Food Finance Institute

06/17/2026

📣 We’re thrilled to welcome 15 food businesses into the Summer 2026 FFI Fellows Program! 🏖️
This cohort includes 10 Wisconsin-based businesses and 5 from across the nation, all receiving free training and consulting to help them grow and scale with investible business models and financing strategies tailored to their unique needs.
👉 Meet the Fellows and read the full list in our latest blog post:
🔗 https://zurl.co/WwADl
The FFI Fellows Program is funded by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and supported by FFI industry experts including Eurofins ogs.law Catapult Commercialization Services Summit Credit Union Farm Credit Tribe 9 Foods Compeer Financial Real Food Brands and Quigistics. Many thanks!

06/17/2026

Sometimes the most valuable business advice comes from a conversation over coffee.

Join fellow food, beverage, natural product entrepreneurs, and Naturally Wisconsin at Forward Craft & Coffee in Madison on June 22 for a relaxed morning of connection, idea-sharing, and community building. Celebrate what's working, talk through challenges, exchange resources, and meet others who understand the realities of growing a business.

No formal agenda—just coffee, conversation, and community.

Learn more and RSVP: https://zurl.co/9ebtr

06/12/2026

Margins, pricing, labor, cash flow — farm finances don’t have to be overwhelming.
Our Financial Foundations for Farms program gives producers the tools, worksheets, and guidance needed to truly understand their numbers and build a sustainable, profitable operation.

If you want to grow smarter (not just bigger), this training is for you. 📈

🗓️ Learn more & register here: https://zurl.co/6C5T4

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06/11/2026

⏰ Early Bird pricing for the Food Finance Forum & Expo ends June 18! 🐦

Join the Food Finance Institute and the Wisconsin Grocers Association on August 18 in Wisconsin Dells for a day of learning, networking, and connection with food, farm, and agriculture leaders from across the country.

✅ Connect with entrepreneurs, investors, lenders, retailers, and industry partners
✅ Gain practical insights on funding, growth, financial management, and business strategy
✅ Build relationships that can help move your business forward

Whether you're launching, scaling, financing, or supporting food and agriculture businesses, the Food Finance Forum & Expo offers valuable opportunities to learn, collaborate, and grow.

Register today and save before Early Bird pricing ends on June 18: https://zurl.co/MnjmB

06/08/2026

Sometimes the most valuable business advice comes from a conversation over coffee.

Join fellow food, beverage, natural product entrepreneurs, and Naturally Wisconsin at Forward Craft & Coffee in Madison on June 22 for a relaxed morning of connection, idea-sharing, and community building. Celebrate what's working, talk through challenges, exchange resources, and meet others who understand the realities of growing a business.

No formal agenda—just coffee, conversation, and community.

Learn more and RSVP: https://zurl.co/hQgck

06/03/2026

Food founders: if payroll feels stressful, cash flow is tight, or profitability keeps slipping, this training is for you.

Financial Foundations for Food Brands is a 3-part live, virtual training designed to help you:
• Strengthen your business model
• Price products for real profitability
• Understand and use your financial statements with confidence
Plus, you’ll get two 1:1 consulting sessions with FFI’s Food Brand Expert and practical tools you can start using right away.

👉 REGISTER today and start building a healthier, more profitable food business: https://zurl.co/52vds

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06/02/2026

Margins, pricing, labor, cash flow — farm finances don’t have to be overwhelming.
Our Financial Foundations for Farms program gives producers the tools, worksheets, and guidance needed to truly understand their numbers and build a sustainable, profitable operation.

If you want to grow smarter (not just bigger), this training is for you. 📈

🗓️ Learn more & register here: https://zurl.co/TvcJy

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05/29/2026

🌱 Funding Your Farm’s Future 🌱
🧮 Choose the right financing
🧮 Improve your loan or grant application
🧮 Negotiate better terms

Ready to grow—but need capital to make it happen?
Join this hands-on training to learn how to navigate loans, grants, and equity with expert guidance and practical tools.

📅 June 3 – 17
💻 Live virtual sessions + 1:1 consulting
💲 $250
💸 Financial assistance available—many farmers qualify for free or reduced-cost training.
👉 Learn more, register, and get notified about future trainings: https://zurl.co/o9THu

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05/28/2026

Exhibitor registration is now open for the 2026 Food Finance Forum & Expo 🎉

Join us August 18 at the Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells and showcase your business alongside entrepreneurs, retailers, distributors, lenders, investors, and support organizations from across Wisconsin’s food and agriculture ecosystem.

This year’s event features an expanded partnership with the Wisconsin Grocers Association (WGA) and will run alongside the WGA Innovation Expo — creating even more opportunities for visibility, networking, and industry connection.

✨ Exhibitor opportunities include:
• The Local Lane featuring 30 innovative food & farm businesses
• Direct exposure to retailers and industry leaders
• Access to the WGA Innovation Expo
• Networking throughout the day
• A collaborative environment focused on strengthening Wisconsin’s food and agriculture sector

📅 Tuesday, August 18, 2026 | 9 AM–6 PM
📍 Wilderness Resort | Wisconsin Dells

👉 View exhibitors in the Local Lane and register to exhibit: https://zurl.co/IKHnJ

05/28/2026

So much valuable insight on Wisconsin small business in this report! Conclusions and policy recommendations emphasize improving access to capital and strengthening capital readiness, as well as sector-specific strategies. So helpful to have this data as we pursue our work in these areas to strengthen food and farm small businesses!

Congrats to our colleagues here in the Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship and at Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and Wisconsin Policy Forum on this release!

Small businesses power Wisconsin’s economy 💼📈

Between 2010 and 2025, small businesses accounted for approximately 95% of Wisconsin’s net job growth — compared to 72% nationally. This remarkable impact underscores the critical role entrepreneurs play in driving local and statewide prosperity.

The latest Wisconsin Policy Forum report, “Small Businesses, Big Stakes: The State of Wisconsin’s Small Businesses” [👉link in comments], highlights both the strength of our entrepreneurial ecosystem and the challenges many businesses face when scaling — including access to capital 💰 and workforce constraints 👥.

We at the Office of Business and Entrepreneurship, Universities of Wisconsin, are proud to have commissioned this first-of-its-kind report, in partnership with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, to support informed policy and legislative decision making.

There's no better way to round out National Small Business Month 🗓️ and celebrate our state's small businesses — the unsung heroes of the American Dream ⭐