What Sonoma County Farm Trails does

Sonoma County Farm Trails is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization founded in 1973 and headquartered in Sebastopol, California, that connects the public with local farms through maps, guides, events, and educational resources. The organization operates a web-based platform with a dynamic searchable online directory covering hundreds of member farms, farmers markets, restaurants, lodging providers, agricultural organizations, and agritourism experiences across Sonoma County. Its core offerings include an annual print and PDF Map & Guide magazine, four seasonal event cycles (Spring Tour, Fall Tour, Holidays Along the Farm Trails, and the Apple Trail web resource), and the signature Gravenstein Apple Fair, a two-day annual event now in its 53rd year held at Ragle Ranch Regional Park. The organization also operates a parallel 501(c)(3) entity, the Farm Trails Foundation, which funds agricultural training, youth scholarships, and food-system education.

Revenue is generated through four streams: recurring membership fees from farms, producers, and related businesses listed in the Map & Guide and online directory; sales of printed Map & Guide copies via Stripe (with a free PDF download alternative); event-related income including vendor fees and sponsorships tied to the Gravenstein Apple Fair and seasonal farm tours; and tax-deductible donations to the Farm Trails Foundation. Go-to-market is hybrid: event-driven through seasonal farm tours and the Apple Fair, community-led as a nonprofit agricultural advocacy organization, and direct-to-consumer via the online directory and downloadable guide. The organization is supported by partial funding from the County of Sonoma and the California Open Farm Passport and operates with a small staff of approximately three people supplemented by a Board of Directors drawn from the local farming, food-system, and nonprofit community.

Name

Sonoma County Farm Trails

Legal name

Sonoma County Farm Trails

Website

https://farmtrails.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sebastopol

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Farms, producers, and related businesses pay membership fees to be listed in the Map & Guide and on the website directory, gaining visibility to consumers and event participation.
2. Map & Guide Sales: The organization publishes an annual Map & Guide magazine available both as a free PDF download and as a purchased print copy, distributed at airports, visitor centers, and member locations throughout Sonoma County and the Greater Bay Area.
3. Donations: Farm Trails Foundation (501(c)(3) arm) accepts tax-deductible donations to support agricultural training, youth scholarships, educational tours, and food system preservation projects.
4. Event Participation: Revenue generated through event-related activities including the Gravenstein Apple Fair (vendor fees, sponsorships) and seasonal farm tours (some stops may charge fees for special offerings).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sonoma County Farm Trails is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit that connects the public with local Sonoma County farms through a web-based searchable online directory, an annual Map & Guide magazine (print and free PDF), seasonal self-guided farm tours, and signature events such as the Gravenstein Apple Fair. The organization supports member farms, producers, farmers markets, restaurants, and agricultural organizations with promotional visibility while educating consumers about local food, agritourism experiences, and sustainable agriculture.

Product overview

Sonoma County Farm Trails is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs centered around promoting local agriculture and connecting consumers with farms. The core offerings include an Online Map & Guide (dynamic searchable directory), the annual Map & Guide Magazine (print publication), signature events like the Gravenstein Apple Fair, seasonal farm tours (Spring, Fall, and Holidays Along the Farm Trails), the Apple Trail seasonal resource, and a comprehensive Agricultural Experiences Directory covering CSAs, dining, farmers markets, lodging, tastings, tours, and workshops. The organization also maintains a membership program for farms and producers to join the network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Map & Guide Dynamic searchable online map and directory connecting consumers with local Sonoma County farms, producers, farmers markets, restaurants, and agricultural experiences. Available to the public via farmtrails.org.
• Map & Guide Magazine Annual full-color print publication featuring listings of Farm Trails members, regional maps, and agricultural adventure guides; published each April and distributed at airports, visitor centers, and member locations throughout Sonoma County and the Greater Bay Area. Also available as a free PDF download.
• Gravenstein Apple Fair Annual two-day event celebrating the heirloom Gravenstein apple and Sonoma County's rural agricultural traditions, featuring live music, local food and drink, arts and crafts vendors, and farm activities at Ragle Ranch Regional Park in Sebastopol.
• Spring Tour (Blossoms, Bees & Barnyard Babies) Seasonal self-guided farm tour held annually in May featuring 'Blossoms, Bees & Barnyard Babies'; offers free registration and family-friendly agricultural experiences.
• Fall Tour (Weekend Along the Farm Trails) Annual autumn farm tour held in September featuring behind-the-scenes farm visits, tastings, farm animals, U-pick activities, and educational workshops at member farms across Sonoma County.
• Holidays Along the Farm Trails Seasonal campaign from November through December featuring special holiday offerings from Farm Trails members including farm-fresh food, unique ag-centric gifts, Christmas trees, wreaths, and festive farm experiences.
• Apple Trail Special seasonal web resource celebrating apple season in Sonoma County, providing resources for bulk apples, cider, apple spirits, U-pick orchards, and apple products.
• Agricultural Experiences Directory Comprehensive directory of agricultural experiences including CSAs, dining, farmers markets, lodging, plant nurseries, tastings, tours, U-pick, and workshops/classes.
• Farm Trails Membership Membership program allowing farms, producers, and related businesses to join the Farm Trails network, gaining visibility through the online map, Map & Guide magazine, event participation, and promotional campaigns.
• Farmers' Markets Directory Curated list of certified farmers' markets throughout Sonoma County including locations, schedules, and contact information for direct-to-consumer purchasing across more than 14 markets.

