kitchen sync’s work

Consulting for regional food economies

We don’t like thinking for thinking’s sake: we’d prefer to do things.

Whether you’re a software developer, a school district, or a Kitchen Sync Strategies can guide you . We design growth plans for businesses of all sizes, strategic planning for your department or system, research & communications support for your programs, and technical assistance for institutions interested in improving their impact on the systems that feed their people. We draw on public health, philanthropic, public policy, and private business experience to make our work holistic and effective, and we bring all of it to each project, program, or person we work with.

Past/current consulting clients include:

Texas: Austin Independent School District, United Way for Greater Austin, Texas Center for Local Food, & Central Texas Food Bank

Colorado: National Western Center (New Markets Accelerator Program), Colorado Farm & Food Systems Response Team

National: The Wallace Center (Institutional Investment Accelerator, Mid-Tier Value Chains VCC Curriculum)

Institutional Food Sales

We know that anchor institutions- like K-12 public schools, hospital systems, universities, and even local governments- are leveraging their potential to sustain their communities and their environment by adopting values-based purchasing goals. And very often, their food service management companies struggle to offer the locally, sustainably, and equitably sourced products that match the values of the institution. What is missing is a strong network of producers and purchasers with shared values- and we are building that network in each of our market areas.

Kitchen Sync works with institutions committed to improving the impact of their food purchases and with suppliers committed to producing those high-impact products to those institutions. We intimately understand the standards of many purchasing pledges (i.e. the Good Food Purchasing Program, Real Food Challenge, Healthcare Without Harm, AASHE, etc.) and meet institutions where they are along their process of achieving them. Using preferred suppliers- including individual food hubs and emerging regional networks of food hubs- we offer bite-sized solutions to institutional procurement leaders: we find the produce, proteins, and products that help the institution be a leader in values-based procurement.

Past/current institutional food sales clients include:

NW Food Hub Network (coordinated by Mission West Community Development Partners in Ronan, MT)