Worthy Garden Club

What Worthy Garden Club does

Worthy Garden Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental education organization founded in 2015 and headquartered at 495 NE Bellevue Drive in Bend, Oregon, on the Worthy Brewing campus. The organization operates four program pillars — Soil Health, Native Pollinators, Dark Skies, and Community — delivered through a Hopservatory observatory equipped with a 16-inch research-grade telescope and a mobile Hydrogen Alpha solar telescope, a 3,000-square-foot regenerative demonstration farm with three high tunnels, Franklin's Corner Community Garden (26 ADA-accessible plots on City of Bend property in the Larkspur District), and a seasonal volunteer program. It serves Central Oregon residents, K-12 schools and summer camps, and community gardeners through free or low-cost programming including public night sky viewings, school field trips, pollinator walks, garden workshops, native wildflower seed sales, spring plant sales, and U-Pick produce days.

The organization has no underlying technology platform; its core assets are physical (observatory, farm, demonstration gardens) and human (a three-person staff led by Executive Director Lisa Sanco, Organic Farm Manager Jessica Walker, and Astronomical Interpreter Grant Tandy, supported by a six-member board). Notable programs include Operation Appleseed, a U.S. Forest Service-overseen reforestation initiative under which founder Roger Worthington pledged $1 million and over 650,000 native conifer trees have been planted on burned Cascade land, and light pollution monitoring through the Oregon Skyglow Measurement Network in partnership with Dark Sky Oregon since 2019. The organization also holds founding membership in Pollinator Pathway Bend and operates a free seed library at Franklin's Corner.

Worthy Garden Club's business model is donation-driven: as a 501(c)(3) (Tax ID 46-2310732), it relies on contributions from individuals, businesses, and foundations, supplemented by modest program fees framed as suggested donations ($5/person for Hopservatory viewings, $25-50 per school field trip), private tour revenue ($250/hour for up to 20 people plus $50/hour for larger groups), on-site retail (native wildflower seeds, plant starts, seed bombs sold at the Worthy Pub), and U-Pick produce days. The go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven, relying on the Worthy Brewing co-location for foot traffic, Eventbrite listings for ticketed workshops, social media (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn), an email newsletter, and significant earned media including a New York Times opinion piece. Mission-aligned partnerships with the City of Bend, Deschutes Soil & Water Conservation District, High Desert Food and Farm Alliance, Central Oregon Flower Collective, and Bend Urban Gardens amplify reach.

Name

Worthy Garden Club

Legal name

Worthy Garden Club

Website

https://worthygardenclub.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Worthy Garden Club is a Bend, Oregon 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free or low-cost environmental education through the Hopservatory observatory, a regenerative demonstration farm, a community garden, and pollinator and dark-sky programs for Central Oregon residents, schools, and community gardeners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Education Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports) (EDAMALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

STEM & Science Camps (Biology, Chemistry, Space, Lab Science) (EDAMALAC)

Keywords

• Environmental education
• Community garden programs
• Public astronomy education
• Native plant conservation
• Regenerative agriculture

Headquarters

HQ city

Bend

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Worthy Garden Club relies on donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations. Donations can be directed to specific programs (Seed Library, Hopservatory) or general fund.
2. Program Fees and Suggested Donations: Hopservatory public viewings suggest a $5/person donation. School field trips request $25-50 donation. Private tours cost $250/hour for up to 20 people, $50/hour additional for larger groups.
3. Native Wildflower Seed Sales: The organization hand-collects, cleans, packages and sells native wildflower seeds from their gardens at the Worthy Pub, including varieties like yarrow, milkweed, blanketflower, goldenrod, aster, blue flax, globe mallow, and penstemons.
4. Plant Sales: Spring plant sales provide organically-grown starts specifically chosen for the High Desert climate, with varieties selected for pest/disease resistance and short maturation dates.
5. U-Pick Produce: Seasonal U-Pick days allow community members to harvest tomatoes, strawberries, herbs and flowers from the farm. Extra produce is also donated to HDFFA's Grow and Give Program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Worthy Garden Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating environmental education programs in Central Oregon from the Worthy Brewing campus in Bend. Core offerings include the Hopservatory observatory with public night sky viewings via a 16-inch research-grade telescope, a 3,000-square-foot regenerative demonstration farm, Franklin's Corner Community Garden (26 plots), native wildflower seed and plant sales, school field trips, pollinator and dark sky education, and the Worthy Together volunteer program.

