Business Innovation
Live Culture has a strong track record of creating market-based change via business consulting with a unique skill set at the intersection of artisan, sustainable and quality food.
Case Study: Sonoma Bounty
The challenge: A few dozen acres of arable land and the desire to make a viable business out of there. The farmers are not interested in becoming another boutique vineyard - they want a great tasting product they would be happy to have made in their "front yard." Live Culture’s strategies ranged from technical analysis of the property’s assets, interviews with dozens of local chefs and retailers, and discussions with the clients. With the wide range of inputs regarding opportunities and desires by the clients and from their community, Live Culture honed in on a suite of viable value-added products appropriate for the farm and for the goals of the client and developed the business plan for their production.
Case Study: Chocolate Vacation
Machaca Hill Lodge in Punta Gorda Belize was transitioning from fishing lodge to boutique destination resort. Live Culture built an agritourism program highlighting the region’s tropical flavors - with cacao, vanilla, and coffee on the menu. From planning the facility to the restaurant offerings, Live Culture is working to ramp up the food offering to celebrate regional Mayan culture as well as enrich the in-resort experience with unique experiences around agriculture.
Case Study: Belcampo Meat Co
Belcampo Farms is an incredible spread of land in far Northern California that’s home to a few thousand steer, heritage hogs, poultry, meat rabbits, and more. Beginning this fall, Belcampo Farms will begin sales via Meat Up events in the Bay Area to sell their premium sustainably-raised meats. From developing a model to optimize meat usage in restaurant and retail, to supporting the planning and development of a slaughterhouse onsite, to developing a roster of potential value-added products, Live Culture has been a partner in the farm’s growth. Next up, launch of the first Belcampo Meat Co in Spring 2012.
Case Study: Better Barbecue
Jim & Nicks is one of the South’s largest barbecue chains, with close to 30 restaurants. That’s a whole lot of pork - about 5 million pounds per year - and the company has a vision to transition from commodity pork to local suppliers in the long term. Adding complexity, this region of the US saw a greater-than-average collapse of small-scale farmers in the past three decades. Jim & Nicks co-founder Nick Pihakis approached Live Culture in 2008 about collaborating on addressing this challenge. Live Culture has worked to leverage USDA resources, build relationships with local farmers, and initiate discussions on a shared vision for partners in the business about requirements for sustainability and the goals of this multi-year project.
Case Study: Real Food, Big Time
Live Culture launched the Eat Real Festival in 2009 with the goal of making good food more widely accessible and supporting hundreds of innovative small businesses making great food in the Bay Area. 70,000 people attended the first edition, generating over $400,000 in revenue for local food businesses and farmers. Whole Foods Market, Jack London Square Partners, Stonyfield Yogurt, Zip Car, and many others were key partners for the event, which will be held again this year from August 27 to 29.
Ossabaw pig on Shasta Valley Farm.
Photo credit: David Gumbiner.
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