Groundworks Farm

What Groundworks Farm does

Groundworks Farm is a USDA Certified Organic Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operation located in Pittsville, Maryland, founded and operated by Kevin Brown and Margaret Brown. The farm serves individual households across Maryland, Washington DC, and Northern Virginia through seasonal subscription farm shares distributed at designated pickup locations in Alexandria, Arlington, Annapolis, and on the farm. Core share categories include Summer-Fall and Winter-Spring Produce Shares ($698 winter tier), Pasture-Raised Egg Shares ($137), Pasture-Raised Chicken Shares ($278), Pasture-Raised and Grass-fed Meat Shares ($305 mini / $556 regular), Local Farmstead Cheese Shares, and a bundled Whole Farm Share, supplemented by Margaret's Farm Store carrying local dairy, baked goods, and pantry staples.

The farm's technical core is a proprietary post-harvest infrastructure: four walk-in coolers tuned to four distinct temperature and humidity specifications (99% humidity/35°F for produce, 55°F/65% for basil, 60°F/65% for tomatoes and eggplants, and 75°F/85% for ripening tomatoes) plus approximately 25 unique harvesting and handling procedures developed over 15+ years. These include evening/nighttime-only harvesting, soil tarps, insulated member containers, packing at 60°F/60% humidity, rapid temperature pull-down without condensation, and proprietary stacking techniques. The farm holds USDA Organic certification, sits on Hurlock Loam Soil of Statewide Importance at the top of the local watershed, and operates under a multi-farm aggregation model sourcing meat, eggs, and supplemental produce from regional partner farms including Miller Family Farm, Wolf Creek Farm, Wild for Salmon, J & L Green Farm, and Fifer Orchards.

The business model is direct-to-consumer subscription-based with upfront seasonal payments, providing operating cash flow at the start of each season. Members typically prepay for 6-month seasonal shares, with options for payment plans, early-payment discounts (5% before October 1), member-funded financial assistance scholarships (up to ~$700), and student rates. Marketing is community-centric and low-cost, relying on the farm blog, email newsletter, Facebook, member testimonials, local TV (WBOC Delmarva Life), and the in-person pickup events themselves rather than paid acquisition. The farm operated continuously for 32 consecutive seasons before announcing a temporary closure in 2024, with an email signup maintained for future developments.

Name

Groundworks Farm

Legal name

Groundworks Farm

Website

https://groundworksfarm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Groundworks Farm is a USDA Certified Organic CSA farm in Pittsville, Maryland, operating direct-to-consumer seasonal farm shares (produce, eggs, chicken, meat, cheese) for households across Maryland, Washington DC, and Northern Virginia, founded and run by the Brown family.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic CSA Farming

NAICS

Vegetable and Melon Farming (1112), Other Food Crops Grown Under Cover (111419)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Farm-to-Consumer Produce Boxes / CSA Delivery (AFAIANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Produce Markets & Greengrocers (CRAHAHAA), Organic & Pasture-Raised Poultry & Egg Production (AFAEADAJ)

Keywords

• Organic CSA farm shares
• Community Supported Agriculture
• Pasture-raised eggs and meat
• USDA Certified Organic produce
• Local farmstead cheese

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. CSA Farm Share Subscriptions: Seasonal subscription-based Community Supported Agriculture model. Members pay upfront for farm shares (produce, eggs, chicken, meat, cheese, whole farm) and receive regular distributions. Summer-Fall shares run June through November with weekly pickup; Winter-Spring shares run December through May with bi-weekly pickup (9 total distributions per location). The CSA model provides farmers with important cash flow at the beginning of the season. Members can add multiple share types; Whole Farm Share counts as 5 individual shares.
2. Farm Store Retail Sales: At CSA pickup locations, a farm store sells supplemental local products including dairy (milk, butter, cream, yogurt, cheese), tofu, kombucha, pickles, apple cider, donuts, coffee, granola, honey, maple syrup, sauerkraut, nuts, jam, and more. Purchases made by check or cash.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Groundworks Farm runs a year-round Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program selling seasonal subscription farm shares of USDA Certified Organic vegetables and fruits, pasture-raised eggs, pasture-raised chicken, grass-fed meat, and local farmstead cheese to households in Maryland, Washington DC, and Northern Virginia. Members prepay for Summer-Fall (June–November, weekly) or Winter-Spring (December–May, bi-weekly) shares and pick up at designated community distribution points, where Margaret's on-site farm store also offers supplemental local products such as dairy, honey, and maple syrup.

Product overview

Groundworks Farm operates a year-round Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program offering multiple distinct share types. The core offering consists of six farm share categories: Produce Farm Share (certified organic vegetables and fruits, available in both Summer-Fall and Winter-Spring seasons), Pasture-Raised Egg Share, Pasture-Raised Chicken Share, Pasture-Raised and Grass-fed Meat Share, Local Farmstead Cheese Share, and a Whole Farm Share bundling all five. An add-on Margaret's Farm Store provides supplementary local products, and a Financial Assistance Program offers produce share scholarships. The farm's produce is USDA Certified Organic, supplemented by partner local certified organic farms, and features specialized post-harvest handling including four purpose-built walk-in coolers with distinct temperature and humidity specifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kevin's Blends®: Lettuce mix product line
• Frost-Sweetened Carrots®
• Janucrisp®

