Grow Pittsburgh
Grow Pittsburgh is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2005 that supports urban agriculture across Allegheny County through school gardens, community gardens, urban farms, youth training programs, and food access initiatives for underserved Pittsburgh neighborhoods.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersPittsburgh, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Grow Pittsburgh does
Grow Pittsburgh is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2005 and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that supports urban agriculture across Allegheny County through a portfolio of educational, community, and commercial farming programs. The organization's product surface spans five interconnected program areas: School Gardens (K-12 curriculum-integrated garden education including the Edible Schoolyard Pittsburgh sub-brand), Community Gardens (support for 80+ gardens across the region including start-up assistance and ongoing materials), Urban Farming (commercial-scale operations at Braddock Farms and Shiloh Farm producing fresh produce for sale and distribution), Home/Backyard Gardening (resources for residential growers), and the Urban Farmers in Training (UFIT) youth employment program for ages 14-19. Physical infrastructure includes the Garden Resource Center (tools, compost, materials distribution), Garden Dreams nursery/greenhouse, farm stands, and an interactive Growers Map digital tool. Core methodologies center on train-the-trainer capacity building, community composting training, and culturally relevant food access programming.
The organization's revenue model is multi-stream and characteristic of a mature community nonprofit. Funding sources include individual donations (one-time, monthly Perennial giving, legacy giving), corporate partnerships (Johnny's Selected Seeds, Organic Remedies, Soergel Orchards, and others), government grants (notably a $464,157 Food Justice Fund contract from the City of Pittsburgh in 2025), program fees from workshops and trainings (Community Composter School, How to Start a Community Garden), merchandise sales, farm stand revenue, and a membership program. The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on workshops, volunteer engagement, annual events (Garden Get Down, Harvest Feast with The Frick Pittsburgh), and a network of partnerships with organizations such as Oasis Farm, Operation Better Block, Sankofa Village, and the Allegheny Land Trust.
Strategic positioning emphasizes food justice and sovereignty, long-term land security via the Three Rivers Agricultural Land Initiative (a joint venture with Allegheny Land Trust formed in 2017), and youth workforce development. Leadership under Executive Director Jake Seltman operates with 11-50 staff and a Board of Directors including Vice President Anne Marie Kuchera. The organization holds a Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid and received the 2014 Seeds of Justice Award from Just Harvest, signaling established accountability standards and regional credibility. Geographic scope is regional, focused on Pittsburgh and Allegheny County with no stated international footprint.
Grow Pittsburgh firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Grow Pittsburgh
- Legal name
- Grow Pittsburgh
- Website
- https://growpittsburgh.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Grow Pittsburgh is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2005 that supports urban agriculture across Allegheny County through school gardens, community gardens, urban farms, youth training programs, and food access initiatives for underserved Pittsburgh neighborhoods.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Grow Pittsburgh industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Urban Agriculture and Community Gardening Services
- NAICS
- Food Crops Grown Under Cover (11141), Other Vegetable (except Potato) and Melon Farming (111219), Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (444240), Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112)
- SIC
- Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Agricultural Services (700), Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Horticulture, Nursery & Greenhouse Operations (EDAOAOAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Greenhouse Vegetable Production (Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Peppers, Leafy Greens) (AFAGAHAA), Nursery Production (Woody Ornamentals: Trees, Shrubs, Roses) (AFAGAHAF), Raised Garden Beds & Planter Box Installation (HSAIAFAK)
Keywords
Where Grow Pittsburgh is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pittsburgh
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Grow Pittsburgh business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations, monthly giving programs, legacy giving, and corporate partnerships provide core funding. The organization hosts annual fundraising events including Garden Get Down.
- Government Grants and Contracts: Grow Pittsburgh received $464,157 from the City of Pittsburgh's Food Justice Fund ($3 million total initiative) to strengthen local food systems and support urban agriculture.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of merchandise including shirts and other goods through their website and at farm stands.
- Membership Program: Perennial donor/membership program providing ongoing support with benefits for members.
- Program Fees: Fees for workshops, training programs, and educational courses including the 'How to Start a Community Garden' 3-part course.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Grow Pittsburgh product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Grow Pittsburgh is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports urban agriculture across Pittsburgh and Allegheny County through educational programs, community garden and school garden support, urban farm operations, youth employment training, and food access initiatives. It provides resources, training, tools, materials, and land security to community gardeners, school educators, and urban farmers while running farm stands and seedling sales to distribute fresh produce and plants to local residents.
