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Consumers have become more interested in growing their own fruits and vegetables during the COVID-19 pandemic. There has also been a boost in purchasing herb plants and seeds to spice up dishes. Popular herbs include basil, parsley, mint, rosemary, thyme, cilantro, sage, chives and dill.
Adding herbs to meals is a cinch; however, removing or stripping the herb leaves after the plant has been harvested can be difficult.
The solution is the Herbie Rake, a cooking utensil that rakes and removes the leaves off the herb stem.
The Herbie Rake was created by Kendall Buck, an entrepreneurship and management sophomore at Stetson University. She launched a Kickstarter campaign on Giving Tuesday and quickly exceeded her $2,000 goal for manufacturing costs.
Buck’s dad was a chef and inspired her to cook at a young age. Buck and her mom would help with the cooking and have intense thumb wars to decide who would prep the herbs for the meal. Her mom also provided her with an idea for the Herbie Rake design.
Buck, who is from Gilbert, Arizona, created the Herbie Rake on a 3D printer in the Stetson University duPont-Ball Library’s Innovation Lab and finalized the design with Innovation Lab Manager Tony Ganus during her freshman year.
Lou Paris, MBA, director of Stetson’s Joseph C. Prince Entrepreneurship Program, was instrumental in helping Buck turn her random kitchen-gadget idea into a product and business.
Buck is a member of the Prince Entrepreneurship Leaders Program at Stetson, which is led by Paris and provides students with valuable entrepreneurial experience by participating in six business pitch competitions during the academic year.
Buck was a finalist with her Herbie Rake business pitch during the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization Southeast Entrepreneurship Conference (CEO SEEC) last spring.
The Prince Entrepreneurship Leaders Program has helped other students succeed, including Bryson Pritchard, who developed the Dyad Syringe, and Deja Robinson and her YuubiHire social-media startup business.
The Prince Entrepreneurship Leaders Program has taught Buck the importance of setting goals, conducting an initial market analysis and determining how to outsource product manufacturing, delivering a clear and concise message about her product, and communicating with third-party entities. The program guided her through each stage of business and product development.
She also obtained information and tips from other entrepreneurs who were guest speakers during Entrepreneurship Thursdays at Stetson.
The Herbie Rake is a double-sided, red rake that can be used on any herb, and retails for $8.99. It is available to purchase on HerbieRake.com. Folks will be able to purchase the Herbie Rake on Amazon, Facebook and Instagram in the near future.