Malabar Farm Foundation
The Malabar Farm Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1993 in Lucas, Ohio that preserves Louis Bromfield's 900-acre historic farm and delivers K-12 education, events, and gift shop retail in partnership with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersLucas, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Malabar Farm Foundation does
The Malabar Farm Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1993 and based in Lucas, Ohio, that exists to preserve the legacy of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Louis Bromfield and to support Malabar Farm, a 900-acre working farm and historic site operated in coordination with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). The Foundation functions as the philanthropic and programmatic arm of the property, funding capital improvements at the ODNR-managed park — having cumulatively raised over $2 million for park enhancements since 1993 — and stewarding the site's educational and cultural programming. It reaches more than 11,000 students annually through on-site and partner-delivered educational programs, and partners with organizations including the Fiberarts Guild and ICA to deliver arts and visitor-services programming.
The Foundation's core offerings include preservation and interpretive activities tied to Bromfield's literary and agricultural legacy, structured K-12 and student educational programming, event hosting on the property (including in a reconstructed barn), and gift shop retail. Recent programmatic additions include an online store and digital exhibits that extend merchandise and educational content beyond the physical site. Revenue is generated through three primary streams: charitable donations and contributions (including the cumulative $2M+ raised for ODNR improvements), gift shop and merchandise sales (including online), and event-based income such as facility rentals, tours, and on-site programming. The Foundation employs between 51 and 100 people, consistent with a small operating nonprofit that mixes paid staff with significant volunteer support.
The business model is fundamentally a donation-and-earned-income nonprofit model. The Foundation does not sell a technology product or license a platform; its value proposition is cultural heritage preservation and education, monetized through philanthropic contributions, ticketed/retail merchandise, and event-based revenue. Its strategic positioning rests on the irreplaceable historical asset (Bromfield's farm) and on its partnership with the State of Ohio, rather than on proprietary technology or scalable product lines. Operating scale is small and geographically fixed to a single Ohio site, with limited digital distribution as of the most recent reporting period.
Malabar Farm Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Malabar Farm Foundation
- Legal name
- Malabar Farm Foundation
- Website
- https://malabarfarm.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Malabar Farm Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1993 in Lucas, Ohio that preserves Louis Bromfield's 900-acre historic farm and delivers K-12 education, events, and gift shop retail in partnership with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Malabar Farm Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Heritage Site Management and Cultural Preservation
- NAICS
- Farm Management Services (115116), Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry (115)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Farmstay Rooms (Working Farms/Ranches) (THAMABAG)
Keywords
Where Malabar Farm Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lucas
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Malabar Farm Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Memberships: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and the Louis Bromfield Society membership program
- Gift Shop Sales: Sale of maple syrup products, merchandise, and crafts through the farm gift shop and online store
- Special Events and Programs: Revenue from events including barn dances, maple syrup festival, candlelight tours, and educational programs
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Louis Bromfield Society membership |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Malabar Farm Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Malabar Farm Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides resources dedicated to preserving the legacy of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Louis Bromfield and his 900-acre working farm in Lucas, Ohio. The Foundation operates through guided tours of the Big House, the Visitor Center's interactive exhibits, farm wagon tours, educational programs for students, community events (barn dances, Maple Syrup Festival), an online gift shop, and partnerships with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). Since 1993, it has contributed over $2 million in project support to ODNR Malabar Farm State Park, including over $600,000 toward the Visitor/Education Center constructed in 2006.
Product overview
Malabar Farm Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Louis Bromfield and his home at Malabar Farm. The Foundation operates as an educational and historical organization offering a portfolio of products and services including Big House guided tours, Visitor Center interactive exhibits, farm wagon tours, online virtual exhibits, quarterly newsletters, a gift shop (Shopify-based), the Fiberarts Guild with spinning and weaving programs, the annual Maple Syrup Festival, public barn dances, and educational programs reaching over 11,000 students annually. The Foundation also supports sustainable agriculture demonstrations at the 900-acre working farm and operates the Visitor Center with green building features including geothermal systems, solar panels, and wind turbine.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Big House Tours
Quantifiable outcome
- 11,000+ students reached annually through educational programs
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Malabar Farm Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Malabar Farm Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Malabar Farm Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR)coreLong-standing partnership since foundation's founding in 1993. The foundation provides resources to support ODNR Malabar Farm State Park, including funding for the Visitor Education Center (2006) and ongoing preservation projects. The Foundation and ODNR maintain a working relationship to carry out the mission of preserving Louis Bromfield's legacy.
