What Capital Roots does

Capital Roots is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1975 and headquartered in Troy, New York, that addresses food insecurity and lack of access to fresh, affordable produce in New York's Capital Region. Its core mission is operationalized through an integrated portfolio of 12+ programs including 55+ community gardens with over 900 garden plots across four counties (Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady); the Veggie Mobile and Veggie Mobile Sprout mobile farmers' markets that deliver fresh produce directly into underserved neighborhoods and accept SNAP/FMNP benefits; the Squash Hunger food-donation program distributing 40+ tons of fresh produce annually to food pantries and shelters; the Produce Project youth horticulture and job-readiness program; the Good Food Market retail store at 598 River Street in Troy; Farm to School, Institutional Markets, Healthy Stores, Healthy Streets, and Urban Greening initiatives; and the Incubator Kitchen commercial facility at the Urban Grow Center supporting local food entrepreneurs. The organization also operates four signature fundraising events (Spring Brunch, Autumn Evening, Good Food Fest, Spring Plant Sale) and publishes the Greater Capital Region Food System Assessment, an 11-county research initiative conducted with 20+ partner organizations. CEO Amy Klein has led the organization for 30 years.

Capital Roots' underlying operating infrastructure is built on physical logistics (mobile markets, food hub operations, retail storefronts, commercial kitchen) and community-based program management rather than software or AI technology. Its proprietary assets include the registered Veggie Mobile® trademark and a network of community gardens, mobile markets, and partner sites that constitute a distribution and physical-presence moat. The technology surface is limited to a website (capitalroots.org), an Instagram channel, an email newsletter, a Neon CRM donor platform, and standard event ticketing/donation processing.

The business model is a diversified nonprofit revenue stack: individual donations including recurring monthly Harvest Helpers giving tiers ($10–$50/month), corporate sponsorships (notably CDPHP sponsoring Veggie Mobile and Fidelis Care sponsoring Community Gardens plus a $500,000 health-disparities campaign), foundation and government grants, signature event revenue (tickets, auctions, sponsorships at tiered levels including Champion Grower, Family Farmer, and Cultivator), Good Food Market retail produce sales, and Incubator Kitchen facility rentals. Go-to-market is community-led: programs are promoted through word-of-mouth, community events, partner referrals, social media, and signature events, with healthcare insurers (CDPHP, Fidelis Care) and food-access coalitions providing institutional co-marketing. Customer segments span low-income and food-insecure residents, Capital Region families and seniors, urban residents seeking green space, Troy students in the Produce Project, and local food entrepreneurs using the Incubator Kitchen.

Name

Capital Roots

Legal name

Capital Roots

Website

https://capitalroots.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Capital Roots is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1975 in Troy, NY that operates community gardens, mobile farmers' markets, food donation programs, and nutrition education across New York's Capital Region to improve food access and public health for low-income residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Food Access Services

NAICS

Nursery and Tree Production (111421), Vegetable and Melon Farming (11121), Nursery and Floriculture Production (11142)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Retail-Food Stores (5400)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community-Owned / Nonprofit Grocery Stores (CRAHALAB), Urban & Community Reforestation / Street Tree Planting (AFAMACAL), Mobile / Pop-Up Community Grocery Co-ops (CRAHALAJ)

Keywords

• Community gardening services
• Mobile farmers markets
• Food access programs
• Urban greening services
• Nutrition education

Headquarters

HQ city

Troy

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Individual donations and monthly recurring contributions through the Harvest Helpers program. The organization solicits donations through its website, events, and direct mail appeals. Monthly giving tiers range from $10-50 per month.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorship provides visibility and brand alignment with community health initiatives. Sponsors directly support programs like Urban Greening, Veggie Mobile, and Farm to School while gaining exposure through events.
3. Event Revenue: Signature events including Spring Brunch, Autumn Evening, Good Food Fest, and Spring Plant Sale generate revenue through ticket sales, auction items, and participant fees.
4. Market Sales: Revenue from Good Food Market retail operations selling fresh produce and local foods to consumers at 598 River Street, Troy NY.
5. Incubator Kitchen Rental: Commercial kitchen event space and facility rentals generate revenue while supporting food business entrepreneurship.
6. Grant Funding: Government and foundation grants support food system assessment and program expansion initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Capital Roots operates community-based food access and urban greening programs across New York's Capital Region. It manages 55+ community gardens with 900+ plots, runs mobile produce markets (Veggie Mobile and Sprout), distributes 40+ tons of fresh produce annually to food pantries through Squash Hunger, delivers youth horticulture education via the Produce Project, sells fresh produce at the Good Food Market retail location in Troy, NY, and operates an Incubator Kitchen for food entrepreneurs.

