Black Dirt Farm

What Black Dirt Farm does

Black Dirt Farm is a privately held, family-owned diversified farm operating on 240 acres in Greensboro Bend (Stannard), Vermont, in the state's Northeast Kingdom. Founded by Tom Gilbert, a former executive director of Highfields Center for Composting who helped draft Vermont's Universal Recycling Law, the farm runs a full-cycle regenerative system that integrates community food scrap collection, foraging laying hens, thermophilic composting, and vermicomposting to produce compost, worm castings, and pasture-raised eggs. The farm maintains a flock of 1,200 laying hens and has diverted more than 15 million pounds of food scraps from landfills since 2014 across Northeast Kingdom, Lamoille Valley, and Central Vermont routes.

The company sells agricultural products through a farm stand, 30+ retail partner locations across Vermont and New Hampshire, and direct channels, with offerings including bulk and bagged compost ($120/cubic yard, $11.99 per 20-quart bag), worm castings in three specialized grades ($11–$55.50 per unit), pasture-raised eggs ($6/dozen), hay, and stewing hens. Service lines include weekly commercial food scrap collection (~20 tons weekly) for businesses and institutions, residential Neighborhood POD subscriptions at $26 per 3-month period serving up to 20 households per location, free residential drop-off sites across four Vermont towns, and turnkey horse boarding. Operations are supported by five documented staff plus family members, and the farm holds Vermont Organic Farmers certification for use on organic farms.

Name

Black Dirt Farm

Legal name

Black Dirt Farm

Website

https://blackdirtfarm.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Black Dirt Farm is a privately held, family-owned diversified farm in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom that operates a closed-loop regenerative system collecting community food scraps, foraging laying hens, and producing compost, worm castings, eggs, and hay for retail and commercial customers across Vermont and New Hampshire.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regenerative Agriculture & Composting

NAICS

Compost Manufacturing (325315), Fertilizer and Compost Manufacturing (32531), Hay Farming (111940)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

On-Farm Circularity & Waste Valorization (Residue Management, Biochar, Manure/Organic Waste Use) (AFAGAMAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hay Products (Baled, Chopped, Cubes) (AFADAHAA), Manure & Byproduct Management (Composting, Fertilizer) (AFAEAFAK)

Keywords

• Regenerative farming
• Food scrap collection
• Vermicomposting production
• Commercial composting services
• Pasture-raised eggs

Headquarters

HQ city

Greensboro Bend

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Agricultural Product Sales: Direct sales of compost, worm castings, eggs, stewing hens, hay, raised bed mix, and mulch through the farm stand. Products include bagged and bulk compost, multiple grades of worm castings (tea grade, soil grade, inoculated mulch), and pasture-raised eggs.
2. Commercial Compost Collection Services: Weekly food scrap collection services for businesses, institutions, and community recycling centers in the Northeast Kingdom, Lamoille Valley, and Central Vermont. Provides totes, weekly collection, pressure washing, sawdust, employee training, and instructional signage.
3. Residential Compost POD Subscriptions: Neighborhood food scrap collection subscriptions at $26 per 3-month period. Supports up to 20 households per POD location, with weekly pickup and washing of 48-gallon totes.
4. Horse Boarding Services: Turnkey horse boarding including daily stall cleaning, feeding, turn out, and rotational pasture grazing. Add-on services include hoof trimming, vet calls, grooming, and riding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Black Dirt Farm operates a full-cycle regenerative farming system that collects food scraps from businesses and residents, forages laying hens on active compost piles, and produces compost, worm castings, pasture-raised eggs, hay, and stewing hens. The farm also provides commercial compost collection services, residential POD subscriptions, food scrap drop-off sites, and horse boarding. Products are sold direct at the farm stand and through a network of retail partners across Vermont and New Hampshire.

