Food Business Advising

  • The Viability Program provides business planning and technical assistance to businesses in the Vermont food system, with the aim of strengthening the business management skills of enterprises throughout the local food value chain. Example of eligible businesses include slaughterhouses and meat processors, grain/legume/vegetable processors, on and off-farm value-added producers, co-packers, and storage/distribution businesses that source locally produced food. We also enroll key regional food systems organizations that are actively engaged in increasing farm to school and farm to institution activities in their areas of the state. 

    Advanced business management coaching is also available for businesses that require assistance managing their growth, managing some kind of business transition, or preparing to raise capital. For this assistance, select businesses that meet additional criteria will be matched with the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund’s Business Coaching program.