FOOD WORKS
Food Works is a Carbondale, Illinois-based nonprofit that builds a sustainable local food economy in Southern Illinois through farmer training, peer networking, farmers markets, and SNAP-supported food access programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersCarbondale, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What FOOD WORKS does
Food Works is a Carbondale, Illinois-based nonprofit organization operating under the legal name Food Works of Southern Illinois, dedicated to building a sustainable local food economy across the Southern Illinois region. The organization runs an integrated portfolio of programs spanning the full local food value chain: Farm Beginnings provides comprehensive training for beginning and transitional farmers; the Farming Alliance offers peer-to-peer education through field days, workshops, and networking; the Winter Farmers Market and Mobile Farmers Market create direct-to-consumer sales channels for local producers; and SNAP processing plus Link Match funding enable low-income residents to purchase fresh local produce.
The organization has no proprietary technology platform and operates through community-led engagement rather than digital channels. Programs are delivered in person, supported by a website (fwsoil.org), email newsletter, and Instagram for outreach. Business model is nonprofit donation- and fundraising-driven, with most programs free or low-cost for participants; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Food Works is governed by a Board of Directors and operates with staff, and is currently hiring to support ongoing program delivery. The organization has produced multi-year Farm Beginnings cohorts (2022-2023, 2023-2024) and is preparing a 2026 cohort alongside the SIFA 2026 Conference, indicating sustained programmatic activity without disclosed geographic or product scope expansion beyond Southern Illinois.
FOOD WORKS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- FOOD WORKS
- Legal name
- Food Works of Southern Illinois
- Website
- https://eatsouthernillinois.org
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Food Works is a Carbondale, Illinois-based nonprofit that builds a sustainable local food economy in Southern Illinois through farmer training, peer networking, farmers markets, and SNAP-supported food access programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
FOOD WORKS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Local Food Systems Organization
- NAICS
- Community Food Services (624210), Community Food Services (62421), Support Activities for Crop Production (1151), Support Activities for Crop Production (11511)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI), Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA), Agricultural Production & Farm Operations (EDAOAOAA)
Keywords
Where FOOD WORKS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Carbondale
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
FOOD WORKS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: Nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations from individuals, foundations, and community supporters to sustain programs supporting local farmers and food access.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
FOOD WORKS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Food Works is a nonprofit organization that delivers a coordinated set of community programs to build a sustainable local food economy in Southern Illinois. Its core offerings are the Farm Beginnings training program for beginning and transitional farmers, the Farming Alliance peer-to-peer educational network, a Winter Farmers Market, a Mobile Farmers Market, and SNAP/Link Match funding support that enables low-income residents to buy fresh local produce. These programs together connect farmers to training, to new sales channels, and to community members needing fresh food access.
Product overview
Food Works is a non-profit organization operating a portfolio of interconnected programs designed to build a sustainable food economy in Southern Illinois. The offerings include the Farm Beginnings comprehensive training program for beginning farmers, the Farming Alliance providing peer-to-peer educational networking through field days and workshops, and market-focused programs including the Mobile Farmers Market, Winter Farmers Market, and SNAP/Link Match support. These programs work together to educate farmers, create market opportunities, and ensure equitable community access to locally grown food.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Farm Beginnings Program Comprehensive training program that provides education and resources for beginning and transitional farmers seeking to establish sustainable agricultural operations in Southern Illinois.
- Farming Alliance Peer-to-peer educational network that delivers field days, workshops, and collaborative learning opportunities to farmers in Southern Illinois through the Farming Alliance community.
- Food Works Mobile Farmers Market Mobile farmers market program that brings locally grown food directly to communities, creating new sales opportunities for farmers and equitable access to fresh products for residents across Southern Illinois.
- Food Works Winter Farmers Market Seasonal indoor winter farmers market providing year-round market opportunities for local farmers and consistent fresh food access for the Southern Illinois community.
- SNAP and Link Match Support SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) processing and Link Match funding program that enables Southern Illinois residents — particularly SNAP-eligible households — to purchase fresh local produce at participating farmers markets.
