It’s so exciting to hear about parents that turn their ideas into reality and get to work for themselves. Darcy and Dustin Kochis came up with their business idea, Little Handfuls Organic, in 2015, and started selling their product in 2016. Little Handfuls are the kind of food that you WANT to make for your kid but probably don’t have the time to, and I’ve never seen anything like it in stores.
They were nice enough to deliver samples of each flavor for our 2 year old daughter to try, and she loves them! Little Handfuls provide a great, easy way to introduce new, healthy foods to your kids in small portions that they can manage by themselves.
Read on for the interview with Darcy!
Darcy, tell me about you and why you started your business..
I am a mother of 2 lovely kiddos – Jude 2 1/2, and Scarlet, 6 months. It turns out I am an entrepreneur! I own 2 businesses, a marketing company that focuses on Oregon berries and Little Handfuls. When our son Jude was ready for solid food I started making him what we called at the time “Jude Food,” whole grains, fruits and veggies, and herbs and spices. It was really important to me that he didn’t have added salt or sugar in his food. I would make batches in mini muffin tins and freeze them. Over dinner one night in February of 2015 my husband and I talked about how we could use our combined experience in food to grow our own brand. Light bulb! I was making something because I couldn’t buy it. We spent a year researching and planning and sold our first bags of Little Handfuls in spring of 2016.
Tell me about your products and where people can find them!
We have three flavors of Little Handfuls Organic Mealtime Bites!
– Blackbean, Brown Rice and spinach, this bite has 3 different vegetables and is the most savory bite.
– Butternut Squash, Quinoa and Apple, this bite is the softest and perfect for the youngest children.
– Blackberry, Date & Oat, this bite looks like a mini muffin but no added salt and sugar is our secret weapon since it has 3 grams of protein in 2 bites.
Our bites have no added sugar or salt and are perfectly portioned for little hands in size and nutrition. They are all naturally gluten free and we use garbanzo bean flour for added protein!
You can find our bites at 4 New Seasons locations: Woodstock, Grant Park, Happy Valley & Cedar Hills. Soon to be in more stores, and if you follow us on facebook we will keep everyone posted.
How on earth do you manage running a business and two kids every day??
We launched Little Handfuls in the farmers markets in the summer of 2016, 2 weeks before our daughter was born. I actually worked at the farmers market the day before she was born! To keep my life in balance I really try to separate work and family time. Once I am done with work I try to switch gears and focus on family. I will say, I am not perfect at this but this is the goal! I also try to take time go on a workout with my husband before I get going for the day so we have a few minutes together with no kids and also get our blood flowing for the day.
For more information, you can visit their website at www.littlehandfulsorganic.com
Leave a Reply