Vilicus Farms

What Vilicus Farms does

Vilicus Farms is a privately-held, family-owned organic dryland crop farm operating approximately 9,600 acres near Havre, Montana, in the Northern Great Plains. Founded in 2009 by Doug Crabtree and Anna Jones-Crabtree, the farm grows more than 20 organic heirloom and specialty crops on a 5–7 year rotation, with roughly 26% of acreage dedicated to pollinator conservation habitat. It holds USDA Organic, Real Organic Project, and Bee Better Certified designations, and operates a small core team supplemented by a long-running apprenticeship and intern pipeline launched in 2013. On-farm photovoltaic generation installed in 2015 supplies a portion of operational energy needs.\n\nThe business generates revenue through two parallel channels. The first is wholesale organic grain and specialty crop off-take to a diversified roster of national organic CPG buyers and distributors, including Clif Bar, UNFI, Dave's Killer Bread, Kamut International, Nature's Path, Annie's, and General Mills. The second is the Community Supported Stewardship Agriculture (CSSA) program, an alternative stewardship-equity financing model that has reached 12,508 shares and effectively decouples a portion of the farm's capital base from conventional grain cycles. Together these channels position Vilicus as both a production-scale organic operator and a mission-aligned stewardship platform.\n\nFinancial information is not publicly disclosed. Revenue scale is not stated in source material; headcount stands at 9 core employees, the operation is intentionally not vertically integrated into processing, and the founders remain active as public advocates for organic dryland farming and peer-farmer replication.

Name

Vilicus Farms

Legal name

Vilicus Farms

Website

https://vilicusfarms.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Vilicus Farms is a family-owned organic dryland farm in northern Montana operating 9,600 acres of 20+ heirloom crops on long rotations, supplying wholesale organic grain to national CPG brands and operating a community-supported stewardship financing program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Dryland Crop Farming

NAICS

Oilseed and Grain Farming (1111), Other Crop Farming (1119)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Wholesale-Farm Product Raw Materials (5150)

akta.pro primary industry

Organic Row Crop Farming (Grains, Oilseeds, Pulses) (AFAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Nutrient Stewardship & Soil Fertility Management (4R Nutrients, Compost, Biofertilizers) (AFAGAMAE)

Keywords

• Organic crop farming
• Dryland agriculture
• Specialty grain production
• Land stewardship services
• Beginning farmer training

Headquarters

HQ city

Havre

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Crop Sales: Revenue from selling diverse organic heirloom grains and specialty crops to organic food companies. Crops include wheat, lentils, flax, kamut, and over 20 unique crops grown annually.
2. Community Supported Stewardship Agriculture (CSSA): Shareholders purchase stewardship shares at Level 1 ($100), Level 2 ($500), Level 3 ($700), Level 4 ($1000), Level 5 ($5000) to directly support land stewardship practices. Currently selling 12,508 shares representing total acreage under stewardship. Provides base stable income to fund stewardship activities regardless of crop production outcomes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Vilicus Farms operates a 9,600-acre certified organic dryland crop farm in northern Montana, producing more than 20 heirloom grains, pulses, and specialty crops annually (wheat, lentils, flax, kamut, buckwheat, chickpeas, etc.) for sale to organic food companies. The farm also sells stewardship shares through its Community Supported Stewardship Agriculture (CSSA) program and trains beginning organic farmers via an 8-month apprenticeship and short-term internships.

Product overview

Vilicus Farms operates as an organic, dryland crop farming operation offering agricultural products (heirloom grains and specialty crops) and agricultural education programs. The core products include the Community Supported Stewardship Agriculture (CSSA) program for direct shareholder support of land stewardship, the New Agrarian Apprenticeship Program for multi-season farmer training, and short-term Farm Internship opportunities. The farm grows over 20 unique organic crops annually across 9,600 acres, with 26% of managed land in permanent pollinator-friendly conservation. All products and programs are interconnected through the farm's mission of modeling conservation-based organic agriculture on the Northern Great Plains.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Supported Stewardship Agriculture (CSSA) Program
• New Agrarian Apprenticeship Program
• Farm Internship Program
• Organic Heirloom and Specialty Crops

