Viva Farms

What Viva Farms does

Viva Farms (legally Grow Food, DBA Viva Farms) is a registered 501c-3 nonprofit Farm Business Incubator and Training Program established in 2009 in Washington State. The organization empowers aspiring and limited-resource farmers by providing bilingual (English-Spanish) training in holistic organic farming practices alongside access to land, infrastructure, equipment, marketing support, capital, and community. Its core products include the Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture (an annual April-to-October bilingual educational program), the Farm Business Incubator (with plot sizes from 1/8 acre up to 20 acres), an AgPark medium-term land-tenure program, and market-access channels including a weekly CSA subscription program, a wholesale produce program serving Pacific Northwest restaurants and retail, a Farm to School initiative, and farmer's market sales. Supporting programs include bilingual workshops, public and private farm tours, and the recently completed 'Viva El Suelo' documentary on soil-health conservation.

Viva Farms operates across two Washington locations: the original Skagit County site (Viva 1 in Burlington and Viva 2 AgPark in Mount Vernon) and a King County site (Student Farm and incubator in Woodinville) established in 2019, totaling more than 100 acres and supporting over 30 incubating farms. Distribution channels are regional, concentrated along the I-5 corridor and Seattle metro area, with incubating farms selling through aggregators such as Puget Sound Food Hub and Farmstand Local Foods, and independent farms marketing to entities including Whole Foods and over 80 Seattle-area restaurants. Certifications include USDA Organic and GAP applied across the incubator portfolio.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid nonprofit model: individual and corporate donations (including DAF, payroll giving, IRA distributions, and in-kind gifts), grants (USDA NIFA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program Award 2021-70033-35709, USDA TOPP, Skagit Valley Food Co-op Growing Good Fund $100K in 2023, Russell Family Foundation $75K in December 2023), programmatic revenue from CSA subscriptions and wholesale produce sales, and suggested-donation farm tours ($20 public, $300 private groups). The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and led by Interim Executive Director Rob Smith (joined 2014), with a core staff of approximately 12 spanning program direction (Micah Anderson, Anna Chotzen), education, communications, sales, and farm operations.

Name

Viva Farms

Legal name

Grow Food

Website

https://vivafarms.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Viva Farms is a 501c-3 nonprofit farm business incubator established in 2009 that provides bilingual training, land access, infrastructure, and market channels to aspiring and limited-resource farmers across Skagit and King Counties, Washington, supporting 30+ incubating farms across 100+ acres.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Education and Farm Incubation Services

NAICS

Vegetable and Melon Farming (1112), Support Activities for Crop Production (11511)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable/Regenerative Agriculture & Conservation Practices (EDAOAOAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Work Exchange & Farmstay Programs (WWOOF/HelpX-Style) (EDAIAGAK), Agricultural Production & Farm Operations (EDAOAOAA), Supply Chain, Marketing & Contracting Advisory (Grain/Livestock Marketing) (AFACAJAH), Succession, Governance & Ownership Transition Advisory (AFACAJAO)

Keywords

• Organic farm incubation
• Sustainable agriculture training
• Farm business support
• Community supported agriculture
• Beginning farmer education

Headquarters

HQ city

Burlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Viva Farms is a registered 501c-3 nonprofit organization (EIN #20-4396437) that accepts individual and corporate donations, recurring gifts, DAF donations, IRA charitable distributions, payroll giving, and in-kind donations of goods and services.
2. CSA Subscriptions: Weekly Community Supported Agriculture boxes available for pickup along the I-5 corridor, providing fresh produce to subscribers.
3. Wholesale Produce Sales: Wholesale program providing mixed vegetables and berries to Pacific Northwest establishments including restaurants, farmers markets, and retail locations.
4. Farm Tours and Workshops: Public tours ($20 per person suggested donation) and private/group tours ($300 for groups of 30 or less) generate revenue while educating community about farming.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Viva Farms operates a Farm Business Incubator and Training Program providing bilingual (English-Spanish) education in holistic organic farming through the Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture, alongside land access, shared infrastructure, equipment, marketing support, and community resources for aspiring and limited-resource farmers. The organization also distributes produce from its 30+ incubating farms through a CSA program, wholesale channel, and Farm to School initiative across the Pacific Northwest.