Product overview

Capital Roots is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of interconnected food access and urban greening programs rather than a single unified product. The core offerings include community gardens (55+ gardens with 900+ plots), mobile produce markets (Veggie Mobile® and Sprout), food donation programs (Squash Hunger distributing 40+ tons annually), youth education (Produce Project), retail markets (Good Food Market), and institutional/farm-to-school distribution. Supporting services include commercial kitchen incubator, urban greening, healthy stores, and healthy streets programs. The organization also operates signature fundraising events (Spring Brunch, Spring Plant Sale, Good Food Fest, Autumn Evening) and publishes the Greater Capital Region Food System Assessment as a research resource.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Veggie Mobile®: A mobile market that travels around the Capital Region delivering fresh, affordable, and local produce.
• Veggie Mobile® Sprout
• Good Food Market
• Urban Grow Center

Products and services

• Community Gardens Network of over 55 community gardens across 4 counties in the Capital Region with over 900 garden plots available for residents to grow their own food and flowers.
• Veggie Mobile A mobile farmers market sponsored by CDPHP that travels throughout the Capital Region delivering fresh, affordable, and local produce directly to communities; accepts SNAP and FMNP coupons.
• Squash Hunger Food donation initiative that purchases and distributes more than 40 tons of fresh produce annually to food pantries and shelters in the region.
• Produce Project Hands-on horticulture education, entrepreneurship, and job readiness training program for Troy students.
• Good Food Market Retail market at 598 River Street, Troy NY offering top-quality local ingredients and fresh, affordable produce while supporting local farmers.
• Farm to School Program connecting local farms with schools to provide fresh, locally sourced food to students.
• Healthy Stores Program supporting retail stores in offering healthier food options in underserved areas.
• Institutional Markets Program connecting local farms with institutional buyers such as hospitals, universities, and corporate cafeterias.
• Urban Greening Urban tree planting and greening programs that transform neighborhoods and improve environmental quality.
• Commercial Kitchen (Incubator Kitchen) Incubator kitchen at the Urban Grow Center providing food entrepreneurs with tools, access, and ingredients to start and grow local food businesses; also offers event space and facility rentals.
• Healthy Streets Program creating healthy public spaces for communities to access fresh food and green environments.
• Urban Greening Services Professional urban greening consulting and implementation services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Distributes over 40 tons of fresh produce annually to food pantries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 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.

• CDPHPcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCDPHP sponsors the Veggie Mobile, Capital Roots' flagship mobile market program. This partnership aligns CDPHP's healthcare mission with community wellness through improved food access.
• Fidelis CarecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFidelis Care sponsors Community Gardens and has partnered with Capital Roots on community health initiatives including a $500,000 campaign to reduce health disparities in New York State.
• Hawthorne ValleyminorOthersHawthorne Valley donated dairy products including 162 half gallons of milk and over 900 containers of organic yogurt to support the Squash Hunger program.
• Autumn Evening SponsorscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsors supporting the Autumn Evening fundraiser include Champion Grower, Family Farmer, and Cultivator tiers with various local businesses supporting food access programs.
• Spring Brunch SponsorscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsors including CDPHP, Behan Communications, Saratoga Casino, and others supporting the Spring Brunch event and food access mission.
• Greater Capital Region Food System Assessment PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership including Albany Community Action Partnership, Agricultural Stewardship Association, Capital District Regional Planning Commission, Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region, and 20+ other organizations guiding the regional food system assessment.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: National hunger-relief network coordinating food banks and donations. Broader incumbent comparable to Capital Roots' Squash Hunger food donation program and pantry distribution.
• The Food Trust: Philadelphia-based nonprofit focused on healthy food access, farmers markets, and nutrition education. Comparable across mobile markets, healthy corner stores, and youth food programming.

Others

• Recycle Health / Food Recovery Network: National nonprofit network redirecting surplus food to communities in need. Thematically comparable donation-redistribution model relevant to Squash Hunger.

Direct peers

• City Harvest: NYC food rescue nonprofit running mobile markets, food distribution, and nutrition education. Strong comparable in mobile-market and food donation operations serving an urban region.
• GrowNYC: New York City-based nonprofit operating farmers markets, community gardens, and food access programs. Most directly comparable peer: shares the multi-channel food access + urban greening mission in a New York State urban context.
• Greenmarket (GrowNYC): Network of farmers markets in NYC. Comparable as a regional farmers market operator with SNAP/FMNP acceptance and food access focus.
• Fair Food Network: National nonprofit running Double Up Food Bucks and other healthy-food access programs. Closely comparable mission and mechanism to Capital Roots' mobile market and farm-to-school work.
• Wholesome Wave: Nonprofit that doubles SNAP/food-stamp value at farmers markets and funds produce prescriptions. Directly comparable to Veggie Mobile's FMNP/SNAP-accepting model and food-as-medicine narrative.

Emerging players

• Boston Area Gleaners: New England nonprofit that gleans and redistributes surplus produce. Comparable to Capital Roots' Squash Hunger produce-donation model in structure and regional scope.

Regional players

• Foodlink: Rochester, NY-area food bank running food rescue, distribution, and nutrition programs. Comparable as a New York State food access nonprofit with redistribution and community programs operating in a defined region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/capitalrootsny
• Xx.com/CapitalRootsNY
• Facebookfacebook.com/CapitalRootsNY
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/capital-roots

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Capital Roots