Sprout City Farms

What Sprout City Farms does

Sprout City Farms is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit urban agriculture organization founded in 2010 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, that operates community farms on underutilized urban land to advance food justice. The organization currently runs two flagship farm sites — Denver Green School Community Farm (DGS, a one-acre organic vegetable farm established 2011 on a Title 1 public school campus) and Mountair Park Community Farm (MAP, a 1.5-acre organic vegetable farm established 2014 in partnership with the City of Lakewood) — with a third site at Jack's Solar Garden (an agrivoltaic vegetable farm) winding down at the end of 2025 after USDA grant funding was cancelled.

Core offerings include a multi-share Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program (vegetable, flower, fruit, egg, bread, mushroom, herbal medicine, and baked goods shares), suggested-donation farm stands accepting SNAP/EBT with Double Up Food Bucks matching, no-cost and half-price CSA shares dedicated to food access, mobile e-bicycle farm stands, youth internship and leadership programs (YFLAP), and a paid farmer internship and apprenticeship program. Underlying technology is small-scale organic urban farming with a notable agrivoltaics practice (vegetable production under solar panels) that SCF pioneered at scale in partnership with Jack's Solar Garden, University of Arizona, NREL, and Colorado State University between 2021-2025.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid nonprofit model combining recurring CSA membership fees (paid upfront in winter to fund spring planting), tiered corporate sponsorships ($500-$10,000+), monthly Cultivator recurring donations, one-time charitable contributions, in-kind stock and vehicle donations, and grants from foundations (SCFD, Colorado Gives, Rollie Kelley Family Foundation, Kettering Family Foundation) and state agencies (Colorado Department of Agriculture). The organization serves Denver and Lakewood residents across five distinct segments: local community members, food-insecure families (50% of CSA memberships are allocated for food access), K-8 and high school students, aspiring farmers, and corporate partners.

Name

Sprout City Farms

Legal name

Sprout City Farms

Website

https://sproutcityfarms.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sprout City Farms is a Denver-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates urban organic farms to advance food justice, running CSA programs, donation-based farm stands, youth education, and farmer training across the Denver metro area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Agriculture & Community Farming

NAICS

Other Vegetable (except Potato) and Melon Farming (111219), Other Food Crops Grown Under Cover (111419)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Organic Greenhouse & Protected Crop Farming (High Tunnels, Greenhouses) (AFAGAKAD), Produce Markets & Greengrocers (CRAHAHAA)

Keywords

• Urban agriculture
• Community supported agriculture
• Farm education programs
• Food access initiatives
• Nonprofit urban farming

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. CSA Memberships: Community Supported Agriculture memberships paid upfront over winter to fund spring planting. Vegetable shares, flower shares, fruit shares, egg shares, bread shares, mushroom shares, herbal medicine shares, and baked goods shares available. 50% of CSA shares allocated for food access through no-cost or half-price SNAP shares.
2. Monthly Cultivator Donations: Recurring monthly donations from individual supporters who join the Cultivator program, providing reliable revenue for ongoing farm operations.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorship levels from $500 to $10,000+ including Innovative Agriculture ($500), Feeding Families ($1,000), Community Building ($2,500), Sowing Our Future ($5,000), and Harvest Guardian ($10,000+).
4. Stock Donations: Accepts publicly traded stock donations that have been held long-term, allowing donors to avoid capital gains taxes while taking charitable deductions.
5. Farm Stand Sales: Farm stand sales with 'suggested donation' pricing model. Accepts SNAP/EBT with Double Up Food Bucks providing half-price for SNAP customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sprout City Farms operates multiple certified-organic urban farm sites in the Denver metro area that produce vegetables, herbs, and fruit sold through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) memberships and on-site farm stands. Surplus and dedicated-plot produce is donated through food access programs serving food-insecure households, and the organization delivers K-12 farm education, beginning-farmer training, and volunteer programming alongside food production. It also runs a pioneering urban agrivoltaic research plot that co-locates photovoltaic solar generation with crop cultivation.

Product overview

Sprout City Farms is a 501(c)(3) urban agriculture nonprofit that operates as a single unified organization offering community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs, community farm stands, youth education, and farmer training. The core product is the Vegetable CSA Share, supplemented by add-on shares including Flower, Fruit, Egg, Bread, Mushroom, Herbal Medicine, and Baked Goods shares. Additional offerings include youth internship and leadership programs, farmer education through internships and apprenticeships, food access programs (no-cost and SNAP shares), and community events including the annual Night on the Farm fundraiser. The organization serves Denver and Lakewood communities through farm stands, volunteer programs, and educational workshops.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Denver Green School Community Farm (DGS): A one-acre organic vegetable farm established in 2011 on the grounds of Denver Green School in partnership with Denver Public Schools.
• Mountair Park Community Farm (MAP)
• The Farm at Jack's Solar Garden
• Dahlia Campus Farm

