Kendra Wills
Contact Me
MSU Product Center Innovation Counselor & Extension Educator
Ottawa County Extension Office
Phone:
616-994-4580
Email:
willsk@msu.edu
Related Work
Authored Articles
- Horrocks & Co. in Battle Creek and MSU Product Center celebrate National Small Business Week by featuring new Michigan-made food products, May 5, 2026
- Fresh Thyme Market and MSU Product Center celebrate National Small Business Week by selecting Dip Detroit’s hot honey as the “First Time at Fresh Thyme Award” winner for 2026, May 5, 2026
- Hansen Foods in Hart and MSU Product Center celebrate National Small Business Week by featuring new Michigan-made food products, May 5, 2026
- MSU Dairy Store and MSU Product Center celebrate National Small Business Week by featuring new Michigan-made food products, May 5, 2026
- New free resource helps aspiring entrepreneurs launch a food truck business, August 21, 2025
- The Michigan lavender harvest is underway, August 1, 2025
- Helpful tips on finding a new business location for food processors, July 3, 2025
- Sourcing Michigan-grown ingredients for your business, June 27, 2025
- Great Lakes Tinned Fish wins MSU Product Center’s 2025 Young Innovator Award, May 7, 2025
- MSU Product Center honors Furniture City Creamery with the 2025 Barrier Buster Award, May 7, 2025
- Create a winning vendor space at holiday festivals and markets, October 22, 2024
- “Let’s Help Her Win” TV show accepting applications for season 2 contestants, July 2, 2024
- Guidelines for offering samples of food and beverage products at farmers markets, June 21, 2024
- Tips for food businesses planning for fall, June 20, 2024
- The MSU Product Center awards Protein Pints as the 2024 Young Innovator of the Year at the Making It In Michigan Conference, April 24, 2024
- Sticky Spoons Jam, LLC wins MSU Product Center’s 2024 Best Barrier Buster Award, April 24, 2024
- MSUFCU offers three educational videos on business planning and financing for entrepreneurs, February 13, 2024
- Free “How to Start a Food Truck” online course now available in Spanish, January 29, 2024
- Entrepreneurs: Get your degree with free in-district tuition at Michigan community colleges, January 22, 2024
- Three food businesses win $20K at Start Garden Demo Day, October 5, 2023
- Expanding equitable access to mobile food business resources for Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs in west Michigan, September 1, 2023
- Writing an accurate ingredient statement for packaged food products, July 13, 2023
- Understanding shelf-life testing for packaged food products, June 30, 2023
- Fat Baby Hot Sauce recognized with the MSU Product Center’s 2023 Value-Added Agricultural Product Award, April 20, 2023
- Last Mile Café in Grand Rapids, Michigan recognized with the 2023 Young Innovator Award from the MSU Product Center, April 20, 2023
- Michigan’s first African American, women-owned, vegan and allergen-free ice cream shop opens in Wyoming, MI, July 19, 2022
- Food processors that use sesame as an ingredient need to update allergen statements by January 1, 2023, May 18, 2022
- Tips on developing a strong business pitch, March 7, 2022
- Free ‘How to Start a Food Truck Business’ online course now open, February 15, 2022
- Amazing Myanmar Asian Cuisine launches new line of grocery meals, December 23, 2021
- 10 steps to save time (and money) in an incubator kitchen, November 9, 2021
- Converting a kitchen recipe to a commercial formula, September 3, 2021
- Getting your food business ready for holiday sales, July 26, 2021
- Littlefoot Coffee Roasters receives 2021 Entrepreneur of the Year award from the MSU Product Center, May 6, 2021
- Reach new buyers through the Making It In Michigan Virtual Trade Show, March 18, 2021
- 2021 Making It In Michigan virtual conference general sessions to highlight trends and new opportunities, March 11, 2021
- InBooze Cocktail Kits Wins 2020 Minority Business Award from the Michigan State University Product Center, November 12, 2020
