An NGFN Webinar. May 16, 2013

Transcription

1 An NGFN Webinar STARTING A FOOD HUB: SUCCESSFUL HUBS SHARE THEIR STORIES May 16, 2013

2 Presentation Outline Technical Orientation Wallace Center / NGFN Overview John Fisk Wallace Center at Winrock International Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative Eastern Carolina Organics Headwater Foods / Good Food Collective Questions and Answers Upcoming Opportunities, etc.

3 WALLACE CENTER AT WINROCK INTERNATIONAL Market based solutions to a 21 st Century food system Work with multiple sectors business, philanthropy, government Healthy, Green, Affordable, Fair Food Scaling up Good Food

4 NATIONAL GOOD FOOD NETWORK: VISION

5 NATIONAL GOOD FOOD NETWORK: GOALS Supply Meets Demand There is abundant good food (healthy, green, fair and affordable) to meet demands at the regional level. Information Hub The National Good Food Network (NGFN) is the go to place for regional food systems stories, methods and outcomes. Policy Change Policy makers are informed by the results and outcomes of the NGFN and have enacted laws or regulation which further the Network goals.

6 Presentation Outline Technical Orientation Wallace Center / NGFN Overview Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative Jim Crawford Eastern Carolina Organics Headwater Foods / Good Food Collective Questions and Answers Upcoming Opportunities, etc.

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17 4 Full-time staff and 12 part-time employees Over 100,000 cases delivered per year Twice weekly delivery, year-round items on the annual production plan Marketing: retailers, restaurants, CSAs and our growers 47 Member-growers Directed by a board of member-growers

18 Tuscarora Co-op Functions Pooling (aggregating) produce Planning production Staff services: marketing, sales, shipping, accounting All profits returned to member-growers Sharing expertise for crop improvement Group ordering of seeds and supplies

19 Our first office: 80 square feet, one desk and two (!) telephones

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21 Grand opening of our 3 rd version in 1998

22 Barn raising for our present warehouse in 2004

23 Our present Palace of Sustainable Agribusiness: 10,000 square feet, 10 computers, 3 big coolers and much more.

24 Sales Growth, Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative ($1,000s) $3,000 $2,500 $2,000 $1,500 $1,000 $500 $ Growing Seasons

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26 Presentation Outline Technical Orientation Wallace Center / NGFN Overview Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative Eastern Carolina Organics Sandi Kronick Headwater Foods / Good Food Collective Questions and Answers Upcoming Opportunities, etc.

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28 What is ECO? -marketing and distribution, certified organic -advocacy, business/production planning, packaging -grower- and manager-owned LLC (profit distribution, voting) -80/20 split, harvests based on orders

29 Grower-based Serving growers needs as well as buyers needs Production services farm/crop planning, certification, postharvest handling Sustainability support supplies, business planning

30 ECO Today Own two trucks- 14 & 24 Work with farmers in NC & SC Creating Grade 2 outlets Ship to customers throughout the South and beyond ECO-HUB - 26,000 sq ft facility with like-minded tenants Bulk box, label and seed potato purchasing for growers Employee engagement & ownership Partnering with hunger outreach groups

31 The Start in numbers Born through non-profit $48,000 in grant funds Began pilot operations May 1, 2004 Ran a van, then 24 refrigerated truck 2x/week in the Triangle and 1x/week in the Triad Sold over $240,000 from April-Dec 2004

32 The Start people Worked with 20 growers from the High Country to the Coastal Plain Over 90% certified organic; all sustainable One F/T staff; then an additional P/T driver and sub-contract bookkeeper. Two F/T by Jan 2005 ~ 35 customers: retailers (chain and independents), restaurants, corporate cafes

33 The Start weekly cycles Availability Notification Order Collection Harvest Orders Receiving Distribution Deposits & Payments (Annual) Production Planning (Annual) Demand Collection

34 The Start corporate formation Our first meeting LLC, co-op, corporation Member investments Ownership, Board formation Profit distribution plans What s been amended

35 Original Grant Goals Production & planning support Expand presence of organic growers products in market Expand organic distribution systems Keep this effort sustainable over the long-term

36 Entrepreneur s Reality Check 1. Am I ready? Equipment, technology, schedule, supplies, policies, bank account, insurance, lifestyle! 2. Do I know what my partners/farmers want? Crops, schedule, payment terms, pricing, vision, communication strategy, pilot/evaluation period 3. Do I really know my market? Talk to customers, know your customer s customer, who is your competition

37 Entrepreneur s Reality Check 4. What s my mission? Brief, passionate, then USE it! Serve Your Mission 5. Do I have a clear plan? Who, what, when, weekly flow, etc. 6. Who is involved? What knowledge is missing? How do we integrate farmers as stakeholders?

