dreaming tree farms

What dreaming tree farms does

Dreaming Tree Farms, LLC is a privately-held, bootstrapped farm operation headquartered in Aylett, Virginia (King William County), founded in 2009 by Chris Couch, a former corporate executive and James Madison University graduate. The company specializes in controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) within environmentally controlled greenhouses, producing pesticide- and herbicide-free greens and specialty produce year-round, and operating a VA Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services certified commercial kitchen where it prepares handcrafted multi-serving salad kits and scratch-made dressings. Its flagship product is the Farm-To-Salad subscription service, in which subscribers receive weekly 15-17 oz bowls ($15/week subscription, $18 single) or kits serving two ($30/week subscription, $35 single) delivered personally to homes and offices across the Richmond, Virginia metro area on Tuesday-Wednesday routes, with add-ons including extra dressings, dressing bottles, bags of greens, and farm-fresh eggs from local partner farms.

The business model is direct-to-consumer subscription with personal delivery, supported by a weekly 'Salad of the Week' email newsletter and earned media coverage rather than paid advertising. The company operates a small team (1-10 people, with part-time drivers) and supplements its own production through a network of local partner farms (Sion House Farm, Greenswell Growers, Schuyler Greens, Lillian Lee Farm, Old Way Farm). Complementing the core subscription, the company sells gift subscriptions, a monthly membership club with volume discounts, and an event venue for weddings, celebrations, and Farm Day events. The firm holds GAP and ServSafe certifications, and in 2022 secured a Virginia State Food Safety determination that classifies it as a Food Manufacturer rather than a Restaurant, a conclusion reached after King William County spent over $50,000 in legal fees attempting to apply a meals tax to the products.

Name

dreaming tree farms

Legal name

Dreaming Tree Farms, LLC

Website

https://dreamingtreefarms.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dreaming Tree Farms is a Virginia-based farm that grows greens in controlled-environment greenhouses and delivers handcrafted, multi-serving salad kits via a weekly Farm-To-Salad subscription service to consumers and offices across the Richmond, VA metro area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Farm-to-Table Salad Kits

NAICS

Vegetable and Melon Farming (1112)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Salad & Bowl Concepts (Grain/Protein/Healthy Bowls) (THAFABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Farm-to-Consumer Produce Boxes / CSA Delivery (AFAIANAC), Leafy Greens & Salad Processing Packhouses (Fresh-Cut) (AFAOAGAI), Leafy Greens Farming (Lettuce, Spinach, Kale, Arugula, Chard) (AFAGADAA)

Keywords

• Farm-to-table salads
• Salad subscription service
• Controlled environment agriculture
• Specialty produce delivery
• Handcrafted salad kits

Headquarters

HQ city

Aylett

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Farm-To-Salad Subscriptions: Recurring weekly subscription orders for salad bowls and kits delivered directly to consumers. Weekly salad deliveries Tuesday-Wednesday. Single-week orders available at higher price point. Subscription model helps with crop forecasting and planning.
2. Extra Items: Additional items sold with salad product purchases including extra dressing cups ($0.50), dressing bottles ($5-$8), bags of greens ($7), and farm fresh eggs ($7/dozen).
3. Gift Subscriptions: 5-week gift subscription for $80 with extra dressing cup, with ability to adjust length or create custom orders. Gift card PDF included in response along with payment instructions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Dreaming Tree Farms operates a Farm-To-Salad weekly subscription service delivering handcrafted multi-serving salad kits (Bowl and Kit formats, with rotating Salad of the Week or Garden Salad options) directly to consumer homes and offices across the Richmond, Virginia metro area. The salads are built from pesticide- and herbicide-free greenhouse-grown greens and partner-farm produce, complemented by farm-made scratch salad dressings prepared in a VA Department of Agriculture certified commercial kitchen, with add-ons such as extra dressings, bags of greens, and farm-fresh eggs.