- How do I build a commercial kitchen at home or on my farm?, September 11, 2020
- Is your food or farming business as resilient as a prairie?, May 22, 2020
- Employee mentorship and positive community impact are the keys to success for this Grand Rapids fresh juice business, August 16, 2019
- Home vegetable gardeners are asked to "grow a row" for their local food pantry, May 17, 2019
- 490 Bakery aims to employ previously incarcerated individuals, March 11, 2019
- Critical conversations at the April 5, 2019 Michigan Racial Equity in the Food System Summit, February 22, 2019
- Generation Yum: Learn how Millennials and Gen Z are impacting the food system, January 15, 2019
- Bridge Street Market opens in Grand Rapids, September 12, 2018
- PA 116: A farmland preservation program in Michigan that new farmers may not be familiar with, June 25, 2018
- Reducing waste one straw at a time, June 4, 2018
- An introduction to Michigan lamb, May 9, 2018
- Free point of sale devices for accepting SNAP benefit payments delayed, March 28, 2018
- Being mindful of your health during March Madness, March 6, 2018
- St. Patrick’s Day is a great time for kids to try new green foods, February 21, 2018
- Show your love with Michigan cherries, February 7, 2018
- New online resource for building local food councils, January 16, 2018
- What’s new with meal subscription services?, January 8, 2018
- Thinking about tapping maple trees in 2018?, November 27, 2017
- Spectrum health in Grand Rapids launches culinary medicine program for residents, October 31, 2017
- What is food systems planning?, October 2, 2017
- Local food for your tailgate, September 20, 2017
- Fall food and beer pairings, September 20, 2017
- Thinking about food systems when disaster strikes, September 18, 2017
- Michigan Food Hub Network and Incubator Kitchen Network held joint meeting on July 20, July 27, 2017
- MSU Students launch local food business made from campus grown foods, June 27, 2017
- Bulk buying at the Southeast Area Farmers' Market provides benefits for low-income families, May 30, 2017
- Michigan State University launches its first Extension Office at a community college, May 30, 2017
- Celebrating the history of the strawberry, May 23, 2017
- Implementing a client choice food pantry model, May 1, 2017
- Many USDA grant programs will likely hold a 2018 grant cycle, April 11, 2017
- Celebrating the history of maple syrup, March 20, 2017
- Montague and Whitehall school meals include locally-grown potatoes, February 20, 2017
- Seasonal eating in the winter months, January 24, 2017
- Solving food insecurity in Michigan, January 19, 2017
- Reducing food waste at home, January 17, 2017
- Unique partnerships to promote farm-to-school, January 12, 2017
- There's still time to celebrate farm-to-school month, October 19, 2016
- Study up on different ways to use venison, October 7, 2016
- Michigan potatoes are delicious autumn comfort food, September 28, 2016
- Happily preserving their farmland, September 7, 2016
- Grand Rapids’ largest urban farm adds pizza to their menu, August 23, 2016
- MSU Extension helps evaluate the Muskegon Farmers Market, August 22, 2016
- Sourcing locally-grown carrots for Michigan institutions, August 12, 2016
- Have you evaluated your farmers market lately?, August 8, 2016
- Have you evaluated your farmers market lately?, August 8, 2016
- The green roof: a worthwhile investment, August 3, 2016
- Don't miss out on Michigan cherries, July 19, 2016
- First MSU Extension office to be awarded Spartan Gold-Level Green Certification, June 23, 2016
- MSU Extension teams up with Power of Produce at the Muskegon Farmers Market for the second year, May 26, 2016
- Home gardeners can donate produce to food pantries, April 29, 2016
- Radishes can actually be pretty rad, April 19, 2016
- Lake County farmers market feasibility study process, April 19, 2016
- Michigan Fresh from the hoophouse, March 22, 2016
- Combine reading and healthy food during National Reading Awareness Month and Nutrition Months, February 29, 2016
