Urban Harvest

What Urban Harvest does

Urban Harvest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1994 and headquartered at 1911 W. 34th Street in Houston, Texas. Its mission is to act as a catalyst for transforming food accessibility across Greater Houston by operating farmers markets, mobile markets, community gardens, and education programs. The organization was founded by Deacon Malcolm McLemore, Deacon Jean Cameron, and Dr. Bob Randall after a community garden started in Houston's Fourth Ward in 1987, and is currently led by Executive Director Janna Roberson with a 9-person full-time staff and an all-volunteer board.

The organization's core operating assets are its physical and educational programs: the year-round Saturday Farmers Market at St. John's School hosting 100+ vendors within a 180-mile Houston radius (1,500-2,000 weekly visitors); the Mobile Market Program launched in 2020 that brings fresh produce to food-insecure neighborhoods via BakerRipley Gulfton, Northeast Community FM at LBJ, and Trinity United Methodist Church sites; a network of 150-200 affiliate community gardens across 100 miles of Greater Houston supported by six Hub distribution sites; and education programs including Youth Education (4,500 students annually), the Edible Academy for teachers, and a 100-hour Permaculture Design Certification authorized by the Permaculture Institute of North America. The Double Up Houston SNAP/EBT matching program (up to $40/day) is layered across the markets.

Urban Harvest generates revenue through a hybrid nonprofit model combining donations and corporate sponsorships (with major donors including Huffington Foundation, Powell Foundation, The Brown Foundation, Memorial Hermann, Whole Foods Market, H-E-B, and CenterPoint Energy), monthly vendor booth fees ($184 for farm vendors, $239 per tent for value-added vendors), event fundraising (the Sunday Supper gala raised $100K in 2024), and modest program fees from the Edible Academy, Permaculture Design Certification, and the $50 lifetime School Garden Affiliate membership. No proprietary technology platform or AI/ML capabilities are identified; the operating model is community- and physically-led rather than software-led.

Name

Urban Harvest

Legal name

Urban Harvest

Website

https://urbanharvest.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Urban Harvest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates Houston's largest Saturday Farmers Market, mobile markets serving food-insecure neighborhoods, 150-200 affiliate community gardens, and education programs including youth gardening and Permaculture Design Certification across Greater Houston.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Food Access Services

NAICS

Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Farm-to-Consumer Produce Boxes / CSA Delivery (AFAIANAC)

Keywords

• Farmers market operations
• Community garden networks
• Food access programs
• Agricultural education
• Permaculture certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Sponsorships: Tax-deductible contributions from individuals and corporate sponsors. Major sponsors listed include Huffington Foundation, Powell Foundation, CenterPoint Energy, Memorial Hermann, Whole Foods Market, H-E-B, and many others across multiple giving tiers from $50,000+ down to $250+.
2. Vendor Fees: Farmers market vendors pay monthly fees of $184 for farms and $239 per tent for value-added vendors. Vendors must be direct producers within 180 miles of Houston.
3. Event Fundraising: Annual Sunday Supper fundraising event that raised $100K, bringing together Houston chefs, farmers, and supporters.
4. Youth Education Programs: Edible Academy professional development workshops for teachers and school garden coordinators. School Garden Affiliate membership $50 one-time lifetime fee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Urban Harvest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates the Saturday Farmers Market (Houston's largest, with 100+ vendors within a 180-mile radius), Mobile Markets in food-insecure neighborhoods, and a network of 160+ community gardens. It delivers food access programs including the Double Up Houston SNAP matching initiative, plus educational offerings spanning Youth Education, Edible Academy teacher workshops, and a 100-hour Permaculture Design Certification.

Product overview

Urban Harvest is a non-profit organization operating a portfolio of food access and gardening programs in Greater Houston. Its core offerings include the Saturday Farmers Market (Houston's largest, operating year-round with 100+ vendors within 180 miles), the Mobile Market Program (bringing produce to food deserts since 2020), and the Community Gardens Program (supporting 160+ affiliate gardens). These are complemented by education programs including Youth Education (school gardens and Edible Academy for teachers), the Permaculture Design Certification (100-hour PDC program), and the Double Up Houston SNAP matching initiative. Urban Harvest also provides free gardening resources including seasonal planting guides and recipe cards. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit under an all-volunteer board with a full-time staff.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Urban Harvest Farmers Market: Houston's largest farmers market operating every Saturday 8am-12pm, supporting over 100 local farmers and vendors within 180 miles of Houston.
• Urban Harvest Mobile Market
• Edible Academy
• Permaculture Design Certification

