Project GROWS
Project GROWS is a 501(c)(3) educational farm in Augusta County, Virginia that grows over 200,000 servings of organic food annually on 10 acres, distributing through mobile farmers markets and operating summer camps, a youth farm jobs program, and Farm to School partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersStaunton, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Project GROWS does
Project GROWS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational farm founded in 2010 in Augusta County, Virginia, in direct response to an Augusta Health Community Health Needs Assessment that identified high rates of hunger, food insecurity, and diet-related chronic disease. The organization operates a 10-acre farm in Verona using organic practices to grow more than 200,000 servings of food annually, and channels that production through a portfolio of community-facing programs: Mobile Markets rotating weekly across Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County; a fixed presence at the Waynesboro Farmers Market; a Youth Leaders in Agriculture (YLA) paid summer job program for high school students; Little GROWers and Junior GROWers summer camps for children ages 5–13 with a Counselors in Training track for ages 14–16; and Farm to School field trips, gardens, and cafeteria-procurement partnerships with Waynesboro Public Schools, Staunton City Schools, and Augusta County Public Schools.
The underlying technology stack is agronomic rather than digital — organic production methods, commercial-scale farm infrastructure combined with educational space, and standard nonprofit tooling including a Squarespace website, email newsletter, and Golden volunteer portal. No AI, ML, proprietary software, or API surface is present in the available materials. SNAP-EBT is doubled through Virginia Fresh Match, and WIC and Senior Farm Market Fresh vouchers are accepted at all markets to lower access barriers.
The business model combines earned revenue, sliding-scale program fees, and donations/grants. Earned revenue comes from produce and ancillary product sales (meat, eggs, cheese, honey) at mobile and fixed farmers markets, plus sliding-scale summer camp tuition at $200, $250, or $300 per camper (with additional Mac Vanderploeg Scholarship support). Programmatic revenue is supplemented by donations from individuals and foundations, with the Tess Majors Foundation providing major funding for the 2025 YLA cohort and Augusta Health serving as a long-term community-health partner. An on-farm Farm Stand was paused for the 2026 season.
Project GROWS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Project GROWS
- Legal name
- Project GROWS
- Website
- https://projectgrows.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Project GROWS is a 501(c)(3) educational farm in Augusta County, Virginia that grows over 200,000 servings of organic food annually on 10 acres, distributing through mobile farmers markets and operating summer camps, a youth farm jobs program, and Farm to School partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Project GROWS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Educational Farm / Community Food Services
- NAICS
- Other Vegetable (except Potato) and Melon Farming (111219)
- SIC
- Agricultural Production-Crops (100)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sustainable/Regenerative Agriculture & Conservation Practices (EDAOAOAO)
Keywords
Where Project GROWS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Staunton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Project GROWS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Food Sales: Revenue from selling fresh produce through farmers markets, mobile markets, and farm stands. Participates in Virginia Fresh Match which doubles SNAP-EBT benefits, increasing purchasing power for low-income customers while generating sales revenue.
- Program Fees: Sliding scale fees for summer camp programs, with families choosing to pay $200, $250, or $300 based on financial situation. All campers receive the same experience regardless of price chosen.
- Donations and Grants: Registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (EIN: 46-1070735) supported by individual donors, foundations, and public funding. Receives major funding support from organizations like the Tess Majors Foundation for youth programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Summer camp sliding scale: $200, $250, or $300 per camper |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Market produce - pay what you can |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Project GROWS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Project GROWS is a nonprofit educational farm that operates a 10-acre organic farm in Verona, Virginia to grow over 200,000 servings of food annually, and delivers nutrition education and food access through Mobile Markets, the Waynesboro Farmers Market, a Farm Stand, the Youth Leaders in Agriculture paid summer job program, Summer Camps for children ages 5-13, and Farm to School partnerships with local school divisions. The organization sells its own produce (not a third-party marketplace) and reinvests all revenues into community food access and education programs.
Product overview
Project GROWS is a nonprofit educational farm operating a portfolio of interconnected food access and education programs. The core offerings include Mobile Markets and the Waynesboro Farmers Market (which together distribute locally grown produce to the community), the Youth Leaders in Agriculture (YLA) paid summer job program for high schoolers, Summer Camp Programs (Little GROWers and Junior GROWers) for children ages 5-13, and Farm to School initiatives including field trips and school garden support. The organization also operates a Farm Stand and engages volunteers. These programs work together to fulfill the mission of growing a healthy community by connecting all people to nutritious foods through both direct food distribution and food education.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mobile Markets Weekly mobile farmers markets that visit multiple locations around Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County, offering fresh, local produce, meat, eggs, cheese, and honey. SNAP-EBT benefits are doubled through Virginia Fresh Match, and WIC and Senior Farm Market Fresh vouchers are accepted.
- Waynesboro Farmers Market A community farmers market operating Saturdays 9am-1pm at Constitution Park, Waynesboro, Virginia from May through October, featuring fresh produce, cheeses, meats, eggs, and prepared foods, with SNAP-EBT doubling at the Project GROWS table.
- Farm Stand On-farm produce stand offering fresh, local food directly to community members at the farm in Verona, Virginia.
- Youth Leaders in Agriculture (YLA) A paid summer farm job program for local high school students that teaches sustainable agriculture, leadership, mentoring, and community development skills through hands-on farming experience.
- Summer Camp Programs (Little GROWers and Junior GROWers) Farm camp programs for children ages 5-13 featuring hands-on activities such as growing plants, tasting vegetables, nature discovery, and outdoor farm chores. The package also includes a Counselors in Training program for teens aged 14-16.
