First Fruits Farm
First Fruits Farm is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a 281-acre volunteer-driven farm in Freeland, MD that grows and donates 100% of its produce to feed food-insecure communities across Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic through 380+ distribution partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersFreeland, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What First Fruits Farm does
First Fruits Farm is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Christian ministry founded in 1998 by the Bernstein family and operating on a 281-acre property in Freeland, Maryland. The organization grows fresh produce and donates 100% of its harvest to feed children and adults experiencing hunger across Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region. In 2025, the farm distributed 7 million pounds of food (3 million grown on-site, 4 million third-party donated) through a network of more than 380 distribution partners including the Maryland Food Bank, Central PA Food Bank, Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, churches, shelters, schools, and pantries.
The underlying "product" is a volunteer-powered, regenerative agriculture operation employing no-till farming on 85% of fields, cover cropping, rotational grazing with chickens and cattle, and split fertilizer applications compliant with the Maryland Nutrient Management Program. Production is supported by a paid staff of 15+ (transitioned from 100% volunteer-run pre-2018) and a volunteer community of 22,192 individuals from 885 groups serving 60,313 hours annually. Supporting programs include The Flourish Project (care farming for marginalized populations), Service Field Trips (school service-learning), and the Barn Quilt Trail visitor experience.
The business model is entirely donation-funded with no commercial revenue. Funding streams include individual donations, the Faithful Friends Circle recurring giving program, the four-tier Cornerstone corporate partnership program (Legacy $50K, Mission $25K, Harvest $10K, Hope $5K), foundation grants, workplace giving via United Way of Central MD, planned giving/bequests, IRA charitable rollovers, gifts of appreciated securities, and the First Fruits Farm Foundation (established 2020 as an endowed subsidiary providing perpetual revenue). All produce is provided free of charge to recipient organizations.
First Fruits Farm firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- First Fruits Farm
- Legal name
- First Fruits Farm, Inc.
- Website
- https://firstfruitsfarm.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- First Fruits Farm is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a 281-acre volunteer-driven farm in Freeland, MD that grows and donates 100% of its produce to feed food-insecure communities across Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic through 380+ distribution partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where First Fruits Farm is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Freeland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
First Fruits Farm business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: The farm accepts charitable donations from individuals through various methods including online giving, checks, and the Faithful Friends Circle recurring giving program. Donors can give through workplace giving programs and the farm is a United Way of Central MD designated agency (#42664).
- Corporate/Foundation Grants (Cornerstone Program): Corporate sponsorships through the Cornerstone Program with four giving tiers: Legacy Partner ($50,000), Mission Partner ($25,000), Harvest Partner ($10,000), and Hope Partner ($5,000). Includes full-year recognition on website, social media, newsletter, and custom volunteer experiences.
- Planned Giving/Legacy Gifts: Accepts bequests through wills and trusts, retirement plan assets, life insurance beneficiary designations, deferred gift annuities, and charitable lead trusts. Established in 2020, the First Fruits Farm Foundation is an endowed fund providing steady revenue stream in perpetuity.
- Appreciated Assets: Accepts gifts of appreciated stocks, securities, and mutual funds which qualify for charitable tax deductions. IRA charitable rollovers for donors 70.5+ allow tax-free transfers directly to the farm counting toward required minimum distributions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Legacy Partner - $50,000 annual contribution |
| Subscription | Annual | Mission Partner - $25,000 annual contribution |
| Subscription | Annual | Harvest Partner - $10,000 annual contribution |
| Subscription | Annual | Hope Partner - $5,000 annual contribution |
| Subscription | Monthly | Faithful Friends Circle - Recurring Giving Program |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
First Fruits Farm product offering
Product offeringCore offering
First Fruits Farm is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Christian ministry that operates a 281-acre farm to grow fresh produce, then donates 100% of its harvest at no cost to food banks, shelters, schools, churches, and pantries throughout Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region. Operations are powered by more than 22,000 annual volunteers and delivered through a network of 380+ distribution partners.
Product overview
First Fruits Farm operates as a single, unified nonprofit ministry rather than a platform-with-modules architecture. The core offering is the farm's food growing and donation program, which distributes 100% of its harvest through a distribution partner network. Supporting programs include The Flourish Project (care farming), the Cornerstone corporate partnership program, the Foundation (endowed fund), the Volunteer Program, Service Field Trips, and the Barn Quilt Trail visitor experience. The organization also offers multiple Giving Programs for donors to support operations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Flourish Project: The care farming expression at First Fruits Farm, creating opportunities for individuals of all abilities and backgrounds to flourish physically, spiritually, and emotionally. An intentional outreach to bring those living in marginalized populations to flourish through the practices of First Fruits Farm.
Products and services
- First Fruits Farm Core Food Donation Program The flagship program of the nonprofit Christian ministry: grows fresh produce on the 281-acre farm and donates 100% of the harvest to feed food-insecure children and adults throughout Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region through a network of distribution partners.
- The Flourish Project Care farming outreach program that creates opportunities for individuals of all abilities and backgrounds to flourish physically, spiritually, and emotionally through farm-based practices; serves marginalized populations.
- Cornerstone Corporate Partnership Program
Companies that use First Fruits Farm
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
First Fruits Farm technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
First Fruits Farm partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered legacy partner, mission partner, harvest partner and major partner.
