Topeka ? A growing penchant for things American, particularly homemade items and foods, has put Donna Cook among Kansas producers hoping to sell internationally.

Since 1984, Cook has grown Rabbit Creek Products, her packaged dry mix business, from a kitchen operation into a producer and distributor of more than 1 million items annually across the nation. Now, the Louisburg woman has her sights set on a global market.

Her sales would join the $5.8 billion in export sales generated by Kansas companies in 2002, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. At the same time, U.S. exports overall decreased by 3 percent.

With the help of the Kansas Department of Commerce and the Mid-America International Agri-Trade Council, Cook is ready to embark on her own. She said she is exploring options in Mexico, has considered Japan as a market, and has interest from a representative in Canada who might pitch her product to buyers there.

Becki Rhoades, international marketing specialist for the Department of Commerce’s Agriculture Marketing Division, said the state paid $9,000 to be among the 12 member states whose companies gain access to the MIATCO’s trade leads, marketing support and export expertise.

One program pays half of a participant’s cost of attending trade shows; other programs pay for such marketing costs as designing a Web site or maintaining trade show displays.

In fiscal year 2003, five small Kansas companies accessed $134,360 in assistance through MIATCO’s Branded program, she said.

“We think that’s a pretty good return on our investment,” Rhoades said.

A regular attendee at the National Fancy Foods trade show each May in Chicago, Cook made time this year to meet with export expert Dennis Lynch for an exporting seminar and one-on-one advice about readying herself for international sales.

Cook said Lynch and others suggested starting with Mexico as a first step. She is considering attending a trade show in Mexico in 2004. She said trade shows were the key not only to domestic marketing, but also international marketing.

“The biggest challenge that I see is to be sure I have my pricing down,” Cook said.

That is where the Department of Commerce can come in. Cook said Lynch was able to tell her what the price of brownie mix is in Japan, allowing her to work backward and determine the prices she needs to charge. Labeling and shipping requirements are other areas that take careful planning.

“It’s not that hard; it’s just thinking a little bit differently,” Cook said