Named customers4 records

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

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• County of SonomacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCounty of Sonoma provides partial funding for the Fall Tour program, supporting agritourism and agricultural education initiatives in the region.
• California Open Farm PassportminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCalifornia Open Farm Passport program provides partial funding for the Fall Tour, connecting consumers with agricultural experiences across California.
• Food for ThoughtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood for Thought is a food bank providing medically tailored groceries in Sonoma County. Board member Jonathan Rosenblum serves as Deputy Director. Lauren Bowne serves as In-Kind Donations Manager. The organizations share mission alignment around local food systems and food security.
• School Garden NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit focused on garden-based education. Former Board member Lauren Bowne previously served as Executive Director, creating connection around agricultural education and youth engagement.
• Sonoma County Ag + Open SpacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty district dedicated to protecting agricultural and open space lands. Listed as member organization sharing Farm Trails' mission of preserving Sonoma County agriculture.
• Sonoma County Farm BureaucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricultural advocacy organization representing Sonoma County farmers and producers. Listed as member with shared mission around agricultural preservation.
• Sonoma County Food System AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition working on local food system issues. Staff member Ellen Cavalli is a member, connecting Farm Trails to broader food system initiatives.
• Agricultural Institute of MarinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit promoting sustainable agriculture and direct producer-consumer connections through farmers markets. Mentioned in context of Board member Alex Fox's consulting work.
• Visitor Centers and Distribution PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMap & Guide distributed at airports, visitors centers, stores, and member locations throughout Sonoma County and Greater Bay Area.
• Botanical State of MindminorGTM or Marketing PartnerArtist/designer providing cover art for the 2026 Map & Guide magazine, contributing creative visual identity to Farm Trails publications.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Farm Stay USA: National directory connecting travelers with farm-based lodging and experiences, directly overlapping with Farm Trails' lodging, U-pick, tours, and farm experience listings.
• Local Harvest: National online directory of CSAs, farmers' markets, farms, and local food sources, providing the same digital discovery and direct-to-consumer connection service as farmtrails.org's online map and guide.
• Agricultural Institute of Marin: Marin County nonprofit operating multiple certified farmers' markets and educational programs, sharing Farm Trails' nonprofit model for connecting local farms to consumers in the Bay Area and overlapping in mission and stakeholder base.
• Harvest Time in Brentwood: Regional farm trail organization in Contra Costa County, California, operating self-guided farm tours, a printed map & guide, and seasonal events to connect consumers with local farms — the closest structural analogue to Sonoma County Farm Trails within California.

Regional players

• Cotati Agricultural Academy / California Open Farm Passport: Statewide agritourism passport program partially funding the Sonoma County Farm Trails Fall Tour and operating comparable farm-discovery experiences across California in partnership with county-level organizations.

Broad incumbents

• Sonoma County Tourism: Sonoma County's official destination marketing organization, a broader tourism promoter that overlaps with Farm Trails' agritourism and visitor-facing mission while operating at a larger scale across all tourism segments.
• California Farm Bureau: Statewide agricultural advocacy organization representing California farmers and ranchers; listed as a Farm Trails partner organization and shares the agricultural preservation mission at much larger scale.
• Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF): California nonprofit advocating for family-scale agriculture and direct producer-consumer connections, sharing Farm Trails' mission and listed as one of its member organizations.
• Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT): Marin County nonprofit that protects agricultural land through conservation easements, sharing Farm Trails' mission of preserving working farms in the North Bay and overlapping with the Sonoma County Ag + Open Space partner.

Others

• Edible Marin & Wine Country: Regional food publication covering local farms, restaurants, and artisanal producers in Sonoma, Marin, and Napa counties; an adjacent media and storytelling outlet that shares Farm Trails' audience of local food consumers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sonomacountyfarmtrails
• Instagraminstagram.com/sonomacountyfarmtrails
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/farm-trails-of-sonoma-county

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Sonoma County Farm Trails