Anyone reading the food news these days would think that Big Food is dead. In recent years, analysts have been alert to the trends, publishing excellent reports such as Is […]
Anyone who has attempted to launch a food business knows how difficult it can be. Whether it’s raising capital, finding and retaining talent, balancing a side hustle with a full […]
We’re reporting back with operator perspectives in hand…and the answer is (drumroll please): it depends. As you probably expected! Earlier this month, we had the pleasure of moderating an incredibly […]
More and more, food hubs are wondering if they should build frozen processing capabilities. At first review, it seems like a solution to so many challenges in the local food […]
Access to healthy, fresh and affordable food is unfortunately not a given in all parts of the globe, nor in the U.S. Improving food access is a founding tenet of […]
In January Wholesome Wave hosted the Transforming Food Access Summit in Atlanta. We attended the conference to co-host a session with Farm Fresh Rhode Island, a food hub in Providence […]
As the year comes to a close, many of us are reflecting on the year behind and making plans for the year ahead. I always find it inspiring when the […]
The word interview typically brings to mind a discussion for the purposes of hiring, or a type of conversation that journalists have in order to write an article. Interviews are […]
One thing I love about working in local food, and with food hubs in particular, is how the space is ever evolving. Planning organizations and current or aspiring food hub […]
After two years working with incredible, diverse and passionate local project teams on dozens of food system assessments, I always get excited when we start a new project. We have […]
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)