What The Good Acre does

The Good Acre is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit food hub founded in 2013 and headquartered in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, on a site near the University of Minnesota's St. Paul campus. It is described as the largest nonprofit food hub in Minnesota and operates as a food aggregator and distributor connecting 103 contracted farm partners across Minnesota and western Wisconsin with wholesale buyers, institutional customers, and direct consumers. Its core technology is a food hub aggregation platform: a 4,700 sq ft MCIA-certified organic warehouse with 45,000 cubic feet of cold storage, 4,600 cubic feet of freezer capacity, two loading docks, an online wholesale ordering portal (wholesale.thegoodacre.org), and a CSA distribution network spanning 22 pickup locations across the Twin Cities serving approximately 1,000 households.

The product portfolio is organized around five interconnected programs: (1) Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscriptions spanning Summer, Mini, Late Season, Winter, Egg, and Local Cultures Box share types with flexible payment plans; (2) a wholesale distribution program serving grocery co-ops (Lunds & Byerlys, Seward, Wedge), healthcare (Regions Hospital, MHealth Fairview), higher education (Bon Appétit at St. Olaf), and school nutrition; (3) Grower Support services covering food safety training, cold storage, grant application support, and production planning; (4) the LEAFF (Local Economic Accelerator For Farmers) program, a state-funded farm-to-food shelf accelerator for small-scale emerging farmers; and (5) ancillary offerings including a Farm Supply Shop and the freely distributed Produce Grading Guide covering 34 crops in English, Spanish, and Hmong.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid model with four streams: CSA subscriptions (recurring revenue across six share types), wholesale distribution (transaction-based with delivery fee thresholds), farm supply sales (one-time unit pricing), and donations/philanthropy (including a Pay-What-You-Can offset program). Total food sales reached $2.9M in 2025. The go-to-market is multi-channel: a B2C CSA motion with weekly/bi-weekly pickup, a B2B wholesale motion with online ordering and twice-weekly delivery within a 20-mile radius, and a donor and volunteer engagement layer that supports the nonprofit mission. The customer base is mission-aligned, with 79% of produce farmers identifying as farmers of color, immigrants, or first-generation Minnesotans, and the organization is funded in part by the Pohlad Family Foundation, McKnight Foundation, USDA, and Minnesota Department of Agriculture grants.

Name

The Good Acre

Legal name

The Good Acre

Website

https://thegoodacre.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Good Acre is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit food hub in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, aggregating 103 local farms to supply wholesale buyers, institutions, and 1,000 CSA households across the Twin Cities through distribution, grower support, and the LEAFF accelerator program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Hub Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Support Activities for Crop Production (1151)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Wholesale-Farm Product Raw Materials (5150)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD), Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI)

Keywords

• Food hub distribution
• Wholesale produce sourcing
• CSA subscription boxes
• Farmer support services
• Local food aggregation

Headquarters

HQ city

Falcon Heights

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. CSA Subscriptions: Community Supported Agriculture program offering multiple share types (Summer CSA 18-week, Mini CSA 12-week, Late Season, Winter, Local Cultures Box, Egg CSA) with flexible payment options. Customers pay upfront or in installments for recurring produce deliveries.
2. Wholesale Produce Distribution: B2B wholesale program connecting local farmers, ranchers, and makers with businesses seeking wholesale ingredients. Year-round availability of produce, proteins, and value-added goods with online ordering portal and weekly fulfillment.
3. Farm Supply Sales: Selling farm supplies including produce boxes, tomato flats, fertilizer, packaging materials, and equipment to farmer partners and external customers.
4. Donations and Philanthropy: Tax-deductible donations supporting the nonprofit mission of empowering farmers and strengthening local food systems. Pay-What-You-Can program to offset CSA costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Good Acre operates a nonprofit food hub that aggregates produce from 100+ local farmers and distributes it through a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscription program with multiple share options, a wholesale distribution program serving restaurants, grocers, healthcare, schools, and caterers, and a farm supply shop. It also provides grower support services including food safety training, cold storage, market access, and grant application support to small and emerging farmers.

Product overview

The Good Acre operates as a nonprofit food hub offering a portfolio of interconnected programs: Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs including Summer CSA (18-week), Mini CSA (12-week), Late Season CSA, Winter CSA, Egg CSA, and Local Cultures Box; a Wholesale Program connecting 100+ local farmers with businesses; Grower Support services providing personalized agricultural assistance; the LEAFF program for small farm business acceleration; a Produce Grading Guide for wholesale standards; and a Farm Supply Shop selling wholesale packaging materials. The core offering centers on CSA farm shares complemented by add-on products (bread, cheese, eggs, fruit, honey, meat, mushrooms, maker items) and wholesale distribution services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LEAFF: Local Economic Accelerator For Farmers - a state-funded farm-to-food shelf program that serves as an on-ramp to wholesale market access for small-scale emerging farmers.
• LEAFF Program

