Construction is underway on a Whole Foods Market in Shreveport. The grocer wants to line the shelves with more local products to make it unique. The Austin, Texas-based upscale grocery chain is holding a class for Louisiana vendors on Friday, Feb. 27, in Shreveport.
The program will go in-depth on quality standards, food safety, packaging and regulatory requirements, according to Kelly Landrieu, a Whole Foods local forager. (Yes, that is her official title.) She says dozens of people have signed up for her class.
“It’s usually a two- to three-hour class with lots of time in there for questions and answers. I generally like to make it a little bit more of a conversation and a get to know Whole Foods and how we work with our local supplier partners,” Landrieu said, who works with local suppliers in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas.
Roxann Johnson of Shreveport has made brownies for 20 years. She had always given them as gifts to family and friends. Now, she wants to take them to the next level and spawn a business out of her chocolaty goodness.
“I always wondered about the expiration dates and food safety. I wondered just the process that people are able to bring in a product and sell them right then and there. I’m interested in finding out what it takes to get into a supermarket,” Johnson said.
Landrieu holds a Local 101 class about eight months before a store opens. Then, about four months before grand opening, she puts on a “casting call” for local products. Friday’s class prepares local suppliers for the pitch day with Whole Foods.
“The idea is really to give people -- the local producers -- the tools they need to get ready for that pitch meeting where we’ll look at products and give feedback,” Landrieu said.
The Local 101 class will be held Friday, Feb. 27, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Shreveport Convention Center, 400 Caddo Street. It’s open to all Louisiana food and lifestyle artisans (think soaps and jewelry). Louisiana farmers and ranchers will meet separately.
Seating is limited. To secure a spot at the free seminar, email louisianalocal@wholefoods.com.
