Living Web Farms

What Living Web Farms does

Living Web Farms is a 501c-3 non-profit education and research organic farm operating in Mills River, Western North Carolina. Across more than 35 acres — including Grandview Farm and North Mills River Farm — the organization runs four greenhouses, pastured livestock, forest crops, and diverse vegetable production, and donates 100% of food output to seven North Carolina food banks serving under-served individuals and families. The organization employs approximately 15 people year-round, mixing permanent and seasonal staff, and is led by Director Patryk Battle, Education Director Meredith Leigh, Biochar Facility Manager Dan Hettinger, Resource & Alternative Energy Coordinator Richard Freudenberger, and supporting staff.

The organization's core "product" is education rather than a commercial offering. It runs approximately 24 hands-on workshops per calendar year — plus online workshops — covering organic growing, regenerative practices, alternative energy, animal husbandry, natural medicine, food preservation, and DIY technology. All workshops are filmed and freely archived on the livingwebfarms.org website and a YouTube channel, building a learning library that the organization reports reaches more than 207,000 community members globally. Underlying technical assets include a third-party-verified farm-scale biochar production facility (slow pyrolysis yielding ~2,800 lbs of biochar weekly with documented carbon-negative sequestration), a permaculture earthworks system with three engineered ponds and windmill/solar-powered water distribution, a Black Soldier Fly larvae propagation unit, a TLUD gasifier for DIY biochar, a Babington-style pyrolysis oil burner, and DIY low-voltage PID control systems for greenhouses and kilns.

The business model is donation-driven rather than commercial. The 501c-3 is funded by charitable contributions from the public and a board of trustees that approves expenses and programs; workshops operate on a sliding-scale "pay what you can" suggested-donation model (~$10 for short weekday sessions, ~$15 for Saturday sessions with a farm meal). All content is free, all produce is donated, and there is no disclosed revenue, no app, and no API. Go-to-market is community-led: the organization distributes through its website, YouTube, an email newsletter, and a blog, with on-farm workshops as the only physical touchpoint.

Name

Living Web Farms

Legal name

Living Web Farms

Website

https://livingwebfarms.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Living Web Farms is a 501c-3 education and research organic farm in Western North Carolina that delivers hands-on workshops, a free video learning library, and integrated biochar and permaculture demonstration systems, donating all food produced to seven NC food banks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Education and Research

NAICS

Vegetable and Melon Farming (1112), Other Food Crops Grown Under Cover (111419), Support Activities for Animal Production (115210)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Agricultural Services (700), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable/Regenerative Agriculture & Conservation Practices (EDAOAOAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD), Nutrient Stewardship & Soil Fertility Management (4R Nutrients, Compost, Biofertilizers) (AFAGAMAE), Agroforestry & Perennial Cropping Systems (EUABABAD), Greenhouse Herb & Microgreens Production (Culinary Herbs, Microgreens) (AFAGAHAC)

Keywords

• Organic farming education
• Regenerative agriculture workshops
• Biochar production research
• Sustainable farming demonstration
• Alternative energy training

Headquarters

HQ city

Mills River

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Living Web Farms is primarily funded by donations from the public and by contributions from a board of trustees who must approve expenses and programs. The organization is a 501c-3 non-profit, making donations tax-deductible.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Living Web Farms is a 501c-3 non-profit education and research organic farm that runs approximately 24 hands-on workshops per year on organic growing, regenerative practices, alternative energy, animal husbandry, natural medicine, and DIY skills. All workshops are filmed and archived for free on the organization's website and YouTube channel, serving a worldwide learning community of 207,000+ gardeners, farmers, and earth stewards. The farm also operates demonstration facilities (biochar production, permaculture water management earthworks, Black Soldier Fly propagation) and donates all food it produces to seven North Carolina food banks serving under-served individuals and families.

