Youth Garden Project

What Youth Garden Project does

Youth Garden Project (YGP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1996 and headquartered at 530 South 400 East St, Moab, Utah, where it operates a 1.5-acre educational garden adjacent to Grand County High School. The organization cultivates healthy children, families, and community through educational programs and connecting people with food from seed to table, functioning as both a working farm and an outdoor classroom. Its core products are organized into three interlocking portfolios: youth programming (full-day summer and spring break camps for grades 1–6 at $260/week, Garden Leaders leadership camps for grades 7–8 at $75/week, BEACON-based afterschool clubs, Seed Crew nine-week teen employment for ages 14–18, and Utah Core Standards–aligned Garden Classroom field trips and CTE internship pathways), agricultural operations (CSA memberships, workshare volunteer hours, an annual Plant Sale, and weekly produce donations to local food pantries), and community engagement events (Harvest Festival, Weed N Feed volunteer nights, Garden Dinners, and a $30/person Table Talks workshop series).

YGP monetizes through a hybrid nonprofit revenue model: sliding-scale program fees for youth camps and workshops, individual donations and stock/vehicle/community-rewards contributions, multi-tier sponsorships (Growing Season Sponsors at $1,000+ and Event Sponsors at $250–$500), CSA memberships, plant and merchandise sales, and ticketed fundraising events. Customer segments include Moab-area families with children ages 5–18, Grand County schools and preschools, the broader Moab adult community, and local businesses underwriting sponsorships. Distribution is exclusively direct and physical — programs are delivered at the YGP campus, partner schools, and the Community Nibble Garden on the Mill Creek bike path, with no digital platform, app, or intermediary channel. The organization is staffed by four full-time year-round employees (Executive Director Jessie Shalvey, two Youth Programs Directors, and an Outreach & Development Coordinator) supplemented by seasonal farm crew, educators, and summer instructors, and is governed by a volunteer board.

Name

Youth Garden Project

Legal name

Youth Garden Project

Website

https://youthgardenproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Youth Garden Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Moab, Utah, operating a 1.5-acre educational garden that delivers youth camps, school field trips, CSA memberships, and community events to Moab-area families, schools, and local businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Education and Community Garden Programs

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Educational Support Services (611710), RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (7212)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports) (EDAMALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Academic Enrichment Camps (General Studies) (EDAMALAB), Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO), Nature-Based / Forest School Early Learning Programs (EDACADAD), Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA)

Keywords

• Youth garden education
• Community garden programs
• Sustainable agriculture training
• Farm-based youth programs
• Community supported agriculture

Headquarters

HQ city

Moab

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Youth Program Fees: Revenue from summer camp registration ($260/week per child), Garden Leaders camp ($75/week per child), and scholarship/tuition assistance at sliding scale rates ($65/$135/$195). Deposits required at registration.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations via online form, mail, or phone; annual fund drives; newsletter-driven campaigns; donor advised fund contributions; stock donations; car donations; City Market Community Rewards; and honor/memorial gifts.
3. Sponsorships: Growing Season Sponsorships ($1,000+), Event Sponsorships for Plant Sale ($250–$500) and Harvest Festival, with social media and signage benefits for sponsors.
4. Produce and CSA Sales: Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) memberships and workshare programs where volunteers trade hours for a weekly share of fresh vegetables. Produce sales to local community.
5. Events and Merchandise: Revenue from annual events including Garden Dinners, Harvest Festival, Plant Sale, and online auction fundraiser. Shop merchandise (YGP merch) sold in-person and by phone.
6. Table Talks Workshop Fees: Registration fee of $30 per person per workshop for educational dinner series covering pollinators, soil health, edible flowers, and Moab orchard history.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Youth Garden Project operates a 1.5-acre educational garden in Moab, Utah, offering youth development programs (summer camps, after-school clubs, leadership and teen employment programs), hands-on garden classroom field trips aligned with Utah Core Standards, and community-supported agriculture (CSA) shares. The organization runs volunteer events, educational workshops, dinners, and an annual plant sale and harvest festival that connect children, families, and the broader community with food from seed to table.

Product overview

Youth Garden Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of interconnected youth development and community programs centered around a 1.5-acre educational garden in Moab, Utah. The core offerings include youth programming (Youth Camps for grades 1-8 including Garden Leaders leadership camps, After School Programs, and Seed Crew teen employment), agricultural operations (CSA memberships, Plant Sale, Community Gardens), and community events (Harvest Festival, Weed N Feeds, Table Talks workshops, Garden Dinners). Programs are designed to connect children, teens, and adults with food from seed to table through hands-on gardening, educational field trips, volunteer opportunities, and community gatherings. The organization operates as a unified set of programs rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Camps

