Rio Grande Community Farm

What Rio Grande Community Farm does

Rio Grande Community Farm is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit urban farm founded in 1997 and operating 50 acres within the Los Poblanos Fields Open Space in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Its mission is to provide diverse and underserved communities with equitable access to urban farmland and education in sustainable agriculture, with stated priorities of food justice, biodiversity, and climate resilience. The farm's land allocation is split across 14 acres of micro-farmer plots (supporting 38-64 micro farmers annually), 4 acres dedicated to education, 2 acres of community garden space (100+ gardeners), and 30 acres supporting hay production and 12.5 acres of permanent wildlife habitat. Year-round programming includes workshops, field trips, summer farm camps (466 children ages 6-17 in 2025), and youth agricultural internships with Valley High School and NM2050; in 2025 the organization reported 1,346 education-program participants.

The operational portfolio also spans an Equipment Loan Pool (walk-behind tractors, flail mowers, a 6' no-till drill seeder), a Neighborhood Composting Program that processes ~5,400 gallons (~27,000 pounds) of food waste annually using Johnson-Su Bioreactors, on-site soil and weather sensors, and an agrivoltaics microgrid pilot developed with Sandia National Laboratories and the University of New Mexico that reportedly increased production by approximately 40 percent and powers the farm's well system for a 16-acre production field. Outputs include 1,399 hay bales harvested in 2025 (despite drought) and 168 mature fruit trees providing shared food resources.

Revenue is assembled from six streams: tax-deductible individual donations, foundation and grant funding (including a $255,000 City of Albuquerque Open Space Division Capital Outlay grant for 2026), ticket and sponsorship revenue from flagship events (the 8,000+ attendee Lavender in the Village Festival, the 21+ Lavender Soiree at $125/person, the Spring Plant Sale, Farmers Market, Movie Night, Agritourism Bike Tours), corporate sponsorships (tiered $500-$2,500), modest program fees (tours at $40/hour staff rate plus 10% admin fee), and direct agricultural product sales. Operations are delivered by a small core team of roughly six paid staff supported by 309 volunteers and a Board of Directors.

Name

Rio Grande Community Farm

Legal name

Rio Grande Community Farm

Website

https://riograndefarm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rio Grande Community Farm is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a 50-acre urban farm in Albuquerque, NM, providing 64 micro farmers, 100+ community gardeners, and 1,346+ annual education participants with farmland access and sustainable agriculture training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Agriculture and Urban Farming Services

NAICS

Vegetable and Melon Farming (1112), Other Crop Farming (1119)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Agricultural Production & Farm Operations (EDAOAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Farmers’ Markets & Farm Stands (Fresh Food) (CRAHAHAE), Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) / Vertical Farming (Indoor LED Farms) (AFAGAHAJ), Farm Stays & Agritourism Lodges (THAMADAH)

Keywords

• Urban agriculture
• Community gardening
• Sustainable farming
• Regenerative agriculture
• Agricultural education

Headquarters

HQ city

Albuquerque

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Individual Contributions: Tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals supporting the farm's mission. $75 of every Lavender Soiree ticket is tax-deductible.
2. Foundation and Grant Funding: Support from foundations and grants, including $255,000 Capital Outlay from City of Albuquerque Open Space Division for hoophouses, Vision Garden, and infrastructure improvements.
3. Event Revenue: Ticket sales and sponsorship from flagship events including Lavender in the Village Festival (8,000+ attendees), Lavender Gala, Lavender Soiree, Spring Plant Sale, and Farmers Market.
4. Program Fees: Modest program fees for workshops, farm tours, and educational programs. Tour costs include $40/hour staff rate plus 10% administrative fee.
5. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships: Corporate partner support from sponsors like Bernalillo County, WM, Kelly Jo Designs by Wine, Steelbender Brewyard, and Sandia Mini for event and operational funding.
6. Agricultural Product Sales: Revenue from micro farmer produce, hay, and agricultural products. 1,399 hay bales harvested; 168 fruit trees providing shared food resources.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Rio Grande Community Farm is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a 50-acre urban farm in Albuquerque that provides equitable access to urban farmland and education in sustainable agriculture. The farm runs a Micro Farming Program offering 14 acres to 38-64 micro farmers, a Community Garden Program with 100 plots, hands-on Education Programs, and an Equipment Loan Pool for regenerative agriculture tools. Revenue is generated through donations, grants, festival ticket sales (Lavender in the Village Festival), corporate sponsorships, modest program fees, and on-farm product sales.

