Working Landscapes

What Working Landscapes does

Working Landscapes is a North Carolina-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2010 by Carla Norwood, PhD and Gabe Cumming, PhD to drive rural economic development in Warren County. The organization operates the ByWay Foods food hub, which aggregates produce from local GAP-certified farms and runs a HACCP-certified fresh-cut vegetable processing facility in downtown Warrenton. In 2024, ByWay Foods processed 254,337 pounds of North Carolina-grown vegetables and supplied fresh-cut produce to 38 school districts across North Carolina and Virginia, reaching more than 885,000 school children. The organization also serves the Warren County Senior Center with prepared meals, distributes bi-weekly produce boxes to individual consumers ($35 per box), and rents a commercial-grade shared-use kitchen at The Hive community space for $25/hour.

Name

Working Landscapes

Legal name

Working Landscapes

Website

https://workinglandscapesnc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Hub Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural/Organic Food Co-ops & Community Natural Grocers (CRAHAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Agroforestry & Perennial Cropping Systems (EUABABAD)

Keywords

• Food hub operations
• Farm-to-school supply
• Fresh-cut produce processing
• Rural community development
• Small farmer support

Headquarters

HQ city

Warrenton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Food Hub Product Sales: Sales of fresh-cut vegetables, prepared meals, and produce boxes to schools, institutions, senior centers, and individual consumers. Revenue from produce boxes starting at $35 each.
2. Shared-Use Kitchen Rental: Hourly rental of commercial-grade shared-use kitchen at The Hive. User fees of $25/hour with additional storage fees.
3. Grants and Fundraising: Grant funding from USDA, foundations, and organizations including USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities (~$5 million awarded in 2023), BCBS Foundation, Golden Leaf Foundation, Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Working Landscapes operates ByWay Foods, a regional food hub in Warren County, NC, that aggregates, processes (HACCP-certified), and distributes fresh-cut local vegetables, prepared meals, and subscription produce boxes to 38 K-12 school districts across North Carolina and Virginia, while also running The Hive shared-use community kitchen, farmer services (GAP certification support, biochar kiln lending), and resilience/community programming.

Product overview

Working Landscapes operates a multi-product portfolio centered on regional food system development and rural community resilience. The core offerings include ByWay Foods (food hub brand providing fresh-cut vegetables, prepared meals, and produce boxes), The Hive (community space with shared-use kitchen), Farmer Services (GAP certification, biochar loans, soil health consultation), Value Chain Development (Farm to School/Senior programs, food safety consulting), and Food for Thought (after-school education program). These products interconnect through the food hub infrastructure: ByWay Foods aggregates produce from farmers served by farmer support programs and distributes through value chain partnerships to schools and communities. The Hive provides physical space for community programming and kitchen facilities for food processing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ByWay Foods: Food hub brand that aggregates and distributes local produce to schools, institutions, and individuals. Provides fresh-cut vegetables, prepared meals, and produce boxes.
• The Hive

Products and services

• ByWay Foods Fresh-Cut Produce HACCP-certified fresh-cut local vegetable processing and distribution service for institutional buyers, primarily K-12 school districts across NC and VA.
• Main Street Kitchen Prepared meals product line produced at ByWay Foods, distributed to schools and institutional buyers.
• Farm to School Program Longest-running farm-to-school program in the NC/VA region, connecting local farms with K-12 school nutrition programs across 38 districts.
• Produce Box Subscription Weekly subscription produce box offering local, fresh-cut vegetables to individual consumers via pickup locations and online ordering.
• The Hive Shared-Use Kitchen Shared-use commercial kitchen space in Warrenton, NC, available for hourly rental by food entrepreneurs, caterers, and community cooks.
• Food Safety Consulting Consulting services for food businesses and farmers covering food safety compliance, regulatory navigation, and certification readiness, led by PCQI-certified staff.
• GAP Certification Support Farmer services supporting Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification readiness, documentation, and audit preparation for small farmers seeking wholesale market access.
• Biochar Kiln Loan Program Free loan program that provides biochar production kilns to farmers and landowners for soil health improvement and carbon sequestration.
• Food for Thought (After-School Program) After-school youth program combining nutrition education and food system learning for students in the region.
• Climate Conversations Workshop Series Community workshop series using the Community Voice Method to engage residents in climate resilience planning and local food systems dialogue.

