WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Students at Purdue University now have a hand in solving the ongoing supply chain troubles. A new program is helping local entrepreneurs get their product on store shelves.
On Purdue's campus in West Lafayette, this is where the university meets agriculture.
"We have all of the tools, but there's a lot of demand," said Allison Kingery, managing director for Food Entrepreneurship and Manufacturing Institute, or FEMI.
For years, Purdue's Food Science Department received many requests from entrepreneurs, growers and small and large manufacturers alike for help in growing their product and taking it to market.
"That's where the idea of FEMI came," said Dr. Dharmenda Mishra, associate professor of the Department of Food Science.
FEMI began in the spring and combines food science, education and economics. However, entrepreneurship is what sets this program apart.
"How are we really going to help our entrepreneurs and help the growth of our regional economy?" Mishra asked.
And everyone in the program has a role.
"As I'm talking to these people, you see this need, they need this extra help," said Dr. Amanda Deering, associate professor of the Department of Food Science who works with growers around the region.
FEMI is a one-stop-shop to develop a business and marketing plan, ensuring food safety and making sure it's a quality product.
"A lot of times, they get frustrated because they're trying to do the same thing," Deering said. "They're trying to get answers, sometimes even with the regulatory side — what rules do I need to follow? How do I produce something? That's where we can come in."
They move their product forward with help from students like senior Matthew Kittaka, who's getting real experience — and the proof is literally in the sauce. Students like him helped solve the local company's separation challenge.
"The best part, so far, has been the opportunity to learn so much new equipment and work with people that I never would have worked with," Kittaka said.
Purdue students are answering the call to help get product on the shelf by providing a road map for entrepreneurs with a destination in sight: a better economy.
"Giving them the assistance they need through FEMI is something that's been needed for a very long time and long overdue," Deering said.
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