Local Agriculture Market Programs (LAMP) are transformative grants in the good food sector. They provide an influx of money for large-scale projects that support the development, coordination, and expansion of […]
In December, we launched our first Food System Champion Nominations to shine a light on the often-unsung heroes who strengthen and sustain our food systems every day. From farmers and […]
In food systems work, change is the only constant. Partners, funding, and community needs all evolve in unforeseen ways. What appears to be a setback—a stalled project, a lost funder, […]
In today’s funding landscape, New Venture Advisors has witnessed firsthand how financial limitations can severely restrict an organization’s forward momentum. We frequently engage with organizations at transformative moments—particularly when they’re […]
Food Clubs, member-based grocery stores designed to enhance food security, are reimagining the traditional grocery store model to address multiple challenges in our food system while emphasizing consumer choice and […]
News Update: On July 16, 2025, the USDA announced the termination of the Regional Food Business Centers initiative. No information has been provided about the future of other related efforts. […]
The Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) Food Access and Retail Expansion (FARE) Fund was established through funding from the American Rescue Plan Act and is designed to support healthy food […]
Gleaning is simply the act of collecting excess fresh foods from farms, gardens, farmers markets, grocers, restaurants, or any other source to provide them to those in need. In ancient […]
In a previous blog post, we reviewed the purpose and power of a food business feasibility study. In this follow-up, we will explore what to expect once you embark on […]
New Venture Advisors supported Whatcom County staff and the Food System Committee in developing the Whatcom County Food System Plan, a 10-year roadmap for a more equitable and resilient food system. NVA led plan development, community engagement, and cross-sector strategy, integrating agriculture, fisheries and marine harvest, processing, distribution, and access to strengthen the regional food economy. (2023)
Whatcom Community Foundation continues to partner with New Venture Advisors to guide the development of the Kitchens@Millworks —a bold project uniting health, equity, and market access. Building on previous work with the Farm to Freezer program, the team developed an operational model, financial analysis, and partner strategy. NVA is evaluating expansion of farm-to-institution efforts and their potential relocation to the new campus. Advanced financial models support a multi-operator facility encompassing production, aggregation, retail, and community programs. (2026)