Light Root Farm & Learning Center

What Light Root Farm & Learning Center does

Light Root Farm & Learning Center is a 501-C3 nonprofit (Living Earth Agriculture Foundation, Tax ID #82-3303110, established 2017) operating a 65-acre draft-animal-powered regenerative farm in Boulder, Colorado under a long-dated lease with the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks secured in 2018. The organization is co-founded by Cameron Genter (Executive Director, Draft Animal and Land Stewardship Manager, 25+ years of farming experience) and Daphne Kingsley (Farm & Program Director, biodynamic farming background, BA in Culture, Ecology and Sustainable Agriculture from New College of California), with a six-person core team supported by seasonal interns and a five-person board. The farm runs a holistic operation combining a small heritage-breed micro-dairy (Jersey, Ayrshire, Guernsey cows producing 100% grass-fed raw milk in compliance with Raw Milk Association of Colorado monthly testing), vegetable production, medicinal herb gardens, and rotational grazing infrastructure under biodynamic and Rudolph Steiner-influenced management principles.

The organization's revenue model blends fee-for-service programming with philanthropic support across five streams: (1) recurring raw-milk herd share memberships at $90/month for full share or $45/month for half share, picked up at the on-site farmstand; (2) educational programming including youth summer camps (~$400 per session), school field trips ($540 per group up to 12 students), teen farmer groups ($400 for 8-week sessions), draft-horse workshops ($350 per student), and field-trip-style experiences; (3) therapeutic programming including a 12-week sliding-scale adult group ($35-$75 per session or $900 program), Boulder Community Health Pathways mindfulness-based nature therapy, addiction-recovery farm programs (paused for 2026), and Natural High's teen programming; (4) donations and event-based fundraising via ColoradoGives.org, animal adoption sponsorships ($500 one-time or $50/month gold-level), and an annual harvest dinner ($100 early-bird tickets); and (5) farmstand product sales of milk, vegetables, and eggs.

The farm serves seven customer segments: youth ages 6-14 (camps), teens ages 12-18 (farmer group, Natural Highs), adults with mental health challenges (BCH Pathways, addiction recovery, therapeutic adult group), community members seeking local food (herd share members and farmstand customers), aspiring/beginning farmers (internships and workshops), school groups, and corporate sponsors. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-consumer and on-site at 7715 Arapahoe Road, Boulder — the farm does not deliver — with referral pipelines established through Boulder Community Health, Boulder OSMP, Natural High's, and local schools. In 2024, the Boulder Community Health Pathways partnership alone served 130 adults across 12 therapeutic sessions, and addiction-recovery sessions attracted 30-45 participants per session before the program's 2026 pause.

Name

Light Root Farm & Learning Center

Legal name

Light Root Farm & Learning Center

Website

https://lightrootfarm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Light Root Farm & Learning Center is a 501-C3 nonprofit operating a 65-acre draft-animal-powered regenerative farm in Boulder, Colorado, delivering farm-based educational programs, mental-health therapeutic services, and raw-milk herd shares to youth, teens, adults, and local community members under a City of Boulder OSMP lease.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regenerative Agriculture Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Dairy Cattle and Milk Production (11212), Support Activities for Animal Production (115210), Support Activities for Crop Production (1151)

SIC

Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200), Agricultural Services (700), Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Milking Parlor & Dairy Farm Support Services (Non-veterinary) (AFAEALAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Dairy Farm Environmental Compliance & Sustainability Programs (AFAEACAM)

Keywords

• Regenerative agriculture
• Farm-based education
• Raw milk dairy
• Draft animal farming
• Therapeutic horticulture

Headquarters

HQ city

Boulder

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Raw Milk Herd Share Memberships: Monthly boarding fees for herd share members who own a share of the dairy cow herd. Members pay $90/month for full share (1 gallon/week) or $45/month for half share (half gallon/week), plus $25 one-time membership fee. Pickup at farmstand location.
2. Animal Adoption Program: Symbolic adoption program supporting animal care. Gold-level adoption at $500 one-time or $50/month for 10 months. Includes email updates, printed photo, adoption certificate, and VIP farm gathering invitation.
3. Educational Programs: Fees from summer camps ($400 teen farmer group sessions), school field trips ($540 for up to 12 students), draft horse workshops ($350 per student), and therapeutic farm groups ($35-$75 per session sliding scale or $900 for 12-week program).
4. Donations & Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations through ColoradoGives.org. Annual harvest dinner fundraiser ($100 early bird tickets). Community sponsorships and in-kind donations from local businesses.
5. Farm Stand Products: On-farm product sales including raw milk, vegetables, and eggs produced on the 65-acre regenerative farm.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Light Root Farm & Learning Center operates a 65-acre nonprofit regenerative farm in Boulder, Colorado, producing 100% grass-fed raw milk via herd share memberships and offering a portfolio of fee-based farm-based programs: youth summer camps, K-12 school field trips, a teen farmer mentorship group, beginning farmer internships, draft animal power workshops, and mental-health-aligned therapeutic programs for adults and teens delivered in partnership with Boulder Community Health and Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks. The organization supplements earned revenue with tax-deductible donations, an animal adoption donor program, sponsorships, and an annual Harvest Dinner fundraiser.

