By the end of the next school year, it’s possible that people from Vinton and beyond will once again be able to buy Vinton Popcorn.

For the past several months, members of the Vinton Unlimited Business Opportunity Group (BOG) and other interested individuals have been working with VS Superintendent Mary Jo Hainstock and VSHS Principal Matt Kingsbury on reviving Vinton Popcorn through a partnership between area business advocates and the local school district.

There are many specifics left to be worked out, both concerning the classroom curriculum and the actual work on the popcorn packaging and selling, Kingsbury told the school board during its Monday meeting.

“We have a lot of loose ends, but we are in the working stages,” the principal said.

The U of Iowa Business Center helped conduct a survey that indicates that such a project is very viable.  Seventy percent of nearly 300 respondents said they would buy popcorn if it were to become available.

One main purpose for the project is to create more business experience opportunities for VSHS students.
The goals, said Kingsbury, include “engaging students in real life application that will be valuable in future endeavors and strengthening the community by encouraging business.”

The tentative plan is to create a business that buys popcorn (which would be too difficult to grow in large quantities on school property), and flavors it with the unique flavors that were part of the Vinton Popcorn trademark throughout the second half of the 20th Century. 

Vinton Popcorn began in 1948, and closed for the last time in 1998. It earned national attention in January of 1981, when Iowa hostage Kathryn Koob announced on national TV that upon her return from 444 days in captivity in Iran, she looked forward to “Vinton Popcorn and Jesup Sausage.”

During some of the discussions about the history of Vinton Popcorn that have taken place via the comments on Vinton Today stories, as well as on the Vinton Today Facebook page, many residents shared their memories of working at Vinton Popcorn. Former employees who would be interested in shareing what they remember with the participants of the new Vinton Popcorn are asked to contact Kingsbury at VSHS. His email is matt.kingsbury@vscsd.org.

Other goals include creating more opportunities for future business for Vinton residents, giving more young people a chance to make a living in Vinton, and reversing the "brain drain," the loss of young people from small towns to larger cities becuase of a lack, or perceived lack of for employment opportunities.

One of the first goals, said Kingsbury, is to demonstrate “a world class system in entrepreneurship, academics and vocational skills.”  The program would begin with the current VSHS business and agriculture classes, although there is the potential for more classes, such as advanced accounting, to be added in the future. Leaders also hope that future profits would support other hands-on learning efforts that combine the efforts of educators and business leaders.

Area business leaders have offered to pay the start-up costs, estimated at $22,000. There is also the potential to receive funding from grants and other investors.

The start-up expenses include equipment, bagging supplies and initial inventory.

“There is a tremendous amount of enthusiasm for this,” said Hainstock. “Our challenge from the school is how to make sure we have our act together and how to capture that enthusiasm.”

Both Hainstock and Kingsbury told the board that the effort is a very fluid work in progress, and that the second year of Vinton Popcorn is likely to significantly differ from the first year.

“This will be bigger than popcorn,” said Hainstock. “It’s about giving the students the skill for home-grown business development.”

Eventually, students may be selling popcorn at Farmers Markets, and through other area organizations, including the VSHS Booster clubs.

“There are endless possibilities for really getting the students involved,” said Kingsbury.