Shagbark Seed & Mill tackles the burgeoning local foods movement head-on within the Ohio ecosystem. Since their launch in 2010 by the Appalachian Staple Food Collaborative, Shagbark has focused on marketing single-source, Ohio-grown, certified organic heirloom grains, buckwheat, and dry beans to restaurants, grocers, farmer’s markets, schools, bakeries, home kitchens, and CSAs. Shagbark has “community […]
New Venture Advisors is seeing a growing number of Community Food Center and innovative food facility projects develop across the United States. We are constantly talking with teams and individuals who have big dreams and come to us for help or are looking for grants to fund their vision. While it is exciting to see […]
The Good Food Collective (GFC) aims to build a vibrant economy, steward natural resources, and support the physical and cultural health of the Durango, Colorado area by investing in the regional food system. In collaboration with many local partners, GFC harvests otherwise wasted food to address food insecurity and keep the community free of food […]
As communities mature in their food systems work, they often recognize that they need a roadmap to guide their work more strategically. We’ve heard from communities big and small across the country with a common question: How do we know what policies and programs we should implement to strengthen our food system? Food System Plans […]
At New Venture Advisors we partner with our clients to help them plan and implement important food systems initiatives that provide significant and meaningful outcomes to the communities they serve. These projects sometimes require creative, small-scale approaches to increasing access to fresh, healthy and nutritious food—often by organizing existing assets and resources within the community […]
Food System Planning: What is it? Why do it? Cities and counties across the U.S. create Master Plans or Comprehensive Plans to lay out their community’s vision for land use, economic development, transportation, health, and other dimensions of civic life. These plans are regularly updated to reflect the changing community context. Mobile markets, urban agriculture, […]
The 2018 Farm Bill brought hemp to the forefront of conversations across the US agricultural industry and among consumers in general as it broadly legalized hemp after nearly five decades of the crop being banned. While farmers, businesses, investors, and consumers generate excitement about this newly legalized industry, many are concerned about the exact details […]
Last month, New Venture Advisors had the opportunity to coach twelve fellows of the Good Food Business Accelerator for a full day session. What an incredible program and inspiring group of entrepreneurs! The Good Food Business Accelerator gets farm and food businesses ready for prime time, giving them the skills to launch or scale up, […]
It’s December. Countless large organizations have been in the midst of planning meetings, data analysis, and presentations to boards. However, so many employees see annual planning as just a dog-and-pony show with little impact on their work the following year. At the same time, there are many companies that let the year pass without taking the time to reflect […]
The Whatcom County Food System Committee recently conducted a community food assessment that pointed to key opportunities to build a more robust and resilient regional food system. New Venture Advisors will partner with Whatcom County staff and the Food System Committee to draft a Whatcom County Food System Plan that builds upon these findings. This Plan will focus on six sectors of the food system including fishing, farming, labor, food access, environment, and waste, and will be informed by an inclusive and equitable 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. (2022)
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 school district commissary. The goal is to strengthen 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. NVA developed the business case for this ambitious project and continues to support its development. (2022)