Kiva Iowa profile: Scaling up from farm to swirl

FAIRFIELD — Augustin Harliss’ neighbor in rural Fairfield runs an organic dairy farm and produces a quality soft-serve ice cream mix that, until Harliss came along, had been available at only one grocery store in the south-central Iowa city.

So Harliss started Udderly Epic Desserts three years ago, adding his own vanilla and chocolate flavorings to his neighbor’s ice cream mix. During the summer, he sells the soft-serve ice cream at the Fairfield farmers market, sporting and cultural events and music festivals.

“We go anywhere that people are gathered on a hot day,” Harliss said. “Kids especially love ice cream time and are more enthusiastic about ice cream desserts.”

Harliss, 40, is a public school employee and a former cheesemaker at Radiance Dairy Farm, where he gets the mix for his ice cream. His wife, Grace Griffin, a nurse in an intensive care unit, and their four children help.

“What’s great about doing this business for summer events is that my family helps and my oldest son is learning life lessons,” Harliss said. “He loves sitting at the cash register.”

Harliss heard about the Kiva microloan program at a business event in Fairfield and applied for a $9,500 crowdsourced loan to buy an ice cream trike with a cooler, allowing him to take the Udderly Epic ice cream treats to birthday parties and smaller events.

Harliss also is using the loan to buy a higher volume soft-serve machine and an enclosed cargo trailer. He wants to add an ice cream sandwich and is researching a logo and packaging. He’s considering adding shaved ice and popsicles, too.

He said he’s ready to scale up his business, traveling to events beyond Fairfield, like regional festivals and RAGBRAI stops.

“If we do well this summer, we can build the cargo trailer into a fully functioning concession trailer for future events,” Harliss said.

“We are obtaining a license for wholesale distribution so other food vendors can sell our Udderly Epic Dessert products,” he added. “I have run this business on a shoestring, where it has lived out of a garage and a basement.

“Moving from a farmers market stand to a legitimate mobile cargo trailer will bring greater efficiency to the business and many profitable vending opportunities this summer.”

His loan was funded by 183 lenders nationwide who he’s agreed to pay back in the next three years.

“I knew 40 of the lenders,” Harliss said. “For Kiva, you need to have 15 people in your personal group to lend $25 or more before you can move to their public funding network. The lenders include individuals, businesses and organizations.

“I am super inspired by the Kiva model,” he said. “I’m excited to spread the word about a program that is so beneficial.”

Kiva loans

The Kiva microloan program provides up to $15,000 in zero-interest, no-late-fee loans to small entrepreneurs. Kiva Iowa, which NewBoCo started in 2021, has helped fund 75 small businesses to date.

Alex Taylor, managing director of Iowa Startup Accelerator Services at NewBoCo, is enthused to see Harliss scale his business with the help of a Kiva loan.

“It’s always a joy to see entrepreneurs expand,” Taylor said.

To learn more about Harliss’ business, visit the Udderly Epic Desserts Facebook page. To learn more about Kiva Iowa, visit newbo.co/kiva.

  Buy Photo