Poplar Ridge Farm

What Poplar Ridge Farm does

Poplar Ridge Farm, LLC is a privately held, family-owned agricultural operation headquartered in Sandy Ridge Township, Union County, NC, just south of Charlotte. Founded in 1992 by Marianne Battistone and Philip Norwood, the farm was operated under USDA Organic certification and OMRI Organic principles until 2021 and, per its own materials, became one of the largest Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs in North Carolina over that span. The core commercial activity centers on weekly CSA memberships that deliver ultra-fresh organic produce and cut flowers to shareholder families throughout the Charlotte metropolitan area, supplemented by on-farm market-stand sales, chef and restaurant wholesale, public and private farm tours ($12 per car), cooking and baking classes ($60 per person or $150 for three sessions), and seasonal Farm to Table dinners featuring local chefs such as Luca Annunziata, Mark Hibbs, Jamie Lynch, and Paul Ketterhagen.

The business is organized as a hybrid of subscription-based CSA revenue, transactional retail and wholesale produce sales, and episodic event and education ticket revenue, with branded merchandise (t-shirts at $12, reusable grocery bags at $3.50) and a special-events venue channel rounding out the catalog. The property houses an on-site market stand, pavilion, and outdoor dining used for chef dinners, public tour days, and class programming, while orders and tickets route through the company's own WordPress-based storefront. In 2021, Poplar Ridge Farm, LLC merged with Sports Dance Fitness, Inc. (established 1978) and transitioned into a charitable organization supporting agricultural education. In 2022, this combined entity launched Schoolyard Garden Programs and expanded educational consulting and event planning, with operating geographies confined to the Charlotte metropolitan area and North Carolina.

Name

Poplar Ridge Farm

Legal name

Poplar Ridge Farm, LLC

Website

https://poplarridgefarmnc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Poplar Ridge Farm, LLC operates a USDA-organic-heritage Community Supported Agriculture farm and market in Charlotte, NC, delivering weekly produce and flower shares, hosting Farm to Table dinners, tours, and cooking classes, and, since its 2021 merger with Sports Dance Fitness, providing charitable agricultural education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Agriculture / Community Supported Agriculture

NAICS

Vegetable and Melon Farming (1112)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Organic farming
• Community supported agriculture
• CSA memberships
• Farm to table
• Agricultural education

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. CSA Memberships: Community Supported Agriculture shares sold to members at the beginning of the growing season, providing weekly selections of ultra-fresh produce and flowers
2. Farm Products Direct Sales: Direct sales of produce, flowers, herbs, and merchandise through on-farm market stand and store
3. Farm to Table Events: Elegant private farm to table dinners hosted annually with area chefs, featuring four-course seasonal meals
4. Classes and Workshops: Cooking and baking classes taught by local instructors, such as Holiday Desserts classes
5. Farm Tours: Farm tour days with market stand, cooking demonstrations, and educational sessions about organic gardening and CSA participation
6. Restaurant and Chef Wholesale: Wholesale produce sales to local chefs and restaurants with deliveries arranged and pricing for orders over 10 lbs

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Poplar Ridge Farm operates an organic Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program in Union County, NC, selling weekly shares of ultra-fresh produce and cut flowers to members throughout the growing season. The farm supplements its CSA operations with farm tours, chef-hosted farm-to-table dinners, educational cooking classes, branded merchandise, restaurant/chef wholesale, and special-event venue rentals, and now also supports agricultural education through Schoolyard Garden Programs following its 2021 merger with Sports Dance Fitness, Inc.

