We often forget that the retailers and businesses we frequent are run by real people.  A business can often times appear to be all bricks and mortar but when its run right, you get to meet the owners, and learn their stories.  Below are 5 Indiegogo entrepreneurs crowdfunding to do very different things – expand their business, run a socially responsible project, get their product to market, create a truly intertwined supply chain system and  connect global communities.  They’re all doing it through food and drink: 

Pasture Raised Meat on PEI

Location: Prince Edward Island, Canada

‘Time for a bigger herd!” says the Raymond Loo, an organic farmer, ready to take it to the next level by increasing their business with more livestock.  Unfortunate for those outside the island, their delicious perks include pounds of fresh chickens, pork chops and steaks but for $1000 if you fancy the trek over there, get a celebration dinner for $1000 for 10 friends!

Mill Rock Farm

Location: Connecticut, USA

A student with a bunch of experience under his belt working on farms wants to start his own farm project!  Based on a ½ acre he wants all grown produce to be 100% exclusively for soup kitchens and food banks in his city.

Pocotaligo Rum

Location: South Carolina, USA

Who doesn’t love some rum in their summer cocktail? The co-founders of this thirst quenching spirit have identified a family run distillery in Barbados to create the product,  including sales accounts, branding and the right packaging. Now it’s time to import their product and release it to market.  This fixed funding campaign needs to reach $40K otherwise they won’t receive any funds!

Meet The Farmers

Location: New York, USA

Adding a ‘farm to table’ tagline to their existing restaurant, Applewood, in Brooklyn New York wasn’t enough.  Already supporters of local farmers, both David and Laura Shea host monthly Meet-the-Farmer dinners offering six course tasting menus and an opportunity for said farmers to feast on their produce.  With so much knowledge under their belts seven years later, they’re now ready to move to the countryside to open a farm!

Spiceroad: Connecting Culture Through Spice 

Location: San Francisco, USA

With a concept for a subscription-based service offering exotic recipes and home-grown remedies, three MFA Design students at the California College of Arts are raising to test this idea as a real start up business.  Each month subscribers would have access to a community with a passion for travel and exotic cooking, receiving 5 recipes built around one spice including stories about the local culture and part of their profits going to those communities. They’re exploring if there could be an audience and are only asking for $1!

Main image courtesy of Indiegogo campaigner The Cooking Gene Project