- Archdioceselegacy partnerLegacy Partner in Cornerstone Program at $50,000 annual contribution level, receiving full-year recognition, headline placement on Cornerstone Partner web page, customized volunteer experience, and inclusion in annual Impact Report
- Bunting Family Foundationlegacy partnerLegacy Partner in Cornerstone Program supporting the Farm's mission to grow healthy food for neighbors in need
- Catholic Charitieslegacy partnerLegacy Partner in Cornerstone Program with full-year recognition and customized volunteer experience
- Central Church of Godlegacy partnerLegacy Partner in Cornerstone Program supporting the Farm's ministry
- Diocese of Wheeling-Charlestonlegacy partnerLegacy Partner and major distribution partner receiving produce for parish communities in West Virginia
- Dresher Foundationlegacy partnerLegacy Partner in Cornerstone Program supporting the Farm's mission
- Coke Consolidatedlegacy partnerLegacy Partner in Cornerstone Program
- Kahlert Foundationlegacy partnerLegacy Partner in Cornerstone Program supporting the Farm's operations
- Kinsley Foundationlegacy partnerLegacy Partner in Cornerstone Program
- Sherman Family Foundationlegacy partnerLegacy Partner in Cornerstone Program
- Stulmanlegacy partnerLegacy Partner in Cornerstone Program
- Weinberg Foundationlegacy partnerLegacy Partner in Cornerstone Program supporting the Farm's mission
- M&T Bankmission partnerMission Partner at $25,000 level. Employees volunteer at the Farm regularly and look forward to many more opportunities to contribute to the farm's mission. M&T's Group Vice President Anna L. Smith stated employees love volunteering at the Farm.
- Sinclair Broadcast Groupmission partnerMission Partner with employees helping with harvest to feed families facing hunger. Featured in Fox 45 News coverage of employee volunteer efforts.
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShieldharvest partnerHarvest Partner at $10,000 level supporting the Farm's healthy food ministry and distribution network
- Chimesmission partnerMission Partner in Cornerstone Program supporting the Farm's operations
- Maryland Food Bankmajor partnerLongtime distribution partner, one of the major regional food banks receiving produce donations from First Fruits Farm
- Central PA Food Bankmajor partnerLongtime distribution partner, major regional food bank in Pennsylvania receiving produce donations from First Fruits Farm
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
First Fruits Farm competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Maryland Food Bank: Major Mid-Atlantic food bank and direct distribution partner of First Fruits Farm, sourcing and redistributing millions of pounds of produce annually to the same food-insecure population. Operates a comparable donor- and volunteer-supported model focused on hunger relief in Maryland.
- Central Pennsylvania Food Bank: Direct distribution partner of First Fruits Farm and one of the largest regional food banks in PA; comparable donor-supported nonprofit model that aggregates and distributes food across an overlapping Mid-Atlantic service area.
- Capital Area Food Bank: Regional food bank serving the Washington, D.C. metro area with a similar donor- and volunteer-driven model of food sourcing and redistribution. Comparable mission, funding structure (foundations, corporate partners, individual giving), and end-recipient base to First Fruits Farm.
- The Food Project: Nonprofit farm operation in the Boston/Massachusetts area that grows produce and donates it to hunger-relief organizations while engaging youth volunteers. Mirrors First Fruits Farm's grow-and-donate model, regenerative practices, and youth volunteer pipeline.
- Society of St. Andrew: National nonprofit that gleans and redistributes fresh produce to feed the hungry, with a faith-based mission and volunteer labor model very similar to First Fruits Farm's. Operates across multiple states with analogous donor and partner network.
Regional players
- Bread for the City: DC-based nonprofit providing food, clothing, and social services with an integrated urban farm component. Comparable faith-rooted, donor-supported model that combines food growing with direct distribution to food-insecure residents.
- DC Central Kitchen: DC-based nonprofit that recovers and redistributes food while also running job-training programs. Comparable hunger-relief mission, similar reliance on volunteers and corporate partners, and overlapping Mid-Atlantic end population.
- Philabundance: Philadelphia-region food bank redistributing large volumes of food to pantries, shelters, and kitchens in the Mid-Atlantic. Similar donor- and volunteer-supported nonprofit model and overlapping geography, though focused on distribution rather than on-farm production.
Broad incumbents
- Feeding America: National hunger-relief network of 200+ food banks including Maryland Food Bank and Central PA Food Bank. Sets the broad framework within which First Fruits Farm's distribution partners operate and competes for similar donor and foundation dollars.
Emerging players
- Mill City Grows: Small Lowell, MA-based nonprofit that grows produce on urban and peri-urban farms and donates a significant share to local food-insecure residents. Comparable grow-and-donate model with a similar reliance on volunteer labor and community partnerships, though at a smaller scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights8 records
Customer concentration
First Fruits Farm social profiles
Digital presenceFirst Fruits Farm financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
First Fruits Farm leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
First Fruits Farm subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
First Fruits Farm funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
First Fruits Farm 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 First Fruits Farm
What does First Fruits Farm do?
First Fruits Farm is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Christian ministry that operates a 281-acre farm to grow fresh produce, then donates 100% of its harvest at no cost to food banks, shelters, schools, churches, and pantries throughout Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region. Operations are powered by more than 22,000 annual volunteers and delivered through a network of 380+ distribution partners.
Is First Fruits Farm a public or private company?
First Fruits Farm is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was First Fruits Farm founded?
First Fruits Farm was founded in 1998. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is First Fruits Farm based?
First Fruits Farm is headquartered in Freeland, United States, in the North America region.
How does First Fruits Farm make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate/Foundation Grants (Cornerstone Program), planned Giving/Legacy Gifts and appreciated Assets.
Who are First Fruits Farm's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Maryland Food Bank, Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, Capital Area Food Bank, The Food Project and Society of St. Andrew. Regional players are Bread for the City, DC Central Kitchen and Philabundance. Feeding America is listed as a broad incumbent. Mill City Grows is listed as an emerging player.
Does First Fruits Farm have an API?
No public API is recorded for First Fruits Farm.