liberty prairie

What liberty prairie does

Liberty Prairie is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 36-3888439, legal name "Liberty Prairie NFP") operating a 95-acre USDA certified organic farm in Grayslake, Illinois, and serving the northern and western suburbs of Chicago through Lake County. The organization operates as an integrated community food, education, and land-stewardship platform: it produces certified-organic vegetables, fruit, and pasture-raised eggs using regenerative practices including Integrated Pest Management, crop rotation, composting, mulching, and low-till/no-till approaches; distributes those products through a CSA subscription program and an on-site Farm Store; and uses the farm itself as a "living laboratory" for hands-on agricultural education. Core customers include health-conscious suburban families, PreK–5 schools and youth organizations, corporate partners, community gardeners, and food-insecure residents served through SNAP/EBT and Link Match programming.

The product surface spans six revenue lines: seasonal CSA farm shares (vegetable, fruit, and egg packages priced $37–$857 with weekly or bi-weekly pickup at 9+ suburban locations); a physical Farm Store stocked with hyperlocal produce and goods from 45+ regional partner farms within approximately 300 miles; farm camps and family camps for children ($430–$480 per session); classroom field trips and small-group farm tours ($375/classroom and $150 minimum); corporate workplace CSA and retreat partnerships; and community garden plot rentals. Supplemental product lines include the Cultivators monthly giving program, donor-advised fund contributions, stock donations, planned legacy gifts, and annual community events (Spring Plant Sale and Fall Farm Festival).

The business model is a diversified nonprofit revenue stack combining subscription CSA fees, programmatic fees, farm-store retail transactions, corporate contracts, and a multi-channel fundraising operation. Distribution runs through a Shopify-powered e-commerce storefront, the Grayslake farm store, suburban pickup locations, workplace CSA deliveries, and on-farm experiences. The organization is independently governed with no parent company, no venture capital or private equity backing, and no disclosed institutional investors; it operates on a small staff of 1–10 employees and is regionally constrained to the greater Chicago area, with strategic optionality concentrated in expanding corporate partnerships, food-access programming, and community-facing events.

Name

liberty prairie

Legal name

Liberty Prairie NFP

Website

https://libertyprairie.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Liberty Prairie is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a 95-acre USDA certified organic farm in Grayslake, Illinois, providing CSA produce subscriptions, an on-site farm store, summer camps, school field trips, and food-access programs to families, schools, and corporate partners across Chicago's northern and western suburbs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Supported Agriculture and farm-based education services

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Farm-to-Consumer Produce Boxes / CSA Delivery (AFAIANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD), Organic & Pasture-Raised Poultry & Egg Production (AFAEADAJ)

Keywords

• Community supported agriculture
• Organic farm education
• Regenerative agriculture
• Farm-based learning
• Local food access

Headquarters

HQ city

Grayslake

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. CSA Farm Shares: Community Supported Agriculture membership program where members make upfront seasonal commitment to the farm. Produces USDA certified organic vegetables, fresh seasonal fruit, and pasture-raised eggs. Members receive weekly deliveries during growing season, members-only newsletters, invites to special events, and exclusive U-pick events.
2. Farm Store Retail: Brick-and-mortar farm store featuring hyperlocal and seasonal produce from farmers within 300 miles, plus local goods from sustainable small-scale producers. Accepts SNAP/EBT and Link Match vouchers.
3. Farm Camps: Summer camp programs for children ages 6-12 including Classic Summer Farm Camp ($430), Farm Pizza camp ($480), and Family Camp sessions ($50/family).
4. Educational Programs: Classroom field trips ($375/classroom), small group farm tours ($150 minimum for up to 15 participants), workshops, and events.
5. Corporate Partnerships: Workplace CSA programs, corporate retreats and gatherings, and employer matching gift programs for corporate partners.
6. Donations and Planned Giving: Monthly giving program (Cultivators), one-time gifts, stock donations, donor-advised fund contributions, and planned legacy gifts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Liberty Prairie operates a 95-acre USDA certified organic farm that runs a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program offering seasonal vegetable, fruit, and egg shares to member households across Chicago's northern and western suburbs. It complements the CSA with a physical farm store stocked from 45+ local partner farms within 300 miles, a portfolio of farm-based educational programs (classroom field trips, small group farm tours, summer and family camps), rentable community garden plots, corporate workplace CSA partnerships, and a set of donation programs supporting its land stewardship mission.

