Women Food and Agriculture Network

What Women Food and Agriculture Network does

Women, Food and Agriculture Network (WFAN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1997 and headquartered in Ames, Iowa, that supports women and gender-marginalized people in sustainable agriculture through a portfolio of community-based programs. Its core offerings include Harvesting Our Potential (an on-farm mentorship program pairing aspiring and beginning farmers with experienced mentors in 8-10 week seasons), Women Caring for the Land (peer Learning Circles for women farmland owners focused on conservation), Plate to Politics (policy advocacy training and tools), Growing Community Resilience (monthly equity and anti-racism dialogue), and the WFAN Stewardship Ambassadors program (conservation storytelling). Supporting educational assets include the Farm Bill Dashboard, the Stories of the Seasons ecological calendar/zine/digital StoryMap (a three-year collaboration with American Farmland Trust and Iowa State University), the annual WFAN Conference, and the Community Poem project.

WFAN's underlying technology is intentionally lightweight: a Squarespace-hosted website (wfan.org) handles program information, membership sign-up, event registration, and resource distribution; the OurPowerBase platform processes donations and member data; a YouTube channel hosts educational video series (Advocacy & Policy 101, Building a Better Farm Bill); and an Instagram account drives top-of-funnel community engagement. No public API, SDK, proprietary AI/ML system, or mobile app is present in the source data. The technology layer functions as a community-operations backbone rather than a differentiated product surface.

The organization's revenue model combines tiered annual membership dues (individuals $30-$150+; organizations $250-$15,000 scaled to staff count, with all tiers receiving identical benefits), individual donations processed via OurPowerBase, and grant funding (including a USDA-NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant partnership). Distribution is primarily direct via the website and in-person programming (field days, Learning Circles, conferences) across eight Midwestern states — Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin — with digital content extending reach nationally. Core staff consists of seven members: Executive Director Jennifer Studebaker (appointed December 2025), Program Manager, Operations and Membership Manager, and four program/marketing assistants.

Name

Women Food and Agriculture Network

Legal name

Women, Food and Agriculture Network

Website

https://wfan.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Women, Food and Agriculture Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1997 that supports women and gender-marginalized people in sustainable agriculture through mentorship, peer learning, conservation programming, and policy advocacy across eight Midwestern states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Agriculture Community Advocacy

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAGAI

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Environmental & Conservation Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGABAB

Agriculture & Food Security Development

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/International Development & Poverty Alleviation

SECONDARYBPAGALAD

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Enterprises & Impact Organizations

Keywords

• Sustainable agriculture advocacy
• Farmer mentorship programs
• Women landowner outreach
• Agricultural policy education
• Conservation learning circles

Headquarters

HQ city

Ames

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from individual and organizational members provide general operating support. Membership tiers range from $30 Access to $150 Sustaining for individuals, and $250 to $15,000 for organizations based on staff size.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Women, Food and Agriculture Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers a portfolio of community-based programs for women and gender-marginalized farmers, landowners, and food-system advocates. Core offerings include the Harvesting Our Potential on-farm mentorship program, Women Caring for the Land peer learning circles, the Plate to Politics advocacy platform, and the Stewardship Ambassadors program, all bundled under an annual tiered membership. Educational resources (Farm Bill Dashboard, Stories of the Seasons zine and digital StoryMap) and recurring events (annual conference, Learning Circles, webinars) complete the offering.

Product overview

WFAN offers a portfolio of interconnected community programs and educational resources focused on engaging women and gender-marginalized people in sustainable agriculture. The core programs include Harvesting Our Potential (farmer mentorship), Women Caring for the Land (landowner peer learning), Plate to Politics (policy advocacy), Growing Community Resilience (equity dialogue), and WFAN Stewardship Ambassadors (conservation leadership). These programs are supported by educational content including the Farm Bill Dashboard, Stories of the Seasons ecological calendars and zine, Community Poem, and annual conferences. Membership provides access to these programs with tiered pricing for individuals and organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Harvesting Our Potential: An on-farm apprenticeship program that brings together aspiring, beginning, and seasoned farmers in sustainable agriculture for peer-to-peer learning and networking opportunities.
• Women Caring for the Land
• Plate to Politics
• Growing Community Resilience
• WFAN Stewardship Ambassadors
• Stories of the Seasons
• Woman in Sustainable Agriculture Award
• WiWiC

Products and services

• WFAN Membership Annual tiered subscription membership granting access to WFAN programs, Learning Circles, member events, the quarterly newsletter, and the WFAN community. Individual tiers range from $30 (Access) to $150+ (Sustaining); organizational tiers range from $250 to $15,000 scaled to staff size.
• Harvesting Our Potential (HOP) An on-farm mentorship and apprenticeship program that brings together aspiring, beginning, and seasoned farmers in sustainable agriculture for peer-to-peer learning and networking during 8-10 week seasons. Open to applicants via a dedicated mentor/mentee profile process (e.g., 2026 HOP Mentor Profiles).
• Women Caring for the Land A peer-to-peer learning program that supports women farmland owners in honing and sharing stories of conservation action, serving as a catalyst for connection between women landowners in the Midwest via Learning Circles focused on stewardship.
• Plate to Politics A nationwide advocacy initiative equipping members with information and tools to become advocates for sustainable food systems in their communities and at the state and federal levels, connecting food system participants to trusted policy partners.
• Growing Community Resilience A monthly meeting space for WFAN members to engage in dialogue, self-reflection, and courageous conversations about equity, anti-racism, healing, and support, building community toward an equitable and liberatory paradigm.
• WFAN Stewardship Ambassadors A program that partners with women landowners to share their land and conservation stories, empowering landowners to take conservation action and positioning them as agents of change in eight Midwestern states (Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, and Wisconsin).

