What Angelic Organics Learning Center does

Angelic Organics Learning Center, operating publicly as Farmers Rising, is an Illinois-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1999 and headquartered in Caledonia, with a secondary urban farm location in Rockford. The organization builds local food and farm systems through education and training, with primary customer segments being beginning and aspiring farmers, youth and families, and food-insecure communities in Northern Illinois (Rockford, Winnebago County, Caledonia, Pecatonica). The core portfolio is structured around two farmer-training lines, Take Root (farm business curriculum) and the Incubator Farm Program (13 acres of pasture in Caledonia, plus equipment and ongoing support), plus community-facing programs including Free Range Kids Farm Camp, Field Trips, Farm Stays, the Farmers Rising Rockford CSA, and the recently launched Mobile Grocery Store that visits 10 stops across Rockford and accepts EBT, WIC, and SNAP Double Match. Supporting offerings include Events and Workshops, Find Your Farmer community presentations, and The Farm Apothecary herbalism series.

The underlying technology footprint is operational rather than software-driven: high-tunnel growing systems with Nifty Hoops thermostat-controlled automatic side roll-up units for temperature regulation, drip irrigation, regenerative farming practices, and a customized refrigerated mobile grocery truck and trailer for last-mile food distribution. Digital infrastructure is limited to Neon One CRM (used for event registration, donations, and membership) and Square (event/class checkout), with no disclosed AI/ML components or proprietary software.

The business model is a hybrid nonprofit revenue mix with no single dominant stream. Earned revenue comes from program fees (Take Root, farm camps with 15–25 camper capacity, cooking classes, workshops priced per session such as the $10 Healthy Herd Field Day, plus free webinars), CSA subscription produce sales, and event revenue (notably the Alfalfa Festival with sponsorship tiers from $150 to $10,000 and ticket sales). The remainder is grant- and donation-funded, including the multi-year Rockford City Council commitment of more than $800,000 for the Mobile Grocery Store, plus support from Chicago Region Food System Fund, Food:Land:Opportunity, IL Specialty Crop Grant, IL Local Food Infrastructure Grant, Frontera Farmer Foundation, and individual donations such as the $500 from Choices Natural Market's Pay It Forward program. The go-to-market motion is community-led: Instagram, email newsletters, the learngrowconnect.org / farmersrising.org website, library and community presentations, and word-of-mouth through a deep network of local partners including the Rockford NAACP, Rockford Housing Authority, Northern Illinois Food Bank, City Center Market, and the Food Insecurity Task Force.

Name

Angelic Organics Learning Center

Legal name

Angelic Organics Learning Center

Website

https://learngrowconnect.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Angelic Organics Learning Center (operating as Farmers Rising) is an Illinois 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1999 that trains beginning farmers through Take Root and a 13-acre incubator farm, runs youth farm camps and field trips, and operates a Rockford CSA plus a mobile grocery store serving food-insecure neighborhoods across Northern Illinois.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Education and Community Food Access

NAICS

Vegetable and Melon Farming (1112), Food Crops Grown Under Cover (11141), Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112), Other Crop Farming (1119)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Agricultural Production & Farm Operations (EDAOAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable/Regenerative Agriculture & Conservation Practices (EDAOAOAO), Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI), Farm Technology Enablement & Data Integration Advisory (FMIS/ERP, IoT, Decision Support) (AFACAJAG), Greenhouse Herb & Microgreens Production (Culinary Herbs, Microgreens) (AFAGAHAC)

Keywords

• Farmer training programs
• Community supported agriculture
• Farm education services
• Incubator farm programs
• Food access initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Caledonia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: Fees from farmer training programs (Take Root), farm camps, cooking classes, and workshops
2. Produce Sales: CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program and farm stand sales from urban farm produce
3. Event Revenue: Festival tickets (Alfalfa Festival), sponsorship tiers ($150-$10,000), and event attendance fees
4. Grants and Donations: Grant funding from organizations including Chicago Region Food System Fund, Food:Land:Opportunity, IL Specialty Crop Grant, and community donations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Angelic Organics Learning Center (operating as Farmers Rising) is a non-profit organization that provides farmer training and education programs, including the Take Root farm business curriculum and Incubator Farm Program offering land access on 13 acres in Caledonia, IL. It also runs community programs such as farm camps, field trips, farm stays, a Rockford urban CSA, and a Mobile Grocery Store bringing fresh produce to underserved neighborhoods. The organization is funded through grants, donations, and program fees.