Product overview

Liberty Prairie is an organic farm and community organization operating a 95-acre USDA certified organic farm in Grayslake, Illinois. The organization offers a integrated portfolio of products and services centered on local food access, education, and community engagement. Core offerings include CSA Farm Shares (vegetable, fruit, and egg shares with weekly or bi-weekly delivery), a Farm Store selling local produce and goods from regional sustainable producers, educational programs (Classroom Field Trips and Small Group Farm Tours), and seasonal Farm Camps (Summer Farm Camp, Family Camps). The organization also operates a Community Garden program with rentable plots, Corporate Partnership programs including Workplace CSA, and various giving programs including monthly Cultivators donations, Donor-Advised Funds, and Planned Giving options. Events include the annual Fall Farm Festival and Spring Plant Sale. The portfolio is unified by the organization's mission of connecting community to local food systems through regenerative agriculture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CSA Farm Shares (Vegetable, Fruit, and Egg Shares) Community Supported Agriculture membership program offering seasonal subscriptions to USDA certified organic vegetables, fresh seasonal fruit, and pasture-raised eggs, with pickup at 9+ Chicago-area sites or the Grayslake Farm Store. Members receive weekly newsletters, recipes, harvest predictions, and access to exclusive U-pick events and member-only activities.
• Liberty Prairie Farm Store Physical retail farm store at the Grayslake headquarters selling seasonal organic produce and local goods sourced from 45+ partner farms and producers within approximately 300 miles. Accepts SNAP/EBT and Link Match vouchers to support food access.
• Classroom Field Trips 75-minute structured outdoor learning program for PreK through 5th grade classrooms (up to 30 participants per session) engaging students with soil, animals, greenhouses, and food origins on the working farm. Priced at $375 per classroom with additional participants at $10 each.
• Small Group Farm Tours 60-minute interactive farm experience for smaller learning communities, clubs, scout troops, homeschool groups, and community organizations led by a farm educator, covering fields, greenhouses, and animals.
• Summer Farm Camp (Classic Summer Farm Camp and Farm Pizza Camp) Half-day farm camp programs for children ages 6-12 running Monday through Friday, 8:30am-12:30pm. Includes Classic Summer Farm Camp ($430) covering hands-on farm activities, animal care, and outdoor learning, and Farm Pizza Camp ($480) focused on farm-to-pizza experiences.
• Family Camp Guided two-hour farm experience for families (up to 8 people) featuring team-building activities, animal interactions, and outdoor exploration on the farm, concluding with a bring-your-own picnic.
• Community Garden Plots Annual rental of garden plots for community members to grow their own produce using organic inputs, with shared composting and water resources and adherence to regenerative growing practices (organic-only inputs, no-till approaches).
• Corporate Partnerships / Workplace CSA Customized B2B programs for companies that bundle Workplace CSA produce delivery to employees on Tuesdays, on-site corporate retreats and team-building gatherings at the farm, and employer matching gift programs to support employee donations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Farm produce grown 1.5 miles from farm store
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Bushel & Peck'sminorOthersLocal food producer from Beloit, Wisconsin supplying specialty foods including soups and sauces to the Liberty Prairie Farm Store.
• Nordic CreameryminorOthersDairy producer from Westby, Wisconsin supplying creamery products to the Farm Store.
• Jake's Country MeatsminorOthersPasture-raised chicken and pork producer from Cassopolis, Michigan. Chickens forage naturally with non-GMO grain supplement; pigs are pasture-raised with non-GMO feed. Products include eggs, bacon, and sausage with minimal processing.
• Kilgus FarmsteadminorOthersDairy farm from Fairbury, Illinois supplying Jersey (A2) cow milk. Products are non-homogenized, pasteurized, and from pasture-fed cows supplemented with non-GMO feed. No rBST or growth hormones.
• Mick Klug FarmscoreOthersPrimary fruit supplier following IPM practices. Located in St. Joseph, Michigan. Trusted partner providing majority of fruit sold in the Farm Store.
• Living Roots FarmminorOthersLocal produce farm from Fox Lake, Illinois supplying the Farm Store.
• Harmony Valley FarmminorOthersOrganic produce farm from Viroqua, Wisconsin supplying certified organic products to the Farm Store.
• Igl FarmsminorOthersOrganic produce farm from Antigo, Wisconsin supplying certified organic products.
• Grayslake Community High School District 127 Student GrowerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudent-run organic growing program at Grayslake Community High School District 127. Supplies certified organic produce to the Farm Store while providing youth agricultural education.
• High Mowing Organic SeedsminorOthersOrganic seed company from Wolcott, Vermont supplying seeds for farm operations.
• Natural DirectminorOthersDistributor delivering dairy products every other Friday and meat products weekly on Fridays to the Farm Store.
• Link Match (Experimental Station)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood access program partnership providing $1 in Link Match for every $1 spent with SNAP at the Farm Store. Supports improved food access for community members using SNAP benefits.
• Corporate CSA PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate workplace partners receiving Tuesday CSA deliveries for employee wellness programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Farm Fresh To You: Subscription produce-box service delivering organic produce from partner farms directly to households. Comparable recurring subscription model for fresh, sourced produce, though operating at larger scale.
• Genesis Growers: Organic family farm in Illinois offering CSA shares and on-farm sales. Comparable as a regional organic CSA operator with direct-to-consumer distribution.
• Suzie's Farm: Certified-organic farm operating CSA shares, on-farm tours, and youth education programming. Comparable regenerative-organic positioning and farm-based education revenue mix.
• Shelburne Farms: Nonprofit education farm offering school programs, camps, and community engagement on a working regenerative landscape. Directly comparable as a farm-based education and stewardship nonprofit.
• Tomato Mountain Farm: Certified-organic Wisconsin farm running CSA shares into the Chicago metro. Comparable crop mix, organic certification, and CSA subscription model serving overlapping regional customers.
• Blue Moon Farm: Illinois-based CSA farm offering weekly produce shares with on-farm pickup and educational touchpoints. Comparable CSA mechanics and regional Midwest positioning.
• Angelic Organics: Northern Illinois CSA farm delivering organic produce shares to Chicago-area subscribers. Closest direct comparable in geography, organic certification, and CSA-share distribution model.
• Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture: Nonprofit farm and education center combining regenerative agriculture with on-farm learning programs and community food access. Highly comparable mission, programming mix, and nonprofit operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Imperfect Foods: Scaled subscription produce delivery company sourcing from a broad network of growers. Comparable mission-adjacent positioning and direct-to-consumer produce subscription mechanics, but operates nationally with a far larger supply ecosystem.

Emerging players

• The Land Institute: Nonprofit agricultural research organization focused on regenerative perennial agriculture and food systems. Comparable mission orientation around sustainable agriculture and food systems change, with an R&D rather than direct-farm operating model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@libertyprairieorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/libertyprairieorg
• Instagraminstagram.com/libertyprairie
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/liberty-prairie

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 liberty prairie