Product overview

Viva Farms is a non-profit Farm Business Incubator and Training Program offering a unified portfolio of agricultural education and support services. The core offerings include the Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture (bilingual training program running April-October), the Farm Business Incubator with AgPark land tenure component, and a suite of market access programs (CSA, Wholesale, Farm to School). Supporting services include Workshops & Events, Tours, and the Viva El Suelo documentary project. The organization supports over 30 incubating farms growing certified organic produce including vegetables, berries, herbs, microgreens, flowers, eggs, and seeds. All programs operate from two locations in Skagit County and King County, Washington.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture

Quantifiable outcome

• Supports over 30 incubating farms between all locations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Skagit Valley Food Co-opcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Donated $100,000 to Viva Farms through their Growing Good Fund in 2023 to support local, organic agriculture and the future of farming in Skagit Valley. Partnership includes farm tours and community events.
• 1% for the PlanetminorGTM or Marketing PartnerViva Farms is a member of the 1% for the Planet network, which connects businesses and nonprofits to protect the planet. Businesses can join and name Viva Farms as their beneficiary, directing 1% of sales to support the organization.
• Skagit Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner on soil health and conservation programs including the 'Viva El Suelo' project (2021-2025) where farmers designed and participated in on-farm trials of conservation practices. SCD provides technical support and access to conservation programs for Skagit farmers.
• Washington State University (WSU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWSU Skagit County Extension provides Spanish interpretation for workshops and collaborates on research projects including soil health studies, organic certification education, and the 'Viva El Suelo' documentary project. WSU scientists participate in workshops and field days.
• Edge PermaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRegenerative agriculture education company that co-hosts the 'Whole System Farm Design' workshop with Viva Farms, providing permaculture design education to beginning farmers.
• Organic Seed AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for organic seed production workshops at Viva Farms, focusing on seed cleaning techniques and organic seed production basics for farmers.
• King Arthur Baking / The Bread LabminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-hosts Community Pizza Nights at The Bread Lab location. Proceeds benefit Viva Farms barn construction project. Partnership provides fundraising and community engagement opportunities.
• Puget Sound Food HubcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAggregates and distributes produce from Viva Farms and other local farms to wholesale buyers. Multiple incubating farms sell through the food hub as a market channel.
• Farmstand Local FoodscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal food distribution company that aggregates produce from Viva Farms incubating farms for restaurant and retail customers in the Sammamish Valley area.
• Rodale InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganic agriculture research organization that participated in 'Why Organic?' panel discussion hosted by Viva Farms, discussing the history and benefits of organic certification.
• National Organic CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolicy advocacy organization participating in Viva Farms workshop on organic certification, providing insights on organic standards and certification processes.
• Steel Wheel FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal organic farm that co-hosted low-till systems workshop with Viva Farms, demonstrating sustainable farming practices at multiple scales.
• Full Heart FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal organic farm that co-hosted low-till systems workshop with Viva Farms, sharing knowledge about tillage and soil health practices.
• Cairnspring MillsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal grain mill that hosted 'After the Harvest' workshop and processes grain from local farmers including those in Viva Farms network, creating market opportunity for farmers interested in grain production.
• Tilth AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainable agriculture organization that collaborated on virtual farm walk for Viva Farms King County location, expanding reach of educational programming.
• Transect FilmsminorOthersFilm production company that produced the 'Viva El Suelo' documentary about soil health practices, telling the story of farmers adapting conservation practices.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Agriculture & Land-Based Training Association (ALBA): ALBA operates the nation's largest farm business incubator in California's Salinas Valley, providing bilingual training, land access, and market access to aspiring and immigrant farmers using organic practices. Directly comparable mission, structure, and grower profile to Viva Farms.
• Rogue Farm Corps: Rogue Farm Corps is an Oregon-based nonprofit farm incubator and training program that trains aspiring farmers via hands-on apprenticeships on host farms. Comparable beginning-farmer development mission in the Pacific Northwest with overlapping geography.
• Big Green: Big Green is a national nonprofit building a food-secure future through garden-based food education, with school and community learning gardens across multiple states. Comparable nonprofit, training-focused mission with CSA and farmer-development adjacency.
• Cultivate Kansas City: Cultivate KC is a Kansas City-based nonprofit supporting urban farmers and food entrepreneurs through training, land access, and market channels. Comparable farm-incubator and beginning-farmer support model with similar revenue mix of grants, sales, and donations.
• The Food Project: The Food Project is a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that trains youth and aspiring farmers in sustainable agriculture while supplying CSA and wholesale produce to regional markets. Comparable bilingual-adjacent training, CSA/wholesale distribution, and youth-farmer development mission.
• New American Sustainable Agriculture Project (NASAP) / Cultivating Community: Cultivating Community in Maine runs the New American Sustainable Agriculture Project, training immigrant and refugee farmers on incubator plots with bilingual programming and market access. Direct comparable model serving similar populations with the same nonprofit structure.

Emerging players

• Grow Dat Youth Farm: Grow Dat is a New Orleans-based nonprofit farm incubator that trains young people in sustainable agriculture and food justice. Overlapping beginning-farmer and CSA model with a sharper youth-development focus than Viva Farms.
• Dream of Wild Health: Dream of Wild Health is a Minnesota-based nonprofit indigenous farm and youth leadership organization operating an organic farm incubator. Comparable organic-certified land access, farmer training, and CSA/wholesale model with a different cultural lens.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/vivafarms
• Instagraminstagram.com/vivafarms
• Xx.com/Viva_Farms

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Viva Farms