Herban Produce Llc

What Herban Produce Llc does

Herban Produce LLC operates a two-acre urban farm in Chicago's East Garfield Park neighborhood, anchored by a 4,000 sq ft hydroponic greenhouse housing multiple growing systems (NFT, Fodder, and Ebb and Flow) and supplemented by 17,000 sq ft of outdoor raised-bed production, A-frame vertical growing systems, a mixed fruit orchard, and native perennial plantings. The farm grows 40+ varieties of vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers under organic practices, selling wholesale to Chicago restaurants as its original business line and running a year-round, pay-as-you-go Market Box CSA subscription with Veggie Box ($45/week) and Mini-Veggie Box ($25/week) tiers, plus egg and bread add-ons, distributed across seven pickup locations spanning Humboldt Park, Logan Square, North Lawndale/Little Village, Pilsen, Southport, South Shore, and the farm itself.

Beyond produce, the company operates The Coop, a 1,000 sq ft indoor/outdoor event venue on the farm, rented for private events (starting at $1,200/4 hours), corporate events (starting at $1,550), and workshops ($150/hour). Complementary programming includes floral arrangement classes ($54/person via Bucketlisters Chicago), wellness classes (yoga, sound healing, the 7-part Chakra Series with Movement and Medicine), and a volunteer program operating select Wednesdays and Saturdays. Gift cards ($25-$100) and a Herban Foundation sponsorship/donation channel round out the mix, with unclaimed CSA boxes donated to the Marillac St Vincent Food Pantry.

Herban Produce was founded in 2013 as a social enterprise launched by Core Spaces developer Barry Howard and is currently co-owned by Howard and CEO Alicia Nesbary-Moore, a molecular biologist and former tenured professor of Urban Agriculture at City Colleges of Chicago. The company is structured as a self-sustaining for-profit LLC with 1-10 employees, no disclosed venture or private-equity backing, and an explicit mission to address food-desert conditions and decades of disinvestment in East Garfield Park through local employment, education, and community programming.

Name

Herban Produce Llc

Legal name

Herban Produce LLC

Website

https://herbanproduce.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Herban Produce operates a two-acre urban farm in Chicago's East Garfield Park, combining a 4,000 sq ft hydroponic greenhouse with outdoor raised-bed production to serve Chicago restaurants, CSA subscribers, event clients, and community members through fresh produce, events, and classes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Agriculture

NAICS

Food Crops Grown Under Cover (11141), Vegetable and Melon Farming (1112), Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Greenhouse Vegetable Production (Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Peppers, Leafy Greens) (AFAGAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Greenhouse Herb & Microgreens Production (Culinary Herbs, Microgreens) (AFAGAHAC), Culinary Herb Farming (Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Mint, Parsley) (AFAGAGAD)

Keywords

• Urban agriculture
• CSA produce boxes
• Hydroponic farming
• Wholesale produce
• Event venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Produce Sales: Herban Produce sells fresh produce directly to top restaurants across Chicago. This was their original business model and remains a significant revenue stream.
2. Market Box CSA Subscription: Year-round CSA subscription program offering Veggie Box ($45/week) and Mini-Veggie Box ($25/week) with optional add-ons (eggs $6/week, bread $8/week). Pay-as-you-go model with seasonal subscriptions.
3. Market Box Bi-Weekly Subscription: Bi-weekly subscription option for the Market Box program with seasonal offerings (Summer, Fall, Year Subscription)
4. Event Space Rental (The Coop): Rental of indoor/outdoor event space at The Coop for private events, corporate events, workshops, and weddings. Pricing starts at $1,200 for private events and $1,550 for corporate events.
5. Classes and Workshops: Revenue from wellness classes, floral arrangement classes ($54), gardening workshops, and educational programs held at the farm. Also includes partnership with Bucketlisters for class bookings.
6. Gift Cards: Digital gift cards sold in $25, $50, $75, and $100 denominations through the online shop
7. Foundation Sponsorship: Donation and sponsorship program supporting the Herban Produce Foundation's community mission

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Herban Produce LLC operates a Chicago-based urban farm combining a 4,000 sq ft hydroponic greenhouse with 17,000 sq ft of outdoor raised-bed production in East Garfield Park. The company sells freshly harvested produce through its Market Box CSA subscription program (Veggie Box and Mini-Veggie Box), supplies wholesale produce to local restaurants, and rents The Coop, an on-farm event venue. It also offers wellness and floral arrangement classes and accepts community sponsorships through its foundation.

