What Native Roots Farm Foundation does

Native Roots Farm Foundation (NRFF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 84-4361181) founded in 2020 by Courtney Streett, a Nanticoke tribal member, and her husband John Reynolds. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, NRFF's mission is to celebrate Indigenous cultures, protect open space, cultivate a public garden, and practice sustainable agriculture, with primary focus on the Nanticoke and Lenape communities of the Delmarva region. The organization's work centers on Indigenous food sovereignty, land stewardship, and traditional ecological knowledge preservation, delivered through educational programs, powwows, workshops, language revitalization resources, and seed rematriation initiatives such as the Nanticoke Squash program.

NRFF's core operational offering is the Hakihakàn (Lenape for garden or farm), a 50-acre public property in Georgetown, Delaware acquired in March 2026 through the Rooted In Resilience capital campaign. Supporting offerings include the NRFF Blog documenting ethnobotanical knowledge across multiple Indigenous languages, hands-on community programming (Three Sisters Garden, cooking demonstrations, Indigenous beadwork and tanning), and educational partnerships with schools and cultural institutions. The organization does not build or rely on proprietary technology platforms; its digital footprint consists of a Squarespace website, Google Analytics, MailChimp newsletters, an Etsy storefront for merchandise, and standard social media channels.

NRFF's revenue model is characteristic of a mid-sized regional nonprofit: it relies on individual donations, a multi-year capital campaign (target $3M, $1.25M raised by March 2026), foundation grants from funders including Mid Atlantic Arts, The Wallace Foundation, Starbucks Foundation, Delaware Community Foundation, and Justice Outside, and modest merchandise sales through Etsy. Programs are delivered free of charge. The organization does not publicly disclose annual revenue or financial statements, but its Mid Atlantic Arts grant eligibility indicates operating expenses under $500,000. NRFF does not sell to commercial customers; rather, its stakeholder base consists of Indigenous and tribal communities, the general public, educational institutions, museums, and donors/supporters across the Delmarva region and nationally.

Name

Native Roots Farm Foundation

Legal name

Native Roots Farm Foundation

Website

https://nativerootsde.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Native Roots Farm Foundation is a Nanticoke-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit that celebrates Indigenous cultures, protects open space, and practices sustainable agriculture through the Hakihakàn public garden and educational programming serving tribal communities and the broader public in Delaware and the Delmarva region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indigenous Cultural Education and Land Stewardship

NAICS

Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (1132), Vegetable and Melon Farming (1112)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC), Native Species & Restoration Plant Nurseries (AFAMADAF)

Keywords

• Indigenous food sovereignty
• Native plant cultivation
• Seed rematriation programs
• Cultural education workshops
• Land conservation nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: NRFF operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 84-4361181) that relies on donations from individuals, community members, and supporters to fund its programs, land acquisition, and operations.
2. Capital Campaign (Rooted In Resilience): Multi-year capital campaign to raise $3 million for purchasing and developing 50-acre property in Georgetown, DE. Phase One ($1 million for land purchase) completed March 2026 with $1.25 million raised as of March 2026.
3. Merchandise Sales via Etsy: NRFF sells merchandise including Tehim Juice (strawberry juice with maple syrup), branded items, and other products through an Etsy storefront.
4. Grants and Foundation Funding: NRFF receives grants from Mid Atlantic Arts, The Wallace Foundation, Starbucks Foundation, Delaware Community Foundation, Justice Outside, and other funders to support operations and specific programs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Native Roots Farm Foundation (NRFF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers educational programs, workshops, powwows, and hands-on activities centered on Indigenous ecological knowledge, native plant cultivation, and food sovereignty for Indigenous communities and the wider public. Its anchor asset is a 50-acre public Hakihakàn (Lenape for garden/farm) in Georgetown, DE, supporting seed rematriation work (Nanticoke Squash and Three Sisters), complemented by an ethnobotanical blog and small Etsy-based merchandise sales.

