Food Processing Operations
Food processing often emerges in our Food System Assessments and Feasibility Studies as a critical gap. Institutional buyers might have limited ability to wash and cut vegetables, so they need to purchase their goods cut and ready to cook. Local food is available and most cost effective during the few months of the year that schools – prime buyers of local produce – are out of session. There may be a strong interest among ranchers in expanding their production but lack of USDA slaughter and/or meat processing capabilities is holding them back.
In addition to helping better connect local food with local buyers, food processing can serve many other economic development related goals. These types of businesses can sometimes be located in abandoned facilities. They also often generate a myriad of jobs for the community. Depending on their scale, they can bring tax revenue to the region.
New Venture Advisors helps clients determine if food processing is needed within their local food landscape, and if so, what type of food processing should be offered. We then work with them to develop the right business model and scale of the enterprise. We have experience in fresh cut processing, IQF / frozen processing, grains processing, cheese manufacturing, and meat processing.
About Us
New Venture Advisors is a team of business consultants specializing in local food system planning and new enterprise development.
Food Processing Projects
Feasibility Study for Abattoir at Fauquier Livestock Exchange
Marshall, VA
Expanding local meat processing capacity has been a longstanding goal for producers in northern Virginia. To explore this opportunity, New Venture Advisors partnered with the Fauquier Livestock Exchange (FLX) and Fauquier County to assess the feasibility of an abattoir co-located with the existing livestock auction facility. The team developed financial models illustrating how an operator could launch and sustain the business within FLX’s framework. NVA continues to assist with partner and operator identification while refining the development model for long-term success. (2026)
Miko Meats Food Facility Feasibility and Design
Hilo, HI
In Hawai‘i County, the revitalization of a former meat processing facility offered the chance to strengthen the island’s agricultural value chain. New Venture Advisors partnered with Miko Meats to conduct a feasibility study to explore opportunities for aggregation, processing, and cold storage that would relieve regional bottlenecks and support food business growth. The team assessed technical and regulatory requirements for adapting the historic, multi-generation operation to modern standards. NVA also created financial models to identify revenue opportunities and strategies for transforming the site into a vital regional food system asset. (2022)
Oneida Nation Meat Processing Facility
Oneida, WI
New Venture Advisors partnered with the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin to explore the development of a Nation-owned and operated meat processing facility as part of its ongoing commitment to food sovereignty and self-sufficiency. The feasibility study examined opportunities to localize protein processing and integrate workforce training in production spaces. NVA also created a regulatory resource guide spanning sovereign, local, and state jurisdictions to support implementation. (2022)
Damian’s Craft Meats Feasibility Study
Ann Arbor, MI
New Venture Advisors partnered with Damian’s Craft Meats to assess and plan the development of a community-centered slaughterhouse and meat processing facility in southeast Michigan. Through a comprehensive feasibility study and business plan, NVA evaluated market potential, facility design, and financial strategies to support a more equitable and resilient regional meat value chain. The team built adaptable financial models to guide a multi-million-dollar venture with diverse capital partners and supported extensive outreach to local producers and buyers. This project positions Damian’s Craft Meats to advance sustainable growth in the regional meat sector while honoring values of animal welfare, community collaboration, and food system equity. (2021)
The Good Food Collective Social Enterprise Launch
Durango, CO
Fruit for Good is a new social enterprise of The Good Food Collective. It dehydrates gleaned fruit from area farms, sells it to regional retail and wholesale customers, and donates it to food banks and pantries. New Venture Advisors coached the organization to conduct a market study to refine the value proposition for customers, put plans on paper that define the operating model and staffing plan, project the financial resources required, and build a roadmap with milestones through the pilot and full launch. (2021) Read the case history.
Detroit Eastern Market Corporation
Detroit, MI
Eastern Market Corporation is a nonprofit organization that manages Detroit’s historic Eastern Market and plays a critical role in fostering local food system development and healthy food access via a number of innovative initiatives. New Venture Advisors worked with EMC to develop a business plan for a local individually quick frozen (IQF) processing facility that would provide a new sales channel for regional growers, and increase access to local produce year-round for Detroit area institutions. (2016)
Headwater Food Hub
Ontario, NY
Headwater Foods, Inc. is a thriving food hub in upstate New York with a wholesale business line and a CSA service. New Venture Advisors worked with Headwater on a market assessment to quantify institutional demand for fresh cut produce, in support of the hub’s plans for a new processing business line. (2015)
Floyd Food Company
Floyd, VA
SustainFloyd is a nonprofit organization in rural Virginia that develops new ideas to support the next generation of Blue Ridge Plateau’s rural community while preserving its resources, traditions and heritage. New Venture Advisors worked with SustainFloyd to develop a business plan for a value-added agricultural center to process and market locally-produced fruits, vegetables and dairy products. The business launched in 2014 as the Floyd Food Company, beginning with a line of frozen soups. (2013)
