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A Home-Grown Opportunity By Janet Warford-Perry
Teen has launched a business with his own produce Submitted Photo
the most effective tool in getting the word out. Remington “Remi” Effinger was self-deToo busy gardening and processing salsa to scribed as “bored to death” when COVID hit keep track of all the sales, Remi estimates he’s in 2020. That boredom of remote schooling and sold 350- to 400-pint jars of salsa since 2020. He isolation from friends forced the then 12-year-old to charges $8 a jar and asks customers to return explore starting his own home-based business as a the jars, but they rarely do. fun way to occupy his time. Stephanie had the foresight to stock up on jars Remi enlisted his mom Stephanie’s help, and and lids, so the shortage last year didn’t affect she began helping him expand his cooking, someRemi Eats. She’s hoping the rise in the cost of jars thing he first began doing at Boy Scout campouts and lids won’t affect his bottom line too much. around the age of 8. Next, Remi added herb sales. He quickly learned Family friend Debbie Turner shared a mild salsa to adjust to public demand as they didn’t seem as recipe with Remi. After putting his spice twist on interested in purchasing the fresh herbs as they did it, the initial product was born in two versions for the dried version. So dried herbs took the place of sale, mild and medium. Friends and relatives liked fresh ones at the market, and customers returned the salsa so much Remi decided to sell it at the lotime and again for dried herbs and peppers. cal Downtown Rolla Farmer’s Market on Saturday This year, in addition to mild and medium salsa mornings. The salsa was such a hit that Debbie even sales, perhaps adding a sweet version, Remi has debecame a regular customer. cided to grow gourds. Plans include crafting loofah Luckily, it was springtime in the Ozarks when the and water sprinklers for sale at the farmers market. venture first began, and Remi was able to start the Remi said he’s hoping the two new products will be process of growing his own veggies from seedlings sought out by customers but admits you just can nevinside the house. Stephanie, raised on a cattle farm, er tell what the public buys and it’s trial and error. helped Remi set up the backyard-raised bed garden At some point in time, Remi would like to enter area where 25 tomato plants started the growing veninto a cheesemaking adventure but is saving that ture, along with peppers and container-grown herbs. until he’s learned more about the art form that is He maintains a compost bin, a good way to deal cooking. He likes to explore what food pairs well with leftover scrap food and remove the need for with each different type of cheese. purchasing expensive fertilizers or treated soil. The Rolla High School freshman is looking forIn keeping with state regulations for home-crafted ward to learning things to hone his skills. He’s excitfoods, each jar has to be labeled with all the ingreed about the upcoming World Foods section taught dients used. If the food was not prepared in a certiRemington “Remi” Effinger began making salsa, but in his Family & Consumer Science class. Remi said fied kitchen, the label must also indicate that Remi branched out into marketing his own freshly-grown he sees himself traveling as an adult, specifically to noted. The $400 to $500 cost for training to have his products. See more photos at ozarkfn.com France and Germany, to explore how ethnic foods mom’s kitchen certified is too much of an expense are prepared in various regions of the world. for his small business to sustain at this time. Remi has his sights set first on pursuing Culinary Arts at RTI. He currently particAnother juggling act is that food sold in a farmers market setting must be processed within a week prior to sales. When the family’s small home kitchen became hard to ipates in agriculture classes to learn as much as he can about plants and is a member of the meats team. navigate, the local VFW offered their commercial kitchen to Remi, and Most recently, while his mother was recovering from surgery, Remi prepared the expanse of space has made processing salsa less challenging. meals for the family of five. Whether it be a small gathering or assisting with the Stephanie has continued to assist with marketing and sales and severannual VFW Christmas feast, the Rolla teen is up for the challenge. al other products that have evolved into his own small business. One day Remi would like to own a food truck, local winery or stationary Marketing the product began with a catchy name – Remi Eats was choRolla, Mo. restaurant. sen simply in reminiscence of Remi’s love of eating. A personal blog was His dream career may have been much different had the dismal restriclaunched on Facebook that Stephanie monitors. Branding the product has tions of a two-month COVID quarantine not forced Remington Effinbeen done with consistent product labeling. Sharing the word through famger to create a business within the confines of his home space. ily and friends, combined with selling at the local farmers market, has been APRIL 11, 2022
Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com
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