Franklinton Farms

What Franklinton Farms does

Franklinton Farms is a non-profit urban farm organization founded in 2007 in the Franklinton neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio, originally as Franklinton Gardens. It operates a multi-acre network of food production sites focused on addressing food insecurity and limited access to fresh produce for neighborhood residents facing economic and health challenges. The organization transitioned to its current name in 2017 as it scaled from a single community garden into a broader urban agriculture operation.

The organization's product surface centers on four access channels: a free, year-round U-Pick Garden open 365 days at the corner of Town St. and Martin St.; the Weekly Harvest Pack, an 8-week Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscription with Large Pack ($40/week) and Small Pack ($20/week) tiers delivered via the GrownBy platform; an online ordering storefront on Square with pickup at the farm; and a weekly booth at the Worthington Farmers Market. Ancillary programs include Supported U-Pick Experiences (staff-guided Sunday sessions), the Patrick Kaufman Memorial Learning Garden for sustainable agriculture education, and acceptance of SNAP/EBT, WIC, Produce Perks, TANF, and PRx coupons across channels. Sliding-scale pricing via the HARVESTACCESS code provides a 50% discount to customers with cost barriers, with EBT-specific pricing pending.

The revenue model is a hybrid non-profit structure combining program revenue (CSA subscriptions, farmers market sales, online produce orders), individual donations (including the "Friends of the U-Pick" and "Growing Together" campaigns), and grant funding from more than 30 institutional and corporate funders including USDA, Columbus Foundation, Osteopathic Heritage Foundation, Kroger Co. Foundation, Whole Cities Foundation, United Way of Central Ohio, City of Columbus, NRDC, and AmeriCorps VISTA. The go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven, relying on volunteer programs, neighborhood word-of-mouth, weekly email newsletters, social media, and recurring community events (Tea Time, Summer Wellness Series, Beauty & the Bees volunteer days) to build awareness and engagement in the Franklinton neighborhood and Greater Columbus area. Leadership transitioned from the prior team of Rebecca and Teddy Brown to Executive Director Gabrielle Fields in late 2023, and the organization is currently recruiting additional staff capacity.

Name

Franklinton Farms

Legal name

Franklinton Farms

Website

https://franklintonfarms.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Franklinton Farms is a Columbus, Ohio non-profit urban farm founded in 2007 that operates a multi-acre network of food production sites serving Franklinton neighborhood residents with fresh produce access. It delivers programs including a free year-round U-Pick Garden, an 8-week CSA subscription, online ordering, and a Worthington Farmers Market booth, funded by donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Agriculture and Food Access

NAICS

Vegetable and Melon Farming (1112)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Farmers’ Markets & Farm Stands (Fresh Food) (CRAHAHAE)

Keywords

• Urban agriculture
• Community supported agriculture
• Fresh produce access
• Food insecurity programs
• Nonprofit farming

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Weekly Harvest Pack (CSA): Community Supported Agriculture subscription program offering 8-week seasons of weekly produce boxes. Customers choose between Large Pack ($40/week) or Small Pack ($20/week). Sliding scale pricing with HARVESTACCESS code providing 50% discount. EBT/SNAP payment options available.
2. Farmers Market Sales: Direct produce sales at Worthington Farmers Market every Saturday. Accepts SNAP, WIC coupons, Senior Farmers Market Coupons, Produce Perks, TANF, and PRx Coupons.
3. Donations: Monetary donations from individuals supporting the organization's mission. Specific campaigns include 'Friends of the U-Pick' and 'Growing Together' capacity building campaign.
4. Grants and Funders: Grant funding from foundations and government entities including USDA, Columbus Foundation, Osteopathic Heritage Foundation, and others to support operations and community programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Franklinton Farms is a non-profit urban farm that grows and distributes fresh, local produce in Columbus, Ohio. Its core offerings include a Community Supported Agriculture subscription (Weekly Harvest Pack), a free year-round U-Pick Garden, online ordering with pickup, and weekly presence at the Worthington Farmers Market. The organization focuses on making fresh produce accessible to the Franklinton neighborhood through sliding-scale pricing and acceptance of nutrition assistance benefits.

