Rainbow Kitchen is a commercial kitchen located at 736 SE Cass Ave, in downtown Roseburg, Oregon that opened in January, 2023. The kitchen was created as a way to support local farms, entrepreneurs, and small business owners who want to expand their markets and products but don’t want to dedicate their own time and space to build a commercial kitchen on their own. The kitchen is part of the Community Grow program through Umpqua Valley Farm to School and will support our local food system and the eventual food hub expansion by providing a space where producers can create value-added products and as a drop-off and pickup site for farm-fresh products like microgreens from Kellim Farms, or CSA shares from Harbinger Farm.
In December of 2020, the Southwest Oregon Food Hub Feasibility Study was completed which pointed out several categories to work on to increase the capacity of the regional food system. From that study came conversations about the need for a commercial kitchen in Douglas County which could accommodate food-based businesses by providing a space for preparing their items and also storing equipment and products. A survey was conducted which resulted in 25 respondents who were in need of a kitchen, well over the anticipated results.
Rainbow Kitchen provides ovens, stove, refrigeration and freezer space, mixers, a bread proofer, and more and is leased on a monthly basis, with storage space also available for lease and has partnered with CCD Business Development to offer assistance in writing business plans to expand entrepreneurial, food and beverage-based businesses.
The space will also be used for community classes involving local foods, such as the DC Produce Project which is in its third year. The DC Produce Project purchases produce boxes from local farms and distributes them to families through summer camp programs at local schools. Education to go along with the program is also provided, and with Rainbow Kitchen, the program will be able to expand to offer cooking classes to families on the day of pickup in downtown Roseburg.
To learn more about Rainbow Kitchen, visit the website at https://uvf2s.org/rainbow-kitchen/ or stop by!