Quantifiable outcome

• 254,337 pounds of vegetables processed in 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 4P FoodscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner food hub for farm-to-school program distribution, helping supply fresh produce to schools
• Farmer FoodsharecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner hub for supplying schools through collaborative food hub network
• Firsthand FoodscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFarm-to-school collaborator offering pasture-raised local meats to complement fresh-cut vegetables
• NC Department of Agriculture Farm to School ProgramcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProud supplier of produce for statewide farm-to-school program serving NC schools
• North Carolina Food Hub CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization bringing together food hubs across North Carolina to strengthen regional food systems
• Eastern Food Hub CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization representing food hubs up and down the East Coast
• Kerr Tar Regional Food CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking Landscapes' Director of Strategic Initiatives (Gabe Cumming) serves as Co-Chair. Council aims to strengthen food system of Kerr-Tar region (Warren, Franklin, Granville, Person, and Vance counties).
• High Country Food HubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner food hub in Boone, NC visited during staff retreat. Part of Climate-Smart program network.
• TRACTOR Food and FarmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner food hub in Spruce Pine, NC visited during staff retreat. Part of Climate-Smart program network.
• Men and Women United for Youth and FamiliesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in Delco, NC working on climate-smart agriculture and food access in eastern NC
• Museum of Life and SciencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDurham museum partnering on Food for Thought after-school program for Warren County high school students
• Organic Growers SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Climate Resilience Training program for farmers in Southern Appalachians
• NOFA-VT (Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Climate Resilience Training program for farmers
• CFSA (Carolina Farm Stewardship Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Climate Resilience Training program for farmers
• Center for Environmental Farming SystemsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization that arranged tour and discussion visit with partners and funders
• Warren Ministries UnitedminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner distributing healthy local food to families in need through Working Landscapes' programs
• Blue Ridge Women in AgricultureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in WNC Biochar Loan Program and soil health workshops
• Laughing Springs FarmminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFarm in Boone visited during staff retreat, practicing regenerative farming with diverse vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Firsthand Foods: North Carolina-based aggregator/distributor of pasture-raised local meats, active partner with Working Landscapes on farm-to-school meat offerings. Comparable NC-based local food value chain operator serving institutional buyers.
• The Common Market: Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regional food hub distributing local farm produce to schools, hospitals, and wholesale accounts. Comparable regional food hub model with institutional farm-to-school focus.
• Farmer Foodshare: North Carolina-based food hub connecting local farmers to wholesale and institutional buyers including schools. Direct Working Landscapes collaborator in farm-to-school supply and member of NC Food Hub Collaborative.
• 4P Foods: Regional Mid-Atlantic food hub aggregating local farm produce for wholesale and direct-to-consumer distribution. Direct partner of Working Landscapes in the NC Food Hub Collaborative and farm-to-school distribution.
• Local Food Hub: Charlottesville, Virginia food hub aggregating and distributing local produce to schools, institutions, and consumers. Highly comparable mission and Virginia geographic overlap with Working Landscapes' two-state farm-to-school work.
• Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP): Western North Carolina nonprofit supporting local food systems through farmer support, farm-to-school programming, and the ASAP Business Center. Comparable mission, region, and farm-to-school/institutional focus.
• High Country Food Hub: Boone, NC community food hub operating online farmers market and local food distribution. Direct Working Landscapes Climate-Smart program partner with comparable food hub model and North Carolina footprint.
• TRACTOR Food and Farms: Spruce Pine, NC food hub and community food initiative serving Western NC. Listed partner of Working Landscapes in the Climate-Smart Commodities network with comparable regional food hub model.

Others

• Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA): North and South Carolina nonprofit advocating for organic and sustainable farming, farmer training, and farm-to-institution support. Active Working Landscapes partner in Climate Resilience Training with comparable regional food systems focus.

Broad incumbents

• Kitchen United: National shared-use / cloud kitchen operator providing commercial kitchen rental to food entrepreneurs at scale. Comparable commercial shared-kitchen service offering to Working Landscapes' Hive but operating at national scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/workinglandscapes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/working-landscapes

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Working Landscapes