Product overview

Franklinton Farms is a non-profit urban farm organization providing fresh, local produce access through multiple channels. The core offerings include the Weekly Harvest Pack (CSA subscription program via GrownBy), a free U-Pick Garden, online ordering through Square, and presence at the Worthington Farmers Market. Additional programs include the Patrick Kaufman Memorial Learning Garden for education, Supported U-Pick Experiences for guided sessions, and acceptance of nutrition assistance programs (SNAP, WIC, Produce Perks). These products work together to address food insecurity while building community connection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Weekly Harvest Pack (CSA Program) 8-week CSA subscription program offering fresh vegetables, herbs, and farm favorites. Available in Large Pack ($40/week) or Small Pack ($20/week) sizes with pickup at the farm, Worthington Market, or Motherful office; delivery in Franklinton available for a $3 fee.
• U-Pick Garden Free community garden open 365 days a year from dusk to dawn where neighbors can harvest vegetables, herbs, and flowers at the corner of Town St. and Martin St. Designed to provide accessible fresh food access to all.
• Online Ordering for Pickup

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Worthington Farmers MarketcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024One of the largest farmers markets in Central Ohio with 70+ producers. Franklinton Farms operates a weekly produce booth, accepting multiple nutrition benefit programs and reaching customers throughout Greater Columbus area.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Big Green: National non-profit building learning gardens in schools and food-insecure communities. Comparable in food access mission and educational programming, but operates at a national scale and focuses on school-based gardens rather than commercial urban farming.
• GrowNYC: Large NYC-based non-profit operating Greenmarkets farmers markets, farm education, and food access programs. Comparable in farmers market operations and accepting SNAP/EBT, but many times larger and serving a major metropolitan area.
• Wholesome Wave: National non-profit operating programs like Produce Perks and SNAP Doubling that connect low-income consumers with local farmers. Comparable economic beneficiary and partner-type relationship to Franklinton Farms' SNAP/EBT integration.
• The Food Trust: Larger Philadelphia-based non-profit focused on food access through farmers markets, healthy corner stores, and SNAP incentive programs. Comparable in food access mission and farmers market acceptance of federal nutrition benefits, but operates at a much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.

Direct peers

• Local Roots NYC: Non-profit urban farm network in NYC running multiple production sites and CSA programs serving food-insecure communities. Directly comparable urban farm network model, multi-site footprint, and CSA+donation blended revenue approach.
• Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming: Non-profit urban-edge farm in Ithaca, NY operating CSA, training programs, and food access initiatives. Comparable in non-profit urban agriculture model, CSA subscription structure, and educational programming.
• Harlem Grown: Non-profit urban farm in Harlem, NYC providing fresh produce to food-insecure residents through community gardens, educational programs, and CSA-style distributions. Directly comparable mission, multi-channel model, and community-led ethos to Franklinton Farms.
• D-Town Farm (Detroit Black Community Food Security Network): Non-profit urban farm in Detroit addressing food apartheid in a low-income neighborhood through cooperative farming, youth education, and direct food distribution. Structurally similar to Franklinton Farms in mission, geography (urban food desert), and community ownership model.
• Soul Fire Farm: Non-profit BIPOC-centered farm in upstate New York running CSA programs, farmer training, and food justice initiatives. Comparable in mission, CSA revenue model, and emphasis on food access for underserved communities.

Emerging players

• Cultivate the City: DC-based urban agriculture social enterprise running vertical farms, CSA, and educational programs. Comparable in urban farming focus and CSA model, but with stronger commercial orientation and vertical farming technology angle.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/franklintonfarms
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/franklinton-farms

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 Franklinton Farms