Unity Gardens Inc.

What Unity Gardens Inc. does

Unity Gardens Inc. is a 501(c)-style nonprofit organization headquartered in South Bend, Indiana, founded in 2009 and operating with approximately 20 employees and a 500+ volunteer network. Its core function is community-driven urban agriculture and free public food access, delivered through a 7-acre main campus at LaSalle Square (3701 Prast Blvd) and a network of over 40 satellite gardens across northern Indiana. The organization grows produce organically without pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, or tilling, and runs the Sharing Shelf / Nurture & Nourish program which scaled food distribution from 50,000 pounds in 2024 to 350,000 pounds in 2025, a 7x year-over-year increase. Programs include Little Sprouts youth engagement, an Accessible Garden, and a Re-Entry Engagement partnership with the South Bend Community Re-entry Center.

Unity Gardens operates multiple revenue streams alongside its donation-funded mission: a CSA subscription program (fully booked for 2026), a retail Welcome Center, a South Bend Farmers Market presence, an online store selling handmade goods (honey, infused honey, soaps, balms, lip balms, bath salts, teas, spices, candles, sauces, merchandise, and greeting cards), a build-to-order raised bed product ($240-$300), and seasonal plant starts ($2 each). Pricing is uniformly low and pay-as-you-go, with CSA on annual advance billing. Distribution is regional, with e-commerce shipping supplementing local pickup and delivery.

The organization is led by Executive Director Sara Stewart and Horticultural Lead Eve Morningstar. Strategic partners include the Community Foundation of St Joseph County (matching grant), Cultivate Food Rescue, Clay Church Food Pantry, Great Harvest Bread Company, South Bend Community Re-entry Center, South Bend Mishawaka Leadership, and Wild Ones. The go-to-market motion is community-led: volunteer recruitment through a GroupMe chat, monthly email newsletter, organic social media, and local partnerships, with no proprietary technology platform and no AI/ML components.

Name

Unity Gardens Inc.

Legal name

Unity Gardens Inc.

Website

https://theunitygardens.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Unity Gardens Inc. is a South Bend, Indiana nonprofit operating a 7-acre main garden and 40+ satellite gardens across northern Indiana to provide free organic produce, food sharing, and community programs to local residents, including youth, re-entry individuals, and people with disabilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Agriculture Services

NAICS

Landscaping Services (561730), Nursery and Floriculture Production (11142), Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (444240)

SIC

Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200)

akta.pro primary industry

Garden Bed Installation & Planting (Annuals, Perennials, Shrubs) (HSAIAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Plants, Seeds & Nursery Retail (Garden Centers) (CRAIAIAB), Raised Garden Beds & Planter Box Installation (HSAIAFAK), Vegetable & Herb Garden Installation and Maintenance (HSAIAFAM), Seasonal Color, Planting & Horticultural Services (BPABADAL)

Keywords

• Community gardens
• Urban agriculture
• Fresh produce access
• Community wellness
• Food sharing programs

Headquarters

HQ city

South Bend

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Unity Gardens operates a physical and online store selling honey, plant starts, handmade soaps, balms, spices, candles, sauces, merchandise, and other garden-derived products. All sales support Unity Gardens programs.
2. Raised Bed Sales: Sale of custom-built raised garden beds made from sheet metal and treated lumber. Orders are built to order with typical delivery within two weeks. Prices range from $240-$300 depending on size.
3. CSA Subscriptions: Community-Supported Agriculture program where customers receive weekly boxes of fresh seasonal produce. CSA subscriptions are sold in advance seasons.
4. Donations and Grants: The organization accepts monetary donations and received a matching grant from Community Foundation of St Joseph County to support the Sharing Area program expansion.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Unity Gardens operates free community gardens across northern Indiana, with a 7-acre main campus at LaSalle Square and 40+ satellite gardens open to all. It sells plant starts, custom raised beds, a CSA subscription program, and a retail line of garden-derived handmade goods including honey, soaps, balms, teas, and spices. All revenue supports its food access, education, and community wellness programs.

Product overview

Unity Gardens Inc. is a community-focused nonprofit organization operating as a multi-faceted food access and education enterprise. The core offerings center on community gardens with over 40 satellite gardens in northern Indiana, a main garden location at LaSalle Square (3701 Prast Blvd), and a Market Farm. The organization operates a retail store ecosystem comprising Plant Starts (seasonal vegetable and herb seedlings), Raised Beds (custom-built sheet metal and lumber garden beds), an Online Store with handmade goods including Raw and Infused Honey varieties, Handmade Soaps, Hand Balms, Bath Salts, Lip Balms, Teas, Spices & Seasonings, and Veggie-Pun Cards, plus Swag merchandise. The CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture) program provides weekly produce boxes. Beyond retail, Unity Gardens offers educational programs (Garden Guides, Little Sprouts, youth engagement), community wellness initiatives (Accessible Garden, Re-entry Engagement), and the Sharing Area food distribution program. The organization emphasizes organic growing practices without pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, or tilling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LaSalle Square: Main garden location at 3701 Prast Blvd, South Bend, IN featuring 7 acres of edible park.
• Sharing Shelf
• Nurture & Nourish Program

