Succeeding in production agriculture is a constant struggle in today’s economy. Farm families often supplement farm income with income from jobs in town. But, when you live on farms near a town of only 291 people, jobs can be hard to find.
Katrina Frey and her husband farm 2,000 acres near Stapleton and Katrina was looking for a way to supplement the family income. She went to Jason Tuller, Nebraska Business Development Center consultant in North Platte (31 miles drive). She had many complements on her jelly, so she began canning it part-time under the name Heavenly Creations. She has grown her part-time business from $12,000 in sales the first year to $50,000 sales in the third year. She is on plan to achieve $70,000 sales in 2007.
A tireless worker, Katrina came to the Nebraska Business Development Center when the kitchen she was renting by the day at the local county fairgrounds was inadequate. By teaming up with another rural woman entrepreneur (Cynthia Boland, who makes sauces), Katrina was able to work with Jason on a plan to convert a closed grocery store in Stapleton into a commercial food processing plant. Her business is a symbol of what can be done, even in a remote village like Stapleton, Nebraska.