Product overview

Black Dirt Farm operates as a diversified family farm in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom offering a portfolio of agricultural products and community-focused composting services. The core product line includes compost products (bulk, bagged, and mulch), High Potency Worm Castings in three grades, pasture-raised eggs, hay, and stewing hens. Services include commercial food scrap collection for businesses, residential Compost PODs for neighborhood groups, and residential food scrap drop-off locations. The farm also offers horse boarding services and operates a farm stand. The integrated model collects food scraps from the community, feeds scraps to laying hens, and processes excess materials into compost and worm castings used to nourish farm soils and crops.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Compost Products Biologically rich compost products including screened bulk compost approved for use on organic farms, bagged compost in 20qt bags, mulch (ground spruce and pine), and raised bed mix (1:1 top soil and compost mixture with Buckland Silty Loam). Sold to gardeners, farmers, and landscapers.
• High Potency Worm Castings Premium vermicompost produced by Red Wiggler worms in three grades: Tea Grade (for compost tea), Soil Grade (for potting mixes and transplanting), and Inoculated Mulch (50:50 worm castings to composted wood with endo-mycorrhizae). Sold to gardeners and growers seeking biologically active soil amendments.
• Pasture-Raised Eggs Eggs from a flock of approximately 1,200 laying hens raised on dynamic foraging systems using compost, pasture, and non-GMO organic grain, without synthetic hormones or antibiotics. Sold by the dozen at the farm stand and retail locations.
• Hay High-quality hay produced consistent with organic standards, featuring Timothy, Vetch, Clover, and Dandelion mix, available in round and square bales with nutritional testing available. Sold to farmers and animal owners.
• Stewing Hens Culled laying hens sold individually or by the case (10 count), valued for soups and stews due to higher collagen content from older birds. Sold at the farm stand.
• Commercial Compost Collection Service Weekly food scrap collection service for businesses, institutions, and community recycling centers in the Northeast Kingdom, Lamoille Valley, and Central Vermont. Includes 48-gallon totes, weekly collection and pressure washing, sawdust, employee training, and instructional signage.
• Residential Compost POD Subscriptions Neighborhood food scrap collection subscription at $26 per 3-month period, supporting up to 20 households per POD with weekly pickup, washing of 48-gallon tote, sawdust supply, and a home composting kit.
• Residential Food Scrap Drop-Off Free food scrap drop-off locations in Hardwick, Greensboro, and Stannard for residents who cannot manage their own compost bin. Accepts fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, coffee grounds, and limited paper products.
• Horse Boarding Turnkey horse boarding services on a working horse farm including daily stall cleaning, feeding, turnout, rotational pasture grazing, and organic hay. Add-on services include hoof trimming, vet calls, grooming, and riding.
• Farm Stand Retail On-farm retail location open Monday-Saturday 8:00AM-5:00PM offering bulk compost, eggs, raised bed mix, mulch, worm castings, and seasonal produce. By appointment for bulk compost pickup and delivery.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15 million+ pounds of food scraps diverted from landfill since 2014
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tamarlane Farm (Lyndonville)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood scraps from Greensboro, Hardwick, and Lamoille Valley collection routes are brought to Tamarlane Farm in Lyndonville where they are transformed into rich compost as part of regional composting partnership.
• Lamoille Soil (Johnson)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood scraps from Lamoille Valley collection route are processed into compost at Lamoille Soil in Johnson, creating a distributed composting network across the region.
• Central Solid Waste Management DistrictminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCentral Solid Waste Management District provides support for the Neighborhood Composting PODs program, helping fund and promote community composting initiatives.
• Northeast Kingdom Waste Management DistrictminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNEKWMD provides information on composting and lists residential drop-off sites throughout the region.
• Highfields Center for CompostingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational resources and training videos on community composting. Tom Gilbert, Black Dirt Farm owner, previously served as executive director of Highfields Center for Composting and helped draft Vermont's Universal Recycling Law.
• Vermont Food BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResource connection for food donation and emergency food coordination as part of Vermont's food recovery hierarchy.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Agri-Cycle Energy: Northeast-based food waste hauler providing commercial collection and processing services; directly comparable commercial customer base (restaurants, food processors, institutions) and overlapping Northern New England geography.
• Black Earth Compost: Residential and commercial food scrap collection service in the Northeast (Massachusetts/New Hampshire) operating a subscription pickup model; same customer pain point, same subscription pricing model, and same compost-end-product business as Black Dirt Farm.
• Garbage to Garden: Maine-based residential and commercial food scrap collection subscription service; closely comparable business model combining neighborhood pickup subscriptions with commercial hauling in a Northern New England market.
• Vermont Compost Company: Vermont-based commercial compost manufacturer serving organic growers; same Vermont market, same VOF-certified organic compost category, and explicitly mentioned in Black Dirt Farm's own history as a field day partner on feeding food scraps to laying hens.
• Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs: New Hampshire-based organic and pasture-raised egg producer; directly comparable product category (pasture-raised eggs from small-to-mid flocks) and overlapping Northeast retail distribution footprint at co-ops and natural food stores.
• Highfields Center for Composting: Community composting non-profit in central Vermont focused on food waste diversion and education; directly comparable mission and service area, and the former employer of Black Dirt Farm's founder Tom Gilbert.

Broad incumbents

• Vital Farms: National pasture-raised egg brand operating at much larger scale; comparable product positioning around pasture-raised hens but with national retail distribution and substantially greater marketing and capital resources.
• Casella Waste Systems: Large regional waste management company operating across the Northeast, including Vermont; provides organics/composting services as part of a broader portfolio and has the capital and route density to compete directly with Black Dirt Farm's commercial collection business.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/black-dirt-farm-llc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Black Dirt Farm