Product overview

Dreaming Tree Farms operates a Farm-To-Salad subscription service as its primary offering, delivering handcrafted multi-serving salad kits directly to consumers in the Richmond, VA metro area. The core product portfolio includes Salad of the Week and Garden Salad options available in either Bowl format (16 oz, single-serving size) or larger Kit format (equivalent to two bowls). Add-on products include farm-made salad dressings in cup or bottle sizes, bags of locally grown greens, and farm fresh eggs sourced from partner farms. The company also offers a Gift Subscription option and a Monthly Membership program with volume discounts. All products are prepared in the farm's VA Department of Agriculture certified commercial kitchen and personally delivered to customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Farm-To-Salad Subscription Service
• Salad of the Week Bowl
• Garden Salad Bowl
• Salad of the Week Kit
• Garden Salad Kit
• Farm-Made Salad Dressings
• Bag of Local Greens
• Farm Fresh Eggs
• Farm-To-Salad Gift Subscription
• Farm-To-Salad Club Monthly Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• Salad kits weigh 15-17 oz and provide 2-3 meals per serving
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sion House FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal farm collaborator listed on Dreaming Tree Farms website. Part of the network of local farmers working together to provide specialty produce.
• Greenswell GrowerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal farm collaborator. Member of the local farming network supporting Dreaming Tree Farms' Farm-To-Salad service.
• Schuyler GreenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal farm collaborator providing produce for the Farm-To-Salad program.
• Lillian Lee FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner farm that collaborated on the 2023 Farm Day event. Active member of the local farming network.
• Real Local RVAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal food advocacy organization supporting local farms in the Richmond area.
• Old Way FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in 2023 Farm Day event collaboration with Dreaming Tree Farms and Lillian Lee Farm.
• Johnny SeedsminorOthersSeed supplier for greenhouse and farm operations.
• Rimol GreenhousesminorOthersGreenhouse structure supplier used for controlled environment agriculture.
• Advancing AlternativesminorOthersAgricultural equipment and supplies vendor.
• Berryhill DripminorOthersIrrigation and drip system supplies for greenhouse operations.
• Bootstrap FarmerminorOthersFarming supplies and equipment vendor.
• Lucky RootsminorOthersLocal farm products supplier.
• Farmers Friend LLCminorOthersFarming tools and equipment supplier.
• Local Egg FarmminorOthersSource of free range eggs sold as an add-on item with salad orders.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Farmbox Direct: Subscription produce box service delivering fresh, locally-sourced produce and specialty items directly to homes. Closely comparable farm-to-consumer subscription model for fresh produce.
• Hungry Harvest: Subscription produce delivery service focused on rescuing surplus and 'ugly' produce, with a mission-driven angle. Comparable weekly farm-to-door subscription model with local sourcing emphasis.
• Imperfect Foods: Subscription grocery delivery service for surplus and imperfect produce and pantry staples. Comparable DTC subscription model and produce-led value proposition.
• Daily Harvest: Direct-to-consumer subscription service delivering pre-portioned, health-focused frozen and fresh meals/ingredients nationwide. Closely comparable DTC subscription model, recurring weekly cadence, and health-conscious consumer target, though at much larger scale and broader menu.
• Splendid Spoon: Plant-based ready-to-eat meal subscription service delivering soups, grain bowls, and salads on a weekly cadence. Comparable DTC meal-kit subscription model targeting similar health-conscious consumers.
• Misfits Market: Online subscription grocer delivering 'imperfect' produce and sustainable pantry items directly to consumers. Comparable DTC subscription delivery model for fresh produce with a sustainability/value angle.

Broad incumbents

• Sweetgreen: National fast-casual salad chain serving grain bowls and salads with a focus on local sourcing and transparency. Comparable in core product (handcrafted salad bowls), though delivered via company-owned restaurants rather than DTC home delivery.
• Salad and Go: Drive-thru salad-focused QSR chain offering healthy bowls at value price points. Comparable salad-bowl category and health-conscious consumer overlap, with a different delivery/format model.
• Just Salad: Fast-casual salad chain offering customizable bowls and wraps with sustainability commitments. Comparable salad-bowl product category and health-conscious positioning, though served through retail locations.

Regional players

• Real Local RVA: Richmond-area local food advocacy and directory organization that lists Dreaming Tree Farms as a partner/collaborator. Comparable regional local-food focus and overlapping customer base in the same Richmond metro market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dreaming-tree-farms

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 dreaming tree farms