UpRooted Black Earth Stewards

What UpRooted Black Earth Stewards does

UpRooted Black Earth Stewards, operating publicly as the Black Youth Farming Collective (BYFC), is a Canadian non-profit organization founded in 2021 and headquartered in Brampton, Ontario. The organization runs a Black-led youth farm and land-based training programs advancing Black food sovereignty in Peel Region, stewarding Asase Farm at McVean Farm in partnership with the City of Brampton and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. Its three core programs — the Urban Farm Program (hands-on farming skills from seed to harvest), Educational Workshops (delivered in schools and community organizations on food systems, climate resilience, soil health, seed saving, and culturally relevant crops), and Community Events (seasonal planting days, harvest celebrations, and skill-building workshops) — collectively advance food security, youth leadership development, and cultural reconnection for Black communities.

BYFC serves four primary segments: Black youth (the primary persona), Black community members and families, schools and educators, and youth-serving organizations. Its underlying methodology is an African-centred curriculum integrating food, land, activism, culture, and spirituality grounded in diasporic traditions, delivered through a youth-adult partnership governance model. Reported impact includes 200+ Black youth engaged in land-based learning, 2,000+ lbs of culturally relevant food grown and shared, 1,500+ youth volunteer hours, and 5 years of community-rooted farming operations.

The organization's business model is donation- and grant-driven. It is not a registered charity and cannot issue tax-deductible receipts. Revenue streams from individual donations, federal funding (Government of Canada), provincial and municipal support (Ontario Trillium Foundation, City of Brampton), philanthropic foundations (Foundation for Black Communities, Peter Gilgan Foundation), corporate CSR (Lush Cosmetics), and in-kind academic partnerships (Toronto Metropolitan University, Elephant Thoughts). Distribution is direct to community: on-farm programming at Asase Farm, in-school workshops, and community events accessed via Eventbrite registration. Marketing is organic and community-led through Instagram, Facebook, Linktree, and email newsletter, with no paid acquisition channels identified.

Name

UpRooted Black Earth Stewards

Legal name

Black Youth Farming Collective

Website

https://blackyouthfc.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Short description

UpRooted Black Earth Stewards (operating as Black Youth Farming Collective) is a Brampton-based Canadian non-profit running a Black-led youth farm and land-based training programs that advance Black food sovereignty, food security, and youth leadership in Peel Region through on-farm programming, in-school workshops, and community events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Agriculture and Food Sovereignty Programs

NAICS

Other Crop Farming (1119), Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI), Agriculture & Food Security Development (BPAGABAB)

Keywords

• Community farming programs
• Youth land-based education
• Food sovereignty initiatives
• Urban agricultural training
• Non-profit community development

Headquarters

HQ city

Brampton

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: BYFC operates as a non-profit organization relying primarily on donations from individuals, community supporters, and institutional funders. The organization is not currently a registered charity and cannot issue tax-deductible receipts. Donations directly support farm operations, youth programming, staff costs, and learning materials.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UpRooted Black Earth Stewards (operating as Black Youth Farming Collective / BYFC) operates Asase Farm at McVean Farm in Brampton, Ontario, delivering three interconnected programs: an Urban Farm Program that teaches hands-on farming skills to Black youth, Educational Workshops on food systems and culturally relevant crops delivered in schools and community organizations, and year-round Community Events such as planting days, harvest celebrations, and skill-building workshops. The organization's offerings advance Black food sovereignty, youth leadership development, and land-based learning for Black communities in the Peel Region.

Product overview

The Black Youth Farming Collective is a youth-founded, community-rooted non-profit initiative that operates three interconnected programs: the Urban Farm Program (hands-on farming at Asase Farm in Brampton), Educational Workshops (delivered in schools and communities), and Community Events (seasonal gatherings and skill-building workshops). Together, these programs advance food security, leadership development, and land-based learning for Black communities. The organization also accepts donations and engages volunteers to support programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Urban Farm Program Hands-on farming program where Black youth care for crops from seed to harvest, learning core skills in planting, soil health, composting, tool safety, and seasonal farm tasks. The farm serves as a community space for collaboration and land-based healing.
• Educational Workshops Land-based learning sessions delivered in partnership with schools and community organizations, covering topics such as food systems, climate resilience, soil health, seed saving, and culturally relevant crops.
• Community Events Year-round events including seasonal planting days, harvest celebrations, skill-building workshops, youth-led farm tours, and cultural food experiences that strengthen intergenerational connections and community ties.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ Black youth engaged in land-based learning annually
• +2 more outcomes

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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of BramptoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the City of Brampton to steward community land at McVean Farm for the Asase Farm community garden. The City provides land access for urban farming, food production, and youth programming.
• Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with TRCA to steward the McVean Farm land, cultivating culturally relevant crops and creating pathways for youth to reconnect with land-based knowledge systems.
• Elephant ThoughtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting educational programming and curriculum development for youth land-based learning initiatives.
• Toronto Metropolitan UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic institution partnership supporting research, education, and knowledge-sharing around food systems and community programming.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• The Stop Community Food Centre: The Stop is a Toronto-based community food centre delivering food access, urban agriculture, and community education programs — comparable to BYFC as a GTA-focused community-food organization combining farming and education.
• FoodShare Toronto: FoodShare Toronto is a long-standing GTA-based food justice organization running urban agriculture, food access, and youth education programs — a strong regional comparable in programming breadth and Toronto-area food-systems mission.
• Everdale: Everdale is an Ontario-based farm education organization running hands-on farm training and school programs — a relevant regional comparable given BYFC's Educational Workshops and youth farming programming in Ontario.

Direct peers

• Detroit Black Community Food Security Network (D-Town Farm): DBCFSN operates D-Town Farm and runs youth-led urban agriculture and food sovereignty programs in Detroit — a close peer given its Black-led governance, focus on food access, and youth leadership development model.
• Rise & Root Farm: Rise & Root Farm is a women-led farm in the Hudson Valley that runs equity-centered food justice and community-growing programming — directly comparable in combining land-based learning with social-justice framing.
• Soul Fire Farm: Soul Fire Farm is a Black-led farm in upstate New York that runs youth-focused farming programs and food sovereignty training rooted in African diasporic traditions — directly comparable to BYFC's mission, programming model, and cultural framework.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/p/Black-Youth-Farming-Collective-61577247100891
• Instagraminstagram.com/byfc_official

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 UpRooted Black Earth Stewards