Quantifiable outcome

• 26% of farm in permanent pollinator-friendly conservation habitat
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Real Organic ProjectcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2020Real Organic Project certifies that Vilicus Farms operation is compliant with standards developed by Real Organic Project Standards Board, verifying organic production practices.
• Bee Better CertifiedcoreTechnology or Integration · 16 June 2017Bee Better Certified seal indicates that certified ingredients were grown in ways that support bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. Farm maintains over 20% of farmland dedicated to pollinator habitat.
• Xerces Society for Invertebrate ConservationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2015Partnership for research and application of integrated pollinator conservation in farming systems. Many conservation buffers are planted with native wildflowers and grasses in partnership with Xerces Society to provide habitat for native pollinators and wildlife.
• Quivira CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Partnership through Quivira Coalition's New Agrarian Program to offer intensive 8-month apprenticeship opportunities for beginning organic farmers. Apprentices work side-by-side with operations foreman, farm owners, and staff to achieve farm goals while developing skills in production agriculture.
• Montana Organic AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOA board member support. Doug serves as Montana Organic Advisory Board Chair. Organization network supporting organic farmers in Montana.
• Organic Trade AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOTA Advisory board membership. Doug serves as board member. Partnership supporting organic trade and policy advocacy.
• Organic Farming Research FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrevious OFRF board member. Organization dedicated to advancing organic farming through research and policy work.
• Donella Meadows Sustainability Leaders NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnna Jones-Crabtree is a Donella Meadows Fellow/Sustainability Leader. Network supports sustainability champions and provides resources for implementing sustainable practices.
• Hill County Electric CooperativeminorOthersLocal utility provider for the region. Vilicus Farms installed one of the first grid-intertie solar systems on the cooperative's system.
• Bear Paw Development CorporationminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvided significant support in USDA REAP grant application process for photovoltaic system installation.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Polyface Farm: Virginia-based regenerative multi-generational farm practicing rotational grazing and diversified cropping with strong brand authority and apprenticeship/mentorship programs. Comparable to Vilicus in regenerative ethos, founder-driven brand, and on-farm training programs, though focused on livestock rather than grain.
• Shepherd's Grain: Pacific Northwest grower-owned cooperative of dryland grain farmers practicing no-till and soil-health-focused regenerative agriculture. Comparable to Vilicus as a network of dryland regenerative grain producers selling identity-preserved, sustainability-branded grain into CPG supply chains.
• Lundberg Family Farms: Multi-generational family-operated organic grain farm in California growing rice and rotational crops under organic and regenerative practices. Comparable to Vilicus as a family-owned, vertically branded organic grain operation selling direct to CPG customers with sustainability credentials.
• Bonterra Organic Vineyards: California organic and regeneratively farmed wine-grape operation (owned by Treasury Wine Estates) marketing under a sustainability brand to CPG-style buyers. Comparable to Vilicus as a large organic, sustainability-branded crop operation selling into corporate supply chains with verified regenerative credentials.

Emerging players

• White Oak Pastures: Georgia regenerative farm operation at scale with on-farm processing, retail, and apprenticeship-style learning programs. Comparable to Vilicus as a large regenerative farm brand building direct-to-consumer and wholesale channels plus educational programs, though livestock-centric.
• Stonyfield Farm: Organic dairy and yogurt brand (owned by Lactalis) built on organic family-farmer sourcing with strong sustainability narrative. Comparable to Vilicus as an organic CPG brand sourcing from US family farms with regenerative/organic credentials, though dairy-focused rather than grain-focused.

Broad incumbents

• Organic Valley: Largest US organic farmer cooperative, marketing organic dairy, produce, and grains under a farmer-owned cooperative model. Comparable to Vilicus as a US organic cooperative brand channel that aggregates and markets organic farm output to CPG customers, though much larger and broader in scope.
• Cascadian Farm: Iconic organic farm brand founded in 1972 and now owned by General Mills, focused on organic berries, grains, and cereals. Comparable to Vilicus as a large-scale organic farm brand supplying organic ingredients to CPGs, but operates at far greater scale and as a corporate-owned brand rather than independent family operation.

Others

• Patagonia Provisions: Sustainable food brand under Patagonia sourcing regeneratively and organically grown grains and ingredients. Comparable to Vilicus as a downstream buyer and storytelling vehicle for regenerative grain sourcing, not a competing farm but a relevant commercial partner archetype.
• Applegate Farms: Organic and regenerative-sourced meats brand owned by Hormel. Comparable to Vilicus as a downstream CPG buyer leveraging regenerative/organic sourcing as a brand differentiator, and a relevant archetype for how Vilicus's stewardship story could translate into branded CPG partnerships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vilicus-farms

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Vilicus Farms