- Growing in the classroom, February 23, 2016
- Flint leaders working to build community sustainability, February 1, 2016
- Lessons learned from a career in school nutrition, January 28, 2016
- 2016 featured local foods for institutions, January 12, 2016
- Learning to grow on foreign soil, December 7, 2015
- School nutrition staff tour Prairie Farms dairy operations, November 19, 2015
- How do I talk to farmers about their food safety practices?, October 21, 2015
- Fall in love with Michigan’s fresh flavors, October 12, 2015
- Donating Michigan venison to food pantries, September 30, 2015
- Join the Michigan Apple Crunch, September 28, 2015
- Advancing Michigan farmers markets, September 15, 2015
- Farm-to-high school, September 9, 2015
- Healthy food fuels a successful partnership, September 1, 2015
- Lowell students get a lesson in business at the Grand Rapids Downtown Market, August 20, 2015
- Damaged school hoop house?, August 20, 2015
- Celebrate local food and farming during National Farmers Market Week, July 9, 2015
- Michigan Fresh comes to a farmers market near you, June 12, 2015
- Grand Rapids-area food pantries stock local produce, June 2, 2015
- Do I need a license to sell eggs at the farmers market?, May 28, 2015
- Tips for growing tomatoes in your home garden, April 27, 2015
- Healthy transplants are key for a successful garden, April 22, 2015
- Teaching medical students to cook, April 20, 2015
- Celebrate Easter with locally-produced eggs, March 19, 2015
- Planning your Michigan Fresh garden, February 26, 2015
- Should your community start a farmers market?, February 24, 2015
- Muskegon’s local food scene is emerging, February 6, 2015
- Where are Michigan’s food hubs?, January 26, 2015
- Free winter break reading list for foodies, December 16, 2014
- Ice cream with a local twist, December 10, 2014
- Creative ways farmers are growing with Double Up Food Bucks, December 4, 2014
- Why do we eat cranberries at Thanksgiving?, November 19, 2014
- Putting a Michigan turkey on your table for Thanksgiving, November 10, 2014
- Growing more than produce at New City Neighbors’ urban farm in Grand Rapids, Michigan, November 4, 2014
- October is National Farm-to-School Month, September 22, 2014
- Spice up your tailgate with Michigan meats, September 8, 2014
- Collaborative markets, August 20, 2014
- MSU Extension launches “Summer Surplus” produce donation campaign in Western Michigan, August 6, 2014
- Serving up local from the county fair, July 21, 2014
- Get ready for Michigan blueberries, June 19, 2014
- Michigan Catch and Cook program connects community members, local restaurants, May 28, 2014
- Farmers markets a great learning opportunity for kids, May 22, 2014
- Cultivate Michigan, April 23, 2014
- Act now if you want to rent garden space in Grand Rapids, April 17, 2014
- LINC Up Soul Food Café serves workforce development with a side of fried pickles, March 14, 2014
- Families behind the food, March 13, 2014
- Will a mobile farmers market work for your community?, March 4, 2014
- Broccoli for Bruno Mars and kale for Katy Perry, February 20, 2014
- Michigan wool at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, January 23, 2014
- The Grand Rapids Downtown Market offers a variety of ways to expand your local food knowledge, January 19, 2014
- Honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a national day of service, December 31, 2013
- Advice from chefs about ordering at a farm-to-table restaurant, December 31, 2013
- Locally-sourced food dominates National Restaurant Association’s top trends list for 2014, December 16, 2013
- “Let’s Move Salad Bars to Midwest Schools” campaign gets attention in Michigan, December 4, 2013
- Venison: Enjoying the local harvest and giving back, November 3, 2013
- MSU Extension teams up with Gavin Orchards to celebrate Michigan apples at two West Michigan schools, October 20, 2013
- Where do all these soybeans go?, October 8, 2013
- ArtPrize in Grand Rapids, Mich. is fueled by local produce, September 20, 2013
