For makers and farms

Co-packers, shared kitchens and food business help in Indiana

Q: Shared kitchen or co-packer: which do I need?

If you still make the product yourself, rent time in a licensed shared or commissary kitchen. When orders outgrow your own hands, a co-packer takes over production.

15 businesses and programs in Indiana that help small food makers and farms make, store and move product: 3 co-packers, 5 shared kitchens, 2 programs and official lists, and 5 cold storage companies, distributors, processors and suppliers.

3Co-packers
5Shared kitchens
2Programs and lists
15Listings in all

Get listed Indiana cottage food law Shops that carry small makers in Indiana

Programs and official lists in Indiana

2 listed. Start here. State and university programs that help food businesses with recipes, safety plans and licensing, and the public lists they keep.

Indiana BOAH Meat and Poultry Inspection Establishments Listmeat
IN · in.gov
State list of inspected and custom-exempt meat and poultry plants
Purdue Food Entrepreneurship and Manufacturing Institute (FEMI)
West Lafayette, IN · ag.purdue.edu
Product development, pilot plant scale-up and commercialization help

Co-packers in Indiana

3 listed. Contract manufacturers that make and pack your recipe in a licensed plant.

Dillman Farmjams preservessmall batch
Bloomington, IN · dillmanfarm.com · source
Jams and jellies; limited co-packing capacity for start-ups
Big B Distributorssaucessalsa
Evansville, IN · bigbbarbecue.com · source
Bottles BBQ sauces, dressings, soups and salsas in glass or plastic
Sonoma Farm Co Packingsaucessmall batch
Shelby, IN · sonomafarmcopacking.com · source
Acidified and low-acid canning, hot and cold pack, private label

Shared and commissary kitchens in Indiana

5 listed. Licensed kitchens you rent by the hour or month, often with storage and business help. Shared and commissary kitchens in Indiana has its own page.

Kitchen Corner
Beech Grove, IN · kitchencorner.biz · source
Family-owned licensed kitchen, monthly memberships, storage
One World KitchenShare
Bloomington, IN · kitchenshare.net · source
Certified commercial kitchen with 24/7 access
CookSpring Shared Kitchen
Fort Wayne, IN · cookspringfw.com · source
4,800 sq ft commissary, 24/7, monthly membership
Indy's Culinary Centre and Farmer Hub
Indianapolis, IN · indysculinarycentre.com · source
Commercial kitchen with cold and dry storage, business services
Indy's Kitchen
Indianapolis, IN · indyskitchen.com · source
Two full rental kitchens with 24/7 access and storage

Cold storage and fulfillment in Indiana

1 listed. Refrigerated and frozen warehousing, and companies that pick, pack and ship orders for food brands. Ask about minimums, since some mostly serve larger brands.

Interstate Cold Storagefrozen
Fort Wayne, IN · interstatecoldstorage.com · source
Public refrigerated and frozen warehousing, two Fort Wayne sites

Distributors and food hubs in Indiana

3 listed. Specialty, natural and local food distributors, and food hubs that aggregate from small producers.

Region Roots Food Hubproduce
Crown Point, IN · regionroots.org · source
Food hub wholesaling for about 75 Northwest Indiana farmers
Hoosier Harvest Marketproduce
Greenfield, IN · hoosierharvestmarket.com · source
Farmer cooperative online market for Indiana-grown food
Piazza Produce and Specialty Foodsproduce
Indianapolis, IN · piazzaproduce.com
Regional produce and specialty foods distributor

Small meat processors in Indiana

1 listed. State and USDA inspected plants. Ask each one whether it takes custom or private-label work for farms and ranches.

This Old Farmmeat
Colfax, IN · thisoldfarm.com
Meat processing for farms plus local meat distribution

Suppliers that ship to Indiana

Packaging, fulfillment and distribution are mostly national. See insulated boxes, gel packs and dry ice, jars, labels and boxes, cold storage and fulfillment and specialty food distributors. For the how-to, read how to start cold shipping and shipping supplies for food makers.

Get listed, or fix a listing

Co-packer, shared kitchen, packaging supplier, cold storage or distributor that works with small food makers and farms? Send the details and we will add you. Listings are free. If something here is wrong or out of date, tell us and we will fix it.

Software and setup for makers

Madeline's sets up the back office for small food makers and farms: inventory and lot tracking, shipping and cold chain, wholesale ordering, recipe costing and labels and more. See Artisanal Solutions, or sell on the Madeline's marketplace.

Questions

What is a co-packer?

A co-packer (contract packer) is a licensed food plant that makes and packs your product to your recipe. You own the brand and the recipe. They own the equipment, the inspections and the labor. Most ask for a minimum run, so call several and compare minimums, price per unit and what they will source for you.

Shared kitchen or co-packer: which do I need?

If you are still making it yourself, rent time in a shared or commissary kitchen. It is licensed, so you can sell beyond cottage food limits. When orders outgrow your own hands, a co-packer takes over production. Many makers use a kitchen for a year or two first.

Where does this list come from?

From public lists kept by state agriculture departments, university extension and food innovation centers, and from each business's own site. Listings that came from a public list link to that source. A listing is not an endorsement, so check licensing, insurance and minimums yourself.

How do I get listed or fix a listing?

Use the form on this page. Listings are free.

Sources: public lists from state agriculture departments, university extension and food innovation centers, and each business's own site. Listings are independent businesses and are not affiliated with Madeline's. A listing is not an endorsement.