July 2014
www.cvbizjournal.com
JULY
2014 VOL 9 • NUMBER 11
Business Journal Central Valley
1
www.cvbizjournal.com
StOCKtOn • traCy • lODI • ManteCa • latHrOP • lInDen • rIPOn
MODeStO • CereS • tUrlOCK • OaKDale • rIVerBanK
Young farm entrepreneurs 75th Anniversary Foster Farms celebrates milestone as Central Valley poultry processor.
Page 8
AgFest gives young farmers, ranchers chance to complete years of work By CRAIG W. ANDERSON Business Journal writer
Carnegie Rocks! Valley’s newest arts center honors range of cultural expression.
Page 16
Food Fix Local chef gets backing for food truck venture through Kickstarter.
Page 24
WHAT’S INSIDE Publisher’s Notes............Page 2 Briefs.....................Pages 44, 45 Legals....................Pages 46, 47
STOCKTON – Jessica Teresi carefully groomed her sheep in preparation for showing at San Joaquin County’s Ag Fest on a warm afternoon in mid-June. For the teenage agricultural entrepreneur, the livestock show was the culmination of months of hard work, and she was looking to maximize her results. “I’ve raised sheep all through 4-H and high school and am a member of the California Junior Livestock Association and have shown sheep up and down the state in competitions,” said Teresi, who graduated from Lodi High School last year. “I’m the first in our family to raise and show livestock, in this case sheep.” Teresi and dozens of the other teens nearly missed that opportunity to compete and be rewarded for their efforts this year when officials canceled the San Joaquin County Fair and the livestock show that went with it. With the promise they could use the county
WAYNE DENNING/CVBJ
Jessica Teresi, the first in her family to raise livestock, learned through 4-H how to breed and raise sheep as well as how to build a business.
fairgrounds for free, parents and volunteers scrambled over the winter to organize AgFest so members of Future Farmers of America and 4-H could complete their projects. “Some of these exhibitors have been working since they
were 10 or 11 yrs old,” said AgFest President Tim Sunbury. “Many of the exhibitors have a goal to succeed on a year-over-year basis.” In all, 650 children and teens showed 1,125 animals at AgFest, which ran from June 17-21. For many children, the money
they raise from selling their livestock goes to pay for college. For others, it’s a chance to experience entrepreneurship in an agricultural setting. Roy Yates, a 2013 graduate of Please see AGFEST Page 4
Start-ups, non-profits flock to Stockton’s Café Coop By SONYA HERRERA Business Journal writer STOCKTON – Café Co-Op or Café Coop? Though not intended, the latter pronunciation stuck. “It is a co-op, but because a lot of people didn’t know what a co-op was, they started calling it ‘coop,’ so we went
with that,” said Esperanza Vielma, executive director and founder of Café Coop. “And then, since we do incubate both the non-profits and the start-up companies, everybody liked the name, in terms of ‘chicken coop,’ I think. Either way is correct now.” So came to be named the business incubator headquar-
tered in downtown Stockton. The company currently serves close to 30 different members, including organizations like PUENTES, Placeholder Magazine, San Joaquin County Bike Coalition, and Restore the Delta. But what exactly is a business incubator? According to the National Business Incubator Association,
a business incubator offers “management guidance, technical assistance and consulting tailored to young growing companies.” To this aim, business incubation companies provide their members with networking opportunities, office space, tech support and access to shared services and equipment. Please see COOP Page 6
Scan to visit WWW.CVBIZJOURNAL.COM and “Like” us at FACEBOOK.COM/CVBIZJOURNAL
PRTSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID STOCKTON CA PERMIT NO. 305