DOWNTOWN BOISE, Idaho — Freeze-dried strawberries, candy and even microgreens may look a little different, but they’re part of a food trend that’s exploding into a global industry. And right now, Boise is at the center of it.
More than 120 entrepreneurs and food innovators packed into the Hotel Renegade ballroom this week for the first-ever Freeze-Dried Summit. Attendees traveled from across the United States and as far as Australia, Canada, and England. Fewer than 10 were from Idaho.
WATCH: Why entrepreneurs from around the world came to Boise to talk freeze-drying.
David Leaman, who grew up in Boise and organized the summit, said the event has been a year in the making.
“This is a collective I’ve been trying to get together all year… everybody here at my summit is here to learn about how to get better at starting a freeze drying business or grow their business,” Leaman said.
Freeze-drying has long been used in pharmaceuticals and for snack foods like fruit. But the invention of a home unit, about the size of a mini fridge, opened the door for hobbyists to experiment. That momentum has fueled a growing market for businesses scaling those ideas into pet treats, camping meals and nutritional powders.
One of those entrepreneurs is Josh Kingdon, founder of the Las Vegas-based brand Sweet Potato Awesome. A former actor, Kingdon turned to food innovation and now produces freeze-dried sweet potato snacks.
“We manufacture our own freeze-dried sweet potatoes… it’s like a cracker, but far more awesome,” Kingdon said.
Kingdon said his products are already on shelves at Whole Foods and Erewhon in Los Angeles, but scaling further requires bigger machines – the kind displayed and discussed at the Boise summit.
“…so it’s really helpful for me to see the units themselves and to learn about what it takes to run them,” Kingdon said.
Industry experts say the global freeze-dried food market, currently valued at $5 billion, is projected to double in the next decade. For Idaho, where agriculture is a cornerstone of the economy, Leaman believes freeze-drying could also help farmers preserve surplus harvests, extend shelf life and cut waste.
For him, hosting the industry’s first dedicated summit in Boise was a personal milestone.
“I wanted to make sure I had the event at a place that I love, which is Boise,” Leaman said.
Organizers say from snacks to supplements, this is only the beginning of where the freeze-drying industry can go.
