Mountain Roots Food Project

What Mountain Roots Food Project does

Mountain Roots Food Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2010 and headquartered in the Gunnison Valley of Western Colorado. Its mission is to cultivate a robust, community-based local food system in a high-altitude, short-growing-season market. The organization runs an integrated portfolio of programs including a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscription serving 140+ households, a Backyard Harvest gleaning and produce-donation program serving 150+ food-insecure households, a Farm to School partnership with the Gunnison Watershed School District, a containerized hydroponic farm branded Infinity Greens, a NextGen|ReGen agricultural apprenticeship, and an emerging USDA-funded regional food hub. Operationally it works with a small core team (8 full-time staff), supplemented by 15 AmeriCorps members, 2 graduate fellows, and a 300+ volunteer base.

Name

Mountain Roots Food Project

Legal name

Mountain Roots Food Project

Website

https://mountainrootsfoodproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mountain Roots Food Project is a Gunnison Valley, Colorado-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that builds a community-based local food system through CSA subscriptions, gleaning, Farm to School, hydroponic production, apprenticeship, and a USDA-funded regional food hub.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Food Systems

NAICS

Community Food Services (624210), Other Food Crops Grown Under Cover (111419), Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Farm-to-Consumer Produce Boxes / CSA Delivery (AFAIANAC), Nutrition & Food Security (Global Health) NGOs (HLAJAKAH), Farm-to-Table & Agritourism Dining Experiences (Farm Visits, Harvest Meals) (THAJAGAK)

Keywords

• Community supported agriculture
• Regenerative farming services
• Food security assistance
• Agricultural education programs
• Local food distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Gunnison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: Revenue from summer camps, afterschool programs, and cooking classes. Kids Cook! courses, summer adventure camps, and Backcountry Cooking camps generate fees for educational programming.
2. CSA Subscriptions: Community Supported Agriculture weekly food box subscriptions (16-week season). Multiple share options including vegetable, fruit, egg, bread, vegetarian whole diet, whole diet with choice cuts, and sauce/marinade shares. Work-trade and SNAP shares available at discounted rates.
3. Soup Share Subscriptions: Winter edition soup subscription program offering chef-crafted soups and artisan bread delivered to subscribers' doors. 10-week program at $49.50/week. Limited to 50 subscribers.
4. Donations and Grants: Individual donations constitute approximately one third of operating budget. Five to ten percent from local businesses. Twenty-five percent from grants. Combined with produce sales totaling approximately 30% of budget.
5. Event Fundraising: Major annual events including Feast in the Field (signature summer gathering) and Harvest Hoedown that raise significant portions of the organization's annual budget.
6. Produce and Food Sales: Wholesale produce sales to restaurants and grocers throughout the valley. Online marketplace for local and regionally grown food. SNAP/EBT benefits accepted for purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Mountain Roots Food Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that grows, aggregates, and distributes local food across Gunnison Valley, Colorado, through regenerative in-ground farms, four hydroponic shipping-container farms (Infinity Greens), a multi-farm CSA, a wholesale Food Hub, the Backyard Harvest free-produce-delivery program, and a Soup Share winter subscription. The organization supplements production and distribution with K-12 Farm to School programming, culinary and summer-camp education, a paid two-year NextGen|ReGen Beginning Farmer Apprenticeship, Cooking Matters nutrition courses, and the Healthy Futures AmeriCorps program, all supported by an event-based fundraising engine (Feast in the Field, Harvest Hoedown).

Product overview

Mountain Roots Food Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates a multi-layered food systems portfolio organized around three pillars: food production (growing spaces and distribution), food security (access and education), and food economy (CSA and food hub). Its core products include two production farms (Glacier Farm and Community Farm at Coldharbour Ranch), a multi-farm collaborative CSA, the Infinity Greens hydroponic brand (four container farms), a Food Hub for wholesale distribution, Backyard Harvest food boxes, and Soup Share winter meal delivery. These production programs are complemented by education offerings including Farm to School (serving 2,000+ K-12 students), Kids Cook! culinary courses, Yes! to Adventure Summer Camps, and the NextGen|ReGen Beginning Farmer Training Program. Food security is supported through Backyard Harvest, Cooking Matters free courses, and the Gunni Grows Gardener Network. The Healthy Futures AmeriCorps program places service members across Southwest Colorado, and annual fundraising events (Feast in the Field, Harvest Hoedown) support organizational operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Infinity Greens: Hydroponically grown organic greens, herbs, and edible flowers brand using four recycled shipping containers for year-round production.
• Build.Sow.Grow.
• Feast in the Field
• Harvest Hoedown
• Backyard Harvest
• CSA
• Soup Share
• Kids Cook!
• Cooking Matters
• Gunni Grows!
• Healthy Futures
• Rooted at the Table