Product overview

Living Web Farms is a 501c-3 non-profit education and research organic farm in western North Carolina. Rather than a software product company, they offer educational programs including free video content, on-farm and online workshops (approximately 24 annually), and a learning library exploring organic growing methods and regenerative practices. Their offerings are distributed through their website and YouTube channel as educational/educational content resources rather than commercial products. Key programs include workshops on topics such as Solar Resilience, Homegrown Paint, Chainsaw and Wood Tool Sharpening, Water Distillation, and Buying Beef in Bulk. The organization also maintains demonstration facilities including a biochar facility, water management earthworks, and Black Soldier Fly production unit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hands-On Educational Workshops Sliding-scale, pay-what-you-can hands-on workshops (weekday evening short-form with ~$10 suggested donation; Saturday long-form with farm meal at ~$15 suggested donation) covering organic growing, regenerative agriculture, alternative energy, animal husbandry, natural medicine, food preservation, and DIY skills. Participants can also choose a $0.00 ticket and pay at the door what they feel inspired to give; all donations are pooled to subsidize education. Delivered for individual gardeners, farmers, and earth stewards, with free worldwide online access via the archived video library.
• Free Workshop Video Learning Library Lasting, free-access video library of all workshop recordings exploring organic growing methods and regenerative practices for resilient living, distributed via the livingwebfarms.org website and the organization's YouTube channel. Built over more than a decade and serving a worldwide learning community of 207,000+ gardeners, farmers, and earth stewards.

Quantifiable outcome

• Carbon sequestration: up to 4 lbs CO2 equivalent per 2.2 lbs of finished biochar; approximately 5,189 lbs of carbon sequestered per week
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chargow, LLC (Char-Grow)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChargow, LLC (doing business as Char-Grow) has collaborated with Living Web Farms on biochar research and education. They have worked together on discussing and promoting biochar technology and its applications in carbon sequestration and soil improvement.
• Stone and Spade Permaculture Design and Installation CompanycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerJohn Henry Nelson of Stone and Spade designed and installed the extensive water management earthworks system at Living Web Farms' Grandview property. This included the ponds, swales, berms, and wetlands system.
• Experimental Farm NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNate Kleinman from the Experimental Farm Network visited Living Web Farms to lead a full-day workshop on addressing climate change through agriculture.
• Verified Life Cycle, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird-party sustainable manufacturing consultants who performed a cradle-to-grave carbon life cycle assessment for Living Web Farms' biochar facility, helping determine their carbon footprint and sequestration capabilities.
• WNC Repair CafeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiving Web Farms organized the WNC Repair Cafe project, which works to fight planned obsolescence by repairing items rather than discarding them.
• Blue Ridge BiofuelsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMentioned in context of bioheat fuel - a blend of up to 20% biodiesel and fuel oil available in the WNC area, supporting alternative energy use in the community.

Scale indicators5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture: Non-profit farm and education center in New York pioneering sustainable farming practices and on-site workshops. Directly comparable as a mission-driven educational farm with public programming.
• Polyface Farm: Iconic regenerative farm in Virginia known for pastured livestock, transparent practices, and intensive on-farm education. Comparable in regenerative system focus and apprenticeship-style learning model.
• Quivira Coalition: Non-profit focused on regenerative agriculture education, land health, and community of practice in the American West. Comparable in mission-driven education and convening of practitioners.
• White Oak Pastures: Regenerative farm in Georgia operating across multiple species with closed-loop systems. Referenced in Living Web Farms' own content; directly comparable as a holistic regenerative demonstration farm.
• Rodale Institute: Non-profit research and education farm in Pennsylvania focused on organic and regenerative agriculture. Closest peer to Living Web Farms in mission (research + education + demonstration of regenerative systems) and non-profit funding model.
• The Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture: Non-profit education and research farm in Oklahoma focused on sustainable and regenerative practices. Comparable in mission, non-profit structure, and educational programming.

Emerging players

• Singing Frogs Farm: Small regenerative vegetable farm in California known for no-till practices and farmer education. Comparable in regenerative practices focus and educational outreach, though operating as a for-profit.

Others

• Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE): USDA-funded program advancing sustainable agriculture through grants and education. Comparable as an enabling/ecosystem partner in the sustainable-agriculture education space.
• Iroquois Valley Farmland REIT: Public benefit corporation investing in organic and regenerative farmland. Adjacent/thematic peer representing capital flowing into the regenerative agriculture space Living Web Farms educates about.

Regional players

• Carolina Farm Stewardship Association: Regional non-profit serving North and South Carolina farmers with sustainable agriculture education and advocacy. Comparable mission, geography overlap, and workshop-based education model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/livingwebfarms
• Xx.com/livingwebfarms

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Living Web Farms