- New farm project in Grand Rapids, Mich. seeks to provide employment for refugees, September 10, 2013
- Michigan school districts welcome back students with Michigan apples, peaches and pears, September 3, 2013
- Farm-to-Pizza: a farm-to-school lesson plan for elementary students, August 13, 2013
- Michigan Fresh now offers five fact sheets in Spanish, July 29, 2013
- Can a vegetable garden save you money?, July 15, 2013
- Summer reading list for foodies, June 27, 2013
- Senator Goeff Hansen’s Inaugural Bicycle Tour Highlights Hidden Agri-Tourism Gems in Oceana County, June 13, 2013
- Celebrating Made in Michigan week at school cafeterias, May 23, 2013
- High school students liked Michigan lamb for lunch, May 2, 2013
- Celebrating Earth Day helps youth develop leadership skills, April 13, 2013
- Several “healthy corner stores” in Grand Rapids ready to expand, March 7, 2013
- Farm-to-school success story: Grand Rapids Public Schools adds Michigan dry beans to its menu, February 21, 2013
- Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. day of service, January 15, 2013
- Consider adding Michigan whitefish to your healthy diet for the new year, January 7, 2013
- Attention Agricultural Producers: USDA Value-Added Producer Grants can help you expand, December 31, 2012
- Advice for parents on developing leadership qualities in children, December 11, 2012
- Grand Rapids schools offer healthy meal choices, November 27, 2012
- Techniques for citizen participation in the comprehensive planning process, November 15, 2012
- Starting a community conversation using the World Café format, October 17, 2012
- Great Lakes farm market expo offers educational opportunities for local food producers, October 15, 2012
- Grand Rapids' new “Downtown Market” continues making progress, September 21, 2012
- Attention absentee voters: Follow voting rules so your vote counts, September 20, 2012
- Successful strategies for engaging the Latino and Hispanic population, September 10, 2012
- Grand Rapids area farmers make the leap to restaurant ownership, August 19, 2012
- Breakfast on the Farm in Kent County provides hands-on learning about local agriculture, July 27, 2012
- The Grand Rapids Urban Forest Project: Building citizen advocates, July 10, 2012
- Attention Michigan farmers: Schools are looking for more vegetables and beans, June 26, 2012
- Senator Goeff Hansen partners with MSU Extension to promote Michigan fruits and vegetables, May 21, 2012
- Gardening with special needs: The benefits of horticultural therapy, May 21, 2012
- Kent County to Offer Junior Master Gardener Program in Two Locations This Summer, April 20, 2012
- Economic Gardening: A Tool to Develop Local Business Leaders, April 20, 2012
- Taming the meeting beast, March 20, 2012
- Godfrey-Lee schools serve locally grown vegetables, March 13, 2012
- MSU Extension and Aquinas College partner to build community leadership, February 21, 2012
- MSU Extension provides facilitation assistance to engage citizens in biobanking practices, February 17, 2012
- Double Up Food Bucks program helps increase Bridge Card sales at West Michigan farmers markets, February 4, 2012
- Double Up Food Bucks Program helps increase Bridge Card sales at West Michigan farmers markets, January 16, 2012
- MSU Extension and West Michigan Farmlink partner to promote local food purchasing, January 12, 2012
Authored Documents
- Developing a Michigan Food Truck Business Concept: A Worksheet to Guide Your Business Planning, August 13, 2025
- Conservation Easements, May 31, 2016
- Michigan Fresh: Maple Syrup, September 15, 2015
- Michigan Fresh: Great Lakes Lake Whitefish, January 28, 2015
Videos
- Bottling Success Webinar: Starting a Sauce, Salsa or Condiment Business
- Trademarking Your Brand
- Selling Consumer Packaged Goods (CPGs) on Amazon: Getting Ready for the Holiday Season
- Resources for Food and Beverage Entrepreneurs Webinar
- Starting a Commercial Food Business: A Framework for Success
- Selling to Schools and Hospitals
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