Growing a resilient food future, together

We are a leading sustainable food and agriculture consulting firm, empowering organizations across the food system to achieve a resilient food future.

We provide full-stack, scientifically rigorous client support spanning research, strategy and implementation. Our team consists of veteran food thinkers and doers on a mission to help improve the human and environmental impacts of our food system. We’re the team that won’t tell you what you want to hear. We’ll tell you what we need to know.

Full-stack food system consulting

Our expertise spans the full supply chain from cropping systems to fisheries to retail. We bring cutting edge science, practical in-house experience, and a comprehensive, data-driven approach to provide insights that help some of the world’s foremost industry associations, businesses, foundations, and nonprofits solve their unique food system challenges.

What we do

We work with businesses, industry associations, foundations, and non-profits on a diverse range of topics, including climate, environmental, social, and other food and ag supply chain issues.

OUR SERVICES

Tailored Insights

We provide practical, full-stack food & ag advising based on our client’s unique needs, including custom research. Through expert interviews, financial disclosure analysis, literature reviews, and simulations our team will uncover what you need to know.

Training & Guidance

Decoding the alphabet soup of CSRD, SASB, GRI, CDP, and SBTN? Figuring out how shifting FDA or USDA rules may impact you or your suppliers? We enjoy converting dry, dense documentation into novel tools, training materials, and engaging educational experiences.

Impact Assessment

Need to quantify your climate, environmental, animal welfare, social, and/or food safety impacts or those of your suppliers? Regardless of the commodity or commodities you produce or source, we can help you select, build and deploy the right tool for the job.

What to expect

  • Scientific Rigor

    We’re on top of the latest science. We take the latest peer-reviewed literature into account and use a data-based approach to problem solving. We deliver comprehensive work products that resonate - anchored in the data and client realities.

  • Practical Solutions

    We’re solutions oriented. Our recommendations and deliverables are actionable, practical, pragmatic. We listen and meet clients where they are. Clients can count on us for thoughtful, thorough, systemic analyses and recommendations.

  • Clear Communication

    We provide regular, proactive updates, a key to our success and yours. All clients receive weekly written briefings on project progress and any shifts in approach necessary to achieve our common goals int the most timely and efficient manner.

  • More, Better & Faster

    Execute efficiently with our nimble and experienced team renowned for what we can accomplish compared to behemoth firms. We’ll give you the kind of holistic, full-stack insights that will empower real progress on the defining challenges of today.

Our Team

Dr. Alison Grantham, Founder & CEO

Alison Grantham, PhD, is a scientist and business leader who founded and runs Grow Well. She brings a rigorous yet practical approach to her work with leading nonprofits, private sector businesses, and foundations to build a more just, resilient food future.

Prior to launching Grow Well, she led Food Systems R&D and then Food Procurement at a fast-growing meal kit company. She previosly led Penn State Extension’s beginning farmer training program, and directed research at the Rodale Institute. Alison currently serves on the Rodale Institute’s board of directors and the National Academy of Sciences’ Committee to advise the US Global Change Research Program, the body that oversees climate and other global change research across the 16 federal agencies.

Alison lives in New Jersey where she and her husband raise 2 kids, 2 dogs, an ever-expanding garden, and way too many mushrooms.

  • Spencer Rubino-Finn

    ANALYST

    Spencer is a supply chain and sustainability data specialist who joined Grow Well full-time in 2024. He brings a BS in Supply Chain Management from Rutgers University and is finishing an MS in Sustainability Data Management from Stevens Institute of Technology.

  • Sarah Mock

    AG & FOOD SYSTEMS RESEARCH

    Sarah is an agriculture and food expert—writing, podcasting, researching, and advising on everything from farm production, strategy, and marketing to ag history and economics. Sarah is the author of two books - Farm and Other F Words and Big Team Farms.

  • Michelle Klieger, MS, MBA

    AG ECONOMIST, STRATAGERM

    Michelle is an economist and business consultant with over 15 years of experience in the food and agriculture sector. She is a professional speaker, author of The Demise of Free Trade, and hosts The Grower & The Economist podcast.

  • Dr. Jennifer McEntire

    FOOD SAFETY STRATEGY

    Jennifer is a microbiologist by training who has brought her scientific perspective to food safety regulatory issues for over 20 years. Prior to moving into consulting in 2023, she served as Chief Food Safety and Regulatory Officer for the International Fresh Produce Association.

