The PA Wilds Artisan Trail will be holding free Make the Brand Work for You Workshops on July 22 at the Forest Folk School in Tionesta starting at 4:30 p.m. and on July 29 starting at 6:00 p.m. at Black Moshannon State Park in Centre County.

These workshops are part of a series across the Pennsylvania Wilds region this summer for small batch producers, independent retailers, artisans and other creative entrepreneurs looking to learn more about joining the Artisan Trail and using the “Proudly Made in the Pennsylvania Wilds” brand and networks to grow their operations.

Workshops are being scheduled for the 12 ½ counties that comprise the Pennsylvania Wilds region. The workshops and Q&A run one hour, with refreshments provided. Workshops will provide background about the Artisan Trail program, benefits to joining, costs and the process for applying to the juried program.

Since its inception in 2006, the Pennsylvania Wilds Artisan Trail has proven to raise the visibility and profitability of artisans and arts-related businesses in the PA Wilds by increasing sales of high-quality products made by local artisans and traffic to local galleries and retail shops.

The Artisan Trail has recently gone through several expansions allowing new types of businesses to join. On major new development is that the Trail is now inviting small batch craft ag and food producers to join the Trail and use the ‘Proudly Made in the Pennsylvania Wilds’ brand.

“We’d love to see the ‘Proudly Made in the Pennsylvania Wilds’ stamp on our region’s syrups, jellies, leek dips and other small batch products that reflect our rural traditions,” said Tataboline Enos, Executive Director of the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, the regional non-profit that operates the Artisan Trail program.

“We’ve tried to keep the program very affordable, from $25 a year for our smallest artisan producers to $150 for our larger ones. We do this because we are working to build our regional brand and we know no one can influence it the way our artisans and creative entrepreneurs can. The Artisan Trail is working to grow this cottage industry. We have so much talent in this region, it is incredible.”  

To date, more than 150 artisans and retailers across the region participate in the PA Wilds Artisan Trail. Organizers hope to double that over the next few years.

“I’m really excited to be travelling across the region hosting these workshops on behalf of the Pennsylvania Wilds Artisan Trail,” says Tina Solak, Executive Director Cameron County Artisan Center and Pennsylvania Wilds advisory committee member. “Our center in Emporium has experienced great success in using the brand and participating in the PA Wilds Artisan Trail so I’m looking forward to sharing our stories and answering questions about how other businesses can make the brand work for their purposes. It is the perfect opportunity to learn more about the exciting opportunities the Artisan Trail has to offer businesses and their communities.”

The Departments of Community and Economic Development and Conservation and Natural Resources, the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Stackpole-Hall Foundation have all made grant investments in the program.

The Pennsylvania Wilds region includes the counties of Warren, McKean, Potter, Tioga, Clinton, Lycoming, Cameron, Forest, Clearfield, Jefferson, Elk, Clarion and Northern Centre.

Workshop Registration

In order to plan properly advance registration is requested and can be completed by visiting the PA Wilds Artisan Trail website.  Watch for more workshops in this series!

7/20/2015