Products and services

• Plant Starts Seasonal vegetable and herb seedlings including dozens of varieties of tomatoes, peppers, herbs, flowers, fruits, vegetables, and greens. Sold at $2 each at the Welcome Center and South Bend Farmers Market for home gardeners in northern Indiana.
• Raised Garden Beds Custom-built raised garden beds made from sheet metal and treated lumber, available in sizes 8x4 ($300), 8x2 ($260), 8x3 ($260), 6x3 ($250), and 4x4 ($240). Pickup or South Bend delivery available. Built to order for home gardeners.
• CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture) Subscription Subscription program providing weekly boxes of fresh seasonal produce including salad greens, herbs, tomatoes, and onions. Both regular and Spicy CSA options available. Sold in advance of each season to community members in northern Indiana.
• Unity Gardens Swag and Merchandise Merchandise including custom apparel, handmade candles, soaps, balms, homemade sauces, and honeys. 100% of profit supports Unity Gardens programs.
• Honey Sticks Flavored honey sticks in 18 varieties including Cinnamon, Strawberry, Watermelon, Pink Lemonade, Peach, Orange, Habanero, Clover, Blackberry, Pina Colada, Green Apple, Peppermint, Blueberry, Grape, Root Beer, Wildflower, and Buckwheat. Sold at $0.50 each.
• Handmade Soap Handmade soaps in nine varieties including Rosemary Lavender Shampoo/Shave, Cucumber Melon, Skin Soother, Lavender, Frankincense Shampoo/Shave, Tea Tree & Charcoal, Unscented Oatmeal, Unscented Goat's Milk, and Soap Sampler.
• Bath Salts Handmade bath salts including Lavender Lullaby, Warm Serenity, and Not Yo' Mama's Vapo Rub. Sold at $8 each.
• Hand Balms and Beeswax Salves Beeswax balms and salves in 19 varieties including Bug Off, Cinnamon, Patchouli, Peppermint, Rosemary, Lavender, Sandalwood Bergamot, Lemon, Cherry, Unscented, Beard Balm, Vanilla Coconut, Paw Balm, Eucalyptus, and Skin Soother Salve.
• Organic Herbal Teas Herbal teas including Firefly Flicker Tea (spilanthes, hibiscus, mint) and Mint Tea, grown organically at Unity Gardens. Priced $1.00-$5.00 depending on size.
• Lip Balms Handmade lip balms made with beeswax, coconut oil, cocoa butter, shea butter, essential oils, and Vitamin E. Varieties include Lemon, Bubble Gum, Wintergreen, Spearmint, and Peppermint.
• Raw Honey Varieties Raw honey varieties including Wildflower Buckwheat Honey, Blueberry Honey, Michigan Wildflower Honey, and Goldenrod Honey.
• Infused Raw Honey Infused raw honeys in varieties including Lavender, Rosemary & Sage, Turmeric & Ginger, XXX (habanero, ghost pepper, Carolina Reaper), Carolina Reaper, Ghost Pepper, Habanero, Chocolate Habanero, Cinnamon, Cinnamon Roll, and Vanilla. Priced $10-$16 depending on type.
• Organic Dried Herbs and Spices

Quantifiable outcome

• Shared 350,000 pounds of food in 2025 (up from 50,000 in 2024)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cultivate Food RescuecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood donation partner for the Sharing Area program. Accepts food donations to share with the community through the sharing fridge, freezer, and shelf at the Welcome Center.
• Clay Church Food PantryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood donation partner accepting and distributing food donations through Unity Gardens' sharing infrastructure.
• Great Harvest Bread CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood donation partner contributing bread products to the Sharing Area for community distribution.
• South Bend Community Re-entry CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides incarcerated individuals opportunity to prepare for re-entry. Participants volunteer at Unity Gardens, created the Haircuts and Hotcakes program, and volunteer every Tuesday with family-style lunches.
• South Bend Mishawaka LeadershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProposed and raised funds to build the accessible garden at LaSalle Square, addressing accessibility needs for physically challenged community members.
• Wild OnesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint sale of Wild Ones book about Michiana native plants at Unity Gardens store. Supports both organizations. The book contains native plant guides for the region.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• P-Patch Community Gardens: Seattle's municipally-supported network of 90+ community gardens offering organic growing, programming, and food donations. Closest scaled analog to Unity Gardens' satellite garden network in northern Indiana.
• Denver Urban Gardens: Nonprofit operating a network of community gardens in the Denver metro with educational programs, volunteer-led satellite gardens, and produce donation. Direct structural analog to Unity Gardens' satellite garden model.
• GrowNYC: New York nonprofit operating farmers markets, community gardens, and food-access education across NYC. Comparable hybrid of physical garden sites, retail farmers markets, and educational programming.
• Big Green: National nonprofit that funds and builds learning and community gardens in low-income areas, pairing garden construction with food-access and education programming. Comparable operating model of grant-funded garden installation paired with educational programming.
• Southside Community Land Trust: Providence, RI-based nonprofit running a network of community gardens, a CSA, and food-access programming for over four decades. Most operationally analogous organization in the US, also combining CSA subscriptions with community garden and youth programming.
• Cultivate Food Rescue: Listed as an active operating partner of Unity Gardens, Cultivate Food Rescue is a regional food-rescue nonprofit in northern Indiana that collects and redistributes surplus food. Same geography, same donor and partner ecosystem, and same food-access mission.

Emerging players

• Edible Schoolyard Project: Alice Waters-founded nonprofit supporting edible education gardens in schools; overlaps with Unity Gardens' Little Sprouts youth program and educational-resource library.
• Boston Area Gleaners: New England nonprofit harvesting surplus crops from farms for food-distribution partners. Overlaps with Unity Gardens' Sharing Area mission and farm-donation logistics.
• Food Forward: Los Angeles nonprofit gleaning surplus produce and distributing to communities; tangential to Unity Gardens' Sharing Area food distribution model and similar donor base. Operates at significantly larger scale.

Others

• Wholesome Wave: National nonprofit that partners with farms and markets to double SNAP/food-stamp value on fresh produce, a complementary not a competing organization in the food-access ecosystem Unity Gardens operates in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unitygardensinc

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 Unity Gardens Inc.