Madison Northside Planning Council Inc

TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND FOSTER EQUITY ON THE NORTHSIDE THROUGH COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

THE FEED KITCHENS IS A 5,400 SQUARE FOOT COMMERCIAL KITCHEN, FOOD BUSINESS INCUBATOR AND LOCAL FOOD MANUFACTURING FACILITY. IN 2022, FEED SUPPORTED 90 COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES AND 24 NONPROFIT/COMMUNITY GROUPS. 66% OF THE COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES AT FEED ARE OWNED BY MINORITY ENTREPRENEURS AND ANOTHER 55% OWNED BY WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS. THESE BUSINESSES GENERATED NEARLY $1.3 MILLION REVENUE AND CREATED 26 FULL TIME AND 48 PART TIME JOBS. FEED ALSO ACTS AS A HUB FOR LOCAL FOOD PROCESSING, VOCATIONAL TRAINING, FOOD RECOVERY WORK BY HEALTHY FOOD FOR ALL, NONPROFIT AND COMMUNITY USE, AND AS AN EVENT VENUE FOR RESIDENTS AND CORPORATIONS. IN ADDITION TO THE STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITIES IN THE BUILDING, FEED OFFERS VALUABLE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, COACHING AND RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT THROUGHOUT THE LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM.IN 2022 FEED KITCHENS HAD MULTIPLE BUISNESSES GRADUATE FROM OUR FACILITY/SERVICES AND MOVE TO THEIR OWN PRODUCTION SPACES AND AS WE MOVE INTO OUR TENTH YEAR OF OPERATION, GRADUATIONS ARE BECOMING MORE FREQUENT. OUR SIGNATURE EVENT FOR 2022 WAS THE BLACK RESTAURANT WEEK JAMBOREE, WHICH SAW THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE VISIT OUR PARKING LOT TO SHOP FROM AND CELEBRATE BLACK-OWNED FOOD BUSINESSES THROUGHOUT OUR REGION.

THE FEED BAKERY TRAINING PROGRAM PROVIDES VOCATIONAL TRAINING FOR UNDEREMPLOYED, LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS. NO CLASSES WERE ABLE TO BE HELD IN 2021 DUE TO THE PANDEMIC AND IN 2022 WE RESTRUCTURED THE PROGRAM TO REDUCE CLASS SIZE AND PAY OUR STUDENTS AS INTERNS WHILE THEY ARE LEARNING. STUDENTS RECEIVE HANDS-ON TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE BY PRODUCING FEED BAKERY PRODUCTS, WHICH ARE SOLD RETAIL AND WHOLESALE AROUND MADISON. WE PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH LIFE SKILLS TRAINING AS WELL AS SALES, MARKETING AND CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS. TRAINING ALSO INCLUDES CULINARY TECHNIQUES, KNIFE SKILLS, COMMERCIAL KITCHEN EQUIPMENT USE, FOOD SAFETY, BAKING PRACTICES, PRODUCT PACKAGING AND BAKING MATH. AT PROGRAM COMPLETION, STUDENTS TAKE THEIR SERVSAFE TEST TO HELP MAKE THEM A MORE VALUABLE EMPLOYEE TO PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYERS. STUDENTS RECEIVE JOB PLACEMENT SUPPORT AND ARE OFFERED A MENTOR TO ASSIST THEM IN NAVIGATING THE EMPLOYMENT WORLD.

HEALTHY FOOD FOR ALL (HFFA) HAS BEEN A PROGRAM OF MADISON NORTHSIDE PLANNING COUNCIL SINCE 2016 AND SPECIALIZES IN THE RECOVERY AND DISTRIBUTION OF EXCESS PREPARED FOOD FROM EVENTS AND CAFETERIAS AS WELL AS PRODUCE FROM AREA FARMS. WITH THE RECEIPT OF AN EQUITABLE RECOVERY GRANT FROM THE STATE OF WI DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION, HFFA WAS ABLE TO EXPAND ITS SERVICES IN 2022 BY ADDING ADDITIONAL DRIVERS TO RECOVER AND DISTRIBUTE FOOD. IN 2022, HFFA RECOVERED AND DISTRIBUTED 166,384 POUNDS OF PREPARED FOOD AND 126,230 POUNDS OF PRODUCE TO FOOD PANTRIES AND OTHER LOCAL PARTNERS. BESIDES FOOD RECOVERY AND DISTRIBUTION, HFFA WORKS TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT FOOD WASTE AND FOOD RECOVERY ISSUES AS IT RELATES TO BOTH FOOD INSECURITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION EFFORTS.