TRACKING LOTS OF PRODUCTS
PRESERVE FARM KITCHENS
WHERE WE STARTED
Merrilee Olson built a co-packing business based on a mission: to help small-scale farmers turn their overproduction and imperfect produce into profits. With an acclaimed culinary background, the products she makes for farmers are delicious, but organizing and tracking such varied production presented a real challenge. With Whole Foods interested in her own branded line of products, it was time to create a system that would make tracking & compliance flow.
KEY TAKEAWAY
breaking production down into blocks shows you where the opportunity for seamless tracking lie.
WHAT WE ACCOMPLISHED
built a custom tracking system from receiving thru invoicing that through just three forms tracked key data on a wide array of products - so good that the Everclean inspector took photos of it to share with other people she audits!
created on-boarding training materials to get new staff quickly familiar with cannery and organic procedures
passed organic and Everclean audits with high marks
launched a cohesive private label line so that farmers could more easily access services while keeping production streamlined
“I started a co-packing company because my background and passion is in the kitchen. That spark was quickly weighed down by tracking and certification headaches. My passion was cluttered by a pile of aggravating paperwork. Equal parts creative and systematic, Ellen helped us build a tracking system that eased our Everclean and organic certifications, allowing us to explore opportunities like launching our own brand of products into Whole Foods. I can’t imagine sticking through all the growing pains of the last 5 years without her. ”