Sweetwater Organic Farm

What Sweetwater Organic Farm does

Sweetwater Organic Community Farm, Inc. is a Florida nonprofit organization founded in 1995 that operates a 6-acre certified organic urban farm along Sweetwater Creek in Tampa, Florida's Town 'n' Country neighborhood. It is positioned as "Florida's Oldest" organic community farm and is Certified Organic by Quality Certification Services under USDA 7 CFR Part 205 standards. Core agricultural operations rely on regenerative practices including vermicomposting, cover crop rotation with sesbania and sunn hemp, a hardening shed transition system for seedlings, pollinator stations, and a greenhouse. The farm is 100% volunteer-run and supported, with a small paid core team (Director, Farmer, Farm Production Manager, General Manager, Education Coordinator) and a Board of Directors.

The business model blends community-supported agriculture (CSA) membership subscriptions (weekly vegetable shares November through April), a Sunday Farmers Market featuring 60+ vendors plus live music and yoga, on-site cafe and farm stand sales, field trip programs for K-6 schools (sliding scale pricing), workshops, farm tours, and Future Farmer Internship and Apprenticeship training (3-6 months). The farm also accepts SNAP EBT and participates in the Feeding Florida Fresh Access Bucks program, which doubles SNAP dollars up to $40 for Florida-grown produce, positioning food accessibility as a core social mission alongside fresh organic produce distribution. Revenue streams include CSA membership fees, farm stand and cafe sales, market vendor fees, educational program tuition, donations, and yield-dependent volunteer buyout fees. Marketing relies on email newsletters (Constant Contact), Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, a content blog, and community outreach through churches, schools, and local organizations, with the on-site Sunday Market serving as the principal acquisition and engagement channel.

The customer base is highly diversified across CSA members, the general public attending Sunday Market, school groups, homeschool families, SNAP/FAB recipients, aspiring farmers (interns/apprentices), and volunteers. Geographic scope is limited to the Tampa Bay / Hillsborough County market, with no external funding rounds, parent company, or institutional investors disclosed, and ownership and control resting with the Board of Directors.

Name

Sweetwater Organic Farm

Legal name

Sweetwater Organic Community Farm, Inc.

Website

https://sweetwater-organic.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sweetwater Organic Farm is a 501(c)-style nonprofit urban organic farm in Tampa, Florida, operating since 1995 on 6 acres. It runs a CSA membership program, a Sunday farmers market with 60+ vendors, K-6 field trips, internships, and SNAP-accessible produce sales for the Tampa Bay community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Produce Farming

NAICS

Other Crop Farming (1119), Food Crops Grown Under Cover (11141)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Organic Produce & Farm Market Retail (CRAHAEAD), Organic Herb, Spice & Medicinal/Aromatic Plant Farming (AFAGAKAE)

Keywords

• Organic farming
• Community supported agriculture
• Urban agriculture
• Farm education
• Farmers market

Headquarters

HQ city

Tampa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. CSA Membership Program: Seasonal membership fees entitling members to weekly harvest shares from November through April; members share farming risks and rewards while supporting local sustainable agriculture; memberships sold until total shares available are allocated; pickup at Sunday market 12-3pm
2. Sunday Farmers Market & Farm Stand: Weekly outdoor market (October through May, 12-3pm) featuring Sweetwater-grown veggies, produce from other organic farms, artisan breads, organic coffee, raw honey, handmade crafts, and specialty items; accepts SNAP EBT and Fresh Access Bucks
3. Sweetwater Cafe: On-site cafe open Sundays 10am-4pm offering organic smoothies and prepared foods
4. Educational Programs: Revenue from field trip programs for schools (K-6), with sliding scale pricing to support schools with fewer resources; also workshops led by local experts on sustainable living, cooking, gardening
5. Yoga Classes: Free yoga classes on farm porch (10:30-11:30am) with donations appreciated; 100% of contributions support Sweetwater Organic Community Farm
6. Donations & Fundraising: Monetary donations, annual fundraising dinner (Planter's Ball), Amazon Smile, Goodshop programs; donations support Future Farmer programs, student field trips, and Fresh Access Bucks for SNAP participants
7. Farm Stand Gift Certificates: Gift certificates available for purchase during Sunday Market

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Sweetwater Organic Farm is a 6-acre USDA-certified organic urban farm in Tampa, Florida that sells organic produce directly to local consumers through CSA Harvest Shares and a Sunday Farmers Market. The farm also operates a Sweetwater Cafe, hosts Sunday Yoga sessions, and runs extensive educational programming including field trips, workshops, internships, apprenticeships, and volunteer opportunities. The organization is 100% volunteer-run and operates as a nonprofit community farm.