Product overview

Farmers Rising (Angelic Organics Learning Center) operates as a multi-faceted agricultural education and community food access organization offering a platform of interconnected programs. The core portfolio includes Take Root (farm business training) and the Incubator Farm Program (land access for beginning farmers), complemented by community-facing programs including Free Range Kids Farm Camp, Field Trips, and Farm Stays. The organization also operates a Rockford urban CSA and a Mobile Grocery Store for food-insecure neighborhoods. Supporting offerings include Events and Workshops (cooking classes, herbalism, restoration days), Find Your Farmer community education, and The Farm Apothecary herbalism series.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Farmers Rising Rockford: Urban farm and CSA program located at Blackhawk Courts in Rockford, serving the local community with fresh produce and employment opportunities.
• Farmers Rising Lodge
• Free Range Kids Farm Camp
• Take Root
• Incubator Farm Program
• The Farm Apothecary
• Alfalfa Festival

Products and services

• Take Root A comprehensive farm business training program that prepares aspiring farmers to establish and sustain viable agricultural operations, covering business planning, land assessment, marketing, and farm map design.
• Incubator Farm Program
• Free Range Kids Farm Camp
• Field Trips
• Farm Stays
• Farmers Rising Rockford CSA Community Supported Agriculture program at the Blackhawk Courts urban farm location providing fresh, locally grown produce to members while increasing food access in the Rockford community.
• Mobile Grocery Store Refrigerated grocery truck and trailer initiative bringing fresh, affordable produce to 10 underserved neighborhoods across Rockford, accepting EBT, WIC, and SNAP with double match benefits.
• Events and Workshops

Quantifiable outcome

• Mobile grocery will serve 10 stops across Rockford
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Northern Illinois Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership in mobile grocery initiative to address food insecurity in Rockford. Farmers Rising is working with the multi-agency Food Insecurity Taskforce and Northern Illinois Food Bank to bring fresh food access to underserved neighborhoods.
• City Center MarketcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in mobile grocery initiative implementing the Rockford Mobile Grocery Store in partnership with the Food Insecurity Taskforce.
• Rockford NAACPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership in mobile grocery initiative advocating for food access in Rockford neighborhoods.
• Rockford Housing AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for urban farm at Blackhawk Courts and collaboration on high tunnel temperature control technology. Supported Nifty Hoops automatic roll-up installation.
• Food Insecurity Task ForcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-agency task force coordinating mobile grocery store implementation with Farmers Rising, City Center Market, NAACP, Housing Authority, Champions Benchmark, and Northern Illinois Food Bank.
• Choices Natural MarketminorGTM or Marketing Partner$500 donation through Pay It Forward program where customers receive wooden tokens for reusable bags that can be donated to local nonprofits.
• Savanna InstituteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPromotion of Perennial Farm Gathering conference to farmers and agricultural community. Discount code ROOTS35 offered for 35% off registration.
• Keith Country Day SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership for Farm to Table interim program where students explored regenerative vs conventional farming through hands-on demonstrations.
• Champions BenchmarkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in mobile grocery initiative through the Food Insecurity Taskforce.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• New Entry Sustainable Farming Project: Tufts-affiliated non-profit operating a farmer incubator and training program with CSA and food access components. Highly comparable mission stack to Farmers Rising's Take Root + Incubator + CSA combination.
• The Food Project: Non-profit that trains youth and beginning farmers, operates CSA programs, and supplies fresh produce to underserved communities. Directly comparable integrated model of farmer training, youth development, and food access.
• EarthDance Organic Farm School: St. Louis-area non-profit organic farm school that runs a farmer apprenticeship, on-farm education, and community food access programs. Comparable on farm-based adult and youth education plus community programming.
• Soul Fire Farm: Black-led non-profit farm in New York focused on regenerative agriculture training, beginning farmer programs, and food sovereignty/justice work. Highly comparable on equity-centered farmer training and food access.
• Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems (UC Santa Cruz): Runs the well-known Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture and farm training programs, plus research on sustainable food systems. Direct peer on farmer training and curriculum-driven agricultural education.
• Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA): Statewide non-profit that runs organic farming workshops, an apprentice program, and a large annual fair. Comparable on agricultural education, organic/regenerative practices, and community events at scale.
• The Farm School: Massachusetts non-profit operating a working farm with farmer training, youth programs, and farm stays. Mirrors Farmers Rising's mix of farmer incubation, youth camps, and on-farm overnight experiences.
• Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture: Non-profit farm and education center that trains beginning farmers, runs youth programming, and operates on-farm events. Comparable in combining regenerative farming education with public-facing culinary and youth programs.

Emerging players

• DC Central Kitchen: Non-profit tackling food insecurity via job training in culinary and food distribution, including mobile market-style food access in DC. Comparable on the food access / job training / mobile distribution axis, though with a culinary rather than agricultural focus.

Broad incumbents

• Big Green (formerly The Kitchen Community): National non-profit building food literacy through learning gardens in schools. Broader incumbent in food and agriculture education, with adjacent youth-and-food mission but lacking an incubator farm track.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/farmersrising
• Facebookfacebook.com/AngelicOrganicsLearningCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/angelic-organics-learning-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Angelic Organics Learning Center