Product overview
Grow Pittsburgh operates a multi-faceted community agriculture ecosystem consisting of educational programs (School Gardens, Edible Schoolyard Pittsburgh), community support (Community Gardens, Garden Resource Center), urban farm operations (Braddock Farms, Shiloh Farm, Garden Dreams), youth employment (Urban Farmers in Training), and resource distribution (Seedling Sale, Farm Stands). The organization also runs food access initiatives through the Food Justice Fund and land preservation via the Three Rivers Agricultural Land Initiative. Digital tools include the interactive Growers Map and Growers Library.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Garden Resource Center: A location providing tools, materials, and resources for gardeners.
- Braddock Farms
- Garden Dreams
- Shiloh Farm
- Edible Schoolyard Pittsburgh
- Urban Farmers in Training (UFIT)
Products and services
- School Gardens Program Educational garden programs for K-12 students integrated into school curriculum, providing hands-on learning about food systems, nutrition, and environmental stewardship. Designed for schools and educators in the Pittsburgh region.
- Community Gardens Program Start-up assistance, materials, and ongoing program support for community-led garden spaces across Allegheny County. Designed for individuals and groups starting or managing community gardens.
- Urban Farming Program Commercial-scale urban agriculture operations including Braddock Farms and Shiloh Farm, providing job training and fresh produce distribution for urban farmers and the community.
- Urban Farmers in Training (UFIT)
Quantifiable outcome
- 94,000+ residents served through farm stand and food distribution programs in 2025
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Grow Pittsburgh
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Grow Pittsburgh technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Grow Pittsburgh partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Wilderness Lumber Co / Ed JohnsonminorSourcing local lumber for building raised beds, sheds, and structures for community gardens. Ed Johnson has been supplying local, non-treated, non-commercial wood species (hemlock, larch, locust, oak) for garden projects for approximately 7 years.
- Oasis FarmcoreLong-time community partner in Homewood. Received Food Justice Fund support for hands-on education, job training, and fresh food distribution. Engaged 154 children and youth in programs including Field2Fork Urban Farming Academy.
- Operation Better BlockcoreLong-time partner in Homewood. Through Food Justice Fund, deepened impact via Junior Green Corps program teaching youth about farming, food systems, and community leadership. Engaged 30 teenagers.
- Sankofa Village Community Garden and FarmcoreLong-time Homewood partner. Through partnership with Learn and Earn, offered agricultural education, mentoring, and leadership training to 25 young people.
- Western Pennsylvania ConservancycorePartnership for Community Garden Sustainability Fund providing material support and mini-grants to community gardens. Also partner in Three Rivers Agricultural Land Initiative.
- Allegheny Land TrustcoreJoint venture through Three Rivers Agricultural Land Initiative to protect and preserve urban agricultural lands in perpetuity. ALT provides land acquisition and conservation expertise while Grow Pittsburgh provides operational support.
- Phipps Conservatory and Botanical GardensminorPartner in hosting the Pittsburgh Youth Garden Summit. Youth from Grow Pittsburgh programs participate in collaborative events at Phipps.
- The Frick PittsburghminorPartnership for Harvest Feast - end of season community celebration uniting gardeners. Collaborative event bringing together programming partners, members, and volunteers.
- Environmental Charter Schoolcore15-year partnership for school garden program. Grow Pittsburgh's train-the-trainer program helped launch 12-bed school garden in 2012. ECS now runs two thriving garden sites for K-5 students.
- Braddock Youth ProjectcoreDeep partnership since 2007 with Braddock Farms allowing youth to connect with full food system from soil to sale. Youth work on urban farm and manage garden sites.
- Learn and EarnminorPartnership with Sankofa Village Community Garden and Farm for youth employment and agricultural education programs.
- University of Pittsburgh Homewood Community Engagement CenterminorPartnership enabling youth to develop shelf-stable food products for Bulldog Store at Westinghouse High School.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Grow Pittsburgh competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- 412 Food Rescue: Pittsburgh-based nonprofit that fights food waste by redirecting surplus food to communities, similar to Grow Pittsburgh's food access mission in the same metro. Both are grassroots food justice organizations operating in Allegheny County with overlapping community partner networks.
