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. […]
Food insecurity is the inability of citizens to have reliable access to enough affordable, nutritious food. It is present in every county in the United States. The solutions range from […]
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 […]
The story of New Venture Advisors’ inception in 2010 coincides with a pivotal moment in the United States’ local food movement. At that time, awareness was gradually dawning on the […]
Southeast Nebraska Development District (SENDD) represents nearly 150 jurisdictions ranging in population size from 30 to 10,000 residents across 16 counties. Recognizing that many rural communities have limited economic development […]
Manchester is the most populous city in New Hampshire and northern New England (which includes Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont). As of the 2020 census, it had a population of […]
The field of economic development utilizes programs, policies, and commercial activities to improve a community’s economic well-being and quality of life. The field of food system planning can bring together […]
The “food system” is all the steps to get food from farm to table. It encompasses production, processing, distribution, consumption, and waste management. This system can work collaboratively to enhance […]
Food processing uses methods and techniques involving equipment, energy, and tools to transform agricultural products such as grains, meats, vegetables, fruits, and milk into edible, functional, and culturally relevant food […]
As part of the Pathways to a Healthy Kansas Initiative, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas launched an innovative grant for community-driven approaches to addressing the social determinants of health. […]
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)