From the Warehouse: 5 Lessons I Didn’t Learn in Business School
Two years ago my husband and I became the co-owners of EcoEnclose, a business that manufactures and distributes sustainable shipping solutions to eco-focused ecommerce businesses. Through my many years as a management consultant and then a food entrepreneur, my...
14 Favorite Good Food Books & Films
We set out to curate a list of books that might comprise the canon of literature of the good food movement. But we quickly realized that the vastness of the issues and range of viewpoints would make it almost impossible to settle on a shortlist. So instead we decided...
Small to Medium Sized Miracles: Food Entrepreneurs in Nigeria
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 time job or finding reliable co-packers, we hear lots of stories from entrepreneurs that...
Sowing the Seeds of Capitalism in Cuba
Late last year, not long after then president Barack Obama reduced trade restrictions with Cuba, the chance to explore the state of sustainable agriculture in Cuba became an opportunity I did not want to miss. In early February, I was introduced to a world I knew...
Climate Change and Agriculture – Reflections from California
Communities around the globe are grappling with the consequences of climate change and working to come up with strategies aimed at mitigating its effects and building local climate resilience. As a Californian, I have experienced firsthand weather patterns that are...
10 Books That Inspired Us This Year
We, like everyone, now read most of our news, research, opinions and ideas online—through articles, blogs, social media posts, and digital debates. But we find that reading a good old fashioned book (yes, even when it’s read on a tablet!) is when we truly become...
Immersive Roadmapping: A Tune-Up for Small Businesses
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...
When to Leap and When to Learn
December…while it is, first and foremost, a time for us to be with our friends and family, be thankful, take out our mittens and hats, and celebrate the season – it is also the time for reflection and planning. This may sound boring to some people, but we tend to geek...
6 Insights from a New York State Grain Hub Study
Of our growing list of local food systems projects, the majority of them are focused on how to best help move local specialty produce into more wholesale markets. We love this work, and it is incredible to see how this landscape of local produce intermediaries has...
Rural Grocery Food Hubs: Our Findings, the Future and a Widget
A lot has happened since we first explored the idea of a rural grocery store housing a local food hub, almost two years ago! The concept is one we continue to be excited about and see tremendous potential in. A quick refresher: Independent rural grocery stores are...
Ready, aim, farm! How one county is addressing wholesale readiness
The regionally-based, source-identified wholesale supply chain, once a creature of mystery reserved for the imagination of a handful of optimistic change-makers, is now a successful tool for creating market opportunities for agricultural producers and conveniently...
5 Fantastic Ideas for Building Resiliency in Small Town Grocery Stores from the Rural Grocery Summit
We became aware of the plight of rural grocery stores a few years ago. Through USDA funding we have begun to research if and how a rural grocery store can viably serve as a food hub to strengthen its bottom line. This blog post by Saloni – Rural Grocery Stores as Food...
Kitchen incubators: is there a recipe for success?
Ten years ago, the kitchen incubator was a novel concept. Since then, the food landscape has evolved pretty dramatically. We are now flooded with artisan products (or specialty, local, small batch – insert your favorite food movement here!) and have unparalleled...
Frozen Local is Heating Up: Is it Worth It? Part II
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 insightful panel discussion at the National Good Food Network 2016...
Frozen Local is Heating Up: Is it Worth It? Part I
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 system. Growers struggle when their key crops are ready for sale at the same time as other...
Risky Business: Good Food in Small Stores
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 the good food movement, and today there are many national, regional and local organizations with missions...
The Role of Food Hubs in Food Access
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 that is having tremendous impact on community health. Our panel explored the...
3 Trends Shaping 2016
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 NVA team meets to talk about how we’re doing, what we’re learning and the trends we’re observing. We use these insights...
4 Ways Interviews Can Help Develop Regional Food Systems
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 not often regarded as a tool for the development of business strategy. Yet the act of...
Food Hub Networks: the Local Food Movement’s Future?
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 operators are constantly evaluating the business model – identifying opportunities to better...
The Importance of Community
Two weeks ago the Good Food Business Accelerator kicked off its second year. The GFBA is a fellows program that assists Midwest farms and food entrepreneurs with mentoring, training, sales support and financing to launch and grow their businesses. I worked with...
9 Trends in Food Hub Planning
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 no preconceived ideas about the local food landscape or the direction we think a food...
Local Food – A Solution for Vacant Buildings?
Traditionally, New Venture Advisors’ projects have been catalyzed by an individual or group passionate about strengthening their local food system. These community leaders often believe that market-based solutions might be the answer, and look to food hubs or...
Positioning Statements: How a Carrot is More Than a Carrot
Earlier this month I spent a week in New England conducting sales and marketing trainings for the Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program and the Carrot Project. They invited educators to offer trainings on finance, marketing and management to individuals that...
