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 2021, FEED SUPPORTED 90 COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES AND 24 NONPROFIT/COMMUNITY GROUPS. 65% OF THE COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES AT FEED ARE OWNED BY MINORITY ENTREPRENEURS AND ANOTHER 56% OWNED BY WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS. THESE BUSINESSES GENERATED OVER $1.25 MILLION REVENUE AND CREATED 23 FULL TIME AND 50 PART TIME JOBS. FEED ALSO ACTS AS A HUB FOR LOCAL FOOD PROCESSING, VOCATIONAL TRAINING, FOOD RECOVERY WORK BY HEALTHY FOOD FOR ALL, COMMUNITY AND CASUAL 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 RELATIONSHIPS THROUGHOUT THE LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM.FEED TO GO WAS A NEW PROGRAM IMPLEMENTED IN RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC. WHEN THE INITIAL SAFER AT HOME ORDERS CAME DOWN IN MARCH 2020, FEED KITCHENS QUICKLY PIVOTED TO PROVIDING DAILY PACKAGED INDIVIDUAL MEALS TO DISTRIBUTION SITES AROUND DANE COUNTY. CATERING AND FOOD CART CHEFS WERE PAID TO CREATE THE MEALS AND VOLUNTEERS WERE USED TO MAKE DELIVERIES. 30,300 MEALS WERE PREPARED AND DELIVERED IN 2020 WITH AN ADDITIONAL 10,000 MEALS PREPARED AND DELIVERED IN 2021, AT ITS PEAK, 600 MEALS A DAY WERE BEING SENT OUT TO 11 COMMUNITY SITES.

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. 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. DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, NORMAL OPERATIONS FOR FOOD RECOVERY USING VOLUNTEERS FOR PROCESSING AND PACKAGING WAS SUSPENDED AS WE DID NOT WANT THE ADDITIONAL BODIES IN THE FEED KITCHENS FACILITY. MOST FOOD WAS DELIVERED DIRECTLY TO COMMUNITY SITES AND WAS NOT TREATED AT FEED KITCHENS. SOME DONATIONS WERE USED FOR FEED TO GO MEALS. IN 2021, HFFA RECOVERED AND DISTRIBUTED 169,800 POUNDS OF PREPARED FOOD AND 106,500 POUNDS OF PRODUCE TO FOOD PANTRIES AND OTHER LOCAL PARTNERS.