Product overview

Native Roots Farm Foundation operates as a single unified nonprofit organization offering community-based educational programs centered on Indigenous food sovereignty and land stewardship. The core offering is the Hakihakàn—a public garden and farm space serving as a living classroom for Indigenous ecological knowledge. Supporting programs include educational workshops, powwows, seed rematriation initiatives, and the NRFF Blog which documents relationships between Indigenous communities and native Eastern Woodlands plants. The Rooted In Resilience capital campaign funds the organization's physical land acquisition and permanent facility development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hakihakàn (Public Garden/Farm) A public Lenape garden and farm space for community connection, Indigenous ecological knowledge education, intertribal gatherings, and hands-on programming centered on native plants and Three Sisters cultivation. Located on 50 acres in Georgetown, DE, it features meadows, ephemeral ponds, 34 acres of mature forest, and a handicap-accessible straw bale house.
• Educational Programs and Community Workshops Community programming including ethnobotanical workshops, powwows, cooking demonstrations, and hands-on activities that teach participants about native plants, Indigenous food sovereignty, and traditional ecological knowledge through art, food, and horticulture.
• Seed Rematriation Program Programs dedicated to returning culturally significant seeds and plants to Indigenous communities, including Three Sisters (corn, beans, squash) cultivation and Nanticoke Squash revitalization through partnerships with seed-saving organizations.
• Tehim Juice and NRFF Merchandise Beverages and branded merchandise sold through an external Etsy storefront to support NRFF's mission, including Tehim Juice (a strawberry juice with maple syrup) and other branded items.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 400,000 people engaged since 2020
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• St. Andrew's SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRFF has an ongoing pilot program partnership with St. Andrew's School, including garden programs, cultural dinners featuring Indigenous foods, and student education. The partnership has included harvests and educational visits.
• Seed Farm at PrincetoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for Nanticoke Squash seed rematriation, seed saving, and growing programs. NRFF team members work with the Seed Farm on Indigenous crop restoration.
• Experimental Farm NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-development partner with NRFF for Indigenous crop restoration including Nanticoke Squash cultivation and seed rematriation initiatives. Nate Kleinman, co-founder, has been refining Nanticoke squash seeds.
• Brooklyn Botanic GardenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRFF participated in Making Brooklyn Bloom conference where co-founder Courtney Streett delivered keynote addresses on native plants and Indigenous knowledge.
• Delaware Art MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership for Powwow of Arts and Culture celebrating Indigenous cultures and native plants, with NRFF participating in programming.
• Delaware Nature SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Ohpemenshee (Chestnut) Blessing event bringing together tribal members from Nanticoke, Lenape, and Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribes.
• Wellesley CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Paulson Ecology of Place Initiative and Camilla Chandler Frost '47 Center for the Environment. NRFF provides garden tours through Indigenous knowledge lens and student engagement.
• Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal NationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner tribe for food sovereignty initiatives, cultural programming, powwows, and community engagement. Key collaborator in Three Sisters Garden rematriation efforts.
• Lenape Indian Tribe of DelawarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner tribe for land stewardship, cultural events, and Indigenous ecological knowledge preservation and sharing.
• Nanticoke Indian TribecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner tribe for heritage programs, powwows, community engagement, and cultural events including Nanticoke Indian Powwow.
• Truelove SeedsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeed company partner providing culturally significant seeds for NRFF's growing and cultivation programs.
• Hudson Valley Seed CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeed company partner supporting NRFF's seed and plant rematriation efforts.
• Ujamaa Farmer CollectiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Nanticoke Squash celebration events and variety showcase programming.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Native Seeds/SEARCH: Southwest-based Indigenous-led nonprofit conserving and distributing native crop seeds with cultural significance. Directly comparable to NRFF's seed rematriation and culturally significant plant cultivation work, though operating in a different region and with a more established seed bank infrastructure.
• White Earth Land Recovery Project: Indigenous-led nonprofit focused on land recovery and food sovereignty on the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota. Comparable to NRFF in combining land acquisition/stewardship with Indigenous food systems and cultural preservation mission.
• Dream of Wild Health: Indigenous-led nonprofit operating a farm in Minnesota focused on food sovereignty, traditional plant cultivation, and youth education. Comparable to NRFF in operating physical agricultural land for Indigenous food sovereignty and cultural education programming.

Broad incumbents

• Honor the Earth: Indigenous-led organization focused on environmental and food justice, raising funds for grassroots Native environmental work. Comparable to NRFF in Indigenous-led environmental and food sovereignty alignment but with broader national advocacy scope.
• Cultural Survival: Indigenous-led nonprofit supporting Indigenous peoples' rights, land stewardship, and cultural preservation globally. Comparable to NRFF in cultural preservation and Indigenous-led framework but with international scope and advocacy focus.
• Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative: University of Arkansas-based national initiative supporting Indigenous agriculture, food sovereignty policy, and tribal governance. Comparable to NRFF's Indigenous food sovereignty work but operating at a policy and research scale rather than direct land stewardship.
• First Nations Development Institute: National Native-led nonprofit focused on economic development, including Native agriculture and food systems programming. Comparable to NRFF in mission alignment but operating as a grantmaking intermediary rather than direct program operator.
• Intertribal Agriculture Council: National organization advocating for Native American agriculture and providing technical assistance to tribal producers. Comparable to NRFF in Native agricultural focus but operating as a policy and technical assistance body rather than direct program operator.
• NDN Collective: National Indigenous-led movement building organization with significant grantmaking capacity, including land return and food sovereignty initiatives. Comparable to NRFF in Indigenous-led framework but operating at much greater scale and with broader movement focus.
• Indigenous Environmental Network: National Indigenous-led environmental organization addressing environmental justice, land protection, and food sovereignty. Comparable to NRFF in Indigenous-led environmental mission but operating as an advocacy network rather than direct land steward.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NativeRootsFarmFoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/nativeroots_de

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Native Roots Farm Foundation