The North Dakota State University Extension Service has launched a Web site to help food entrepreneurs get started in the business.

""We've observed a growing interest among North Dakotans to develop and market food products,"" says Julie Garden-Robinson, NDSU Extension food and nutrition specialist. ""We hope these new resources help with that process."

The Web site, at http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/foodent/entrpnr.htm, provides a number of questions for people to consider as they decide whether to start a food business. The site also has information and lessons on doing marketing research, pricing and marketing food products, the rules and regulations governing North Dakota food service facilities, the laws regulating food labeling, what adults and youth need to know about keeping food safe at food stands and making sure food is safe before it reaches farmers markets.

The lessons include presurveys to help potential food entrepreneurs determine how much they already know and post-surveys to indicate how much they learned. They also can print a certificate after they've completed each of the lesson modules.

In addition, the site lists links to a number of organizations and resources that can help food entrepreneurs learn what they need to know to get started and stay in business.

""The growing popularity of locally grown foods and value-added agriculture food products provides our businesses with expanded market opportunities,"" says Kathleen Tweeten, director of the NDSU Extension Center for Community Vitality. ""These online lessons can help them to identify and plan to better reach that market and take advantage of the opportunities."

Extension received a grant from USDA Rural Development to create the Web site.

NDSU Agriculture Communication