The Farm Midwifery Center

What The Farm Midwifery Center does

The Farm Midwifery Center is a private, community-rooted midwifery practice operating on The Farm Community, a 1,750-acre intentional community in Summertown, Tennessee. Tracing its origins to 1970 when the founding Caravan arrived from California, the practice has attended more than 3,000 births and publishes outcome data showing a sub-2% cesarean rate, 94.7% homebirth completion, 96.8% VBAC success, and zero reported maternal mortality or morbidity across its recorded 2,844 pregnancies. Care is delivered by a small team of Certified Professional Midwives credentialed by the North American Registry of Midwives and licensed by the State of Tennessee, with the active practice currently consisting of three midwives (Carol Nelson, Corina Fitch, Serena Kachinsky), one senior midwifery student, and a midwife assistant, following recent retirements of three long-tenured practitioners.

The core service is full-service homebirth midwifery care spanning monthly prenatal visits, labor and delivery at birth houses within The Farm Community (or at clients' homes within a roughly one-hour drive), and postpartum supervision through six-week check-ups, including breastfeeding support, newborn screenings, and birth certificate filing. Differentiated offerings include waterbirth, VBAC for clients with prior cesarean, twin and breech deliveries (with documented expertise), and childbirth and breastfeeding classes. Three on-site rental properties — Tower Road, Sharon's Apartment, and Joanne's Crossroads Cottage — provide accommodation for out-of-town clients at $700–$1,000 per week or $1,500–$3,000 per month, and the affiliated College of Traditional Midwifery delivers a 36-month AAS midwifery program and continuing-education workshops.

Revenue is generated primarily through per-birth midwifery fees structured as a $500 non-refundable deposit plus balance due by the 36th week, with insurance handled via client-filed superbills rather than direct billing; accommodation, classes, lab work, doula services, and childbirth education are priced separately. The go-to-market model is direct-to-consumer, driven by word-of-mouth referral, earned media (including a feature on CBS Sunday Morning), the cultural reach of the 1975 book "Spiritual Midwifery" (over 500,000 copies sold across 12 languages), and community events. There are no external investors, parent companies, or subsidiaries disclosed in the available materials.

Name

The Farm Midwifery Center

Legal name

The Farm Midwifery Center

Website

https://thefarmmidwives.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Farm Midwifery Center is a private, community-based homebirth midwifery practice in Summertown, Tennessee, providing prenatal, labor, delivery, and postpartum care to low-risk pregnant clients across Tennessee, the broader U.S., and internationally, with 3,000+ births documented since 1970.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Midwifery and Homebirth Services

NAICS

Family Planning Centers (621410), Family Planning Centers (62141)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Midwifery & Birth Centers (HLAFAJAC)

Keywords

• Homebirth midwifery services
• Prenatal postpartum care
• Waterbirth services
• Childbirth education
• Certified professional midwives

Headquarters

HQ city

Summertown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Midwifery Care Services: Full-service homebirth midwifery care including prenatal care, labor coaching, delivery, postpartum supervision, newborn care (including newborn screen and hearing screen), and six-week check-ups for mother and baby. Payment is structured with a $500 non-refundable deposit, $300 first visits applied toward the total birthing fee, and full balance due by 36th week.
2. Birth House Accommodations: Rental cabins and apartments for mothers coming to deliver. Fees range from $700-1000 per week or $1500-$3000 per month depending on size and amenities. Additional properties include Tower Road ($700-1000/week), Sharon's Apartment ($800 first week then $700/week plus $150 cleaning fee), and Joanne's Crossroads Cottage ($700 first week then $500/week).
3. Education and Classes: Breastfeeding classes offered at $75 introductory rate including registrant plus one support person. Midwifery workshops and assistant training available through College of Traditional Midwifery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Farm Midwifery Center provides full-service homebirth midwifery care for low-risk pregnant individuals, encompassing prenatal care, labor and delivery support, and postpartum supervision. Care is delivered by Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) credentialed by NARM and licensed by the State of Tennessee, with options including waterbirth, VBAC support, and birth house accommodations on The Farm Community campus in Summertown, TN. The organization also operates the College of Traditional Midwifery, offering a 36-month educational program and workshops for aspiring and practicing midwives.