Product overview

Worthy Garden Club is a Central Oregon 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (Tax ID: 46-2310732) offering environmental education programs focused on four main areas: Soil Health, Native Pollinators, Dark Skies, and Community engagement. The organization operates from the Worthy Brewing campus in Bend, Oregon, providing free or low-cost programs including the Hopservatory observatory with a 16-inch research-grade telescope, a 3000 square foot regenerative demonstration farm, Franklin's Corner Community Garden with 26 plots, and the Worthy Together volunteer program. Additional offerings include school field trips combining astronomy and garden education, native wildflower seed sales, seasonal workshops, and free downloadable gardening resources. The organization contributes 300+ hours of community service annually and partners with mission-aligned local organizations including the City of Bend, Dark Sky Oregon, and Pollinator Pathway Bend.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hopservatory Public Observatory Program Public observatory access with a 16-inch research-grade telescope offering night sky viewings Wednesday–Saturday, solar viewing, and educational astronomy programming for Central Oregon residents and visitors.
• Private Astronomy Tours Private guided tours of the Hopservatory available outside public viewing hours for groups, priced at $250/hour for up to 20 people plus $50/hour for additional attendees.
• Franklin's Corner Community Garden

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 650,000 trees planted through Operation Appleseed reforestation initiative on national forest land
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of BendcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Bend is a working community partner. Franklin's Corner Community Garden is a City of Bend property managed by Worthy Garden Club. The organization advocates for dark sky lighting practices with city officials.
• Deschutes Soil & Water Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking community partner collaborating on soil health and conservation initiatives in Central Oregon.
• Pollinator Pathway BendcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member and current board member organization for Pollinator Pathway Bend. Partners on native pollinator conservation and education initiatives.
• High Desert Food and Farm AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking community partner. Extra farm produce is donated to HDFFA's Grow and Give Program. Collaborates on food security and farming education.
• Central Oregon Flower CollectiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMission-aligned community partner organization in Central Oregon.
• Bend Urban GardensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking community partner providing additional food security and farming education in Bend.
• Dark Sky OregoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with Dark Sky Oregon to monitor light pollution around the region, including at the Hopservatory. Contributing to Oregon Skyglow Measurement Network since 2019. Grant Tandy is a prominent member of Dark Sky Oregon.
• Worthy BrewingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorthy Brewing hosts the Hopservatory, demonstration gardens, and organic farm on its campus at 495 NE Bellevue Drive. Founder Roger Worthington (Worthy Brewing owner) began Worthy Garden Club as a nonprofit in 2015. Seeds and plants are sold at the Worthy Pub.
• U.S. Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperation Appleseed reforestation projects carried out on national forest land, overseen by the U.S. Forest Service. Over 650,000 trees planted in areas burned by wildfires in Oregon's Cascade Mountains.
• Oregon State University ExtensionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJessica Walker completed her Master Gardner training through the Extension program. Extension resources are referenced in educational programming.
• Franklin's Corner Community GardencoreOthersADA-friendly, City of Bend property in the Larkspur District with 26 gardening plots for community members. Managed by Worthy Garden Club. Hosts free seed library.
• Oregon ObservatoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant Tandy previously served as astronomical interpreter at the Oregon Observatory for three years before joining Worthy Garden Club.
• NASA-JPL Solar System AmbassadorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant Tandy holds volunteer position as NASA-JPL Solar System Ambassador, providing astronomical education and outreach.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation: National nonprofit focused on invertebrate conservation including pollinators. Overlapping mission with Worthy's native pollinator education and conservation programs.
• DarkSky International: International nonprofit focused on light pollution reduction and dark sky preservation. Worthy Garden Club's Hopservatory and Oregon Skyglow Measurement Network work run through this organization's programmatic ecosystem.
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: National native plant research and education center. Comparable in mission around native plant landscaping education and pollinator habitat, with a larger institutional footprint.
• OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry): Oregon's flagship science museum with planetarium, exhibits, and school programming. A broader incumbent in the same regional STEM education category, with a larger facility footprint and operating budget.
• Pollinator Partnership: National nonprofit dedicated to pollinator health and habitat conservation. Mission-aligned peer for Worthy's pollinator conservation work; significantly larger scale and policy reach.

Direct peers

• Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory: A Central Oregon nonprofit operating a nature center and observatory with public programs, school field trips, and astronomy education. Most directly comparable peer — combines environmental education with public observatory access in the same Oregon region.
• Oregon Observatory at Sunriver: Public observatory in Oregon offering night sky and solar viewing programs. Shares the Hopservatory's public astronomy mission; Grant Tandy worked here for three years before joining Worthy Garden Club.
• High Desert Museum: A Bend-based museum focused on natural and cultural history of the High Desert. Comparable as a regional environmental/natural science education nonprofit with school programming, exhibits, and community engagement in Central Oregon.

Regional players

• Central Oregon Environmental Center: Bend-based environmental nonprofit focused on community sustainability, food systems, and education. Comparable regional peer in environmental education and community engagement in Central Oregon.
• Deschutes Land Trust: Central Oregon land conservation nonprofit protecting natural areas and offering community education. Comparable regional environmental nonprofit with volunteer programs and educational outreach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/worthygardenclub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/worthy-garden-club
• Instagraminstagram.com/worthygardenclub

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Worthy Garden Club