Marcia Nodel took her Birmingham-based
Marcia's Munchies pickles to the Good Food show in San Francisco two weeks ago and came back with an award that is already putting her "sweet & sassy" creation in more metro Detroit markets.
She was one of five Michigan craft food makers to win the award that recognizes products that have a good taste and potential to do social good.
Nodel has been in business only about a year, but has jarred pickles and jams and made her special caramel crunch popcorn for about 30 years.
Nodel's popcorn is already a staple at markets such as Hiller's, Papa Joe's, Market Square and several others, but the process to certify the pickles took much longer.
With certification and the award, she expects to hire help to keep up with demand.
"I know that doors open faster when you go in and say I just won this award," she says. She gets help in promotion and sales and business planning from "business-minded, energetic" daughter-in-law Michal Nodel, who moved from New York with Marcia's son about a year ago.
Besides seeing an increase in sales Nodel hopes to watch metro Detroiters come to care more about eating "clean food" and to think about how food production affects the environment and quality of life.
"After going out to San Francisco you see how whole cities are adopting this theory. I don't think one business at the show gave out a plastic bag. It's all about how to eat food, package food, make food that is good for people and good for the community," she says.
"The Good Food people vet you extensively on how you make your product, what's used in your product, where you buy the ingredients. My food has always been preservative free. I don't like anything artificial."
Source: Marcia Nodel, founder, Marcia's Munchies
Writer: Kim North Shine
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