Southern Indiana Business Report
PAOLI — Orange County is now home to a new community kitchen, and organizers see the facility as a resource for culinary entrepreneurs, caterers, bakers and anyone interested in feeding others.
Now open at the First Presbyterian Church of Paoli at 110 NE First St., the certified kitchen is available for general use for preparing food for wholesale trade, catering, developing a new product, or just for needed space and appliances. The church has eating and serving space, as well, if needed for events.
The community kitchen is furnished with a new range and oven, a stainless steel work island, refrigerator, freezer and basic appliances, such as blender, dehydrator, industrial chopping/pureeing equipment and basic utensils.
Funding for the new facility was provided through a $100,000 implementation grant from the Orange County Community Foundation Inc.
As the kitchen coordinator, Anna Hudelson schedules the kitchen’s use and provides tours and orientation. She also uses the certified kitchen, creating canned and preserved products such as jams, chutneys and pickled vegetables. Her products are sold across the street at Lost River Market and Deli on the shelf, and are in many of the specialty boxes like the seasonal Artisan Chef boxes distributed during the fall and winter.
There is a fee structure for the use of the community kitchen: $10 an hour, $25 for the day or $100 for multiple consecutive days. This fee will be subsidized for first time users as an introductory offer. In addition, Lost River Market and Deli can offer shelf space for products developed for wholesale business at the community kitchen. Staff can help producers on pricing, required labeling and other technical advice. Wholesalers must already have a food permit issued by Orange County Health Department and should have ServSafe certification or be registered to take the training.
As part of a series of special classes this summer, a free ServSafe class and exam will be offered on Wednesday, Aug. 4, by Purdue Extension. The class will be an all-day event, with the exam scheduled for late afternoon. Both class and exam fees are paid through funding by the Orange County Community Foundation. Lunch and refreshments will be provided by Lost River Market and Deli. People interested in learning more, joining the class roster and receiving instructions on how to register for the Purdue portal can contact Debbie Turner at [email protected] or call Lost River Market and Deli at 812-723-3735. Masks will be required if participants are not vaccinated, since the class space is close.
Canning and preserving classes are planned for July and August, with Hudelson as facilitator, and this series requires class fees.
- Wednesday, July 14, 2 p.m., Canning 101 – Tomatoes, the versatile fruit!
- Wednesday, July 21, 2 p.m., Canning 101 – Pickles, bread and butter to giardiniera!
- Wednesday, July 28, 2 p.m., Pressure Canning – Chicken stock to flavor everything!
- Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2 p.m., Preserving Fruit – Enjoy summer flavor in winter weather!
Samples of products will be available at each class, and all participants will be able to take home canned products produced during class.
All classes are open to the public. Class space is limited, and reservations are required. Again, participants who have not been vaccinated will need to wear masks.
Class fees are $10 for each session, or $30 for the series of four classes. To register, contact Lost River Market and Deli or register on www.LostRiverMarketandDeli.com. Each participant will receive a voucher, waiving the community kitchen fee for a day of kitchen time.
“The Orange County Community Foundation believes that education in any form better prepares our citizens for our county’s future,” Imojean Dedrick, executive director of the Orange County Community Foundation, shared. “Having the opportunity to offer a community kitchen and free ServSafe classes just adds another level to health and education in our community. Education, preparation, preservation, entrepreneurship and learning to make healthy choices are all part of developing a productive society, and we are proud to assist our county in some small way in doing that.”
More information on the facility is available by contacting Turner at Lost River Market and Deli or Hudelson at 765-607-0996.