The Big Garden
The Big Garden is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating 200+ community gardens across Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas, delivering food education, garden programs, farm stands, and an annual plant sale to schools, faith communities, and food-insecure populations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersOmaha, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What The Big Garden does
The Big Garden is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2005 and headquartered at 5602 Read Street in Omaha, Nebraska. It operates as a program of United Methodist Ministries under the Great Plains United Methodist Conference and runs a network of 200+ community gardens across metro-Omaha and rural and semi-rural communities in Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas. The organization's stated mission is to "Teach. Build. Grow." — teaching people to grow, cook, and preserve their own food, building communities through shared garden spaces, and growing food sovereignty. All garden sites are located on land owned by community agencies, and the organization cites national uniqueness in both the scale of its site network and its partnerships with neighborhood-based congregations, schools, and nonprofits.
The Big Garden firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Big Garden
- Legal name
- The Big Garden
- Website
- https://biggarden.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Big Garden is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating 200+ community gardens across Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas, delivering food education, garden programs, farm stands, and an annual plant sale to schools, faith communities, and food-insecure populations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Big Garden industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Garden Education and Food Sovereignty Programs
- NAICS
- Landscaping Services (561730), Nursery and Floriculture Production (11142), Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (444240)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Vegetable & Herb Garden Installation and Maintenance (HSAIAFAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Raised Garden Beds & Planter Box Installation (HSAIAFAK), Seasonal Color & Flower Rotation (Spring/Fall Plantings) (HSAIAFAE), Garden Bed Weed Control & Hand Weeding (HSAIAFAH)
Keywords
Where The Big Garden is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Omaha
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Big Garden business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Plant Sale Fundraiser: Annual spring plant sale offering vegetables, herbs, flowers, and prairie plants grown in-house. All plants are $3 in 3.5" pots. Proceeds support year-round garden education programs and garden produce distribution.
- Mission Trip Fees: Volunteers in Mission program charges $15 per person per day for programming, plus $15 per person per night for lodging. Groups can participate up to 2 days with maximum 20 participants.
- Donations and Grants: Private nonprofit relying on private donations, grants from foundations, and support from Great Plains United Methodist Conference.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | All plants priced at $3 per unit |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Mission experience fee: $15/person/day |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
The Big Garden product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Big Garden is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs a network of 200+ community gardens across metro-Omaha and rural communities in Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas. It delivers garden-based education, food access programs, and seasonal plant sales through programs such as Farm to School, Garden to Table, Grow-Your-Own, Summer Farm Stands, Volunteers in Mission, and an annual Spring Plant Sale of in-house grown plants.
Product overview
The Big Garden is a community garden and food sovereignty organization operating a network of 200+ gardens in the Omaha metro area and rural communities across Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas. The organization offers a diverse portfolio of programs: the Spring Plant Sale (annual fundraiser providing vegetables, herbs, flowers, and prairie plants grown in-house); educational programs including Online Education (virtual workshops and video content), Grow-Your-Own (free 10-week summer garden program for ages 2-18), Garden to Table (after-school classes at 5 Omaha Public Schools), and Farm to School (school garden installation and classroom education); food access initiatives such as Summer Farm Stands (fresh produce distribution at WIC clinics and senior centers with voucher matching) and the annual Seed Share event; and Volunteers in Mission (group mission experiences focused on hunger, poverty, and food security education). The Annual Planting Calendar provides Zone 6A growing guidance. Together, these offerings form an integrated approach to teaching people to grow, cook, and preserve their own food while building food sovereignty in communities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Volunteers in Mission (VIM): An accredited Volunteers in Mission site through the United Methodist Church, offering high-quality mission and education experiences in the Omaha area since 2005.
Products and services
- Spring Plant Sale Annual spring fundraiser offering vegetables, herbs, flowers, and prairie plants grown in the organization's greenhouses. All plants are priced at $3 per 3.5-inch pot, with online ordering, in-person sales, and curbside pickup. Proceeds support year-round garden education programs and produce distribution.
- Garden to Table After-school classes at 5 Omaha Public Schools teaching middle school students to grow, harvest, cook, and preserve vegetables and herbs. Program highlights STEAM education through plant science, organic gardening techniques, and healthy lifestyles.
- Farm to School National program combining school garden installation, garden education, and local foods procurement. Edible school gardens are installed and educators teach gardening, cooking, nutrition, and food preservation skills in classrooms.
- Grow-Your-Own Free 10-week summer garden program for ages 2-18 teaching children and youth to grow, tend, harvest, cook, and preserve food from their own gardens. Covers soil health, composting, companion planting, pollinators, harvesting, food systems, cooking, and food preservation.
- Online Education Virtual garden education content including workshops and video lessons covering basic gardening skills, cooking, and nutrition for children, youth, and adults, including Farm to School video series.
- Summer Farm Stands Fresh produce distribution program at WIC clinics and senior centers across the community, run in partnership with Whispering Roots. The program matches WIC and Senior Vouchers to double their value for healthy food options.