Products and services

• Urban Harvest Saturday Farmers Market Houston's largest farmers market operating year-round every Saturday 8am-12pm at St. John's School. Features over 100 local vendors including farmers, ranchers, and food producers all located within 180 miles of Houston. Open to all consumers with 500+ free parking spots.
• Mobile Market A mobile farmers market program that brings fresh produce to food-insecure areas in Houston at three locations: BakerRipley Gulfton (4th Tuesdays), Northeast Community FM at LBJ (1st and 3rd Saturdays), and Trinity United Methodist Church Third Ward (4th Saturday). Accepts SNAP/EBT with Double Up Food Bucks matching up to $40 daily.
• Community Gardens Program Provides resources and education to over 160 affiliate gardens across the Houston area, supporting communities in growing their own food and creating sustainable greenspaces totaling 34 acres. Includes hub distributions of free seeds and transplants across six hub sites. Garden types include donation gardens, school gardens, neighborhood gardens, allotment gardens, therapy gardens, and market gardens.
• Youth Education Program Educates the next generation of gardeners in Houston through school gardens, reaching 4,500 students annually. Includes the Visiting Garden Educator Program providing ongoing garden lessons aligned with Texas Essential Knowledge Skills (TEKS), reaching students in Houston-area schools.
• Permaculture Design Certification A 100-hour Permaculture Design Certification program based on People Care, Earth Care, and Fair Share principles, authorized by the Permaculture Institute of North America. Also offers advanced Permaculture Teacher Training in partnership with Cascadia Permaculture, exclusively available to Permaculture Design Certificate holders.
• Double Up Houston (SNAP Matching) A SNAP matching program where recipients receive a dollar-for-dollar match on SNAP benefits (up to $40 daily) to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at participating farmers markets and mobile markets. Designed to increase food access for low-income Houston residents.
• Edible Academy A summer workshop for school garden leaders, community and church garden champions, and backyard gardeners providing hands-on lessons, garden tours, and curriculum for using school gardens as outdoor classrooms. Offers CPE credits for teachers and is open to educators and garden leaders.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,500 students reached annually through youth education programs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• BakerRipley GulftoncoreOthersHost site for Urban Harvest Mobile Market operating 4th Tuesdays, 10am-1pm at 6500 Rookin St. Part of UH's food access initiative bringing fresh produce to food-insecure communities in the Gulfton neighborhood.
• Northeast Community Farmers Market at LBJcoreOthersCo-located market site at 5656 Kelly, Entrance 4, Houston TX 77026, operating 1st and 3rd Saturdays 9am-noon. Urban Harvest provides Double Up Food Bucks matching for SNAP recipients.
• Trinity United Methodist ChurchcoreOthersHost site for Urban Harvest Mobile Market in Third Ward, operating 4th Saturday, 10am-1pm at 2600 Holman St. Supports UH's mission of bringing fresh produce to underserved neighborhoods.
• St. John's SchoolcoreOthersHost location for Urban Harvest's Saturday Farmers Market at 2752 Buffalo Speedway, Houston TX 77027. Market operates 8am-12pm year-round in the school parking lot with 500+ parking spots.
• Cascadia PermaculturestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for advanced Permaculture Teacher Training exclusively available to Permaculture Design Certificate holders. Program offered in partnership with Cascadia Permaculture.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Houston Food Bank: Largest food bank in the US serving Houston and Southeast Texas. Tangentially comparable as a regional food access organization, though focused on emergency food distribution rather than farmers markets and gardening education.
• The Food Trust: Philadelphia-based national nonprofit working on farmers markets, healthy food retail, and food access policy at scale. Comparable mission on food access and farmers markets but with broader policy/advocacy scope and national reach.

Direct peers

• Farm Fresh Rhode Island: Nonprofit operating farmers markets, mobile markets, and food access programs in Rhode Island. Closely analogous model combining producer-only markets, nutrition incentive programs (Bonus Bucks), and farm-to-school education.
• GrowNYC: Operates a network of Greenmarkets (farmers markets), farm-to-school programs, community gardens, and education in New York City. Directly comparable as a multi-program nonprofit running producer-only farmers markets, garden networks, and food access/education programming in a major US metro.
• Wholesome Wave: National nonprofit focused on affordable produce access through nutrition incentive programs (Double Up Food Bucks) at farmers markets. Directly comparable on the SNAP matching and food access mission, though operating at a national rather than single-metro scale.
• Fresh Approach: Bay Area nonprofit combining farmers markets, community gardens, and food access programming in underserved communities. Comparable mission and programmatic mix (markets + gardens + education) though serving a different metro.

Regional players

• Recipe for Success Foundation: Houston-based nonprofit focused on combating childhood obesity through garden-based education and cooking classes. Regional peer operating in the same Houston market with overlapping education and food access focus.

Others

• Community Food Advocates: NYC-based advocacy nonprofit focused on school food and healthy food access. Adjacent thematically on food access and education but primarily policy/advocacy rather than direct market operation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UrbanHarvest
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZKDVZOYVRjXwsPbISLiGRQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/UrbanHarvestHouston
• Instagraminstagram.com/urbanharvesthouston

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Urban Harvest