EGBF June Update

The week (July 5th), Michael has an exciting opportunity to meet with a well networked business man in the East of the country, who may be able to help us with the marketing and distribution of our product across the country. As we sat down this week to review our vision and values in preparation for this important meeting, we realized again how much sales and marketing is still an area of weakness for us as a company.  Please be asking that Michael will have wisdom and clarity during these meetings on how to cast the vision of our company in a way that speaks to this businessman, and that the needed relationships would come out of those meetings.

For the last two years we have been in touch with an organic greenhouse farm up in the mountains.  All along this company has made it sound like they will be able to supply the vegetables we need for our product.  Just this month the particulars of the contract took a drastic turn.  It now appears that instead of having them do the growing for us and selling us the vegetables, they are only willing to rent us organic certified green houses so that we can grow our own vegetables.  It has always been part of the business plan that at some point we would work in close relationship with local farmers to grow our own organic produce, but saw that as a second step in the life of the company, focusing on it only after the factory was up and running.  This new arrangement is both daunting and exciting. It is daunting to hire more staff, be responsible for our own crops, and open a new section of the business. It is also exciting in the one on one time it will open up for Michael to be spending with local rural farmers, a long standing passion of his heart.  Please be praying for us as phase two of the business seems to be happening now too.

To order our final packages, we must finalize the design of each flavour's pouch, obtain the proper certification for organic and halal food, and review our package wording to make sure we are in the bounds of the law with our claims. This process will include making and sending samples of our product to evaluate the content, as we have continued to tweak our recipes over the last couple of months. Continuing to sign contracts for vegetables, cleaning the factory, and refurbishing one of the machines are also important tasks. All of this is happening while national media is visiting us again to expand the story on our company, one great way to remind us that people are watching what we do and how we do it! We have a lot to keep us busy, but are very grateful for the meeting this last week to brainstorm vision and values and the reminder ourselves of why we are doing this.

Thank you for partnering with us in your prayers.
EGBF team