Quantifiable outcome

• Reaches over 1,000 kids per year with garden-based educational programming
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Grand County Child Nutrition ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Grand County's Child Nutrition Program for the Harvest of the Month initiative, which brings YGP-grown produce into school cafeterias with sample recipes, posters, and educational materials for students.
• Canyonlands Field Institute (CFI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosts two weeks of Expedition Day Camp each summer for youth ages 9–12 (4th–6th grade), combining YGP's garden programs with CFI's outdoor adventure expertise. One expedition week is free of cost thanks to a donor. CFI leads hiking, swimming, and Colorado River rafting activities.
• USU ExtensionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with Utah State University Extension for the Blue Ribbon Produce Contest at the Harvest Festival. Entries judged by USU Extension guest judges.
• Grand County High School CTE Internship ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts high school CTE Interns through GCHS's Career and Technical Education program, offering four career pathways: sustainable agriculture, food processing, nonprofit management & marketing, and outdoor education. Provides real-world work experience supplementing classroom learning.
• BEACON Afterschool Program (Grand County)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfterschool clubs operated in partnership with the BEACON Afterschool Program. Families sign up children through BEACON; YGP provides garden-based programming, staff, and curriculum for weekly clubs.
• Canyon Nursery (Castle Valley)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party vendor contributing plant starts to the Annual Plant Sale. Canyon Nursery, based in Castle Valley, provides additional locally-grown vegetable and herb starts alongside YGP-grown plants.
• Wildland Scapes (Moab)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party vendor contributing plants to the Annual Plant Sale. Wildland Scapes, a Moab-based nursery, provides additional locally-sourced plant varieties.
• Moab Regional HospitalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGrowing Season Sponsor for 2026. Listed among sponsors on the YGP website, providing financial support in exchange for brand visibility.
• WabiSabiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGrowing Season Sponsor for 2026. Local Moab organization providing financial sponsorship.
• Hogan & Associates ConstructionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGrowing Season Sponsor for 2026. Local construction company providing financial support.
• Bonjour BakeryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGrowing Season Sponsor for 2026. Local bakery providing financial sponsorship.
• Synergy CominorGTM or Marketing PartnerGrowing Season Sponsor for 2026. Local Moab business providing financial sponsorship.
• City Market / Kroger (Community Rewards)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerKroger brand's City Market Community Rewards program allows shoppers to designate YGP as their charity of choice. YGP's code is BP044. Donations come at no cost to shoppers.
• Get Healthy UtahminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides grant funding supporting YGP's walk audit within a one-mile radius of the main campus, assessing food access, safety, transportation, and walkability conditions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Big Green: National nonprofit that builds learning gardens in underserved schools and delivers garden-based education programs. Closely comparable operating model — outdoor garden classroom + youth programming + food access — but operates at national scale rather than a single rural community.
• FoodCorps: National service organization placing AmeriCorps members in schools to teach garden-based nutrition and food education. Comparable youth nutrition/food-system mission with embedded school-district delivery; YGP achieves a similar effect with paid staff rather than service members.
• Edible Schoolyard Project: Founded by Alice Waters to integrate organic gardening and cooking into K-12 curricula. Direct overlap with YGP's Garden Classrooms and Harvest of the Month model, with a stronger national curriculum-publishing and network orientation.
• Life Lab: Santa Cruz-based nonprofit providing garden-based science education programs, curriculum, and educator training. Directly comparable in youth garden programming, professional development, and curriculum-aligned outdoor education.
• Real School Gardens: Nonprofit that partners with elementary schools to create outdoor learning gardens with teacher professional development. Closely comparable in the school-district-embedded garden classroom model that YGP deploys in Grand County.
• Green Our Planet: Operates school gardens and STEM-focused garden programs, primarily in Las Vegas. Comparable product offering — garden classroom, youth programming, outdoor science — with greater scale and a hydroponics/STEM technology tilt YGP lacks.

Broad incumbents

• GrowNYC: NYC-based nonprofit running school gardens, farmers markets, and youth education programs. Overlapping mission across garden education, CSA, and food access but at metropolitan scale and with a much broader programmatic portfolio than YGP.
• Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture: Operating nonprofit farm and education center running youth programming, farmer training, and public events. Comparable in farm-as-classroom positioning and CSA/community programming, but with a higher-end culinary and dining emphasis.
• Center for Ecoliteracy: National organization supporting schools and communities with systems-change resources for sustainability education. Conceptually aligned with YGP's garden-and-food-systems education but operates primarily as a thought-leadership/curriculum publisher rather than direct program operator.

Others

• Canyonlands Field Institute: Local Moab outdoor education nonprofit partnering with YGP for Expedition Day Camp. Comparable in youth outdoor education mission and Moab geography but focused on wilderness/rafting expeditions rather than garden-based programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/youthgardenmoab
• YouTubeyoutube.com/ygpmoab
• Facebookfacebook.com/youthgardenproject
• Instagraminstagram.com/youthgardenproject

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Youth Garden Project