Products and services

• Summer-Fall Produce Farm Share Weekly or bi-weekly distributions of seasonal certified organic vegetables and fruits from June through November, featuring 10-11 different produce items per pickup, sourced from the farm's own production and partner local certified organic farms. Designed for a household of 3-5 people or 1-2 avid cooks.
• Winter-Spring Produce Farm Share Bi-weekly distributions of certified organic winter and spring produce from December through May, including greens, roots, brassicas, squashes, apples, and greenhouse-grown items such as strawberries, asparagus, and tomatoes. Priced at $698 per season for 9 distributions.
• Pasture-Raised Egg Farm Share
• Pasture-Raised Chicken Farm Share
• Pasture-Raised and Grass-fed Meat Farm Share
• Local Farmstead Cheese Farm Share Monthly distributions of locally sourced farmstead cheese from regional artisan cheese makers. Available in both Summer-Fall and Winter-Spring seasons.
• Whole Farm Share
• Margaret's Farm Store

Quantifiable outcome

• Produce lasts 'unbelievably long' from seed to table due to specialized handling — up to 3x longer than wet-harvested produce from other farms.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wholesome Living AcrescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Supplier of pasture-raised eggs for the 2024-25 Winter-Spring Egg Share. Wholesome Living Acres follows the same growing practices as Groundworks — chickens moved on pasture, soy-free non-GMO grain, deep orange yolks year-round.
• Miller Family FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner farm supplying pasture-raised pork, grass-fed beef, and grass-fed lamb for the Meat Share program. Groundworks purchases whole animals from Miller Family Farm, which are then processed on-farm or by partners Fauquier's Finest Custom Butcher Shop and Wild for Salmon.
• Wolf Creek FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner farm supplying grass-fed beef for the Meat Share. Beef is processed alongside Miller Family Farm products at the same cutting partners.
• Wild for SalmoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of wild-caught Alaskan seafood (salmon, salmon burgers, scallops, whitefish) for the Meat Share, distributed as part of the monthly points-based selection. Also a meat cutting partner.
• Fauquier's Finest Custom Butcher ShopcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCustom butcher shop partner that cuts and processes beef, lamb, and pork for Groundworks Meat Shares. Meat is carefully cut either in Groundworks' own on-farm butcher shop or by this partner.
• J & L Green FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of pasture-raised chickens for the Winter-Spring Chicken Share. Chickens are dressed, whole, frozen, and distributed monthly (first week, 5 monthly pickups), averaging 4 lbs per chicken.
• Fifer OrchardsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner farm supplying supplemental fruit (blueberries, peaches) to diversify Summer-Fall CSA shares. Groundworks increasingly partners with other local sustainable farms to fill out and diversify shares.
• Valentine's Country MeatsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of grass-fed beef, lamb, and pastured laying hens. Eggs from this source supplement Groundworks' own egg supply.
• La Prima CateringminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal catering partner that prepared meals using Groundworks farm products. Had previously planted tomatoes together with Groundworks farmers. La Prima continues to offer prepared foods made from Groundworks products.
• Bridges to IndependenceminorOthersNonprofit organization that shelters and supports homeless women and families. Receives donated unclaimed CSA Shares from Groundworks. Awarded Groundworks the Bridge Builder Award in 2018 for its contributions.
• Got Your 6minorOthersVeteran support organization. Groundworks pledged to donate 5% of gross sales from new shares signed up during its Memorial Day Membership Drive (goal of 50 new shares) to Got Your 6.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Great Country Farms: Northern Virginia farm offering CSA shares, on-farm market, and agritourism experiences. Comparable in Virginia CSA distribution and farm-store retail, though broader in agritourism revenue mix.
• Polyface Farm: Iconic regenerative pasture-based farm in Swoope, Virginia known for pasture-raised meats, eggs, and on-farm sales. Comparable in regenerative practices, multi-species animal production, and Virginia-based CSA/sales model, but with much larger brand and product breadth.
• Full Belly Farm: Certified organic California farm operating one of the longest-running CSAs in the U.S. plus farmers markets and wholesale. Comparable in CSA heritage, organic diversity, and branded farm products, though serving a West Coast market.
• Earthbound Farm: One of the largest USDA Certified Organic produce growers in the U.S., supplying retail grocery nationwide with packaged organic salads and vegetables. Comparable organic crop production and post-harvest handling expertise, but operates as a wholesale/retail brand rather than CSA.

Direct peers

• Tussock Sedge Farm: Pasture-based regenerative farm in Perkasie, PA operating a year-round CSA with pasture-raised meats, eggs, and produce. Comparable for its multi-share subscription model, on-farm butcher capability, and Mid-Atlantic regional distribution.
• Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative: Organic farmer-owned cooperative in Lancaster County, PA aggregating produce from 120+ member farms for CSA delivery across the Mid-Atlantic. Comparable as a CSA-driven organic produce aggregator, though operating at substantially larger scale than Groundworks.
• One Acre Farm: USDA Certified Organic CSA farm located in Montgomery County, Maryland, serving the DC metro area with multi-week produce, egg, and meat shares. Closest geographic and operational peer to Groundworks given overlap in Maryland/DC distribution footprint and CSA subscription model.
• Calvert's Gift Farm: Certified Organic CSA farm in Sparks, Maryland serving Baltimore and the DC metro area with seasonal produce shares plus eggs and meat add-ons. Comparable in size, organic certification, share structure, and Mid-Atlantic CSA distribution.

Emerging players

• Imperfect Foods (Misfits Market): Direct-to-consumer online subscription service delivering organic produce and pantry items nationwide, competing for the same health-conscious household customer that subscribes to CSAs. Comparable target demographic and subscription model, but with very different logistics and digital scale.

Others

• Fauquier's Finest Custom Butcher Shop: Custom butcher and meat processor in Virginia used by Groundworks for meat share cutting. Relevant as a service provider/advisor to the same pasture-raised meat CSA value chain in which Groundworks competes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/groundworksfarm
• Xx.com/groundworksfarm

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Groundworks Farm