The Sausage Shop

Stone Cross Farm Expands the Brand

The Stone Cross Farm Sausage Shop in Taylorsville will be opening the doors this summer. Owners Patrick and Leeta Kennedy are quick to thank the team at KCARD for helping to make this new venture a reality.

"We have developed an amazing working relationship with the team at KCARD through the years, as we have expanded our business," explained Patrick. "So as we began developing the plan to start processing our own sausage, we once again turned to KCARD.”

Patrick explained that customer demand for Stone Cross Farm's sausages had increased to the point that the processing facility the Kennedys used to make the product could not keep up with the demand. The couple developed a plan for The Sausage Shop, as a way to address this growth.

"KCARD performed a financial analysis for the Kennedys to investigate the cost effectiveness of adding further value to their raw meat products at a separate facility," explained Nathan Routt, KCARD Business Development Specialist. "We continued to be a resource for them as they started pulling all the pieces together to bring their idea to life.”

"In 2013, property that had been built for a restaurant and food manufacturing came up for sale about a mile from the farm, and we purchased the site at foreclosure," said Patrick. "We then turned around and spent nine months working, as we had time to bring it up to our standards. From there, we began sourcing the equipment for our operation.”

While working to renovate the facility the Kennedys learned of the USDA Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) grant and began working on the grant application with the team at KCARD.

"Leeta and Patrick were great to work with, being very responsive during the grant-editing process and weren't afraid to ask questions," stated Myrsia Christy, KCARD Project Director. "They believed in their project and were willing to put the work in, even after they weren't funded the first time in 2014.”

After reworking their proposal Stone Cross Farm submitted another application in 2015 and was awarded an LFPP grant to provide assistance for The Sausage Shop. The grant funding was to provide assistance by expanding processing and distribution, adding staff and marketing value-added beef, pork, and lamb products to existing customers in the central KY region, as well as new customers.

"The LFPP grant provides us with the funds to complete this project early and open The Sausage Shop late this summer," said Patrick. "The grant process wasn't easy, but we had KCARD working with us every step of the way and that made all the difference in our success.”

Patrick explained that they are now in the final stage of bringing everything together for the project. The facility has been completely renovated, the equipment is in place, and they are working to get all the certifications needed to open.

"Stone Cross Farm has grown a lot since KCARD began working with the owners, and The Sausage Shop shows promise to become an integral part of continued growth for their operation," stated Routt. "It should allow them to meet growing demand for their value-added meat products, while eliminating the potential for harmful production shortages.”

While the initial idea for the facility was developed to meet the growing demand for their sausage products, Patrick admits that another positive of this project is that it allows them to bring some of the value-added production back in house.

"We have employees that have worked with us as we have grown our farm and business, and they rely on us for their income," said Patrick. "It is satisfying to know we can provide for these employees and their families, and this project allows us to expand that commitment.”

Initially, the main focus for The Sausage Shop will be to expand Stone Cross Farm's current line of sausage products, which are produced with no MSG and no nitrates. Patrick though is already looking toward the future with plans to develop specialized charcuterie - special cuts / chef preparation of larger whole cuts - and dry aged products to add to the Stone Cross Farm line.

"We are seeing more requests from our chefs for unique products with special aging, the higher end products, and with our own shop we will be able to develop these unique products for our customers," said Patrick.

The Kennedys understand that the key to their success is the balance between keeping their customers happy and making sure that they continue to evaluate their business as they grow. That is why they have chosen to keep KCARD involved beyond the grant application process.

"I can't tell you how many times I have turned to KCARD to review numbers on a project to make sure it makes sense," said Patrick. "I know when I turn to KCARD they give a real evaluation with realistic expectations that I can trust as we move forward with our business plans.”

Learn more about Stone Cross Farm and the variety of products they provide by visiting www.stonecrossfarm.com.