Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin (SHF) and Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin (FAEW) together serve 49 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties, spanning both urban and rural communities across the state. While […]
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, […]
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 […]
As the events surrounding George Floyd’s murder caused a welcomed reckoning, we all heard many companies respond with statements of beliefs regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion, and commitments to advancing […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult, if not impossible, to ignore the challenges within our current food system. For those who have spent decades working on the front lines, […]
Food has never been a bigger story than since the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. The news has been heartbreaking and at the same time awe-inspiring to see the scale […]
I was having one of those memorable group dinners last weekend that jumps from one fun topic to another, and has us sharing and learning new things about ourselves. One […]
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)