Companies that use FOOD WORKS
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
FOOD WORKS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
FOOD WORKS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
FOOD WORKS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- FoodCorps: National nonprofit connecting kids to healthy food in schools with a focus on food education and access. Comparable to Food Works because it operates farmer training, food access, and education programs targeting underserved communities, but at much larger national scale.
- Fair Food Network: National nonprofit advancing community-based food systems through Double Up Food Bucks (a SNAP doubling program) and farmer support. Highly comparable because both organizations combine SNAP incentive funding with local farmer market development, though Fair Food Network operates at a much larger scale.
- Wallace Center (Winrock International): National nonprofit intermediary supporting food hub development, food systems change, and farmer training. Comparable to Food Works' mission of building resilient local food economies, though operating at a national policy and intermediary level.
Direct peers
- Wholesome Wave: Nonprofit that runs nutrition incentive programs (SNAP doubling/Link Match equivalents) at farmers markets to make fresh produce accessible to low-income families. Directly comparable to Food Works' SNAP/Link Match program and overall food access mission.
- Growing Power (Milwaukee): Historically influential urban food systems nonprofit (now successor organizations) that pioneered mobile farmers markets and urban farming training. Comparable to Food Works' Mobile Farmers Market and farm training programs, though historically focused on urban Milwaukee.
- Appalachian Sustainable Development: Regional nonprofit in Appalachian Virginia/Tennessee operating farm training, food access, and local food market programs. Highly comparable to Food Works' integrated model serving a rural, underserved region with similar programs targeting beginning farmers and food-insecure residents.
- Carolina Farm Stewardship Association: Regional nonprofit supporting sustainable agriculture and local food systems in the Carolinas through farmer education, conferences, and advocacy. Comparable to Food Works' Farming Alliance and Farm Beginnings programs, with similar farmer training and peer-network focus.
- Local Food Hub: Regional nonprofit food hub that aggregates and distributes local produce plus provides farmer training and market access. Comparable to Food Works' integrated training-plus-market model, though serving Virginia rather than Southern Illinois.
- Angelic Organics Learning Center: Nonprofit offering farmer training, farm beginning programs, and community education on sustainable agriculture. Directly comparable to Food Works' Farm Beginnings curriculum and similar target audience of beginning/transitional farmers.
Regional players
- Southern Illinois University Extension: University extension service providing agricultural education, farmer training, and food systems programming in Southern Illinois. Comparable to Food Works' farm training and community education programs, with overlapping geographic reach and similar small-farmer audience.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
FOOD WORKS social profiles
Digital presenceFOOD WORKS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
FOOD WORKS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
FOOD WORKS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
FOOD WORKS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about FOOD WORKS
What does FOOD WORKS do?
Food Works is a nonprofit organization that delivers a coordinated set of community programs to build a sustainable local food economy in Southern Illinois. Its core offerings are the Farm Beginnings training program for beginning and transitional farmers, the Farming Alliance peer-to-peer educational network, a Winter Farmers Market, a Mobile Farmers Market, and SNAP/Link Match funding support that enables low-income residents to buy fresh local produce. These programs together connect farmers to training, to new sales channels, and to community members needing fresh food access.
Is FOOD WORKS a public or private company?
FOOD WORKS is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was FOOD WORKS founded?
FOOD WORKS was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is FOOD WORKS based?
FOOD WORKS is headquartered in Carbondale, United States, in the North America region.
How does FOOD WORKS make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Fundraising.
Who are FOOD WORKS's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are FoodCorps, Fair Food Network and Wallace Center (Winrock International). Direct peers are Wholesome Wave, Growing Power (Milwaukee), Appalachian Sustainable Development, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, Local Food Hub and Angelic Organics Learning Center. Southern Illinois University Extension is listed as a regional player.
Does FOOD WORKS have an API?
No public API is recorded for FOOD WORKS.
What industry is FOOD WORKS in?
FOOD WORKS's product category is Nonprofit Local Food Systems Organization. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAD, Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative), with a secondary code of BPAGAGAI, Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems. Its NAICS code is 624210 and its SIC code is 700.