Expanding Regional Food Access Through the Business Builder Program

When farms attempt to expand beyond direct-to-consumer sales, many face barriers such as lack of cold storage and transportation, which makes it difficult for farmers to access new and larger markets. To help fill these gaps, the NASDA Foundation is utilizing Northeast USDA Regional Food Business Center’s Business Builder Program to invest in innovative distribution systems.

Through the NASDA Foundation Business Builder program, small- and mid-sized food and agriculture businesses are receiving awards designed to address barriers to expansion, including access to capital, supply chain coordination and infrastructure improvements.

Awards ranged from $20,000 to $100,000 per business for equipment, supplies, contracted technical assistance, personnel, travel and other tools necessary for expanding market access and strengthening the local food system.

Some businesses used the funding to improve infrastructure to help them reach more consumers. In Pennsylvania, Lindsay Hutchinson utilized these funds to expand cold storage capacity at her grocery store, People’s Provision. People’s Provision is a community-focused grocery store centered on direct farmer-to-consumer relationships and operates on a “pay-what-you-can” model, ensuring everyone in the community has access to food. Through the Business Builder Program, Hutchinson’s increased cold storage capacity allowed the business to purchase more products from local farmers and improve access to affordable local foods for families in need.

The Business Builder Program also provided funding for businesses to extend shelf life and reduce waste. Maine-based Green Geans LLC works with farmers, seafood producers and specialty food businesses to freeze-dry locally sourced products, allowing more time for nutrient-dense foods to reach those who need it. Business Builder funding increased processing capacity for the business, which helps farmers preserve surplus crops, create value-added products and expand access to regionally produced foods throughout the year. This increase also allows owner Gina Mannarino to support emergency food programs, school nutrition initiatives and other organizations that rely on long-lasting food solutions.

Sean Corcoran and Jacqueline Clarke, of Nor’Easter Oyster Co., are also utilizing Business Builder funds to ensure nutrient-dense foods are preserved and available beyond when they are in season. Nor’Easter Oyster Co. purchases oysters from independent farms across Maine and creates new market opportunities for shellfish producers by processing excess products into value-added offerings. Investments in freezing and packaging equipment through the Business Builder Program will help the company purchase more oysters from regional farms while reducing seasonal supply challenges and increasing long-term market stability for producers. Nor’Easter expects to create a more diverse lineup of seafood products and expand distribution beyond the Northeast thanks to the addition of new equipment.

Business Builder funding is also connecting farmers to broader markets. Through the program, Tim and Jacki Hildreth in Massachusetts are investing in refrigerated storage and transportation capacity that increases the movement and availability of locally sourced foods. Their business, Central Mass Organics, collaborates with more than 50 regional farmers and distributors to provide regionally sourced foods through an online marketplace, and the new equipment purchased will help foster new relationships with hyper-local farmers who do not deliver but provide wholesale items that the Hildreths can pick up.

In Maryland, what started as a Community Supported Agriculture base vegetable box expanded to a full grocery line of add-ons. When Sarah Rider began Flying Plow Farm, it was a 50-member Community Supported Agriculture program and. The program now it aggregates and distributes more than 500 products sourced from 72 local producers each week. Through Business Builder funding, Flying Plow Farm is expanding cold storage and delivery capacity, and it aims to increase producer participation and strengthen access to regional wholesale markets. Rider believes the modernization and expansion efforts could increase the number of new products onboarded by nearly 30%.

These businesses demonstrate how investments in aggregation, processing, storage and transportation infrastructure, as well as technical assistance and education, can strengthen regional food systems and increase economic opportunities for farmers. Regional food procurement initiatives like this business builder program continue to support innovative distribution models and expand market access, helping improve supply chain resilience and increase access to locally produced foods. This can contribute to greater public health outcomes and help ensure a resilient, affordable and abundant food supply for all.

Visit the NASDA Foundation’s Business Builder Sub-Awards website to learn more.

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NASDA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit association which represents the elected and appointed commissioners, secretaries and directors of the departments of agriculture in all 50 states and four U.S. territories. NASDA engages state departments of agriculture to strengthen U.S. agriculture and allied industries through policy, partnerships and public outreach. To learn more about NASDA, please visit www.nasda.org.

The NASDA Foundation is the only educational and research organization that directly serves the nation’s state departments of agriculture. The NASDA Foundation engages state departments of agriculture to enhance American food and agricultural communities through education, outreach, and research. The NASDA Foundation works with states to nourish people and communities while serving as the stewards of the environment and public trust. To learn more about the NASDA Foundation, please visit https://www.nasda.org/nasda-foundation/