- Farm to School Programs connecting students to food and learning through field trips, school gardens, SOL-aligned lessons, and Farm to School consultation services for local school divisions.
- Volunteer Program Opportunities for school groups, businesses, civic organizations, and individuals to volunteer in fields, staff markets, or support special events throughout the year.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 200,000 servings of food grown annually on 10 acre farm
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Project GROWS
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Project GROWS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Project GROWS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Virginia Fresh MatchcorePartnership enables SNAP-EBT benefits to be doubled at all Project GROWS markets, allowing SNAP recipients to purchase twice as much fresh, local produce. This statewide network increases purchasing power for low-income community members while supporting local farmers.
- Augusta HealthcoreAugusta Health conducted the 2010 Community Health Needs Assessment that identified community hunger and diet-related chronic disease, leading directly to Project GROWS founding. Ongoing community health partnership focused on long-term health improvement through food access and education.
- Blue Ridge Children's MuseumcoreLaunched Little GROWers Summer Camp in 2019 as a four-day pilot program. Partnership foundation enabled the camp to grow to tripling its original size. Blue Ridge Children's Museum logo appears on camp materials as founding partner.
- Waynesboro Public SchoolscoreProject GROWS provides Farm to School consultation services and contracts to support the Waynesboro Education Farm at Berkeley Glenn Elementary. Also facilitates three weeks of Farm Camp for elementary and middle school students at this location.
- Staunton City SchoolscoreProject GROWS contracts with Staunton City Schools to provide support at the Staunton High School greenhouse and garden. Provides Farm to School programming and summer feeding program coordination for camp snacks and lunches.
- Valley Program for Aging ServicesminorPartnership to distribute Senior Farm Market Fresh vouchers to qualifying seniors at Project GROWS farmers markets, expanding food access for elderly community members.
- Staunton Augusta Health DepartmentminorPartnership to host a farmers market specifically making fresh healthy food more accessible to WIC families, increasing food access for new mothers and children.
- Augusta County Public SchoolsminorYLA program supported by Augusta County Public Schools; youth job program open to students attending Augusta County, Staunton, or Waynesboro schools.
- Staunton High SchoolminorStaunton High School's mentorship program supports the Youth Leaders in Agriculture program, providing youth development and career exploration opportunities.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Project GROWS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- The Food Trust: Larger national nonprofit focused on food access, farmers markets, and school food initiatives. Broader scope than Project GROWS but overlapping mission around SNAP-incentive markets and Farm to School.
- Center for Rural Affairs: Rural-focused nonprofit supporting small farms, food systems, and rural community development. Comparable mission on small-scale organic farming and rural food access, though broader in policy scope.
- Farm to Table / Farm to Institution: Regional food-system nonprofits advancing farm to school and food access policy. Comparable broader-incumbent peer in Farm to School advocacy and SNAP-incentive programs.
Regional players
- Capital Area Food Network: Regional nonprofit coordinating food access and farm-to-school work in Central Virginia/Piedmont. Comparable peer in the same geographic region targeting overlapping SNAP, school, and food-insecure populations.
- Local Food Hub: Virginia-based nonprofit aggregating and distributing local farm produce to schools and food banks. Comparable regional food-system intermediary serving Virginia school divisions and food-insecure populations.
Direct peers
- Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture: Nonprofit educational farm running on-farm camps, school programs, and farmer training. Comparable in combining organic production with youth education and a nonprofit farm operating model.
- Big Green: National nonprofit that builds learning gardens in schools and supports food education. Comparable in its Farm to School focus, school-divisions partnerships, and youth food-education mission.
- Wholesome Wave: Nonprofit operating SNAP-incentive and produce-prescription programs for low-income families. Comparable in its SNAP-doubling model, food-access mission, and partnerships with farmers markets.
- Edible Schoolyard Project: Network advancing edible education in schools through garden and kitchen classrooms. Comparable in its Farm to School curriculum and youth food-literacy programming.
- DUG (Denver Urban Gardens): Nonprofit that builds community gardens and runs food access and education programs in metro Denver. Directly comparable as a nonprofit educational-farm/food-access hybrid combining organic production with youth and community programming.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Project GROWS social profiles
Digital presenceProject GROWS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Project GROWS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Project GROWS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Project GROWS 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 Project GROWS
What does Project GROWS do?
Project GROWS is a nonprofit educational farm that operates a 10-acre organic farm in Verona, Virginia to grow over 200,000 servings of food annually, and delivers nutrition education and food access through Mobile Markets, the Waynesboro Farmers Market, a Farm Stand, the Youth Leaders in Agriculture paid summer job program, Summer Camps for children ages 5-13, and Farm to School partnerships with local school divisions. The organization sells its own produce (not a third-party marketplace) and reinvests all revenues into community food access and education programs.
Is Project GROWS a public or private company?
Project GROWS is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Project GROWS founded?
Project GROWS was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Project GROWS based?
Project GROWS is headquartered in Staunton, United States, in the North America region.
How does Project GROWS make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Food Sales are the primary driver. The others are program Fees and donations and Grants.
Who are Project GROWS's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are The Food Trust, Center for Rural Affairs and Farm to Table / Farm to Institution. Regional players are Capital Area Food Network and Local Food Hub. Direct peers are Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture, Big Green, Wholesome Wave, Edible Schoolyard Project and DUG (Denver Urban Gardens).
Does Project GROWS have an API?
No public API is recorded for Project GROWS.
What industry is Project GROWS in?
Project GROWS's product category is Nonprofit Educational Farm / Community Food Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAOAOAO, Sustainable/Regenerative Agriculture & Conservation Practices. Its NAICS code is 111219 and its SIC code is 100.