A Sample of Past Projects

The Center for Good Food Purchasing supports institutions in procuring foods that align with five core values: local economies, environmental sustainability, valued workforce, animal welfare and nutrition. We developed two technical resources for their participating institutions. We completed an in-depth review of over 70 sample procurement tools from institutions across the country and then developed and designed an easy-to-use Solicitations Toolkit with recommended strategies, practices, and procurement tools for more values-based procurement. Then, we developed an extensive research approach that combined qualitative and quantitative data analysis to identify recognizable trends and recommend strategies for the effective cost management of values-based food procurement processes.

Value chain coordination is a market-based approach to developing local and regional food systems that serve communities. We planned and facilitated a convening of organizations engaged in value chain coordination that included the Artisan Grain Collaborative, Wallace Center, Savanna Institute, and other organizations from the Upper Midwest. During the 1 1/2 day retreat, we guided the group through the identification of commonalities, existing resources, gaps, and opportunities for partnership and cross-collaboration, and coordinated group development of shared resources.

In 2022, Dane County and the City of Madison commissioned a study to explore the food system gaps that the pandemic exposed and the interim solutions that were created in response to the crisis. In partnership with a liaison team of members from the Dane County Food Council, a team of community advisors, and data collaborators, we planned and implemented a rigorous community engagement process and synthesized community input into an action-oriented report. Report includes 5 overarching priorities and 10 county-level strategies that aim to strengthen the resilience of our food system.

We collaborated with a volunteer committee of researchers at the University of Minnesota to plan the annual conference centered on the perennial grain Kernza®. The conference was attended by a diverse group of Kernza® agronomists, economists, farmers, and technical and support staff. Our services included managing registration, site rental, and catering; crafting the 2-day conference agenda including field visits to Kernza® farmers and makers; speaker and poster session outreach; and event marketing and promotion.

We designed a 2-page summary and full report of Drivers and Deterrents of Small Grain Adoption in the Upper Midwest - a publication authored by the UW Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, Artisan Grain Collaborative, Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, and other institutions.

A group of farmers and bakers united at the beginning of the pandemic to aggregate their goods for the benefit of our communities and the survival of their businesses. In 2023, we worked with the owners to outline strategies for the evolution of their brand, market channels, and partnership reflecting their strengths, desires, and opportunities.

We worked with the SDSU Extension Local Foods Team to articulate their guiding principles, build cross-discipline relationships and collaboration, and increase their local food system impact thru a customized strategic planning process.

The strategic planning process featured a 3-day retreat that energized the team and culminated in the development of a 1-pager of guiding principles, a decision tree to guide their values-based work, a local foods playbook, and an evaluation dashboard to gauge early progress and wins.