Product overview

The Farm Midwifery Center offers a unified homebirth midwifery care platform built around Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) providing comprehensive services across the entire childbirth journey. The core offering combines prenatal care, labor coaching and delivery services, and postpartum care including newborn services and breastfeeding support. Additional services include waterbirth options, VBAC support, and childbirth education. The organization also provides birth house accommodations (Tower Road, Sharon's Apartment, Joanne's Crossroads Cottage) for clients staying at The Farm Community. An affiliated educational arm, the College of Traditional Midwifery, offers a 36-month midwifery program and midwifery workshops providing training and CEUs for aspiring and practicing midwives. The organization does not have a proprietary technology product or software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Full-Service Homebirth Midwifery Care
• Prenatal Care
• Labor Coaching and Delivery Services
• Postpartum Care and Newborn Services
• Waterbirth Services
• VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean)
• Birth House Accommodations
• Breastfeeding Class
• Childbirth Education
• College of Traditional Midwifery Program
• Midwifery Workshops

Quantifiable outcome

• Cesarean rate less than 2%
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• College of Traditional MidwiferycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 1995 as midwifery workshops, evolved into a 36-month program equaling at least 2010 hours. Offers Associate of Applied Science of Midwifery upon completion. Located on The Farm Community. The Farm Midwives serve as instructors and preceptors. Contact: Sharon Wells, MS, CPM-TN.
• North American Registry of Midwives (NARM)coreOthersNational organization that credentials Certified Professional Midwives. The Farm Midwives are CPMs credentialed by NARM. Carol Nelson serves as Director of Applications and Treasurer for NARM.
• Tennessee Midwives AssociationcoreOthersSets Practice Guidelines that The Farm Midwives follow. State-level professional organization for midwives in Tennessee.
• State of Tennessee Division of Health Related BoardscoreOthersCertifies The Farm Midwives through the Midwifery Board. Required state licensing for practice in Tennessee.
• Plenty InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization. Deborah Flowers served as Lab Director for Plenty International in Guatemala (1978-1980) and directed Childbirth Education and Training Program for Plenty Belize (2000). The organization's work helped spread midwifery knowledge internationally.
• Midwife InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization that partners with established clinics and professional midwives to provide leadership and midwifery training opportunities abroad. Deborah Flowers served on the board.
• Bumi Sehat Birth Center (Bali, Indonesia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational birth center where Deborah Flowers volunteered in 2016, providing midwifery services and training.
• Local Regional HospitalscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaborative relationships with local hospitals for smooth transfer of care when needed. Midwife accompanies client to hospital during transport. 5.2% of clients require hospital transport. Collaborative care continues post-partum.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Midwife Center: A freestanding birth center in Pittsburgh, PA providing full-scope midwifery care including prenatal, birth, and postpartum services in an out-of-hospital setting. Directly comparable as a community-based midwifery practice offering the same core homebirth/birth-center service model.
• Mountain Midwifery Center: A Denver-area birth center offering midwife-led prenatal, labor, birth, and postpartum care with a model closely aligned to The Farm's holistic, low-intervention philosophy. Comparable scope, customer segment (low-risk pregnant individuals), and clinical positioning.
• Breath of Life Women's Health & Birth Center: A Florida-based birth center providing midwifery care, waterbirth, VBAC, and homebirth services. Comparable in service mix and target client base (low-risk pregnancies seeking natural birth), with a similar CPM/midwife-staffed delivery model.
• Best Start Birth Center: A San Diego birth center offering full-scope midwifery care including prenatal, birth, postpartum, and well-woman services. Directly comparable as a freestanding birth center serving a similar low-risk pregnant population seeking out-of-hospital birth.
• Commonsense Childbirth: Operates birth centers (including the former Baby+Company locations) and midwifery training programs. Comparable as both a midwifery care provider and an education/training organization, with a similar mission-driven, community-rooted orientation.

Others

• NACPM (National Association of Certified Professional Midwives): The national professional association representing CPMs, of which The Farm's midwives are credentialed members. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a competitor, but materially shapes the regulatory and practice environment in which The Farm operates.

Regional players

• Mercy In Action: A midwifery education and international birth services nonprofit, comparable through its midwifery training programs (similar to The Farm's College of Traditional Midwifery). Functions as both a peer in the midwifery education space and an international service partner.
• Bumi Sehat Foundation: Indonesia-based birth center providing community midwifery services and training, where retired Farm midwife Deborah Flowers has volunteered. Comparable as a mission-driven midwifery care and training organization, but operates internationally rather than domestically.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=e4Pwza1ShX4
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheFarmMidwiferyCenter?fref=ts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 The Farm Midwifery Center