Sankofa Farms
Sankofa Farms is an Efland, North Carolina agricultural entity that runs a regenerative farm and apiary serving food desert communities in Durham and Orange County, complemented by a youth STEM academy, Airbnb beekeeping experiences, founder speaking engagements, and a children's book on pollinators.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersEfland, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Sankofa Farms does
Sankofa Farms LLC is a privately-held, founder-owned agricultural entity headquartered in Efland, North Carolina (Orange County), founded by certified beekeeper and public speaker Kamal Bell. The company operates a regenerative farm and apiary whose stated mission is to create sustainable food sources for minority communities in rural and urban areas of Durham and Orange County, North Carolina — specifically targeting households affected by food deserts. Its offering portfolio is unusually diversified for a sub-10-person farm and combines food production with educational programming: an online shop selling honey and produce, the Sankofa Farms Agricultural Academy (a year-round STEM-based program for youth focused on agricultural skill development and career readiness), the "Bees in the T.R.A.P." (Teaching Responsible Apiary Practices) beekeeping experience, paid farm tours, founder speaking engagements, and the published children's book "Akeem Keeps Bees!" aimed at ages 6–10.
The underlying operational base is a regenerative farm integrated with a certified apiary; Kamal Bell has more than five years of beekeeping experience and is also a doctoral researcher at NC State studying agricultural and educational barriers for young African American men. Distribution is multi-channel: a D2C e-commerce storefront, a retail partnership with regional food cooperative Weaver Street Market, the Airbnb Experiences marketplace for global beekeeping bookings, Amazon for book sales, and a community distribution network that includes Table, The Produce Project, and Farm Fresh to route food to households in need. Marketing relies on YouTube video content, organic social media, and earned media features in Forbes, NPR, Southern Living, News & Observer, and TEDxNCState, supplemented by event-driven visibility through Kamal Bell's speaking engagements.
The business model is a mix of one-time product sales (honey, produce, book), professional services revenue (speaking, Academy programming), and marketplace-driven experience sales (Airbnb). Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and no enterprise contracts, recurring subscriptions, or institutional pricing tiers are referenced. Sankofa Farms has been featured by AT&T and Bayer as a visibility/sponsorship partner and received a $10,000 grant from NC IDEA in May 2021; no other institutional funding is disclosed, and the company operates as a bootstrapped, founder-controlled LLC with 1–10 employees.
Sankofa Farms firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sankofa Farms
- Legal name
- Sankofa Farms LLC
- Website
- https://sankofafarms.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Sankofa Farms is an Efland, North Carolina agricultural entity that runs a regenerative farm and apiary serving food desert communities in Durham and Orange County, complemented by a youth STEM academy, Airbnb beekeeping experiences, founder speaking engagements, and a children's book on pollinators.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sankofa Farms industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainable Agriculture & Agricultural Education
- NAICS
- Apiculture (112910), Apiculture (11291)
- SIC
- Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200), Agricultural Production-Crops (100)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Beekeeping & Apiculture (EDAOAOAL), Beekeeping Training, Education & Advisory Services (AFAEAHAO), Sustainable/Regenerative Agriculture & Conservation Practices (EDAOAOAO)
Keywords
Where Sankofa Farms is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Efland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sankofa Farms business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Product Sales: Direct sales of agricultural products including honey, vegetables, and farm products through the online shop.
- Speaking Engagements: Kamal Bell serves as a public speaker on topics including social entrepreneurship, sustainable agriculture, Black farming history, and youth advocacy.
- Agricultural Academy: Year-round intensive STEM-based educational program for youth focusing on agricultural problems and career readiness.
- Beekeeping Experiences: Hour and a half apiary experiences teaching basic beekeeping equipment and management techniques through Airbnb Experiences.
- Book Sales: Children's book 'Akeem Keeps Bees!' written by Kamal Bell, teaching young readers about pollinators and farming.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Products available through online shop |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Sankofa Farms product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sankofa Farms is a North Carolina-based regenerative farm that produces and sells honey, fresh produce, and farm products through its online shop, while operating the Sankofa Farms Agricultural Academy, a year-round STEM-based youth education program. The business also delivers certified beekeeping experiences under the "Bees in the T.R.A.P." (Teaching Responsible Apiary Practices) brand through the Airbnb Experiences platform, conducts educational farm tours, sells the children's book "Akeem Keeps Bees!" on Amazon, and offers paid speaking engagements led by founder Kamal Bell.
Product overview
Sankofa Farms is a multifaceted agricultural entity operating as a unified offering portfolio centered on sustainable food production and education. The core offerings include the Agricultural Academy (STEM-based youth education program), Bees in the T.R.A.P. (beekeeping experiences), farm tours, and speaking engagements by founder Kamal Bell. Supporting products include honey harvested from their apiaries, fresh produce for food desert communities, and the children's book "Akeem Keeps Bees!" This portfolio works together to address food deserts while providing agricultural education and youth empowerment.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sankofa Farms Agricultural Academy A year-round intensive STEM-based program that educates students on existing problems within agriculture, aiming to improve perception of STEM professions, increase earnings, improve career readiness skills, and improve school performance for attendees.
- Bees in the T.R.A.P. (Teaching Responsible Apiary Practices) A 1.5-hour certified beekeeping experience where participants learn about basic equipment needed to keep bees and management techniques, led by certified beekeeper Kamal Bell who has been keeping bees for over five years. Booked through the Airbnb Experiences platform.
