Radix Ecological Sustainability Center

What Radix Ecological Sustainability Center does

Radix Ecological Sustainability Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit urban environmental education center and one-acre farm established in 2011 on a formerly vacant asphalt lot in Albany, New York's South End (153 Grand Street). The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs including Urban Agriculture and Gardening (organic produce, eggs, greenhouse and high tunnel growing), the Community Compost Initiative (weekly zero-emission bicycle-based residential compost collection), Youth Programs/EcoJustice Associates (paid high school employment and Albany Central School District enrichment), the Albany Biocultural Diversity Forest (free street tree planting in underserved neighborhoods in partnership with UAlbany ITECA), Renewable Remediation for River Regeneration, Atmospheric Justice Initiatives, and the Clean Energy Careers workforce program operated with embedded NYSERDA Clean Energy Hub staff. The site functions as a living demonstration of regenerative systems including gardens, greenhouses, honeybees, fish, passive solar thermal mass, and rainwater harvesting.

The technology stack is centered on ecological and mechanical systems rather than software: passive solar greenhouse design with rainwater-harvesting gutters, high tunnel growing structures, zero-emission bicycle-based compost logistics, and regenerative organic practices without chemical pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. No AI/ML, API, SDK, or software product surface is evidenced. Commercial activity is limited to two recurring revenue streams — the Community Compost Initiative residential subscription at $20/month for a 2.4-gallon filtered container ($5/month per additional container) and seasonal farm share subscriptions with midweek on-site pickup or delivery — supplemented by donations, grants, and program partnerships.

The organization is led by Executive Director Stacy Pettigrew, PhD and Educational Director Scott Kellogg, PhD, with a small operational team covering farm management, compost coordination, youth engagement, and development, governed by a five-member Board of Directors. Customer concentration is geographically narrow: all paid services and free programs (tree planting, youth enrichment) are scoped to the Albany metropolitan area and specifically targeted neighborhoods (South End, Arbor Hill, West Hill, North Albany, Sheridan Hollow). The center's primary strategic assets are institutional partnerships (UAlbany ITECA, Albany Central School District, NYSERDA Clean Energy Hub), 13+ years of operating history on a constrained one-acre footprint, and integration with the Albany community through recurring service touchpoints and volunteer/donation channels.

Name

Radix Ecological Sustainability Center

Legal name

Radix Ecological Sustainability Center

Website

https://radixcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Radix Ecological Sustainability Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 operating a one-acre urban farm and environmental education center in Albany, NY, delivering organic produce, weekly bicycle-based compost collection, youth employment, tree planting, and clean energy career programs to Albany residents and Capital Region neighborhoods.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Education and Urban Sustainability Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Remediation and Other Waste Management Services (5629)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Justice & Community Environmental Health (BPAGAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Urban & Community Reforestation / Street Tree Planting (AFAMACAL), Sustainability Engagement, Training & Behavior Change Programs (On-site) (BPABALAK), Native, Pollinator & Drought-Tolerant Garden Installations (HSAIAFAL)

Keywords

• Urban environmental education
• Community compost collection
• Urban agriculture services
• Youth workforce development
• Street tree planting

Headquarters

HQ city

Albany

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Community Compost Subscription Service: Weekly residential compost collection service with monthly subscription fees. Residential pricing at $20/month for a 2.4 gallon container with odor filter. Larger commercial volume options available at custom pricing.
2. Farm Shares: Seasonal farm share program offering fresh organically grown produce from the one-acre urban farm. Limited shares available annually with midweek pickup at the farm or delivery for CCI customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Radix Ecological Sustainability Center is a nonprofit urban environmental education center and one-acre farm in Albany, NY that delivers community sustainability programs including weekly residential compost collection, organic farm-share produce, paid youth employment and school enrichment, free street tree planting in underserved neighborhoods, river remediation, atmospheric justice initiatives, and clean-energy workforce development. It demonstrates regenerative systems — gardens, greenhouses, honeybees, fish, composting — that residents, students, and homeowners experience through direct service delivery and on-site education.

