Background The Northwest Agriculture Business Center (NABC) provides Northwest Washington farmers with the skills and resources they need to profitably and efficiently supply their products to consumers, retailers, wholesalers, foodservice operators, and food manufacturers. We deliver practical assistance in business development, access to financing, value-added product development, and marketing, with a strong focus on regional…
At a holiday party for the Southwest Washington Growers Cooperative in Grand Mound, Washington in 2022, a farmer lamented to NABC staffer Emily Manke about their inability to sell wool. Manke had heard another farmer’s woes about the lack of wool markets in the Northwest region, due to a lack of wool processing in the…
On July 26, at the Lincoln Theatre in downtown Mount Vernon, Washington P’al Corazon – For the Heart, was screened as part of the North Sound Voices Film Festival. This groundbreaking series of films created by local filmmakers, features the people, movements, and moments shaping the future of the North Sound region. Including those like the farmers featured in P’al…
Washington Hmong Farmers Cooperative was recently featured in an article by Keeping King County Green, about their expanding reach into local wholesale markets thanks to their partnerships with retailers like Whole Foods, PCC, and Kitchen & Garden. GM Bryant Her gave an interview with the local news outlet reflecting on the growth and success, as…
Report from 2025 NABC Legislative Reception On March 21, NABC hosted a Legislative Reception in Olympia. The event, sponsored by lawmakers Senator Chapman, Senator Shewmake, and Representative Rule, gave NABC clients and partners an opportunity to show off their products and projects to lawmakers. The most beloved part of the reception is the chance to…
The photo above features 32 individuals who withstood and perservered despite a stormy start to their learning journey. The course started with strong winds, power outages, and class cancellations in October. However, they persisted, showed up, and dedicated their time to learning valuable computer skills that will improve their personal and professional lives. We are…
On February 19, NABC hosted the second Regional Ag Infrastructure Summit in Edison WA. Attendees included a variety of food systems infrastructure project partners from Western Washington. The topics up for discussion were meat processing, cooperative food hub development, and multi-use facilities. NABC owes special thanks to our presenters including:Darron Marzolf- Marzolf MeatsShannon Bly- Whidbey Island Growers CooperativeAndrew…
NABC extends a warm thank you to former Project Manager Luke Woodward as he moves on to his next adventure. Luke Woodward began his journey with NABC nearly a decade ago. Early on in his tenure, Luke was featured in this Cool Jobs write-up in the Seattle Times. Not long after, he and his wife Sarah bought…
On Wednesday, May 22nd, NABC’s Executive Director Mike Peroni, and Latinx Business Development Program (LBDP) Director, Alex Perez, had the opportunity to present to Washington’s Rural Development USDA team. Perez presented a summary of his work with Latinx Farming communities. The presentation outlined LBDP’s outreach efforts and was well received. Following the presentation, Washington’s Deputy State…