Our experience


60+

Food and ag projects over the last 5+ years


Select Clients

  • Amy Saltzman, Walton Family Foundation

    “The Grow Well team helped us think through trends affecting the future of agricultural production and how we might prepare for regional shifts in production. They took a systems approach, sifting through reams of underlying climate and production data and situating those trends in the context of current policy and ownership structures. I was impressed by their ability to clearly synthesize a large volume of data and make the findings practical and actionable for our grantmaking work.”

  • Kristen Wharton, American Egg Board

    “Alison is a true systems-thinker and experienced sustainability consultant. She helped Handsome Brook Farms dig into the complex web of our value chain to tease out the interventions that (if activated) would be the most effective at meeting our emission reduction goals. I very much enjoyed working with Alison and appreciated both her pragmatic approach and awareness/disclosure of the possible externalities that may arise when pursuing a specific strategy. I highly recommend working with Alison on any project that requires a keen understanding of the challenges of growing and getting food to eaters in a sustainable way.”

  • Haile Johnston, Co-CEO, The Common Market

    “Grow Well Consulting helped us balance the complexity of gathering and communicating data on regenerative agricultural practices. Through delicate stakeholder engagement, [they] helped us better understand what production values our partners care about most and how to translate our data in ways that support diverse objectives across our supply chain. Finally, we have a way to define market differentiation for our growers in an ever-evolving agricultural landscape."

  • Angela Huffman, President, Farm Action

    “We needed a strong researcher to assist our team with vital research to support a campaign. We could not have found a better partner in Grow Well Consulting. Alison is a leading expert in the sustainable agriculture field. She knows what data is available, where to find it, and how to bring the data together to demonstrate a clear and concise report. Her skills and high level of integrity will make Grow Well Consulting our go-to organization.”

  • Stephen Wood, The Nature Conservancy

    “What stands out most about Grow Well is their combination of technical depth and real world, practical experience. Alison has a unique background that brings together cutting-edge knowledge of recent scientific advances with experience having to walk the walk of practically implementing approaches to sustainable food systems and food procurement.”

  • Lorenzo Bared, VP, Farmer Focus

    “[Grow Well was] vital to our work on a complicated project with bandwidth constraints and limited resources. Their expertise in the agriculture sector, combined with strong project management skills was instrumental in our team delivering the project on time. What sets the Grow Well team apart is their willingness to dive into complicated projects and opportunities and develop a thoughtful and comprehensive approach to project execution.”

  • Karina Pearse, Ethos Farm Project

    “My team and I were fortunate to work with Grow Well in our search for a thorough evaluation of our unique, regenerative agricultural and health system, with the goal of creating and receiving competitive grant funding. Dr. Grantham provided a wealth of information and experience as well as a well-formulated process to guide us through all phases, from mission and brand updating and goal defining to quantifying performance and communicating resources and impacts. She supported us with systematic guidance and adept problem-solving as we implemented new, effective initiatives to improve and make sustainable our bottom-line results. ”

  • Hannah Koski, US Foods

    "In my 4+ years working alongside Alison, she's continued to awe me with her ability to identify opportunities and solutions using a data-driven and collaborative approach that simultaneously meets business needs and drives the best possible outcomes for all key stakeholder groups. Her effectiveness and pragmatism ensure not only realizable resolutions to real-world problems but also inspire vision and action for positive change."

  • Ricky Ashenfelter, Spoiler Alert

    "Alison has done a tremendous job at advancing the national dialogue around food waste solutions and corporate sustainability. More often than not, these initiatives lack clear alignment to critical business metrics, and Alison has time-and-time again found ways to present and carry out a tactical, tangible roadmap that brings harmony between sustainability and financial ROI."

No one knows food & ag like Grow Well

We’d love to put our knowledge to work unlocking new opportunities for you and your organization.

Speaking Opportunities

Dr. Grantham is available for food system-related speaking engagements, and has presented to audiences on topics ranging from building a better food system to interpreting new ESG guidelines.

Stay in the loop! Sign up to receive Grow Well’s insights in your inbox.

Be the first to know about our new publications, free webinars, and other happenings.