- Black Urban Gardeners and Farmers of Pittsburgh (BUGS-FP): Pittsburgh-based food justice nonprofit focused on Black-led urban agriculture, also serving as a Food Justice Fund recipient. Directly comparable in mission, urban farming activity, and community organizing model in the same Allegheny County geography.
- Just Harvest: Pittsburgh food justice nonprofit working to eliminate hunger and poverty in Allegheny County. Awarded Grow Pittsburgh its Seeds of Justice Award and shares the food access/food sovereignty advocacy space in the same region.
Others
- Allegheny Land Trust: Regional land conservation nonprofit that is Grow Pittsburgh's joint venture partner in the Three Rivers Agricultural Land Initiative. Comparable as an enabling/strategic partner rather than a competitor, with complementary capabilities in land acquisition and conservation.
- Western Pennsylvania Conservancy: Pennsylvania-based conservation nonprofit that co-sponsors Grow Pittsburgh's Community Garden Sustainability Fund. Comparable as a regional enabling partner with overlapping community gardening, sustainability, and land stewardship objectives.
Broad incumbents
- Pennsylvania Horticultural Society: Philadelphia-based horticultural nonprofit operating the Philadelphia Flower Show and citywide garden programs including urban agriculture initiatives. Comparable as a larger regional incumbent in horticultural education and community gardening, though operating in a different metro.
- Edible Schoolyard Project: National nonprofit founded by Alice Waters that supports school garden and food education programs, directly comparable to Grow Pittsburgh's Edible Schoolyard Pittsburgh program and School Gardens initiatives. Operates at national scale versus Grow Pittsburgh's regional focus.
- Big Green (formerly The Kitchen Community): National nonprofit that builds Learning Gardens in schools across multiple U.S. cities. Directly comparable to Grow Pittsburgh's School Gardens program in mission, audience, and train-the-trainer methodology, though Big Green operates at significantly larger scale.
Regional players
- Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens: Pittsburgh-based botanical institution collaborating with Grow Pittsburgh on the Youth Garden Summit. Comparable in horticultural education and youth programming, but focused on a formal conservatory/institutional setting rather than community gardening.
- DC Greens: Washington D.C.-based food justice nonprofit operating school gardening, farmers market, and food access programs. Comparable in multi-pronged nonprofit urban agriculture model (school gardens, farms, food access) but serving a different metro.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Grow Pittsburgh social profiles
Digital presenceGrow Pittsburgh financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Grow Pittsburgh leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Grow Pittsburgh funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Grow Pittsburgh 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 Grow Pittsburgh
What does Grow Pittsburgh do?
Grow Pittsburgh is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports urban agriculture across Pittsburgh and Allegheny County through educational programs, community garden and school garden support, urban farm operations, youth employment training, and food access initiatives. It provides resources, training, tools, materials, and land security to community gardeners, school educators, and urban farmers while running farm stands and seedling sales to distribute fresh produce and plants to local residents.
Is Grow Pittsburgh a public or private company?
Grow Pittsburgh is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Grow Pittsburgh founded?
Grow Pittsburgh was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Grow Pittsburgh based?
Grow Pittsburgh is headquartered in Pittsburgh, United States, in the North America region.
How does Grow Pittsburgh make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Donations and Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are government Grants and Contracts, merchandise Sales, membership Program and program Fees.
Who are Grow Pittsburgh's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are 412 Food Rescue, Black Urban Gardeners and Farmers of Pittsburgh (BUGS-FP) and Just Harvest. Others are Allegheny Land Trust and Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. Broad incumbents are Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Edible Schoolyard Project and Big Green (formerly The Kitchen Community). Regional players are Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens and DC Greens.
Does Grow Pittsburgh have an API?
No public API is recorded for Grow Pittsburgh.
What industry is Grow Pittsburgh in?
Grow Pittsburgh's product category is Urban Agriculture and Community Gardening Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAOAOAB, Horticulture, Nursery & Greenhouse Operations, with a secondary code of AFAGAHAA, Greenhouse Vegetable Production (Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Peppers, Leafy Greens). Its NAICS code is 11141 and its SIC code is 100.