Program Overview
Prince George’s County is developing a long-term vision to strengthen the regional food system that supports the resiliency of local farms, increases food access, and provides educational & training opportunities while preserving the County’s rich agricultural heritage. To support this vision, New Venture Advisors, a leading food systems consulting firm, is partnering with Prince George’s County to study the feasibility of a food hub, known as the Agriculture & Food Security Innovation Center. Such a facility will aim to bridge gaps in food equity, promote food and ag economic growth, and enhance support for stakeholders across the food value chain including growers, producers, processors, mission-driven organizations, and end consumers.
The study will explore functions that may support logistics, aggregation, distribution, processing & packaging, value-added production, business incubation, food access and community health initiatives, training programs, community events, or other food-related programs. The goal is to develop a food hub that meets the needs of the community, is operationally sound, and is financially feasible. Additionally, the project will explore sites suitable for development and incorporate projected costs into the financial model.
As an initial step to realizing a full food hub development, the feasibility study is expected to last 14 months, encompassing four phases that will culminate in a comprehensive final report. The phases include:
- Partnership and consensus building workshops with key stakeholders to understand
challenges, needs, and goals across the local food system. - Research, interviews, surveys, and analysis to understand the market potential for
various activities within a food hub. - Operating model development and a facility evaluation that refines learnings from the
market analysis and provides a guiding vision for key programs. - Design & financial modeling to test the business case for such a facility
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For any questions related to this study, please contact:
- Avishai Mallinger, Project Manager, New Venture Advisors, avi@newventureadvisors.net
- Becca Tobin, Research Analyst, New Venture Advisors, becca@newventureadvisors.net
- Nicole Hall, Chief Real Estate Officer, Revenue Authority of Prince George’s County, nuhall@co.pg.md.us