LOWER COLUMBIA SCHOOL GARDENS

What LOWER COLUMBIA SCHOOL GARDENS does

Lower Columbia School Gardens (LCSG) is a Longview, Washington-based 501(c)-style nonprofit that builds, sustains, and operates school garden programs across 19 elementary and middle schools in the Longview and Kelso school districts of Cowlitz County, Washington. Founded in 2009 after the team expanded the original one-acre garden at Northlake Elementary, the organization delivers hands-on garden-based learning, healthy cooking instruction, and science/nutrition education to over 4,000 students annually, supported by 250+ volunteers contributing 2,500+ hours per year. LCSG maintains more than 150,000 square feet of garden infrastructure and distributes approximately 250 pounds of fresh produce weekly through free farm stands and community partners to address local food insecurity.

The organization's revenue model is entirely donation- and grant-funded, with no school district or government support. Cash revenue derives from private donations, foundation and corporate grants (notably a $250,000 three-year Kaiser Permanente Northwest grant awarded in 2015), and nominal fundraising through weekly produce sales, an annual plant sale, a Fall Gathering dinner event ($60/ticket), and a Garden Bike Tour. Programs are free to students, families, and volunteers. In-kind contributions — seeds, tools, equipment, excavation services, and construction materials from local businesses — have totaled over $150,000 since 2010 and form a meaningful share of effective operational capacity. Operating geographies are limited to Cowlitz County; no expansion outside the Pacific Northwest region is evidenced.

Name

LOWER COLUMBIA SCHOOL GARDENS

Legal name

Lower Columbia School Gardens

Website

https://lowercolumbiaschoolgardens.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lower Columbia School Gardens is a Longview, Washington-based nonprofit that operates hands-on garden and cooking programs across 19 elementary and middle schools in Cowlitz County, serving 4,000+ students annually through free, community-funded programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

School Garden Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Nursery and Floriculture Production (11142), Other Food Crops Grown Under Cover (111419)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor / Nature-Based Nursery & Forest Playgroups (EDACACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Native, Pollinator & Drought-Tolerant Garden Installations (HSAIAFAL), Plants, Seeds & Nursery Retail (Garden Centers) (CRAIAIAB)

Keywords

• School garden education
• Hands-on nutrition programs
• Community garden nonprofits
• Youth cooking education
• School garden curriculum

Headquarters

HQ city

Longview

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Private Donations: Raises a large portion of budget from private donations from community members and local businesses. No school district or government funding.
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Grants from foundations and corporations. 2012 budget was $85,000.
3. Kaiser Permanente Grant: $250,000 grant over three years awarded to Cowlitz County Health Department to partner with LCSG for expanding school garden activities
4. In-Kind Donations: Seeds, tools, equipment, building materials, excavation and construction services, administrative & technology support totaling over $150,000 since 2010

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lower Columbia School Gardens builds and sustains school gardens at 19 elementary and middle schools in Longview and Kelso, Washington, and delivers weekly hands-on garden and cooking programs engaging 4,000+ students each year in science, nutrition, and food preparation activities. The organization also runs free farm stands, container garden giveaways, an annual plant sale, harvest festivals, and volunteer training sessions, supported by more than 250 community volunteers contributing 2,500+ hours annually.

Product overview

Lower Columbia School Gardens operates a comprehensive school garden and food education ecosystem across 19 elementary and middle schools in Longview and Kelso, Washington. The core offerings consist of School Garden Programs (weekly hands-on garden and cooking activities for students) and Cooking Programs (healthy cooking lessons using garden-fresh ingredients). The organization supports these programs with educational resources including Growing Guides and Lesson Plans. Annual signature events include the Plant Sale & Celebration (May), Harvest Festivals (October), and Fall Gathering fundraiser (November). Summer programs feature weekly Produce Sales at Northlake Elementary, while community food access initiatives include Free Farm Stands and Container Garden distribution. Volunteer Training sessions are offered multiple times yearly to build community capacity for garden-based education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 19 school gardens totaling over 150,000 square feet in Cowlitz County
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

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

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• True Leaf MarketminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Seed donation program providing seeds for LCSG's 20 school gardens, annual Plant Sale, and community seed sharing programs.
• Watershed Garden WorksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner vendor at annual Plant Sales offering native, edible, and ornamental plants alongside LCSG's kid-grown plants.
• Longview School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school district with multiple elementary and middle school gardens operating within the district schools.
• Kelso School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school district where LCSG has expanded gardens including Butler Acres, Carrolls, Rose Valley, and Huntington Middle School.
• The Xerces SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonated Pollinator Habitat signs for installation in each school garden to teach about and protect pollinators.
• Edible Schoolyard ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResource partner providing educational materials and prompts for family conversations about food and community.
• Family Community Resource CenterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity partner receiving free produce distribution for families in need.
• South Kelso Neighborhood AssociationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity partner for free farm stand distribution in South Kelso.
• Black Food Sovereignty CoalitionminorOthersProceeds from produce sales donated to support Black food sovereignty and cultural food traditions.
• Multiple Seed CompaniesminorOthersBaker Creek Heirlooms, Botanical Interests, Bountiful Gardens, Johnny's Selected Seeds, Peaceful Valley, Renee\'s Garden, Seed Savers Exchange, Territorial Seed Company, and others provided seeds for gardens.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• GrowNYC: New York City-based nonprofit running school gardens and farm stands across the five boroughs. Highly comparable operating model combining K-12 garden education with fresh produce distribution, but confined to NYC.

Emerging players

• The Sylvia Center: New York-based nonprofit teaching children and teens about healthy cooking and food through garden-based programs. Smaller and geographically focused, similar in scale approach to LCSG but operating in an urban environment.

Others

• School Garden Support Organization (SGSO) Network: Network of school garden support organizations convened by LifeLab. LCSG is a member and potential peer of this network, which provides practitioner resources rather than directly competing for program delivery.

Direct peers

• FoodCorps: National AmeriCorps service program placing members in schools to teach hands-on food and garden education. Shares LCSG's core dependency on AmeriCorps for service delivery and elementary-school nutrition programming.
• Big Green: Nonprofit that builds Learning Gardens in schools across the U.S. Operates a similar model of multi-site school garden infrastructure with corporate and foundation funding, and serves as a direct comparable for scale and funding mix.
• LifeLab: California-based nonprofit providing garden-based science and nutrition education programs in schools. Closely comparable operating model with curriculum development, teacher training, and on-site garden programming.
• Edible Schoolyard Project: Founded by Alice Waters, Edible Schoolyard Project is the most recognized school garden and food education nonprofit in the U.S. LCSG explicitly aligns its curriculum with Edible Schoolyard resources, making it a direct strategic peer in the K-12 garden-based education space.
• Green Schoolyards America: National nonprofit advancing green schoolyard design and curriculum. Shares LCSG's thesis that school grounds should function as outdoor learning environments, and operates in a similar K-8 educational mission space.

Broad incumbents

• Captain Planet Foundation: National environmental education funder that supports school gardens and learning labs through project-based grants. Operates as a parallel funding and programmatic channel in the same school garden ecosystem.
• National Farm to School Network: National information and advocacy network connecting schools with local food and garden programs. Operates as a broader umbrella in the same thematic space, providing resources and policy advocacy that LCSG benefits from.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCBh_O1PCk3vEPqil2XzfcuQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/lcschoolgardens.org
• Instagraminstagram.com/lcschoolgardens
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lower-columbia-school-gardens

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 LOWER COLUMBIA SCHOOL GARDENS