Products and services

• Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Membership Seasonal subscription program in which members prepay for weekly shares of organic vegetables, herbs, and fruit grown on the organization's urban farm sites and picked up at designated Denver-area locations. Designed for local households seeking a reliable supply of locally grown, transparently farmed produce.
• Farm Stand Sales Direct-to-consumer retail of seasonal organic produce at on-site farm stands located at the organization's urban farm sites. Open to walk-in neighborhood customers seeking fresh, locally grown vegetables, herbs, and fruit without a subscription commitment.
• Food Access Donation Program Charitable program that distributes fresh, organically grown produce from the farm to food-insecure households and partner hunger-relief organizations in the Denver metro area. Provided at no cost to recipients and funded through donations, grants, and dedicated farm plots.
• K-12 Farm Education Program Hands-on, farm-based agricultural education for primary and secondary school students delivered on-site at the organization's urban farms, integrated with classroom curriculum and coordinated with partner schools.
• Farm-to-Cafeteria Produce Supply Direct supply of fresh farm produce to school food-service programs for use in school meals, coordinated with partner K-12 schools to bring locally grown organic vegetables into cafeterias.
• Beginning-Farmer Incubator Training Structured training and incubation pathway for aspiring urban farmers that combines classroom instruction, mentorship, and hands-on plot experience in regenerative organic methods, designed to launch participants into independent farm enterprises.
• Agrivoltaic Urban Farming Research Research plot that co-locates photovoltaic solar generation with organic crop production on an urban farm site, studying the dual-use viability of growing food and generating solar electricity on the same urban footprint. One of the first deployments of agrivoltaics in an urban U.S. farm setting.
• Community Volunteer Program Structured volunteer opportunities at the organization's urban farm sites, engaging community members in planting, cultivation, harvest, and farm-maintenance activities that support CSA, food access, and education programming.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,000-12,000 lbs of produce grown annually at each active farm site
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Jack's Solar GardenmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership to operate 3 acres of vegetable production under 5 acres of solar panels from 2021-2025. Largest agrivoltaic vegetable production site in US. Vegetable farm operations concluded end of 2025 season.
• Mental Health Center of Denver/WellPowermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015SCF designed, built, and operated Dahlia Campus Farm 2015-2018 at Mental Health Center of Denver (now WellPower). Transitioned full management to WellPower in 2018; includes one-acre farm and 5,400 sq ft aquaponics greenhouse.
• City of LakewoodcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Partnership to establish 1.5-acre organic vegetable farm at Mountair Park in 2014, responding to residents' requests for fresh food access and community space through 20-Minute Neighborhood Initiative.
• Denver Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Partnership to establish one-acre organic vegetable farm at Denver Green School campus in 2011. SCF grows produce for school cafeteria through first-of-its-kind Farm to Cafeteria program. School serves diverse SE Denver neighborhoods with 42+ countries represented.
• Double Up Food Bucks ColoradocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSNAP matching program providing half-price produce for SNAP customers at farm stands and for CSA shares.
• University of ArizonamajorTechnology or IntegrationResearch partner for agrivoltaic farming studies, analyzing data on vegetable production under solar panels.
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)majorTechnology or IntegrationFederal research laboratory collaborating on agrivoltaic research and climate-resilient farming practices.
• Colorado State UniversitymajorTechnology or IntegrationAgricultural research partnership contributing to agrivoltaic farming studies.
• Colorado Agrivoltaic Learning CentermajorTechnology or IntegrationEducational partner focused on agrivoltaic learning and knowledge sharing.
• Mile High FarmersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of farmers across Denver metro area (chapter of National Young Farmers Coalition). SCF served on leadership board for a decade. Organizes annual Denver Metro Producers Summit.
• Ekar FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal urban farm; in 2025 led food production at MAP during SCF's operational pause.
• Denver Green SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTitle 1 K-8 school with 42+ countries represented. SCF operates farm on campus; 71-78% students receive Free/Reduced Lunch.
• Food Bank of the RockiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides produce through school food pantries and backpack programs on Fridays supporting families with weekend food needs.
• The OUR CentermajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHunger relief organization receiving produce donations for food assistance programs.
• Jewish Family ServicemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJewish community organization receiving produce donations for food assistance.
• The Action CentermajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHunger relief organization receiving produce donations and serving seniors at Creekside Senior Apartments.
• Denver Sustainable Food Policy CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition working on food policy initiatives in Denver.
• Jefferson County Food Policy CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition addressing food policy issues in Jefferson County/Lakewood area.
• Southwest Food CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition focused on food access and sustainable food systems in southwest Denver area.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture: New York-based farm and education center focused on sustainable agriculture, food systems education, and farmer training. Comparable education focus but at much larger scale with significant endowment.
• The Food Trust: Philadelphia-based larger nonprofit operating farmers markets, food access programs, and nutrition education nationally. Overlaps on food justice mission but operates at broader scale across multiple program areas.

Direct peers

• Jones Valley Teaching Farm: Birmingham, Alabama-based nonprofit operating urban farms with youth education, food access, and farmer training programs. Strong analog for combined education/CSA/community model.
• Big Green: National nonprofit building learning gardens in schools with focus on food access and nutrition education. Directly comparable education-first urban agriculture model targeting Title 1 schools.
• GrowNYC: NYC-based nonprofit operating farmers markets, farm stands, youth education, and greenmarket programs. Comparable urban agriculture nonprofit at significantly larger scale with similar CSA/farm stand model.
• Denver Urban Gardens: Denver-based urban agriculture nonprofit building community gardens and food access programs. Most direct local peer operating community garden sites with similar food justice and education mission.
• Grow Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh-based urban agriculture nonprofit operating community gardens, farm sites, and education programs. Comparable scale and structure as a regional urban ag nonprofit.
• Urban Adamah: Berkeley, California-based urban farm nonprofit combining organic food production, Jewish education, and community building. Comparable urban agriculture education-focused nonprofit model.
• Tricycle Gardens: Richmond, Virginia-based nonprofit urban agriculture organization combining urban farming, healthy food access, and environmental education. Closely comparable small-scale urban ag nonprofit model.

Emerging players

• Square Roots: Tech-enabled urban farming company operating indoor vertical farms with farmer training programs. Adjacent for-profit peer in urban farming with comparable farmer education mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sproutcityfarms
• Instagraminstagram.com/sproutcityfarms
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sprout-city-farms

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 Sprout City Farms