Advocates for Urban Agriculture

Name

Advocates for Urban Agriculture

Legal name

Advocates for Urban Agriculture

Website

https://auachicago.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Agriculture Advocacy and Education Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Cities, Urban Development & Green Infrastructure (BPADALAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Climate, Environment & Natural Resource Management Aid Programs (BPADABAI)

Keywords

• Urban agriculture advocacy
• Community gardening
• Soil health programs
• Capacity building grants
• Food policy education

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: AUA relies on donations from individuals and organizations to fund their programs supporting urban agriculture in Chicagoland. Donations support policy advocacy, education, workshops, capacity building, and peer-to-peer mentorship for food insecure communities and working-class growers.
2. Capacity Building Grant Program: The Capacity Building Grant is housed by AUA in partnership with Food:Land:Opportunity (F.L.O.) as a model for community-led resource distribution. These funds support urban farms and community gardens to enrich the local food economy, production and distribution throughout the Chicago area.
3. Grant Funding and Government/Foundation Support: AUA receives grant funding to support their programs including soil health, water access, farmer mentorship, and capacity building. The organization partners with Food:Land:Opportunity and other funders to distribute resources to urban agriculture stakeholders.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

AUA delivers free programs, resources, and advocacy for urban growers in Chicagoland. Core offerings include the Soil Health Program, Water Access for Chicago Growers, Farmer to Farmer Mentorship, and the Capacity Building Grant program, alongside supporting resources (Community Resources Repository, Jobs Board + Solidarity News, Grants + Funding Opportunities, Education + Trainings, Policy & Ordinance Information, Urban Farmed Animal Resources Guide) and strategic initiatives such as the Chicago Urban Agriculture Mapping Project (CUAMP).

Product overview

Advocates for Urban Agriculture (AUA) offers a coordinated suite of programs and resources supporting urban agriculture in Chicagoland. The core programs include the Soil Health Program, Water Access for Chicago Growers, Farmer to Farmer Mentorship, and Capacity Building Grant. Supporting resources include a Community Resources Repository, Jobs Board + Solidarity News, Grants + Funding Opportunities, Education + Trainings, Policy & Ordinance Information, and Urban Farmed Animal Resources Guide. Strategic initiatives include the Chicago Urban Agriculture Mapping Project (CUAMP) and the Chicago Urban Agriculture Plan. Together, these offerings form an ecosystem of support for urban farmers and community gardeners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Soil Health Program A community-based program that improves soil health by addressing toxins, long-term fertility, and sustainability for urban farms in Chicagoland. Includes soil testing and remediation guidance for urban growers.
• Water Access for Chicago Growers Program advocating for equitable water access policies and providing 1:1 technical support for urban farm partners in Chicago, including assistance with hydrant permits, drip irrigation systems, backflow device recertification, and custodian cap removal.
• Farmer to Farmer Mentorship A hybrid mentorship program pairing emerging earth stewards with experienced farmers to share knowledge and foster regenerative growing practices in the Chicago region.
• Capacity Building Grant Grant funding housed by AUA in partnership with Food:Land:Opportunity (F.L.O.) that supports urban farms and community gardens to enter new markets, increase community engagement, and improve food security in the Chicago area. Operates as a model for community-led resource distribution.
• Community Resources Repository A comprehensive, vetted collection of local resources for urban agriculture including growing practices, city regulations, funding opportunities, food safety, and business considerations.
• Jobs Board + Solidarity News A board featuring job postings and community solidarity news related to urban agriculture in Chicago.
• Grants + Funding Opportunities A curated list of grant and funding opportunities for urban agriculture projects in Chicago, including loans and financing resources.
• Education + Trainings In-house training programs and educational experiences from the community offering essential skills and knowledge for urban farmers.
• Policy & Ordinance Information Information on policy and ordinance updates affecting urban agriculture in Chicago, helping growers navigate and influence the regulatory landscape.
• Urban Farmed Animal Resources Guide Resources and best practices for raising farm animals in an urban environment, including chickens, goats, ducks, quail, and worms.
• Chicago Urban Agriculture Mapping Project (CUAMP) An ongoing open-source collaboration to publicly map all urban farms and non-residential gardens across Chicago, with an interactive map and directory linking to profiles for each growing site.
• Chicago Urban Agriculture Plan A collaborative initiative between AUA and Chicago Community Gardeners Association to co-create an urban agriculture plan for Chicago, focusing on policy shifts and improved resources for growers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supported ~30 farms per year with water access via hydrant permits
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• DePaul UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015DePaul University is a key partner in the Chicago Urban Agriculture Mapping Project (CUAMP), an ongoing open source collaboration to publicly map all urban farms and non-residential gardens across Chicago. DePaul's Steans Center for Community-Based Service-Learning is involved in this initiative.
• NeighborSpacecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015NeighborSpace is the only non-profit urban land trust that preserves and sustains gardens on behalf of dedicated community groups. They partner with AUA on CUAMP and water access programs, including backflow recertification support for gardens.
• Chicago Food Policy Action CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Chicago Food Policy Action Council collaborates with AUA on the Chicago Urban Agriculture Mapping Project (CUAMP) and co-sponsorship of events like the 21st Annual Food Justice Summit.
• Food:Land:Opportunity (F.L.O.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood:Land:Opportunity partners with AUA to house the Capacity Building Grant, a model for community-led resource distribution supporting urban farms and community gardens to enrich the local food economy throughout the Chicago area.
• Chicago Safe Soils InitiativesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative project between University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois Extension, and AUA to build tools for evidence-based guidelines to mitigate potential soil risks. Provides free soil screening for lead contamination.
• University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with AUA through the Chicago Safe Soils Initiative and provides soil screening resources. Also hosts online courses on modern-day urban agriculture.
• Chicago Community Gardeners AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCGA coordinates shared resources, facilitates communication amongst gardeners, and hosts educational and networking meetings. Currently collaborating with AUA on the Chicago Urban Agriculture Plan to co-create urban agriculture policy.
• Chicago Botanic Garden / Windy City HarvestsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerChicago Botanic Garden leads classes, workshops, and certification courses. Windy City Harvest education and jobs-training program brings food, health, and jobs to the community.
• Urban Growers CollectivesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOffers agriculture, small business development, and equity building workshops to prepare growers for community food projects and commercial urban farms. AUA partner organization for training and education.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• GreenThumb (NYC Parks): NYC's municipal community gardening program supporting hundreds of gardens across New York City. Comparable mission (resourcing community gardens and urban growers) but operates as a city-government program in a different geography from AUA's Chicago focus.
• Growing Power (Milwaukee): Historically significant Midwest urban agriculture non-profit (Milwaukee) that combined training, advocacy, and food system change. Comparable as a regional Midwest urban ag coalition, though the organization has wound down direct operations.
• Local Matters (Columbus, OH): Midwest non-profit delivering food education, cooking, and gardening programs. Comparable as a regional food-and-grower education non-profit, though with a different geography than AUA's Chicago focus.

