Seacoast Eat Local

What Seacoast Eat Local does

Seacoast Eat Local is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID 45-2547575) founded in 2006 in the Seacoast region of New Hampshire, operating farmers' markets and food access programs across Dover, Durham, Exeter, and Portsmouth. Its core operations consist of Summer Farmers' Markets (May-October, outdoor, four towns) and Winter Farmers' Markets (indoor, at Wentworth Greenhouses and Exeter High School), supplemented by the Seacoast Harvest annual food guide, SNAP/Granite State Market Match incentive programs (launched 2011), educational workshops, and the Vouchers for Veterans program. The organization previously operated a mobile market vehicle (launched 2016) that is now listed for sale, indicating a sunsetting of that distribution channel.

The business model is mission-driven and nonprofit, with revenue derived from four streams: tax-deductible donations from individuals, families, and foundations; corporate sponsorships for market programs; vendor fees from participating farmers and food producers; and charitable gaming revenue (notably $47,372 from a Lilac Club Casino partnership in July 2025). The organization employs approximately seven staff members and is governed by a Board of Directors representing local institutions including UNH, KLD Strategy, Old Brown Dog Veterinary Partners, and multiple local farms. Key leadership includes Executive Director Shawn Menard (joined 2019, previously managed food co-ops for seven years) and Development Manager Celeste Gingras (joined 2016).

Seacoast Eat Local holds membership in industry associations including the New Hampshire Farmers' Market Association, Farmers Market Coalition, NH Center for Nonprofits, and NH Food Alliance. Strategic partnerships include Tuckaway Farm (anchor tenancy at Tuckaway Food Commons, 2024), Farm to Footprints (2025, food access expansion), Walden Mutual Bank (2024), and Lilac Club Casino (2025, charitable gaming). There is no proprietary technology, API, or mobile application; the organization's infrastructure is built on physical market operations, community organizing, and standard digital marketing channels including email, Facebook, Instagram, and a blog. The organization serves a geographic footprint spanning Rockingham County, Strafford County, and York County (the latter in Maine).

Name

Seacoast Eat Local

Legal name

Seacoast Eat Local

Website

https://seacoasteatlocal.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Seacoast Eat Local is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates farmers' markets and food access programs across four New Hampshire Seacoast towns, connecting local farmers and food producers with consumers through seasonal markets, SNAP matching, and the Seacoast Harvest food guide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dover

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, families, and foundations. Organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
2. Sponsorships: Business sponsorships for Summer Farmers' Market programs offering advertising space and benefits in return.
3. Charitable Gaming Revenue: Revenue generated from charitable gaming days at partner locations (e.g., Lilac Club Casino raised $47,372 in July).
4. Vendor Fees: Fees from vendors participating in farmers' markets.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Seacoast Eat Local is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates community farmers' markets in the Seacoast region of New Hampshire, running seasonal Summer Markets (May–October) in Dover, Durham, Exeter, and Portsmouth, plus indoor Winter Markets at Wentworth Greenhouses and Exeter High School. It connects local farmers, fishers, food producers, and crafters directly with consumers, administers food-access incentive programs such as SNAP/Granite State Market Match, publishes the annual Seacoast Harvest food guide, hosts educational workshops, and supports community partners through donations and sponsorships.

Product overview

Seacoast Eat Local is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating a portfolio of community food access programs rather than a commercial product. The core offerings include Summer and Winter Farmers' Markets in four Seacoast communities (Dover, Durham, Exeter, Portsmouth), the Seacoast Harvest food guide, SNAP/Market Match incentive programs, the Mobile Market (sunsetted), educational workshops, and sponsorship opportunities. These programs work together to connect local producers with consumers and improve food access across Rockingham, Strafford, and York counties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Seacoast Harvest: Annual guide to farms, fisheries, and farmers' markets in the Seacoast region
• Summer Farmers' Markets
• Winter Farmers' Markets

