark’s Carts – the last concrete pour is happening this afternoon.  Food carts will be open for business starting Monday, May 9. The beautiful outdoor courtyard — located at 211 W. Washington Street, between Ashley Street and S. First Street — is poised to become Ann Arbor’s premier street food scene. Details about a grand opening celebration will be distributed in the coming two weeks.

“The opening of the food cart courtyard is a dream achieved,” stated Mark Hodesh, owner of Downtown Home and Garden and originator of Mark’s Carts. “I am thrilled to offer this charming outdoor urban pocket of activity to the community.”

Seven food carts will be open for business in the courtyard. Vendors include: San Street (Asian street food); Debajo del Sol (Spanish paella and tapas); The Lunch Room (vegan entrees, sides and baked goods); eat (locally sourced hearty sandwiches); Darcy’s Cart (breakfast burritos and more); Humble Hogs (hoagies, braise-in-a bun, and other savory and sweet offerings), and People’s Pierogi Collective (a variety of homemade pierogi). Hodesh is still accepting applications to fill several additional spots.

The food cart courtyard will operate seven days a week from 8 am to 10 pm, and each cart will set its own hours. There is parking on the street and in a large surface lot just across the street, with entrances on Ashley St. and First St.

The idea for Mark’s Carts originated when Hodesh visited his daughter Jeanne in New York City last year. Impressed with the breadth of street food available there and the joyful, entrepreneurial spirit of the people running the carts, Hodesh decided to bring the concept home.

Food carts, food trucks, and other mobile food establishments have seen a sharp rise in popularity worldwide in recent years. Food carts allow for start-up entrepreneurs, without the capital required for a brick-and-mortar restaurant, to try their food ideas – typically using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. With the opening of Mark’s Carts, Ann Arbor takes its place on the map of street food hot-spots, alongside other U.S. cities like New York, Austin, Portland, San Diego, and Seattle.

This is my second time working with ThumbWorks and I again enjoyed the experience. ThumbWorks is a Michigan Works agency that directly services the people in the Thumb region of Michigan, including Bad Axe in Huron County, Lapeer in Lapeer County, Sandusky in Sanilac County, and Caro in Tuscola County, though their services are extended to people that don’t just live in those areas. They offer education programs, seminars and services geared towards helping entrepreneurs, and other useful services. You can find the full list of programs and services offered on their website at http://www.thumbworks.org/web/.

The crux of what I talked about was how to get started as an Agri-Preneur. I talked about how trying and difficult it can be but also about how rewarding it can be. If you just stuck in there then the reward can be great. I mentioned licensing classes and information on how to get financing for your business. It doesn’t take that much to get your business off of the ground, but you have to take that first step otherwise it’ll never get off of the ground.

I would say that overall the tone of the event was extremely positive, uplifting, and inspirational. It was letting women know that if they have a business idea that they want to try and start there’s tons of resources out there to give them help and for those that have already started their own business there’s lots of support out there for them too.

The Peoples Peirogi Collective was also invited to another event in March of this year by the good people at the ThumbWorks where we’ll be speaking to about 400 high school students from the thumb area of Michigan about entrepreneurship. Look for more information on that in the coming weeks!

Concepts ranged from Frozen, Refrigerated and Microwavable.  As well, each differed in materials:  plastics, cardboard, etc.  They listened to the needs of PPC and delivered.  Their challenge in the beginning was to:

“Create a unique, cost-effective package that provides a long shelf-life, differentiates from the competition, considers the “homemade” aspect of the product, highlights the fun/witty brand and can be slightly modified to carry over to each new filling…..  Is that all?”

Overall, it was a great experience working with students again.  Their openness to new concepts and eagerness to step outside the “safe” norm – proved to be just what we were looking for!  We will be moving  forward with one of their designs.  Right now I’m torn between two of the proposals.  The winning design will be unveiled in early 2011.  Stay tuned on where you’ll see it!

For many of the students, this was their final hour of class at MSU before graduation (and celebration at the local pub).  I was honored to be part of such a pivotal point in the beginnings of their career.  I wish them all the best and see great potential in what they will achieve in the business world.  I only hope we’ll be able to circle around for the next product launching!

Good luck MSU Class of 2010 & 2011!

Although, we will not be at the market during the winter months, we’re not idle. 

Based on many requests to take home pierogies, we are working with MSU students in further developing packaging.  By spring 2011 (perhaps earlier), we will be launching our frozen/refrigerated products in local grocers and farmers market-goers.  We’ve been utilizing the technologies of Skype and Vuroom to chat in groups virtually, discussing product and customer needs.  Feel free to give us your input, as we are always open to suggestions.

In addition to packaging concepts, based on your votes, we are developing our merchandising line.  Check out our two finalists for t-shirt concepts.  Elvis Presley and Albert Einstein with pierogies – what’s not to love? 

We want YOUR input!  So, even though we won’t be at the market as the snow falls, please check back for further details on our grocery distribution, upcoming fillings, cart locations and online competitions.