From Kitchen Table to Farmers Market

Three years ago, I was making dumplings in my apartment kitchen, dreaming of something bigger. Today, I sell out at three farmers markets every week and supply two local restaurants. Here's how Locally Strong helped make that dream a reality.

The Beginning

My grandmother taught me to make dumplings when I was six years old. It was our special time together, her hands guiding mine through the delicate folds. When she passed away, continuing to make her recipes felt like keeping her close.

Friends and coworkers kept telling me I should sell them. "These are better than any restaurant," they'd say. But the gap between a compliment and a business felt impossibly wide.

Finding Locally Strong

I discovered Locally Strong through a flyer at my local library. They were hosting a workshop on starting a food business. I almost didn't go. "What do I know about running a business?" I thought.

That workshop changed everything. I learned about cottage food laws, commercial kitchen requirements, and the permits I'd need. More importantly, I met other aspiring food entrepreneurs who became my community.

The Incubator Program

Locally Strong connected me with their business incubator program. I got access to a commercial kitchen, mentorship from experienced food business owners, and a spot at their weekend farmers market.

The mentorship was invaluable. My mentor, a woman who had built her own sauce business from scratch, helped me with everything from pricing to packaging. She showed me that my biggest asset wasn't just my recipes it was my story.

Growing the Business

That first farmers market was terrifying. I made 100 dumplings and worried I'd made too many. They sold out in two hours. The next week, I made 200. They sold out too.

Now I employ two part-time helpers and have expanded beyond dumplings to include spring rolls, bao buns, and my grandmother's famous chili oil. The business has grown beyond what I could have imagined that day in the library.

Giving Back

Last month, I became a mentor myself through Locally Strong. I'm working with a young woman who wants to start a Jamaican patty business. Helping her reminds me of how far I've come and how much community support made this possible.

My grandmother would be proud. Not just of the business, but of how her recipes are bringing people together creating community, one dumpling at a time.

"Locally Strong didn't just help me start a business. They helped me believe I could."