Product overview

Poplar Ridge Farm operates as a diversified agricultural education organization offering a primary Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) membership program that provides shareholders with weekly organic produce and flower shares throughout the growing season. The farm's product portfolio centers around the CSA as its core offering, supplemented by Farm to Table Dinners, public and private Farm Tours, educational cooking Classes, and branded Merchandise. Additional services include Chef's Corner restaurant partnerships, Special Events venue rental, and Agricultural Education consulting including Schoolyard Garden Programs. The farm merged with Sports Dance Fitness in 2021 and now operates as a charitable organization supporting agricultural education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Produce and Flower Memberships (CSA) Community Supported Agriculture membership providing shareholders with weekly selections of ultra-fresh organic produce and cut flowers throughout the growing season. Targeted at individual families and households in the Charlotte metropolitan area seeking local, organic produce.
• Farm to Table Dinners Elegant four-course dinners featuring seasonal vegetables prepared by local professional chefs, held at the farm's pavilion and outdoor dining areas. Targeted at food enthusiasts and the local dining community.
• Farm Tour Days Public farm tours led by the farm owner and staff, including greenhouse tours, discussions on organic growing methods and CSA participation, chef cooking demonstrations with tastings, and seasonal produce shopping. Targeted at local families and community members.
• Poplar Ridge Farm Classes Educational cooking and baking classes taught by local experts (e.g., Holiday Desserts class with Ashley Eller of The Sweetie Pie Bakery), priced at $60 per person or $150 for three classes. Targeted at community members interested in baking and whole-food cooking.
• PRF Merchandise Branded merchandise including t-shirts with student-designed graphics (from Nations Ford High School) and reusable, recyclable grocery bags with the Poplar Ridge Farm logo. Targeted at farm visitors, CSA members, and community supporters.
• Chef's Corner Program Partnership program for local chefs providing wholesale produce orders, chef demonstrations at farm events, newsletter features, and farm-to-table event hosting opportunities. Targeted at local restaurants and chefs sourcing local organic produce.
• Private Farm Tours Worldwide private farm tours led by farm owners, covering the farm's unique business models and organic growing methods. Targeted at visiting groups, schools, and out-of-area guests.
• Special Events Venue Farm property available for rental for photo shoots, films, weddings, and other special events. Targeted at event planners, photographers, filmmakers, and couples.
• Agricultural Education Services Educational consulting and event planning services including Schoolyard Garden Programs, speaking engagements, and agricultural education for schools. Targeted at educational institutions and schools.

Named customers9 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

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sports Dance Fitness Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMerged with Sports Dance Fitness, Inc. (est. 1978) in 2021. Both companies continue to provide health and fitness education-based services. Combined entities support agricultural education and educational consulting services.
• Partner FarmerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Partner Farmers providing hormone- and antibiotic-free eggs and organic poultry. Farm Tour Days feature local partner farmers at the farm market stand.
• Slow Food CharlotteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal food advocacy organization; Michaelle Fitzpatrick from Slow Food Charlotte has been a guest speaker at Farm to Table events.
• New Town FarmsminorOthersOrganic poultry supplier located 1.5 miles away, featured at Farm Tour and Market Day events.
• Nations Ford High SchoolminorOthersGraphic design students created t-shirt designs for Poplar Ridge Farm merchandise, including the Beet T-Shirt and Barn T-Shirt.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture: Nonprofit working farm and education center that combines on-farm production with chef programming, public events, and food education. Closest analog to Poplar Ridge's blend of CSA, Farm to Table dinners, and agricultural education.
• New Town Farms: Organic farm located about 1.5 miles from Poplar Ridge Farm and an existing supplier partner. Comparable as a regional organic produce and CSA-style farm targeting the Charlotte metro market.
• Polyface Farm: Pasture-based, sustainability-first farm in Virginia known for direct-to-consumer farm sales, on-farm events, and tour programming. Overlaps with Poplar Ridge on direct farmer-to-member relationships and educational farm experiences.
• Suzie's Farm: USDA-certified organic farm near San Diego operating a large CSA and direct-to-restaurant/wholesale program. Comparable on CSA subscriptions, chef partnerships, and farm tour programming.
• Full Belly Farm: Long-running Northern California organic farm widely regarded as a flagship CSA operation. Directly comparable in that CSA membership is the core business model supplemented by farm events and educational programming.

Broad incumbents

• Blackberry Farm: Large luxury farm-to-table resort property combining organic farming with high-end events, cooking classes, and farm experiences. Comparable along the events, classes, and venue-rental revenue lines, though broader in hospitality scope.

Others

• LocalHarvest: National CSA and farmers' market directory and referral partner for Poplar Ridge's farm tours and CSA discovery. Comparable as a discovery and distribution layer for community-supported agriculture rather than a direct farm.
• Slow Food Charlotte: Local food advocacy organization that has sent speakers to Poplar Ridge's Farm to Table events. Thematically adjacent as a community partner in the farm-to-table and local-food ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Hatfield Farm / Foster Sundown Farm-type regional CSA farms in NC/SC: Smaller Charlotte-region and Carolinas CSA / hobby farms addressing similar direct-to-consumer produce, flower, and on-farm event demand. Comparable on regional organic CSA competition.
• Imperfect Foods / Misfits Market: Direct-to-consumer produce delivery services expanding into the Charlotte area. Compete with traditional CSAs for weekly produce-subscribers in the same regional customer base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/314306629560
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/poplar-ridge-farm

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 Poplar Ridge Farm