Product overview

Light Root Farm & Learning Center is a diversified 65-acre nonprofit farm and learning center offering a portfolio of interconnected programs centered on holistic, draft-animal-powered agriculture. The core offerings include a Grass-fed Raw Milk Dairy (Raw Milk Herd Shares), hands-on Farm Education Programs (School Field Trips, Youth Farm Summer Camps, Teen Farmer Group), Therapeutic Mental Health Programs (Boulder Community Health Pathways, Addiction Recovery & Wellness, Therapeutic Farm-Based Group for Adults, Natural Highs Teen Program), and Agricultural Training (Beginning Farmer Internships, Draft Animal Power Workshops). Supporting programs include an Animal Adoption Program and Community Events (Volunteer Days, Harvest Dinners). All programs are integrated around the farm's mission of connecting people to the land through agriculture, education, and healing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 130 adults served through 12 therapeutic sessions in 2024 via Boulder Community Health Pathways
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Boulder Community Health Pathways ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Four-year partnership hosting mindfulness-based nature therapy for adults with mental health challenges. In 2024, 130 adults participated in 12 therapeutic farm sessions. Program includes gardening, compost building, animal stewardship, and seasonal farm tasks for healing and personal growth.
• Boulder OSMP Addiction & Recovery ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Farm-based addiction recovery and wellness program in collaboration with Boulder OSMP and Boulder Community Health. Peer leaders guide participants through farm experiences as metaphors for growth and resilience. In 2025, 6 sessions with 30-45 participants per session. Most popular program in the series. Paused for 2026 to develop more impactful programming.
• Boulder Natural High's Teen ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Monthly teen herbal gardening and farming program in medicinal herb gardens. Provides inclusive space for teens to learn about medicinal herbs, animal interaction, mindfulness, and peer support. Recognized with City of Boulder Innovation Award. Free program for high school teens (14-18 years).
• City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain ParkscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Leaseholder of 65-acre historic farm and dairy in east Boulder since 2018. Supports Living Earth Agriculture Foundation's mission connecting people to land through agriculture, education, and healing. Farm operates under single-skill exemption for child care licensing through CDEC.
• Community Sponsors (Local Businesses)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal businesses sponsor the farm including Whole Foods, Hazel's, Boulder Theater, The Flower Bin, Trader Joe's, and others. Contact [email protected] for sponsorship inquiries.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture: Nonprofit working farm in Pocantico Hills, NY that combines regenerative agriculture with education and farmer training; directly comparable to Light Root's integrated education-and-farming nonprofit model.
• Sprout Creek Farm: New York nonprofit educational farm with a working dairy, school programs, and summer camps; mirrors Light Root's combined dairy + education operating model.
• Shelburne Farms: Vermont nonprofit educational farm on a historic estate offering school programs, summer camps, and community food initiatives; highly comparable in mission, programs, and nonprofit structure.
• Green Chimneys: Nonprofit in Brewster, NY operating a working farm as the foundation for therapeutic and educational programs for children with special needs; the closest analog to Light Root's farm-therapy integration.
• Wolfe's Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment: Maine nonprofit farm combining regenerative agriculture, education, and community programming; comparable in offering farmer training, camps, and on-farm learning experiences.

Broad incumbents

• Care Farming UK Network (US analogs): Network-style organizations promoting care farming (therapeutic use of agricultural settings); relevant as a broad incumbent for the therapeutic farming category Light Root participates in.
• Edible Schoolyard Project: Alice Waters-founded nonprofit promoting garden and farm-based education in schools; a broader incumbent in farm-based education with comparable school-program philosophy.

Regional players

• Mountain Flower Goat Dairy: Boulder-area small-scale dairy farm offering raw goat milk and farm-visitor experiences; directly relevant as a same-region dairy peer, though now operating under Growing Gardens.
• Growing Gardens: Boulder nonprofit that now operates Mountain Flower Goat Dairy and runs horticultural therapy, school programs, and community gardens — overlaps directly with Light Root's education and therapeutic offerings.

Emerging players

• The Farm at The Edge: Small nonprofit or social-enterprise farms combining regenerative agriculture with mental health programming; representative of the emerging therapeutic farm category that Light Root competes within.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Light Root Farm & Learning Center