Food Enterprise Center
Cultivating Local Food - Building Community
About a mile from the Viroqua Food Co+op, the Food Enterprise Center (FEC) serves as a thriving hub for many of the small businesses that keep local food and products on our shelves all year round. Established in 2010, the FEC is a business accelerator, helping entrepreneurs with food and wellness-focused companies take the next step and grow. The multi-tenant facility rents space to 26 businesses, who can customize it to their needs. Features of the facility include commercial kitchens, walk-in coolers and freezers, offices, warehousing and a shared loading dock.
Sue Noble is the executive director of the Vernon Economic Development Association (VEDA), which owns and manages the facility and provides resources and expertise for its tenants. The FEC provides the infrastructure, and, through VEDA, leverages access to resources that small business owners might not qualify for on their own. These may include a new piece of equipment, workshops, networking, or help with writing grants. Access to these resources removes barriers to success, creating businesses that enrich our community.
VEDA was formed in January 2006 by community leaders and business executives from throughout Vernon County to create and advance a cohesive new strategic plan to build a stronger economy throughout the region for the good of all the people with a stake in our future. Memberships and donations from businesses, municipalities and community members fund this non-profit 501(c)3 organization.
At the heart of VEDA’s plan is community collaboration. "Our approach is to use the assets we have in our community. Everywhere you turn, people have creative ideas. We support those ideas and help people think differently about how they can succeed,” Noble explains. "It's all about community and partnerships, finding opportunities to work together for the good of all.” Something else is happening here too, a magic that happens when like-minded people work together on a mission. “I’m proud of the community of entrepreneurs at FEC.” Noble says, “They help each other, mentor each other, and support each other's products. This kind of collaboration and support makes everyone's business better.”
The businesses housed in the Food Enterprise Center employ 110 people on-site and create even more jobs throughout the community. “The tenants provide the energy and ideas that keep their businesses going,” Sue says. “They create jobs, grow the tax base and create economic opportunities that add wealth to our community." The tenants generated $85 million in total gross sales through the facility last year.
VEDA also created Community Hunger Solutions (CHS), a unique food recovery program under VEDA’s non-profit umbrella, that operates out of the FEC. CHS sources excess fresh produce and dairy products from farms in the Driftless Region and distributes them to more than 20 regional meal sites and food pantries, serving over 2,000 people per month.
The Viroqua Food Co+op is often the first retail shelf for products created at the FEC. Each business enhances our local food offerings and contributes to the unique Viroqua food culture. The co-op can sell an abundance of local products all year round, partly because of the innovators and entrepreneurs at the FEC. Co-op shoppers play a vital role in our community's unwavering commitment to local products.
“When you support local businesses, you support our community,” Sue Noble says, adding, "If you or anyone you know needs help with a business idea, send them my way.”