Product overview

Sweetwater Organic Farm operates as a nonprofit community-supported urban organic farm and environmental education center offering a single integrated product portfolio centered around local organic agriculture and community education. The core offering is the CSA Harvest Shares program (seasonal membership providing weekly vegetable shares from November-April), supplemented by the Sunday Farmers' Market (open-air market with live music and prepared foods), Sweetwater Cafe, and Sunday Yoga classes. Educational programs include Farmer for a Day Field Trips for K-6 students, Rooted Learning (homeschool farm days), Educational Workshops, and Farm Tours. Agricultural training programs include Future Farmer Internship and Apprenticeship (with on-farm housing available). Community engagement is supported through the Weekend Volunteer Program and Recipes resource library. Food accessibility is addressed via SNAP EBT and Fresh Access Bucks program integration. The farm also provides volunteer-based yoga instruction and seasonal events, creating a comprehensive community-supported agriculture ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sweetwater Cafe: On-site cafe operating every Sunday 10am-4pm as part of the Sunday Market.
• Farmer for a Day Program
• Rooted Learning: Farm Days for Homeschoolers
• Sunday Yoga at the Farm

Products and services

• CSA Harvest Shares Subscription-based weekly shares of USDA-certified organic produce distributed to local Tampa consumers.
• Sunday Farmers Market Weekly on-site farmers market where the farm sells its organic produce directly to the local Tampa community.
• Sweetwater Cafe On-site cafe at the farm offering food and beverages to visitors and program participants.
• Sunday Yoga On-farm yoga sessions offered to community members, integrated with the farm's wellness programming.
• Field Trips Guided educational farm visits for school and youth groups to learn about organic agriculture and sustainable food systems.
• Rooted Learning Structured educational program offering in-depth curriculum on organic and sustainable farming practices for participants.
• Workshops Short-format educational workshops covering topics in organic gardening, agriculture, and sustainability.
• Internship Program Hands-on internship placement at the farm providing practical experience in organic farming operations.
• Apprenticeship Program Longer-term apprenticeship providing deeper immersion in organic farm management and sustainable agriculture practices.
• Volunteer Program Open volunteer opportunities enabling community members to support farm operations; the farm is 100% volunteer-run.
• Farm Tours Guided tours of the farm property explaining organic growing methods and farm operations to visitors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fresh organic produce provided to hundreds of Tampa Bay residents annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Feeding Florida (Fresh Access Bucks Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFresh Access Bucks (FAB) double incentive program administered by Feeding Florida through Specialty Crop Block Grant. At Sunday Market, $20 in SNAP dollars purchases up to $40 in Florida-grown produce at Sweetwater produce stand and participating vendor booths.
• Quality Certification ServicescoreOthersThird-party organic certification agency that inspects and certifies Sweetwater Organic Community Farm as Certified Organic under federal regulations 7 CFR Part 205.
• SNAP-Ed / SNAP-Ed ConnectionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonthly free cooking demonstrations using Sweetwater-grown produce as part of nationwide SNAP-Ed nutrition education program. Classes provide quick, inexpensive meal ideas for SNAP recipients.
• Amazon SmileminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmazon Smile charitable program allowing shoppers to designate Sweetwater Organic Community Farm (EIN 59-3393280) as their nonprofit of choice for eligible purchases.
• GoodsearchminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGoodshop program allowing shoppers to support Sweetwater Organic Community Farm while shopping or searching online.
• Step Up For Students (Scholarships)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerScholarship program accepted for Rooted Learning: Farm Days for Homeschoolers program, making farm education accessible to scholarship-eligible students.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Food Project: Massachusetts-based nonprofit combining CSA farming, youth employment, and farmers markets. Closely comparable as a multi-program community farm with subscription CSA, paid internship/apprenticeship pipeline, and direct-to-consumer produce sales.
• Homeless Garden Project: Santa Cruz nonprofit organic farm offering CSA shares, volunteer-based operations, and education. Highly comparable model: small-scale certified-organic urban farm, CSA-centric, volunteer-run, with a social-mission focus.
• Soul Fire Farm: New York nonprofit farm with CSA, youth education, and food-justice programming. Directly comparable in mission (food access, education, BIPOC-centered community agriculture) and revenue mix (CSA + programs + donations).
• Urban Adamah: Berkeley-based nonprofit urban farm combining organic farming, educational programming, and community events. Comparable in blending certified-organic production, paid/registered educational programs, and community engagement on a small urban acreage.
• Jones Valley Teaching Farm: Birmingham, AL nonprofit operating urban farms with a strong K-12 educational focus and sliding-scale student programming. Closely parallels Sweetwater's school field trip model and education-as-mission positioning.
• Poughkeepsie Farm Project: New York nonprofit CSA farm with educational programming, school partnerships, and food-access initiatives. Comparable as a community-farm nonprofit with CSA, youth education, and food-security programming.
• Real Food Farm: Baltimore-based nonprofit urban farm operating CSA, mobile market, and education programs. Comparable nonprofit urban-farm model with CSA + market + youth education on a small acreage with grant and donor funding.
• Hidden Villa: Los Altos Hills, CA nonprofit organic farm and education center with CSA, summer camps, and school programs. Comparable in combining certified-organic CSA, environmental education, and community engagement on a multi-use farm property.

Broad incumbents

• Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture: Larger, well-resourced nonprofit farm and education center in New York's Hudson Valley. Comparable in nonprofit farm-with-education-center model but operates at significantly greater scale and endowment-backed funding.

Regional players

• Alemany Farm: San Francisco volunteer-run nonprofit urban farm with community workdays, youth programs, and food bank donations. Comparable volunteer-driven urban farm model with education and food-access mission, though on the West Coast and managed under municipal partnership.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• Instagraminstagram.com/sweetwater_organic_farm
• Pinterestpinterest.com/SweetwaterFresh
• Xx.com/sweetwatertampa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sweetwater-organic-csa

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Sweetwater Organic Farm