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWFAN is a member of NSAC, collaborating on farm bill advocacy and policy work at the national level.
• National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWFAN is a member of NFFC, participating in coalition work for family farm advocacy.
• American Farmland TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating on Stories of the Seasons project and Women for the Land national initiative. Joint profiles of women landowners highlighting conservation work.
• Iowa State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-year collaboration with American Farmland Trust and Iowa State University on Stories of the Seasons project to understand land stewards' climate change experiences.
• HEAL Food AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on voter guide resources and shared advocacy for sustainable food systems.
• National Young Farmers CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner supporting young and beginning farmers.
• Farm AidminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting farmers through advocacy and resources.
• National Family Farm CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on policy advocacy and farm bill work.
• Xerces Society for Invertebrate ConservationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on WiWiC Summer Camp webinar series focusing on invertebrate conservation and pollinator habitat.
• Kansas Rural CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting the Stewardship Ambassador Program.
• Soil SistersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Stewardship Ambassador Program and Aging Strong Learning Circle Series.
• Land Conservancy of McHenry CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting the Stewardship Ambassador Program.
• Center for Rural AffairsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting the Stewardship Ambassador Program.
• Land Stewardship ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting the Stewardship Ambassador Program.
• Renewing the CountrysideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting the Stewardship Ambassador Program.
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIG Partner supporting conservation programs and Iowa Learning Farms field days.
• Go FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Western SARE funding for Soil Health in the West webinar series.
• Native Farm Bill CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner for farm bill policy work.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Young Farmers Coalition: National nonprofit advocating for young and beginning farmers through policy, training, and coalition work. A direct peer because it shares WFAN's beginning-farmer support mission (overlap on HOP-style mentorship and beginning farmer resources) and is a confirmed WFAN coalition partner.
• Land Stewardship Project: Minnesota-based sustainable agriculture and family farm organization. A direct peer because it supports WFAN's Stewardship Ambassador Program and shares the Midwest sustainable-agriculture, family-farmer, and stewardship-based mission orientation.
• National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition: National policy advocacy alliance for sustainable agriculture. A direct peer because WFAN is a member of NSAC and they collaborate on Farm Bill advocacy, Plate to Politics-style policy training, and coalition representation of sustainable ag interests at the federal level.
• Renewing the Countryside: Nonprofit supporting rural revitalization and sustainable agriculture in the Upper Midwest. A direct peer because it partners with WFAN on the Stewardship Ambassador Program and overlaps on storytelling, women-in-agriculture, and rural community programming.
• Practical Farmers of Iowa: Iowa-based farmer-led nonprofit supporting sustainable agriculture through research, education, and events. A direct peer because WFAN was founded at a Practical Farmers of Iowa Women's Winter Gathering, the two share a Midwest sustainable-agriculture base, and they overlap on farmer education, field days, and membership models.
• Center for Rural Affairs: Midwest-based nonprofit advocating for rural communities, small agriculture, and beginning farmers. A direct peer because it partners with WFAN on the Stewardship Ambassador Program and overlaps on small/beginning farmer policy, rural women programming, and Midwest delivery.
• HEAL Food Alliance: Multi-sector coalition for a just, sustainable food system. A direct peer because HEAL is a confirmed WFAN partner on voter guide resources and shared advocacy, and both center equity and sustainability in food and farm policy.
• American Farmland Trust: National nonprofit dedicated to farmland conservation and supporting farmers. A direct peer because AFT co-runs the Women for the Land initiative and the Stories of the Seasons project with WFAN, overlapping heavily on women landowner programming and Midwest delivery.
• National Family Farm Coalition: Coalition of family farm groups advocating for fair farm policy and rural livelihoods. A direct peer because WFAN is a member of NFFC, they share farm bill advocacy work, and both center family-scale and women-led farming in their missions.
• Farm Aid: National nonprofit supporting family farmers through grants, advocacy, and public engagement. A direct peer because Farm Aid is a confirmed WFAN partner organization, and both focus on family farm viability, sustainable agriculture, and farmer-to-farmer support.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@womenfoodandagriculturenet8698
• Instagraminstagram.com/wfan_org
• Facebookfacebook.com/WomenFoodAgNet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/women-food-and-agriculture-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Women Food and Agriculture Network