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“Bird Pies” A New Business Opportunity
Joe Cogswell bakes his bird pies using waste pastry dough, various seeds and sometimes even fruit pieces. Demand for the Canadian bird food delicacy is so great that he is expanding his Eco-Crust bakery.

    “We ship throughout Canada, selling mainly through various retailers including Sobeys and Home Hardware,” says Cogswell. “I came up with the idea in the 1980’s, and it started taking off in the 1990’s. Now my sons are taking over the business.”

    Eco-Crust Bird Pies are 4 in. in diameter and about 1 1/4 in. thick. Pies come inside a net bag and are wrapped in plastic. Once the plastic is removed, the netting can be hung from any surface where birds can perch.

    Bird Pies are made from unbaked pastry dough, peanuts, corn, sunflower, wheat and millet seed. The pies are baked at 320°F for 3 hrs. In the process, this dehydrates them for extended shelf life.

    "Birds, especially woodpeckers and blue jays, love them," says Cogswell.

    Cogswell would love to export to the U.S., but the red tape is more than he wants to deal with. However, he encourages anyone with a supply of pastry waste to consider setting up a similar operation in the U.S.

    "If someone has a supply of pastry waste nearby, I'm available to consult on setting up a Bird Pie operation," says Cogswell.

    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Joe Cogswell, 321 Rawding Rd., Chipman Brook, Nova Scotia Canada B0P 1V0 (ph 902 538-9864 or 902 679-8688; jasoncogswell@eastlink.ca or ecocrust@eastlink.ca).


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2016 - Volume #40, Issue #4