Products and services

• Multi-Farm CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) A collaborative Community Supported Agriculture subscription program sourcing from multiple local and regional small family farms, offering vegetable, orchard fruit, pastured egg, artisan bread, whole diet, vegetarian whole diet, and sauce/marinade shares across a 16-week season (June-October), with pickup in Gunnison or Crested Butte, SNAP/EBT acceptance, and work-trade options.
• Soup Share A 10-week ski-season subscription delivering chef-crafted small-batch soups (2 quarts) plus artisan bread (1 loaf) to subscribers' doors weekly, featuring reusable glass jar packaging and a pay-it-forward sponsorship option for food-insecure households. Limited to 50 subscribers per season.
• Backyard Harvest A free weekly food-rescue and home-delivery program delivering boxes of fresh produce to 150+ food-insecure households every week, year-round. Boxes are packed on Tuesdays and delivered the same day between 12:30-3pm.
• Farm to School A district-wide Farm to School program serving 2,000+ K-12 students with hands-on environmental science lessons, nutrition education, school-garden living classrooms, and cafeteria harvest integration across Gunnison Watershed RE1J Schools.
• Kids Cook! Culinary arts courses for kids ages 10-14 with themed hands-on cooking classes in six-week sessions across fall, winter, and spring in both Gunnison and Crested Butte, using nutritious, organic, locally sourced ingredients.
• Yes! to Adventure Summer Camps Summer adventure camps for rising K-6th graders (Big Wide World Adventure Camps) and middle-schoolers (Backcountry Cooking), plus afternoon garden camps, with scholarship support ensuring equitable access.
• Cooking Matters A free six-week course (in partnership with Share Our Strength's Cooking Matters national program) teaching low-income adults to shop smart and cook healthy low-cost meals on a budget, offered in English and Spanish with childcare support and groceries sent home with participants.
• NextGen|ReGen Beginning Farmer Training Program A two-year immersive paid training program combining classroom curriculum and field experience to train the next generation of regenerative farmers, including a Registered Apprenticeship (registered with the U.S. Department of Labor) and Seasonal Internships in vertical farming or regenerative farming. Participants earn a $17/hr starting wage with tiered pay increases, AmeriCorps benefits including education award, and housing support.
• Healthy Futures AmeriCorps Program A regional AmeriCorps program placing service members across rural Colorado to support food systems organizations, offering positions in food systems, nutrition education, community gardens, and regenerative agriculture. Mountain Roots hosts members and partners with seven food systems organizations for placement.
• Food Hub A regional food distribution platform enabling restaurants, grocers, schools, and institutions to order local food from small farms across southwest Colorado with consolidated invoicing and refrigerated delivery.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12,000+ pounds of organic produce annually from eight growing spaces
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Crested Butte Land TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Glacier Farm - agricultural lease on historic Niccoli homestead property. Collaborative vision to meet immediate food needs and model working lands conservation through agriculture.
• Build.Sow.Grow.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreenhouse partnership providing instrumental space for starting vegetable crops and early season production. Custom designed for optimal growing conditions in extreme Gunnison Valley climate using climate battery technology and passive solar design.
• Coldharbour InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Community Farm at Coldharbour Ranch - 1.5 to 2-acre diversified community farm established 2017, located 10 miles east of Gunnison.
• Western Colorado UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership offering two two-year fellowships to Master in Environmental Management graduate students, sponsoring capstone projects for Environmental Studies undergrads. Advising on Center for Cold Climate Food Systems minor and culinary intern program.
• AmeriCorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthy Futures AmeriCorps Program places service members across rural Colorado to support food systems organizations. Mountain Roots hosts members and partners with 7 food systems organizations for placement.
• Calder FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner farm supplying produce to collaborative multi-farm CSA.
• Gunnison GardenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner farm supplying produce to collaborative multi-farm CSA. Farm tour destination for CSA members.
• Iola Valley FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner farm supplying produce to collaborative multi-farm CSA. Farm tour destination.
• Parker PasturescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner farm supplying produce to collaborative multi-farm CSA. Farm tour destination.