Product overview

Radix Ecological Sustainability Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit urban environmental education center and one-acre farm in Albany, NY's South End, operating since 2011. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected programs focused on ecological literacy, environmental stewardship, and community health. Core programs include Urban Agriculture and Gardening (producing organic produce and eggs), the Community Compost Initiative (zero-emission compost collection service), Youth Programs (EcoJustice Associates paid youth employment), the Albany Biocultural Diversity Forest (free street tree planting), Renewable Remediation for River Regeneration, Atmospheric Justice Initiatives, and Clean Energy Careers workforce development. The center serves as a living model demonstrating sustainable technologies and regenerative practices, with all programs designed to help communities, especially youth, reclaim control over essential resources like food and water.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Urban Agriculture and Gardening One-acre urban farm producing organic eggs, fruits, and vegetables using regenerative practices without chemical pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, including a passive solar greenhouse for year-round growing and a high tunnel for extended seasonal production. Serves farm-share members, volunteers, and on-site youth participants.
• Community Compost Initiative (CCI) Weekly residential compost collection service using zero-emission bicycles, providing filtered no-odor containers for household food scraps and diverting organic waste from landfills. Residential pricing at $20/month for a 2.4-gallon container; commercial-volume pricing available by contact.
• Youth Programs (EcoJustice Associates) Paid positions for Albany-area high-school youth providing farm support, cooking skills, professional development, and career exposure in sustainability, paired with on-site and in-school enrichment curriculum covering ecosystems, food access, air pollution, and composting through partnership with Albany Central School District.
• Albany Biocultural Diversity Forest Free street tree planting program for Albany homeowners, residents, or business owners in the South End, Arbor Hill, West Hill, North Albany, and Sheridan Hollow neighborhoods, providing shade, air purification, and food production while addressing the urban heat island effect. Delivered in partnership with University at Albany ITECA.
• Renewable Remediation for River Regeneration Environmental remediation initiative using renewable technologies to restore river ecosystems and water quality in the Hudson River area, with on-site demonstration of remediation techniques.
• Atmospheric Justice Initiatives Initiative addressing air quality and atmospheric pollution in underserved communities, with emphasis on environmental justice and public health impacts, including the documented effect of street tree planting in reducing summer air temperatures by up to 10 degrees.
• Clean Energy Careers Workforce development program connecting Albany community members to careers in the clean-energy sector, operated in partnership with NYSERDA Clean Energy Hub staff embedded at the Radix site.

Quantifiable outcome

• Trees reduce summer air temperatures by as much as 10 degrees or more in shaded areas
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 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

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• University at Albany - Institute for Transformational and Ecosystem-based Climate Adaptation (ITECA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Albany Biocultural Diversity Forest program enabling free tree planting on private property. ITECA provides institutional support and climate adaptation expertise.
• Albany Central School District (ACSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnrichment programs both on-site at Radix and at neighborhood schools, covering garden maintenance, planting, harvesting, and classroom topics including ecosystems, food access, air pollution, and composting.
• NYSERDA Clean Energy HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClean Energy Careers program and NYSERDA Clean Energy Hub staff embedded at Radix (Haley O'Brien and Lillian Triana-Strautmanis) supporting workforce development in clean energy.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Soul Fire Farm: Troy/Albany-area nonprofit farm offering youth programs, food justice training, and sustainable agriculture. Comparable farm-based youth programming and environmental justice orientation, though located on rural land versus Radix's urban one-acre site.
• BK Rot: Brooklyn-based community composting service with subscription-based residential food scrap collection using bicycle routes. Highly comparable to Radix's Community Compost Initiative in service model, pricing, and zero-emission delivery approach.
• Brooklyn Grange: Commercial urban rooftop farming operation in NYC producing vegetables and running educational programs. Comparable urban agriculture footprint and mission, though commercially operated versus Radix's nonprofit model.
• Added Value: Brooklyn-based nonprofit urban farm focused on youth leadership development and sustainable food systems education. Highly comparable combination of urban farming, paid youth employment, and community environmental work.
• GrowNYC: New York City-based nonprofit operating urban farming, composting, farmers markets, and environmental education programs. Direct peer in mission, programs, and urban sustainability nonprofit structure, though at much larger scale.
• Big Reuse: NYC nonprofit operating community composting drop-off and subscription services alongside reuse and education programs. Comparable waste diversion and urban sustainability programming model.
• Trees New York: NYC-based nonprofit focused on urban tree planting, stewardship, and environmental education. Directly comparable to Radix's Albany Biocultural Diversity Forest street tree planting program.
• Lower East Side Ecology Center: NYC-based nonprofit running community composting, urban ecology workshops, and watershed education. Closely comparable to Radix's composting and education programming within an urban environmental education model.

Broad incumbents

• The Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit focused on creating parks and protecting public land for communities. Comparable urban green space and environmental justice mission at significantly larger scale and geographic reach.

Regional players

• Capital Roots: Troy/Albany-area nonprofit running urban gardens, healthy food access, and community education in New York's Capital Region. Direct regional peer serving overlapping communities with comparable urban food and sustainability programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/radixcenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/radixecologicalsustainabilitycenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/radix-ecological-sustainability-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Radix Ecological Sustainability Center