For makers and farms

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

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.

31 businesses and programs in Wisconsin that help small food makers and farms make, store and move product: 10 co-packers, 12 shared kitchens, 5 programs and official lists, and 4 cold storage companies, distributors, processors and suppliers.

10Co-packers
12Shared kitchens
5Programs and lists
31Listings in all

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

Programs and official lists in Wisconsin

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

Wisconsin Food Processing Guide (UW-Extension and DATCP)
WI · fyi.extension.wisc.edu
Handbook with tables of shared-use kitchens and cold storage; circa 2016
Center for Dairy Research (UW-Madison)dairy cheese
Madison, WI · cdr.wisc.edu
Dairy product development, pilot plant and technical support
Food Finance Institute (Universities of Wisconsin)
Madison, WI · foodfinanceinstitute.org · source
Financial training and consulting for food and beverage businesses
Food Research Institute (UW-Madison)
Madison, WI · fri.wisc.edu · source
Food safety research, lab services and training
UW-Madison Extension Community Food Systems: Food Business Development
Madison, WI · foodsystems.extension.wisc.edu
Extension resource hub for starting and scaling Wisconsin food businesses

Co-packers in Wisconsin

10 listed. Contract manufacturers that make and pack your recipe in a licensed plant. Co-packers in Wisconsin has its own page.

Bushel and Peck'sjams preservespickles fermentshot saucesauces
Beloit, WI · bushelandpecks.com · source
Acidified foods: preserves, relishes, hot sauce, pickles, tomato products
Arty's Premium Beverages (FLOOID)beverages
Clintonville, WI · drinkartys.com · source
Beverage co-packing, alcoholic and non-alcoholic
Great River Organic Millingdry mixes spicesorganic certified
Cochrane, WI · greatrivermilling.com · source
Organic whole grains, flours, hot cereals and baking mixes
Contract Comestibles
East Troy, WI · contractcomestibles.com · source
Contract food manufacturer
Croix Valley Foodssauceshot saucesalsadry mixes spices
Hudson, WI · croixvalleyfoods.com · source
Acidified sauces and dry rubs; 100 gallon or 150 lb minimum
TWT Sauce Inc.salsasauceshot saucegluten free
Hudson, WI · source
Acidified foods: salsa, pasta sauce, marinades; gluten-free facility
Rural Route 1 Popcornsnacks granolaconfections chocolate
Livingston, WI · ruralroute1.com · source
Popcorn and chocolate products
Create-A-Pack Foods
Oconomowoc, WI · capfoodinc.com · source
Contract food packaging
Kaye Family Foodssaucessalsahot saucehoney
River Falls, WI · kayefamilyfoods.com · source
BBQ sauce, salsa, hot sauce, mixes and rubs; no minimums
N.E.W. Co-Packingbaked goods
Suamico, WI · newcopacking.com · source
Hot and cold packing, bakery, packaging and drop-shipping

Shared and commissary kitchens in Wisconsin

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

Barron Community Kitchen
Barron, WI · source
Community commercial kitchen
The Kitchens at Belleville Depot
Belleville, WI · source
Rentable commercial kitchens
Bifrost Farms Shared Kitchen
Boyceville, WI · source
Farm-based shared kitchen
Kitchen Ventures
Cameron, WI · source
Shared commercial kitchen
Blanca's Commercial Kitchen
Cedarburg, WI · source
Rentable commercial kitchen
The Petite Chefbaked goodspickles ferments
Dousman, WI · source
Commercial kitchen and incubator; also does small co-packing
Apple Valley Kitchens
Galesville, WI · source
Rentable commercial kitchens
Kickapoo Culinary Center
Gays Mills, WI · gaysmills.gov · source
Village-run shared-use kitchen and food business incubator
Coulee Region Business Center
La Crosse, WI · crbc.biz · source
Business incubator with shared-use commercial kitchen
FEED Kitchens
Madison, WI · feedkitchens.org · source
Nonprofit shared-use kitchens and food business incubator
Superior Business Center
Superior, WI · superiorbusinesscenter.com · source
Business incubator with licensed shared-use commercial kitchen
Food Enterprise Center (VEDA)
Viroqua, WI · veda-wi.org · source
Food business facility run by Vernon Economic Development Association

Cold storage and fulfillment in Wisconsin

3 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.

Midwest Refrigerated Servicesfrozen
Elkhorn, WI · midwestrefrigerated.com
Refrigerated warehousing, transportation and value-added services
Midwest Perishablesfrozen
Madison, WI · midwestperishables.com · source
Cold storage and perishable distribution
Sugar River Cold Storagefrozendairy cheese
Monticello, WI · sugarrivercoldstorage.com · source
Family-run cold warehouse, roughly 80,000 sq ft, SQF inspected

Distributors and food hubs in Wisconsin

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

Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperativeproduce
Waupaca, WI · wifoodhub.com
Farmer-owned cooperative marketing and trucking Wisconsin produce

Suppliers that ship to Wisconsin

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.