Products and services

• Summer Farmers' Markets Outdoor community farmers' markets operating May through October across Dover, Durham, Exeter, and Portsmouth, providing local farmers, fishers, food producers, and crafters a direct-to-consumer sales venue for fresh produce, meat, seafood, dairy, baked goods, preserves, and handmade goods.
• Winter Farmers' Markets Indoor community farmers' markets held at Wentworth Greenhouses and Exeter High School during the winter months, giving local farmers and food producers year-round access to direct-to-consumer sales venues.
• Seacoast Harvest Food Guide Annual printed and digital guide to farms, fisheries, and farmers' markets in the Seacoast region, serving as a comprehensive local food directory for consumers and producers.
• SNAP / Granite State Market Match Food-access incentive program that doubles SNAP beneficiaries' purchasing power at Seacoast Eat Local farmers' markets so low-income community members can buy more fresh, local food.
• Educational Workshops Hands-on community workshops held at local farms on topics such as growing techniques, cooking skills, and local food preparation, open to community members of all ages.
• Farmers' Market Sponsorships Sponsorship packages for local businesses to support the Summer Farmers' Markets in Dover, Durham, Exeter, and Portsmouth, with brand visibility through advertising and community engagement at the markets.
• Vouchers for Veterans Incentive program that helps veterans and service members access locally produced food at Seacoast Eat Local farmers' markets.

Quantifiable outcome

• Only about 3% of food currently produced within the region, highlighting the need for the organization's mission

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Lilac Club CasinominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2025Charitable gaming partner that raised $47,372 in revenue for SEL through gaming days in July 2025.
• Farm to FootprintscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025New partnership making local produce more accessible to neighbors seeking food assistance while supporting Seacoast farmers and reducing food waste.
• Tuckaway Farm (Tuckaway Food Commons)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024Partnership to support Tuckaway Farm's rebuilding efforts after a devastating fire in March 2024. SEL is an anchor tenant in the community house on the farm property. The Tuckaway Food Commons Resilience Fund supports both the farm's recovery and SEL's programming.
• New Hampshire Farmers' Market AssociationminorOthersMember organization supporting farmers' markets across New Hampshire.
• Farmers Market CoalitionminorOthersNational member organization providing support and resources for farmers' markets.
• New Hampshire Center for NonprofitsminorOthersState association supporting nonprofit organizations in New Hampshire.
• NH Food AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork Leadership Team membership connecting SEL throughout NH and ME food systems.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• New Hampshire Farmers Market Association: State-level industry association in New Hampshire supporting farmers markets; not a direct operator like SEL but an ecosystem peer that SEL partners with for shared statewide market support.
• Farmers Market Coalition: National industry association supporting farmers markets of which SEL is a member; not a direct competitor but a peer ecosystem organization that provides shared resources to similar operators.

Direct peers

• GrowNYC: NYC-based nonprofit operating the Greenmarkets farmers market network plus food access and education programs. Comparable to SEL in operating multiple seasonal markets, vendor-fee plus sponsorship revenue, and SNAP incentive infrastructure.
• FRESHFARM: DC-area nonprofit running producers-only farmers markets with a SNAP/FreshMatch doubling program — directly comparable to SEL's Granite State Market Match SNAP incentive model.
• Local Harvest: Online directory connecting consumers to local farms, CSAs, and farmers markets — comparable to SEL's Seacoast Harvest guide, which serves a similar function as a regional local-food directory.
• Sustainable Food Center: Austin, TX-based 501(c)(3) that operates farmers markets, food access programs (Double Dollar incentives), and educational workshops — closely mirroring SEL's community-based nonprofit model with year-round markets and SNAP-style incentives.
• Wholesome Wave: National nonprofit whose core program is doubling SNAP benefits at farmers markets nationwide — the closest functional analog to SEL's SNAP/Granite State Market Match program, focused on the same food-access mechanism.

Broad incumbents

• The Food Trust: Philadelphia-based nonprofit that operates farmers markets, nutrition education, and policy advocacy on a larger geographic scale — a broader incumbent working in the same food-access and farmers-market space as SEL.

Regional players

• Coastal Enterprises Inc. (CEI): Maine-based community development financial institution with a food systems and local agriculture program across northern New England — thematically aligned with SEL's Seacoast-region local food mission and operating in a comparable geographic market.
• Massachusetts Farmers Markets: Statewide farmers market association in neighboring Massachusetts performing a comparable market-support and advocacy role for operators in an adjacent New England region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SeacoastEatLocal
• Instagraminstagram.com/seacoasteatlocal
• Xx.com/seacoasteatlocl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/seacoast-eat-local

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Seacoast Eat Local