The Center for Economic and Workforce Development hosted a two-week US Cranberry Training program to Serbian importers and product developers as part of the USDA’s Cochran Fellows Program.  The program, which was directed by Dr. Jonathan Deutsch, ran from September 19 to October 2, 2010 and brought the chefs to study in New York, and Massachusetts.  Chefs Robynne Maii and Hannah Hoffman served as trainers for the program.

The training began in New York with a bog and plant tour, retail market study, cooking with cranberries training as well as an introduction to key food safety concerns.  The cooking with cranberries training took place in KCC’s kitchen, where the fellows had a great time cooking a large variety of cranberry dishes.  The fellows then flew to Massachusetts where they received a tour of the Decas Cranberry Company and Ocean Spray and had meetings with company officials, facilitated by the Cranberry Marketing Committee.

 
The Cochran Fellows Program gave the fellows a hands-on culinary workshop on cooking with cranberries, a retail market analysis of cranberry products in the grocery, beverage, and health segments, visits with cranberry producers and processors, and familiarity with marketing groups and contacts for exporting and discussing the safety and quality of US product.  The four participating fellows were given a wonderful training opportunity by the Cochran Fellows Program and will hopefully be able to incorporate what they have gained here into their businesses in Serbia.

To view photos of the event please visit our media gallery.