Podcast

August 1, 2019

“Rolling Up Your Sleeves” – How KTC Does Effective Food Business Consulting

Financial Management, Operations, Podcast

The heart of Kitchen Table Consultants’ work is one-on-one coaching with food and farm clients, but as their work has grown they have started helping other organizations provide better technical assistance. Rather than just make plans or recommendations for clients, it is critically important to their firm’s mission and values that they “roll up their sleeves” alongside the clients to help them implement their recommendations.

July 3, 2019

Hospital-Based Farming – A Bridge To Community Health And Wellness

Business Models, Operations, Podcast

The farm isn’t just a physical location that grows produce – it is part of a commitment by the hospital system to extend healthcare and wellness beyond the hospital campus and empower the community to lead healthier lives. They operate a CSA, a farmers market, community events and a Product To Patients program.

June 11, 2019

Transforming a Food Pantry into an Engine for Rural Prosperity

Business Models, Podcast

The Livingston Food Resource Center is a nonprofit food pantry and service provider serving a county of 17,000 people in rural Montana with a food acquisition model to purchase directly from area farmers and ranchers. Kitchen rental, value-added processing, community room rental and catering all provide earned income for their operations.

May 23, 2019

Leveraging Plant Based Foods For Rural Prosperity

Operations, Podcast

Great Falls is seeking to leverage its reputation as the “Golden Triangle” to grow its larger scale producers (as opposed to smaller scale, cottage food industry producers) for larger domestic markets. Consumer demand is suggesting the best path lays in fulfilling a plant forward diet.

May 9, 2019

The Chesterhill Produce Auction: A Catalyst For Produce Producers

Podcast, Sales and Marketing

The auction focuses on getting smaller producers in the area to the scale to where they can sell and get attention for their products. Last year the auction grossed over $300,000, with the auction taking a 16% commission for all vegetables sold.

March 7, 2019

Tim Keane On Golden Angels Investors’ Funding Philosophy

Podcast, Raising Capital

Golden Angels Investors advise entrepreneurs to focus on building their sales and getting as much customer feedback as they can before they risk too much with the business. This, as well as the identification of competitors, helps validate that the business has some traction in the marketplace in the eyes of investors.

February 7, 2019

Joel Solomon On How Food Businesses Can Be Part Of The Clean Money Revolution

Podcast, Raising Capital

There is a disconnect between perceptions of available money for food business and the sheer volume of individuals/funds looking to invest at various stages. And, natural food investors are starting to look at even earlier stage companies now that there is so much competition at the product, retail and investment levels of the food business ecosystem.

January 10, 2019

Ownership Differentiates Willy St. Co-op In A Changing Grocery Market

Business Models, Podcast

Willy Street Co-op is a set of cooperatively owned retail grocery stores in Madison, WI with 35,000 member-owners and about 400 employees across three stores. They have found that operating transparently and openly, emphasizing cooperative ownership and owner literacy, has provided a point of differentiation in the current marketplace.

November 29, 2018

This Food Hub Leverages A Diverse Food Shed For A Resilient Future

Operations, Podcast

Dorchesters Farm Food Hub aggregates and tries to ensure consistent supply of seafood and farm products (fruit, produce, livestock) and then redistributes to areas that are historically under-served via direct delivery of fresh and healthy food options, giving its customers lots of choice and flexibility.

October 18, 2018

Food Entrepreneurship and Resilience – A Funky Fresh Take With Trueman McGee

Operations, Podcast, Sales and Marketing

Funky Fresh Spring Rolls is a company that produces uniquely flavored, hand rolled spring rolls that are baked or grilled (not fried) with fresh and local ingredients. The Funky Fresh team began selling at Farmers Markets, which in addition to providing early cash flow have functioned as market research labs, allowing them to talk directly to consumers.