Janice Hill

Local Food and Farm Consultant

 

Janice launched Acreage43560, LLC, Planning for Local Farms and Communities in 2020 while working for Kane County, Illinois as an Executive Planner and as the founding Farmland Protection and Local Foods Manager for the award-winning farmland protection and local foods program. Using her experience from Kane County, she assists farms and farmers in Indiana, Ohio, and Idaho; along with farmers and organizations in DeKalb, Will, McHenry counties in Illinois. She advises on topics including conservation, climate mitigation, agrihoods, agri-tourism, farm viability, and private, corporate and government fundraising. Janice’s presentations to national, state and local audiences focus on weaving community goals with farm viability and protection. 

Her work has been featured in national publications including Progressive Farmer, Planning Magazine (American Planning Association), and Urban Land Institute. She has been interviewed by National Public Radio and featured in and produced videos on farmland protection. Sharing her expertise on topics of planning, farmland protection, sustainability and climate, local foods and their markets, Janice speaks at local high schools, higher education classrooms, and national and regional conferences. 

Janice stays close to her Michigan family who operates their homestead farm,  along with 1,000+ additional acres and is motivated by her uncle’s advice that the most important thing she can do is support the next generation in farming. She holds a M.S. in City Planning from University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in Psychology from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. 

 

 

 

 Whatcom County Food System Plan

In 2021, the Whatcom County Food System Committee conducted a community food assessment that pointed to key opportunities to build a more robust and resilient regional food system. New Venture Advisors partnered with Whatcom County staff and the Food System Committee to draft a Whatcom County Food System Plan that builds upon these findings. This Plan focuses on five key goals for building a more equitable, sustainable, and resilient food system, and was informed by an inclusive community engagement process. The Food System Plan will provide the county with a policy roadmap that will strengthen the local food system for years to come. (2023)

 Whatcom Local Food Campus

The Whatcom Community Foundation invests in activities and organizations that improve the ability of people to help themselves, increase connections among people, and take cooperative approaches to community issues. WCF is exploring the development of a local food campus on a waterfront property that would become a multi-tenant site, anchored by a collaborative production kitchen benefitting food access, school system, and community organizations. The goal is strengthening Whatcom County’s local food system by promoting health equity, forging tangible strategic connections between food production organizations, and helping farmers connect with institutional markets. The facility will also feature an incubation kitchen, demonstration kitchen, event and classroom space, collaborative office and conference facilities, and housing.  New Venture Advisors developed the business case for this ambitious project and continues to support its development through engagement and operational development. (2023)