Food Hub Consulting Services

Helping Food Hubs and Institutions Navigate Compliance, Scale with Confidence, and Build Stronger Food Systems

What We Do & How We Can Help

We know firsthand how complex it can be for food hubs and institutions to navigate today’s regulatory landscape. From third-party audits to organic certification, requirements are getting tougher and meeting them is often the difference between serving and accessing large buyers or wholesale markets or being shut out.

After-all, the heart of this work is ensuring safe food systems, protecting public health, minimizing risk, and making sure that the food we move through the system never compromises the people we serve.

Our consulting services, led by Director of Strategic Partnerships and Compliance McKenna Hayes, draw from over a decade as a Food Hub Operator, with years of hands-on experience building and running compliance systems that meet the highest standards while staying true to the mission of supporting local farms and producers & strengthening local and regional supply chains.

We help food hubs and institutions:

  • Understand and meet food safety and regulatory requirements

  • Minimize risk while scaling to serve larger buyers

  • Develop clear, accessible food safety systems and training tools

  • Navigate audits (cGMP, Organic, GAP, etc.) with confidence

  • Build advocacy and understanding between hubs and institutions

  • Position hubs as competitive, credible, mission-driven partners in food distribution

Our goal is simple: make compliance less intimidating and more achievable, so food hubs can thrive as serious players in regional food distribution.

How We Work With You

We believe in mentorship, collaboration, and no gatekeeping. Every hub, institution, and community has unique needs. We meet you where you are.

Our support can include:

  • One-on-One Consulting: Personalized guidance to address your compliance challenges.

  • Workshops & Webinars: Interactive sessions that break down complex regulations into clear, actionable steps.

  • Mock Audits & Site Visits: Hands-on practice to prepare for the real thing.

  • Templates & Toolkits: Open-source resources, flowcharts, and guides to save time and stress.

  • Peer Learning & Mentorship Models: Connecting you with other hubs through group coaching and shared problem-solving.

We’ve seen the impact this approach can have, through programs like TOPP (Transition to Organic Partnership Program), where hubs learned together, shared strategies, and walked away with the confidence to get certified.

Why Work With Food Connects?

We don’t just talk compliance, we’ve done it.

  • In 2025, Food Connects earned cGMP certification, scoring 99% on a rigorous third-party audit. This opened the door for us to supply the University of Vermont through Sodexo and paved the way for other institutional partnerships.

  • In 2024, Food Connects earned Organic Certification, scoring 100% on the inspection.

  • Through TOPP (Transition to Organic Partnership Program), we’ve helped food hubs across the country earn organic certification, translating federal rules into clear steps and tools that actually work in the real world.

  • Partnerships with Food Hub Networks across the country on Compliance related grants and projects. 

  • Partnered with Vermont Law School to create: The Food Hub Safety Compliance Guide.

  • We understand the stakes: meeting regulations isn’t optional, it’s essential to selling to institutions. And we know how to balance that reality with your mission to serve farmers, communities, and your regional food system.

  • We get how hard running a scrappy food hub & worrying about compliance can be. The Food Connects Food Hub has grown from $411k sales in 2018 to nearly 4 million in 2024 - let us help you so you can focus on what you do best, moving food!

Next Steps

Ready to take the next step toward compliance and growth?

  1. Reach out to us. Share where you’re at and what challenges you’re facing.

  2. Schedule a consultation. We’ll identify your needs and design a path forward.

  3. Get the tools and support you need. Whether it’s one conversation, a site visit, or a multi-month mentorship, we’ll make sure you’re set up for success. Compliance doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right support, it becomes a tool for growth, opening doors to bigger markets, stronger partnerships, and more resilient and safe food systems.


Let’s work together to make your hub a competitive, credible, and mission-driven force in food distribution.