- Seed Share Annual public event offering free seeds and hands-on demonstrations for starting seeds indoors, seed saving, and children's garden programming, held in partnership with City Sprouts.
- Volunteers in Mission Accredited mission site through the United Methodist Church offering group mission experiences combining hands-on work, educational opportunities, and small-group learning on issues of hunger, poverty, and food security. Maximum 20 participants per group for 1-2 day experiences; programming fee $15/person/day plus $15/person/night lodging.
Quantifiable outcome
- 200+ community gardens in metro-Omaha and rural communities across Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use The Big Garden
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Big Garden technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Big Garden partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- City SproutscorePartnership for Garden to Table after-school classes at 5 middle schools and co-hosting of Annual Seed Share event.
- Whispering RootscoreCollaboration on Summer Farm Stands bringing fresh produce to WIC clinics and senior centers. Both organizations match WIC and Senior Voucher values.
- CHI HealthcoreFunding and sponsorship of Summer Farm Stands program providing healthy food options at underserved locations.
- Wenninghoff's Farmer's MarketminorParticipating vendor for Summer Farm Stands program.
- Golden Hills RC&DminorPartnership for Farm to School program expansion from Southwest Iowa into Omaha area.
- Omaha Public SchoolscoreSchool garden installation and garden-based education at multiple OPS elementary and middle schools.
- Great Plains United Methodist ConferencecoreParent organization providing governance, accreditation for Volunteers in Mission program, and funding support.
- The Giving GrovecoreRelated organization under United Methodist Ministries focused on urban orchards and community food security.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Big Garden competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Big Green: National nonprofit building garden-based learning in schools and communities. Direct peer in school garden installation and food education space, scaled across multiple U.S. cities.
- City Sprouts: Omaha-based nonprofit running community gardens and garden-based education. Direct peer operating in the same geography with similar mission-driven community garden programs and co-hosting partner of Big Garden's Seed Share event.
- Whispering Roots: Omaha-based nonprofit focused on farm-to-table programs and fresh produce access for underserved populations. Direct peer co-operating Summer Farm Stands with Big Garden at WIC clinics and senior centers.
- The Giving Grove: United Methodist-related nonprofit focused on urban orchards and community food security. Sister organization under United Methodist Ministries with overlapping community food production and food access mission.
Broad incumbents
- Slow Food USA: National nonprofit advocating for good, clean, and fair food through community gardens and education programs. Broader incumbent working in adjacent food sovereignty and community garden space.
- FoodCorps: National nonprofit connecting children to healthy food through school gardens and food education. Broader incumbent operating in similar Garden to Table and Farm to School space but at national scale.
Regional players
- Keep Growing Detroit: Detroit-based nonprofit fostering self-determination through food sovereignty and community gardens. Regional peer with similar community garden network and food justice mission in a different U.S. geography.
- Community Groundworks: Madison, Wisconsin-based nonprofit running community gardens and food education programs. Regional peer with similar community garden network model and youth education programming in the Midwest.
- Botanical Community Gardens (BCG) or similar regional community garden nonprofits: Regional community garden and urban agriculture nonprofits operating in different U.S. geographies with similar mission of community-based food production and education.
Others
- Hunger Free Heartland (or similar regional food security coalition): Regional coalition addressing food insecurity through partnerships with food banks, pantries, and community-based organizations. Ecosystem partner in the same food access/wellness space as Big Garden's farm stand programs.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Big Garden social profiles
Digital presenceThe Big Garden financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Big Garden leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
The Big Garden funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Big Garden M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Big Garden
What does The Big Garden do?
The Big Garden is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs a network of 200+ community gardens across metro-Omaha and rural communities in Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas. It delivers garden-based education, food access programs, and seasonal plant sales through programs such as Farm to School, Garden to Table, Grow-Your-Own, Summer Farm Stands, Volunteers in Mission, and an annual Spring Plant Sale of in-house grown plants.
Is The Big Garden a public or private company?
The Big Garden is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Big Garden founded?
The Big Garden was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Big Garden based?
The Big Garden is headquartered in Omaha, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Big Garden make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Plant Sale Fundraiser is the primary driver. The others are mission Trip Fees and donations and Grants.
Who are The Big Garden's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Big Green, City Sprouts, Whispering Roots and The Giving Grove. Broad incumbents are Slow Food USA and FoodCorps. Regional players are Keep Growing Detroit, Community Groundworks and Botanical Community Gardens (BCG) or similar regional community garden nonprofits. Hunger Free Heartland (or similar regional food security coalition) is listed as an others.
Does The Big Garden have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Big Garden.
What industry is The Big Garden in?
The Big Garden's product category is Community Garden Education and Food Sovereignty Programs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSAIAFAM, Vegetable & Herb Garden Installation and Maintenance, with a secondary code of HSAIAFAK, Raised Garden Beds & Planter Box Installation. Its NAICS code is 561730 and its SIC code is 700.