Serving Up Success: How Financial Support Fuels Women in Food Production
By Lindsay Stewart Glor
Originally published in Prairie Manufacturer Magazine, December 2024
The WEOC National Loan Program is supporting entrepreneurs, like Desya Hrytzak, as they start and grow their innovative businesses. Find out more about this flexible loan program at www.weoc.ca/loan-program.
For women entrepreneurs working in food production, what often starts with a single recipe, evolves into a business with complex requirements, from online payment platforms to refrigerated shipping options.
“I think food processing is unique because so many people come to it because they have a passion for food. We don’t hear a lot of food processors that get into the business because they love packaging or they love accounting,” offers Hannah Messineo from Small Scale Food Processor Association (SSFPA).
And what might have started with seed money from personal savings, friends and family, or credit cards, eventually requires more substantial and reliable avenues of capital. And that can be a major barrier to growth.
“I would say that the biggest issue that we’ve identified as a barrier to women in food processing is definitely access to finance,” says Messineo. “We know that access to finance is an issue faced by women across sectors, but it’s specifically hard in the food industry because food processors have a difficult time securing financing in general.
Financial Support
This was the case for Saskatoon entrepreneur Desya Hrytzak, a co-founder of HG Foods, which includes In a Pinch Perogies. “[Accessing funding] was a struggle at first,” she says. “Some of the bigger places didn’t believe in food. They made a lot of very hard asks and it was a difficult process.”
Many lenders and investors don’t know how to properly evaluate food processing businesses, says Messineo. “They often get lumped in with restaurants, which is traditionally a very risky business model. We found that the intersection of being a woman and being a food entrepreneur can make access to financing to scale and grow your business really, really difficult.”  
Removing Barriers
In an effort to remove barriers for women in food processing, which comprises more than 65% of their members, SSFPA launched its Women’s Initiative in 2018, in partnership with Women and Gender Equality Canada. The program offers inclusive resources and support programs, including a venture-capital ready training program, while also tackling broader systemic issues.
The SSFPA Women’s Initiative is one of many programs and organizations working to connect and support women entrepreneurs in the food processing sector across the Prairies.
Advice and Support
Looking for advice and support in her home provinces of Saskatchewan, Hrytzak connected with Female Entrepreneurs in Agri-Food Development (FEAD), Prairie Food Link and Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan (WESK). The relationships built through these organizations have been game changers says Hrytzak, helping her find retail space, suppliers, and less expensive products.
It was at WESK that she was introduced to the WEOC National Loan Program, through which she secured financing that facilitated a move to a larger space with increased freezer capacity.
“WESK and WEOC have been so amazing and the loan process has been so easy,” she says. “A lot of the back end of things are new to us and WEOC has been so understanding without being pushy. I would recommend it to anyone.”
Offering Flexibility
One reason the WEOC National Loan Program can be an excellent fit for women in the food manufacturing space, is the wide range of items the funds can be used for, says loans manager, Heather Sadowy. “Many traditional lenders have limitations in what they can finance, or may require the entrepreneur to provide a certain percentage as a down payment. WEOC’s flexibility allows us to fund 100% of a client’s project or purchase, which is particularly helpful for a new business just starting out.”
For Hrytzak, her mother’s family recipes remain the foundation of the business, which continues to grow, from home deliveries and farmer’s markets, into larger retail stores. Along with packaging, an expanded manufacturing space is once again on the horizon, she says, with goals of expanding across the Prairies.
WEOC National Loan Program Eligible Expenses
Women entrepreneurs in the food manufacturing sector are unique, says Heather Sadowy, because they could be interested in any of the eligible funding areas. “Some of the things we’ve been able to help finance for women entrepreneurs in this space include renovations to a commercial kitchen, purchasing manufacturing equipment, funds for tradeshow participation and demos, packaging/labelling costs, certifications and inventory.
Eligible funding areas include:
- Capital assets (including machinery/equipment, leasehold/property improvements)
- Office and equipment rental
- Salaries and benefits (excluding owner’s salary)
- IT/software license purchase
- Professional services
- Inventory/supplies
- Intellectual Property
- Working capital (payroll, lease payments, accounts management, rent, overhead costs)
- Digital (including website/E-commerce development)
- Marketing/advertising/business promotion
- Employee training
- Short term receivable financing (i.e. financing to service a contract)
- Business start-up costs (legal fees, business incorporation fees, business plan preparation, etc.)