- Farm Tours Educational farm tours provided for colleges and organizations to see regenerative agriculture and beekeeping operations firsthand at the Efland, NC farm.
- Speaking Engagements Public speaking services delivered by founder Kamal Bell covering topics including Social Entrepreneurship, Sustainable Agriculture, the State of Black Farming, and Youth Advocacy, booked for corporate events, conferences, universities, and organizations.
- Akeem Keeps Bees! A children's book (ages 6-10) written by Kamal Bell following a year-long journey of beekeeping alongside his son Akeem, teaching young readers about pollinators and the food system.
- Honey Products Honey harvested from the farm's apiary operations, available for purchase through the Sankofa Farms online shop and through retail partners such as Weaver Street Market.
- Sustainable Food Products Fresh produce and sustainably grown food sources from the farm, sold through the online shop and distributed to food desert communities in Durham and Orange County, North Carolina.
Companies that use Sankofa Farms
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sankofa Farms technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Sankofa Farms partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Weaver Street MarketcoreWeaver Street Market is a local food cooperative that sells Sankofa Farms products at their retail locations, serving as a key distribution channel for farm products to consumers in the North Carolina region.
- TablecoreTable is a community partner organization that works with Sankofa Farms to distribute food from farms to tables of community members in need.
- AT&TflagshipAT&T collaboration helping connect Kamal Bell and small business owners with their dreams, providing support and visibility for Sankofa Farms' mission in underserved communities.
- BayerflagshipBayer has collaborated with Sankofa Farms, supporting the farm's mission and agricultural education initiatives.
- Farm FreshminorFarm Fresh (Local/Home) has collaborated with Sankofa Farms for community-based food distribution.
- The Produce ProjectcoreThe Produce Project is listed as a partner organization working with Sankofa Farms to take food from farms to tables of people who need it most.
- Airbnb ExperiencescoreBeekeeping experiences (Bees in the T.R.A.P.) are offered through Airbnb Experiences platform, allowing visitors to book apiary education sessions at the farm.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sankofa Farms competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Soul Fire Farm: BIPOC-led sustainable farm in upstate New York running food-justice programs, youth education, and farmer training. Directly comparable mission, demographic focus, and operating model to Sankofa Farms.
- D-Town Farm (Detroit Black Community Food Security Network): Detroit-based Black-led urban farm and food security network producing vegetables and running youth programming for food-desert communities. Closest geographic and demographic analogue to Sankofa's food-access and youth-development work.
- Rise & Root Farm: Black, Brown, and queer farmer cooperative operating a working farm combined with training and food-justice programming. Comparable social-enterprise farm model with educational programming for historically excluded communities.
- Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA): Minnesota-based association supporting Hmong farmers via training, land access, and cooperative distribution. Comparable social-enterprise farm model with a focus on underserved minority communities and producer education.
Others
- Black Farmer Fund: Nonprofit community investment fund supporting Black farmers across the Northeast through grants and capital. Adjacent ecosystem participant addressing capital gaps for Black agricultural producers — comparable target beneficiary population to Sankofa.
Broad incumbents
- The Food Trust: Large established Philadelphia-based nonprofit addressing food access, nutrition education, and healthy food retail across multiple states. Operates broader food-desert programming that overlaps with Sankofa's mission at greater scale.
Emerging players
- City Growers: NYC-based nonprofit running farm-based STEM and environmental education for youth, including beekeeping and urban agriculture programming. Partial overlap with Sankofa's Agricultural Academy and TRAP apiary education products.
- Three Sisters Gardens (Sacramento): Community-based urban agriculture program focused on food access, youth training, and regenerative practices in underserved Sacramento neighborhoods. Comparable mission and operating model at a smaller geographic scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sankofa Farms social profiles
Digital presenceSankofa Farms financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sankofa Farms leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Sankofa Farms funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sankofa Farms M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sankofa Farms
What does Sankofa Farms do?
Sankofa Farms is a North Carolina-based regenerative farm that produces and sells honey, fresh produce, and farm products through its online shop, while operating the Sankofa Farms Agricultural Academy, a year-round STEM-based youth education program. The business also delivers certified beekeeping experiences under the "Bees in the T.R.A.P." (Teaching Responsible Apiary Practices) brand through the Airbnb Experiences platform, conducts educational farm tours, sells the children's book "Akeem Keeps Bees!" on Amazon, and offers paid speaking engagements led by founder Kamal Bell.
Is Sankofa Farms a public or private company?
Sankofa Farms is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sankofa Farms founded?
Sankofa Farms was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Sankofa Farms based?
Sankofa Farms is headquartered in Efland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sankofa Farms make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are speaking Engagements, agricultural Academy, beekeeping Experiences and book Sales.
Who are Sankofa Farms's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Soul Fire Farm, D-Town Farm (Detroit Black Community Food Security Network), Rise & Root Farm and Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA). Black Farmer Fund is listed as an others. The Food Trust is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are City Growers and Three Sisters Gardens (Sacramento).
Does Sankofa Farms have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sankofa Farms.
What industry is Sankofa Farms in?
Sankofa Farms's product category is Sustainable Agriculture & Agricultural Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAD, Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative), with a secondary code of EDAOAOAL, Beekeeping & Apiculture. Its NAICS code is 112910 and its SIC code is 200.