- Ohio Division of Natural ResourcescoreOfficial state park information provided through ODNR website, including naturalist programs, volunteering, hours, tours, and special events. Contact: [email protected]
- Fiberarts Guild at Malabar FarmminorOver 65 members in 48 households. Guild moved into Berry House (1919 Sears Roebuck Catalog house) in 2021, with second floor serving as Malabar Farm Foundation office. Members engage in fiber arts including spinning, weaving, quilting, and charity projects.
- Little Buckeye Children's MuseumminorHosted Foundation Board Quarterly Meeting on June 10, 2021.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Malabar Farm Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Conner Prairie: An Indiana-based living history museum and farm with hands-on agricultural programming, heritage preservation, and educational outreach — directly comparable as a regional heritage-and-agriculture nonprofit.
- Hancock Shaker Village: A preserved Shaker farm village in Massachusetts with working farm operations, craft guilds, and educational programming — directly comparable to Malabar Farm as a heritage agricultural site with active demonstration and visitor programs.
- Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture: A nonprofit educational farm and food hub in New York's Hudson Valley demonstrating sustainable agriculture and hosting public programming and tours — a strong structural analog to Malabar Farm's working-farm-plus-education model.
- Living History Farms: An Iowa-based open-air agricultural history museum operating working historic farms with educational programming and craft guilds — closely comparable to Malabar Farm's heritage-and-working-farm model.
- Shelburne Farms: A nonprofit 501(c)(3) educational farm on 1,400 acres in Vermont that operates as a working farm, offers visitor programming, and focuses on sustainable agriculture education — directly comparable to Malabar Farm's mission and operating model.
- Old Sturbridge Village: A living history museum in Massachusetts that preserves an early American agricultural village with working farm demonstrations, craft guilds, and educational programming — directly comparable as a heritage and agricultural education nonprofit.
- Landis Valley Museum: A Pennsylvania heritage museum preserving an early American agricultural community with working demonstrations, craft guilds, and educational programs — directly comparable to Malabar Farm's regional heritage nonprofit mission.
- Old Salem Museums & Gardens: A North Carolina heritage preservation nonprofit operating a historic district with craft guilds, working gardens, and educational programming — structurally similar to Malabar Farm's community-and-heritage engagement model.
- The Farmers' Museum: A Cooperstown, NY-based agricultural heritage museum with a working farm, historic village, craft demonstrations, and educational programs — directly comparable to Malabar Farm's blend of heritage preservation and working-farm visitor experiences.
Broad incumbents
- The Henry Ford / Greenfield Village: A much larger Michigan-based heritage nonprofit operating Greenfield Village's working historic farms with extensive educational programming — a broader incumbent in the same heritage-and-agriculture space with overlapping programming.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Malabar Farm Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceMalabar Farm Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Malabar Farm Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Malabar Farm Foundation subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Malabar Farm Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Malabar Farm Foundation 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 Malabar Farm Foundation
What does Malabar Farm Foundation do?
Malabar Farm Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides resources dedicated to preserving the legacy of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Louis Bromfield and his 900-acre working farm in Lucas, Ohio. The Foundation operates through guided tours of the Big House, the Visitor Center's interactive exhibits, farm wagon tours, educational programs for students, community events (barn dances, Maple Syrup Festival), an online gift shop, and partnerships with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). Since 1993, it has contributed over $2 million in project support to ODNR Malabar Farm State Park, including over $600,000 toward the Visitor/Education Center constructed in 2006.
Is Malabar Farm Foundation a public or private company?
Malabar Farm Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Malabar Farm Foundation founded?
Malabar Farm Foundation was founded in 1993. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Malabar Farm Foundation based?
Malabar Farm Foundation is headquartered in Lucas, United States, in the North America region.
How does Malabar Farm Foundation make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Memberships are the primary driver. The others are gift Shop Sales and special Events and Programs.
Who are Malabar Farm Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Conner Prairie, Hancock Shaker Village, Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture, Living History Farms, Shelburne Farms, Old Sturbridge Village, Landis Valley Museum, Old Salem Museums & Gardens and The Farmers' Museum. The Henry Ford / Greenfield Village is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Malabar Farm Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Malabar Farm Foundation.
What industry is Malabar Farm Foundation in?
Malabar Farm Foundation's product category is Heritage Site Management and Cultural Preservation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAMABAG, Farmstay Rooms (Working Farms/Ranches). Its NAICS code is 115116 and its SIC code is 700.