38 Starting & Sustaining Great Wholesale Relationships -Survey your market -Start with what you grow well (and like to grow) -Don t over-promise! -Make a realistic schedule -Anticipate and over-communicate problems -Recognize we re building a movement and changing a system -Surround yourself with people you like and trust

39 Let the TRUTH be your best marketing tool

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41 Presentation Outline Technical Orientation Wallace Center / NGFN Overview Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative Eastern Carolina Organics Headwater Foods / Good Food Collective Chris Hartman Questions and Answers Upcoming Opportunities, etc.

42 CHRIS HARTMAN Owner/Founder

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44 Mission (2007) To positively impact the individual, social, economic, and ecological health of our communities.

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47 Reflection (2009) The beneficial role farmers markets can and do play in our food system The limits on impact of neighborhood-based farmers markets Additional, necessary aspects of a thriving and durable local food system OPPORTUNITY!

48 Next Steps (2009) Breaking into the other 97% Building on what we have A portfolio of offerings/activities Another non-profit?

49 FOR PROFIT. FOR CHANGE.

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51 Mission (2009) Headwater Foods Inc. is an organization committed to the development of sustainable, localized food systems and the associated individual, social, economic, and ecological health of the Rochester community.

52 Flow Chart (2009)

53 Building and developing CSA WE are shifting from building a community around and with a single farm (traditional CSA), to building a network of farms around and with a city (our direction with ASC).

54 The Good Food Collective (2009)

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67 SUMMER MEMBERSHIPS

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69 A CONTINOUS CALENDAR OF GOOD FOOD v

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71 Reflection (2011) The beneficial role CSA can and does play in our food system. The limits of direct sale projects. Additional, necessary aspects of a thriving and durable local food system OPPORTUNITY!

72 Next Steps (2011) Develop local and regional wholesale brand Establish ourselves as one of Upstate New York s premier Food Hubs

73 Flow Chart (2011)

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75 More Information: 3squarekitchenNY.com

76 Mission (2012) VISION: A diverse and integrated, soil-to-table, Community Food Enterprise that creates a value-filled, year-round supply chain of local, top quality, sustainable foods for the greater Rochester area and the Northeast Region. MISSION: To develop, in partnership with farmers and aligned with community and regional needs, as a socially and environmentally responsible, top quality food distribution company.

77 HEADWATER FOOD HUB The Headwater Food Hub actively manages the supply chain logistics, aggregation, distribution, and sales of local, sustainable, source-identified, top-quality foods from our network of partner farms and from local food producers.

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80 18 STAFF Staff

81 Operations Workflow

82 Strategic Priorities In addition to continuing to expand and support our talented team, the priority focus for Headwater Foods is the establishment of our next generation Food Hub, the space and infrastructure to support our continued growth and success.

83 [phase one] Establish base-line warehouse, cooler, freezer, loading docks, washing/grading/packing lines, and office space utilizing durable and sustainable design, alternative energy, innovative systems thinking, and creative aesthetics. 10,000 sqft open warehouse space 4,000 sqft washing/grading/packing lines 2,000 sqft cooler, 1,000 sqft freezer 4 loading docks 2,000 sqft office

84 [phase two] Establish Commercial Kitchen and base-line processing and packaging equipment to do small to medium batch runs of frozen and value-added products. 3,000 to 5,000 sqft commercial kitchen facility Basic washing, processing, cooking, freezing and packing equipment.

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86 ONWARD!

87 Presentation Outline Technical Orientation Wallace Center / NGFN Overview Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative Eastern Carolina Organics Headwater Foods / Good Food Collective Questions and Answers Upcoming Opportunities, etc.

88 Questions and Answers Jim Crawford Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative Chris Hartman Headwater Foods / Good Food Collective chris@thegoodfoodcollective.com Tom Peterson Appalachian Harvest Sandi Kronick Eastern Carolina Organics sandi@easterncarolinaorganics.com John Fisk Wallace Center at Winrock International contact@ngfn.org

89 Presentation Outline Technical Orientation Wallace Center / NGFN Overview Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative Eastern Carolina Organics Headwater Foods / Good Food Collective Questions and Answers Upcoming Opportunities, etc.

90 Webinars are Archived TOPICS!

91 NGFN Webinars 3 rd Thursday of each month 3:30p EST (12:30p PST) June 20 Raising Dough: Financing for Food

92 Three Notable Websites Food Hub hub Research, case studies, list and map of hubs across the country, much more. About the initiative Grantee profiles Library of many of the best food access resources Case study-based business and financial training Includes a One Page Business Plan and a One Page Financial Plan

93 Get Connected, Stay Connected

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