AMES, Iowa – Hannah Smith, a Henry County 4-H’er, baked her way to an onstage appearance with Speed Herrig at the Iowa State Fair. Hannah and a classmate decided to bake cinnamon rolls to sell at a local Farmers Market for a school project. 

Herrig is the owner of Cookies Food Products, Inc., which sells Cookies barbeque sauce, “The sauce America loves to eat.” Herrig had volunteered to participate in the ISU Extension 4-H Youth Development Celebrity Showcase event at the fair. The showcase allows high profile professionals to showcase 4-H youth and their project work on stage in the 4-H Exhibits Building.

Hannah’s project was jumpstarted by a class project in which the students were to come up with a business. Hannah and her classmate, Samantha Shipman, decided on cinnamon rolls. This led them to researching recipes, laws regarding sales of foods, and ways to obtain startup funds for their business. They spoke with a loan officer, who had them sign loan papers to obtain $30 to buy ingredients and eventually bake their way to an $80 profit.

Herrig was impressed with Hannah, telling her that it’s critical to make enough money that first time out to cover costs of production. He also told her that it is equally important to have enough money to fund supplies for the next production run.

Hannah and her classmate also sought out help in advertising their product. After talking to a radio station and a newspaper, the girls wrote an ad and aired a 30-second commercial on a local station. Herrig talked with Hannah about the importance of advertising and reaching that target audience.  He told her that it was important to get the right advertising message out, write copy that fits the space or time allotment, and have the budget to cover all the costs.

Hannah’s exhibit, “Making Dough $,” not only earned a blue ribbon at the 2006 Iowa State Fair, but it also was awarded an Outstanding Food and Nutrition Award. This award is sponsored by the Iowa Machine Shed restaurants.

Hannah is the daughter of Janet and David Smith of Mt. Pleasant. Janet is the Henry County Extension Education Director.

At the end of their talk Herrig and Hannah bartered their food products, Hannah with her cinnamon rolls and Herrig with his BBQ sauce. They traded their goods on stage with Herrig teasing Hannah that he hopes that someday at an airport cinnamon roll stand he can say he knew Hannah when …

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