Product overview

Rio Grande Community Farm operates as a unified program portfolio centered on urban agriculture, community education, and sustainable farming practices across 50 acres in Albuquerque. The core offerings include the Micro Farming Program (14 acres for 38-64 micro farmers), Community Garden Program (100 rows), Equipment Loan Pool, and Neighborhood Composting Program. Major initiatives include the Agrivoltaics Microgrid Project (solar + agriculture partnership with Sandia National Labs) and Education Programs (workshops, field trips, summer camps). Fundraising events include the Lavender in the Village Festival (8,000+ attendees) and Lavender Soiree. Technology offerings include soil/weather sensors for data-driven farming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Micro Farming Program
• Community Garden Program
• Education Programs
• Lavender in the Village Festival
• Lavender Soiree
• Farm Tours
• Farmers Market
• Spring Plant Sale
• Neighborhood Composting Program
• Equipment Loan Pool

Quantifiable outcome

• ~40% increase in production through agrivoltaics
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Still Spirits DistilleryminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Cocktail and mocktail provider for Lavender Soiree event, featuring handcrafted cocktail pairings with tasting dishes.
• Los Ranchos Winery (Kelly Jo Designs by Wine)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Wine provider for Lavender Soiree event, offering wine pairings with tasting dishes. Also festival sponsor.
• Sandia National LaboratoriescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaborative agrivoltaics project combining solar energy and agriculture. Adjustable solar panels improve crop protection and working conditions, extending growing seasons and increasing production by ~40%. The microgrid powers the farm's well system supplying water to the 16-acre production field.
• University of New MexicocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Agrivoltaics project partnership with UNM Mechanical Engineering solar lab students. Also includes Engineers Without Borders UNM chapter collaboration for farm infrastructure projects.
• Blue River ProductionscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Key event production partner for Lavender Festival and other community events. Contact for sponsorship inquiries: (505) 510-1312, [email protected]
• Cool It BurqueminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Education field partnership for hands-on programming and community engagement.
• ExploraminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Education partnership hosting hands-on programming for elementary students and field trips. Explora activations featured at Lavender Festival.
• Cloud Dancers Therapeutic HorsemanshipminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Weekly manure contributions supporting composting operations and soil health programs.
• Valley High SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Culinary internship program partnership with Valley High School and NM2050 for workforce development in agriculture.
• NM2050minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Youth agriculture internship program partnership. Executive Director John Wright previously served as Executive Director of NM2050.
• Sikh Gurdwara and Interfaith CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Planted 152 fruit trees in partnership with RGCF, of which 116 survived, contributing to community food resources.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The GrowHaus: Denver-based nonprofit indoor/urban farm focused on food access, education, and community resilience — comparable in combining controlled-environment agriculture, food-justice programming, and community engagement.
• Common Ground: New Haven, CT nonprofit combining an urban demonstration farm, K-12 and youth education programs, and food-access initiatives — directly comparable to RGCF in combining working-farm operations with school partnerships and equity-focused programming.
• The Food Project: Boston-area nonprofit operating multiple urban farms with a youth-development and food-access mission, employing teens and beginning farmers in market farming and education — a near-direct functional match to RGCF's micro-farmer and youth programs.
• Soul Fire Farm: Black-led nonprofit farm in Petersburg, NY that runs immersive farmer training, youth programs, and food-justice education on a multi-acre working farm — closely mirroring RGCF's combination of urban-agriculture operations, BIPOC/refugee farmer programming, and educational mission.
• Urban Adamah: Berkeley, CA nonprofit urban farm and Jewish-community education center running paid fellowships, youth programs, and regenerative farming on a multi-acre site — comparable in scale, educational programming mix, and nonprofit structure.
• Greensgrow: Philadelphia nonprofit urban farm combining an on-site market, CSA, education programs, and community gardening — directly comparable to RGCF's farmers-market sales, education programming, and micro-farmer plot structure.
• Alemany Farm: San Francisco public-land community farm operated by SF Recreation and Park's partner nonprofit Friends of Alemany Farm, providing community garden plots, youth education, and food donations — comparable in operating on municipal/public open space and serving diverse beginning farmers.
• Poughkeepsie Farm Project: Poughkeepsie, NY nonprofit combining a working farm, farmer education programs, and a CSA/market operation — comparable mid-scale nonprofit farm with education and food-access components.
• Jones Valley Teaching Farm: Birmingham, AL nonprofit operating urban teaching farms with K-12 food-education programs, farmer training, and community food access — closely comparable educational-farm model.

Broad incumbents

• Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture: Larger and well-funded nonprofit farm education center in Pocantico Hills, NY focused on regenerative agriculture, farm-to-table programs, and public education — operates at a broader and more upscale scale than RGCF but addresses overlapping educational farming themes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ABQ.RGCF
• Instagraminstagram.com/riograndecommunityfarm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rio-grande-community-farm

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 Rio Grande Community Farm