Products and services

• Summer CSA An 18-week Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscription program running from June through October, offering six to eight produce items weekly sourced from over 75 varieties and a network of local farmer partners. Designed for two to three people who cook frequently.
• Mini CSA A 12-week CSA program running from July 29 to October 14, designed for up to two people or households testing a CSA for the first time. Offers five to six produce items per box at less than $22 per week.
• Late Season CSA A four-box CSA share extending into the colder months with hearty, farm-fresh produce through November and December, ideal for households of two or more.
• Winter CSA A nine-box CSA running from early February through May, featuring storage crops, hoop house produce, local cheese, bread, and food maker items like tea or jam. Pickup every other week from the Falcon Heights food hub.
• Egg CSA Bi-weekly delivery of one dozen eggs from local farms including The Carrillo Brothers and Sunshine Harvest Farm, running from November through May with 15 dozen total.
• Local Cultures Box Four monthly boxes from February through May featuring local produce, meat, and artisan maker items celebrating Minnesota's diverse culinary heritage including Hmong, Latinx, Somali, and Indigenous cuisines.
• Wholesale Program A wholesale produce distribution service connecting over 100 local farmers, ranchers, and makers with businesses seeking high-quality wholesale ingredients. Offers year-round availability of local foods including produce, proteins, and value-added goods via an online ordering portal with weekly fulfillment.
• Grower Support Personalized agricultural support services for farmers including networking, innovation research, logistical support, market access, cold storage, food safety training, farm visits, marketing support, wholesale farm supplies, grant application support, record keeping, and production planning.
• LEAFF (Local Economic Accelerator For Farmers) A state-funded farm-to-food shelf program established in 2020 that accelerates growth of small farm businesses by creating wholesale market access opportunities. Provides technical support and guarantees produce purchases, with produce donated to hunger relief organizations.
• Farm Supply Shop Wholesale farm supplies including produce boxes (1 1/9th BU, 5/9th BU, 3/4 BU, 1 3/4 BU Cabbage), tomato flats (10lb and 20lb), Re-Vita Pro organic fertilizer, label rolls, plastic liners, waxed paper rolls, mesh bags for corn and onions, and paper cutters. Pickup-only at the Falcon Heights facility.

Quantifiable outcome

• $2.9M in total food sales supporting local farmers
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Big River FarmscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Incubator/spoke site partner providing hands-on production support and food-safe aggregation space for LEAFF program participants in Marine on St Croix
• Sharing our RootscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Incubator/spoke site partner in Northfield providing production support and aggregation point for LEAFF participants. Operating refrigerated trailer for off-site aggregation.
• 4 Access Partners / Minnesota African Immigrant Farmer Association (MAIFA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Spoke site partner near East Bethel providing hands-on production support for emerging BIPOC farmers in the LEAFF program
• Minnesota Department of AgriculturecoreOthersState agency providing Produce Safety Mini Grant funding to help farmers get reimbursed for packaging costs. Defines eligibility criteria for limited land/market access farmers in LEAFF program.
• United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)coreOthersUSDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture through Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program provided grant funding (award number 2023-38640-39572) for Produce Grading Guide development.
• Second Harvest HeartlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary hunger relief partner receiving produce donated through LEAFF program for distribution to food shelves in areas with limited access to healthy foods
• University of MinnesotacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Extension educators and for creating demonstration pack shed models on The Good Acre property bordering UMN field testing acreage. Collaborating on food safety training for farmers.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Red Tomato: Red Tomato is a Massachusetts-based nonprofit food hub that aggregates produce from regional farms and distributes to wholesale buyers and consumers. It is the closest direct peer to The Good Acre in mission, structure, and operating model.
• Local Food Hub: Local Food Hub is a Charlottesville, Virginia-based nonprofit food hub aggregating produce from regional farmers for wholesale distribution to institutions and underserved communities. It mirrors The Good Acre's nonprofit aggregation, CSA-adjacent, and wholesale distribution model.
• Appalachian Sustainable Development: Appalachian Sustainable Development operates food hub aggregation, farm-to-institution programs, and grower support across Appalachia. It closely parallels The Good Acre's integrated nonprofit food hub model with farm business acceleration.
• Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative: Tuscarora Organic Growers is a farmer-owned cooperative that aggregates and distributes organic produce from regional farms to wholesale buyers. It is comparable to The Good Acre's wholesale aggregation function, though structured as a coop rather than a nonprofit.
• Farm Fresh Rhode Island: Farm Fresh Rhode Island operates a nonprofit food hub including a CSA program, wholesale distribution, and farmer support services. It is comparable in mission and product mix to The Good Acre.
• La Montañita Co-op Distribution Center: La Montañita operates a cooperative food distribution center serving the Southwest, aggregating local produce for institutional and retail buyers. It is comparable in its regional aggregation and wholesale distribution role.

Broad incumbents

• Imperfect Foods: Imperfect Foods (formerly Imperfect Produce) is a venture-backed online produce delivery service operating nationally. It competes with The Good Acre's CSA/box program at a much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Misfits Market: Misfits Market is a national online grocer specializing in 'ugly' produce and surplus food delivery. It competes directly with The Good Acre's produce box subscription offering at a significantly larger scale.

Others

• Second Harvest Heartland: Second Harvest Heartland is the regional food bank partner receiving LEAFF-donated produce from The Good Acre. While not a direct competitor, it is an ecosystem participant and hunger-relief partner.

Regional players

• Co-op Partners Warehouse: Co-op Partners Warehouse is a Twin Cities-based wholesale distribution arm serving food co-ops and natural food retailers. It operates in the same regional market as The Good Acre with overlapping wholesale customers but a different governance structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheGoodAcreMN
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-good-acre
• Instagraminstagram.com/thegoodacremn
• Xx.com/TheGoodAcreMN

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Good Acre