Direct peers

• Soul Fire Farm: New York-based BIPOC-led farm and food justice organization delivering training, advocacy, and resource distribution for growers from marginalized communities. Highly comparable to AUA's equity-centered, BIPOC/LGBTQ+/disabled grower focus and advocacy model.
• NeighborSpace: Chicago's only non-profit urban land trust preserving community gardens. Functions as a direct peer and core AUA partner, with overlapping programs in land access, water access, and CUAMP — serving the same urban grower community in Chicago.
• Urban Growers Collective: Chicago non-profit operating urban farms and delivering training, small business development, and equity workshops. Direct AUA partner with highly overlapping beneficiary base on Chicago's south and west sides.
• Kitchen Gardeners International: Non-profit focused on empowering individuals and communities to grow their own food, with resources and advocacy aligned to AUA's grower-support model. Comparable as a mission-driven, education-and-advocacy urban/home food growing organization.
• Chicago Food Policy Action Council: Chicago-based food policy coalition that co-developed CUAMP with AUA and co-sponsors events like the Food Justice Summit. Directly comparable as a Chicago-area food/urban-agriculture advocacy coalition serving overlapping constituencies.
• Food:Land:Opportunity (F.L.O.): Chicago-area funder coalition supporting equitable food systems; houses the Capacity Building Grant with AUA. Directly comparable as a Chicago-region food/land equity funder coalition working with overlapping grower communities.

Broad incumbents

• Chicago Botanic Garden / Windy City Harvest: Large, established Chicago-area institution delivering urban agriculture education, certification, and jobs training. AUA partner on training; broader in scope and deeper in capital than AUA, comparable as an urban-agriculture support provider.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/auachicago
• Facebookfacebook.com/AUAChicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/advocates-for-urban-agriculture

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Advocates for Urban Agriculture