• Cooking Matters / Share Our StrengthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization partnership for free six-week cooking courses teaching low-income adults to shop smart and cook healthy on a budget. Mountain Roots is community partner.
• Crested Butte Farmers MarketcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMarket donates organic produce, pasture-raised meats, eggs, and breads to Backyard Harvest after each Sunday market day for distribution to families in need.
• Gunnison Country Food PantrycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKey partner for food relief in Gunnison County. Extended weekday hours and new Saturday distribution supported by Mountain Roots with 800 lbs fresh food per week.
• Gunnison Watershed School District RE1JcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDistrict-wide Farm to School program serving 2,500 K-12 students with experiential environmental science, living classrooms, and nutrition lessons.
• Gunnison Valley Producers' GuildcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFarmer cooperative that Mountain Roots helped establish in 2017. Key agricultural producer and founding member.
• Ute Mountain Ute Tribal NationsminorOthersLand acknowledgment of traditional and ancestral homelands of the Ute Mountain Ute tribal nations, original stewards of the land.
• Sundrop FloraminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFormer Mountain Roots employee business offering summer flower shares. Mountain Roots supports local flower farmers.
• Guidestone ColoradominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Healthy Futures AmeriCorps program for regional food systems work.
• Valley Roots Food HubminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional food hub partner for distribution and market access.
• Rio Grande Farm ParkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Healthy Futures AmeriCorps program placement.
• GroundworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Healthy Futures AmeriCorps program placement.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Local Food Hub: Charlottesville, Virginia-based nonprofit food hub aggregating produce from small farms for wholesale and CSA distribution; operates an almost identical model to Mountain Roots' Food Hub and multi-farm CSA.
• Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF): California-based nonprofit advocating for sustainable agriculture and supporting family farms through education, policy, and market access; comparable mission around regenerative farming, beginning farmer support, and local food systems.
• Kitchen Table Advisors: California nonprofit providing business advising and training to small sustainable farmers; comparable to Mountain Roots' NextGen|ReGen Beginning Farmer Training Program in providing structured support for next-generation regenerative farmers.
• Appalachian Sustainable Development: Regional nonprofit building sustainable food systems in Appalachian communities through farm production, aggregation, food access, and farmer training—closely mirrors Mountain Roots' integrated production/distribution/education model in a different geography.
• FoodCorps: National nonprofit that places AmeriCorps members in schools to deliver food education, school gardens, and farm-to-school programming—almost identical operating model to Mountain Roots' Farm to School and AmeriCorps Healthy Futures programs.
• National Farm to School Network: Information, advocacy, and networking hub for the farm-to-school movement; closely aligned with Mountain Roots' district-wide Farm to School program and broader mission of integrating local food into K-12 institutions.
• Boston Area Gleaners: Nonprofit that gleans surplus produce from farms and delivers to food-insecure communities; directly comparable to Mountain Roots' Backyard Harvest food rescue and weekly door-delivery model.
• Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming: New York-based nonprofit advancing regional food systems through farmer training, food access, and community programs; closely comparable multi-pillar mission to Mountain Roots' production/education/food-security model.
• Wholesome Wave: National nonprofit focused on doubling SNAP/EBT benefits for produce purchases through Double Up Food Bucks and similar programs; directly comparable to Mountain Roots' SNAP/EBT acceptance, CSA work-trade shares, and Backyard Harvest food access programs.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America (regional affiliates): National network of food banks including regional affiliates (e.g., Food Bank of the Rockies in Colorado); overlaps with Mountain Roots' Backyard Harvest and food pantry partnerships but operates at vastly larger scale with different model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/mountainroots_foodproject
• Instagraminstagram.com/mountainroots_foodproject
• Facebookfacebook.com/mountainrootsfoodproject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mountain-roots-food-project

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Mountain Roots Food Project