Product overview

Herban Produce LLC operates as a Chicago-based urban farm in East Garfield Park offering an integrated portfolio of products and services centered on sustainable local food production and community engagement. The core offerings include hydroponic greenhouse and outdoor farm production (growing 40+ varieties of vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers using organic practices), the Market Box subscription program (a pay-as-you-go CSA with Veggie and Mini-Veggie box options delivering seasonal produce weekly), and wholesale produce sales to Chicago restaurants. The company operates The Coop, a 1,000 sq ft indoor/outdoor event venue available for private rentals, corporate events, and workshops. Educational programming includes floral arrangement classes, wellness classes (yoga, sound healing, Chakra Series), and volunteer opportunities. Additional offerings include gift cards and foundation sponsorship. The company was founded in 2013 and expanded to two acres in 2020, with operations spanning a 4,000 sq ft hydroponic greenhouse and over half an acre of outdoor growing space.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Market Box: A pay-as-you-go CSA subscription program providing weekly farm fresh produce and pantry staples in Veggie Box or Mini-Veggie Box options.
• The Coop
• Herban Foundation

Products and services

• Market Box CSA Subscription (Veggie Box and Mini-Veggie Box)

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major and minor.

• Garfield Park Garden NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner listed in Friends of the Farm section. Part of GP Community Council's Community Wellness programs focused on food access and community gardening.
• Marillac St Vincent Food PantrymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for food donation and community support. Unclaimed CSA boxes are donated to this food pantry.
• OrkenoyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPickup location partner at 1757 N Kimball Ave in Humboldt Park for Market Box CSA subscribers
• Pizza LobominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPickup location partner at 3000 W Fullerton Ave in Logan Square for Market Box CSA subscribers
• Farm on OgdenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPickup location partner at 3555 Ogden Ave in N. Lawndale/Little Village for Market Box CSA subscribers
• Bellis JuicebarminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPickup location partner at 1850 S Blue Island Ave in Pilsen for Market Box CSA subscribers
• Southport GroceryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPickup location partner at 3555 N Southport Ave in Southport for Market Box CSA subscribers
• Bryn Mawr Community ChurchminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPickup location partner at 7000 S Jeffery Blvd in South Shore for Market Box CSA subscribers
• Bucketlisters ChicagomajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketing partner for floral arrangement classes. Classes are booked through Bucketlisters platform during the season (June 4th - September 10th)
• Movement and MedicineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for The Chakra Series wellness program - a 7-part series through the 7 main energy centers held at the farm

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Bowery Farming: Indoor vertical farming company serving grocery and food service customers with pesticide-free leafy greens and herbs. Comparable controlled-environment produce category, but with significantly greater scale, venture funding, and tech infrastructure.
• AeroFarms: Vertical farming company operating large indoor farms producing leafy greens and herbs using proprietary aeroponic technology. Comparable controlled-environment agriculture category but at industrial scale and tech-forward, capital-intensive model.
• BrightFarms: Large-scale greenhouse operator supplying pesticide-free leafy greens and herbs to supermarkets regionally. Comparable greenhouse-grown produce business model but at much greater scale and focused on grocery retail rather than CSA/restaurant direct channels.

Direct peers

• Gotham Greens: Operates commercial-scale hydroponic greenhouses producing leafy greens, herbs, and tomatoes in cities including Chicago. Most directly comparable urban hydroponic farm peer given shared city footprint and greenhouse-based growing model.
• Square Roots: Tech-enabled urban farming operator with modular container farms serving local retail and restaurant customers. Comparable as a mission-driven, restaurant- and DTC-focused urban farm combining technology with local food production.

Regional players

• Windy City Harvest: Chicago Botanic Garden's urban agriculture program operating farms and training in Chicago neighborhoods including food-access areas. Comparable Chicago-based urban farm with food access mission; differs as a nonprofit training program rather than for-profit operator.
• The Urban Canopy: Chicago-based urban farm offering CSA subscriptions, farmers markets, and wholesale produce with food access mission. Most directly comparable peer in Chicago combining CSA, wholesale, and urban agriculture social mission.
• Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance: Chicago community organization operating gardens and urban agriculture programs in the same East Garfield Park neighborhood. Comparable geographic and community-development focus but operates as a nonprofit conservatory rather than commercial farm.

Emerging players

• Smallhold: Indoor specialty mushroom farm operating distributed growing units supplying restaurants and grocers. Comparable distributed urban farming model targeting restaurants and local food channels but focused on mushrooms rather than vegetables/herbs.
• Local Roots Farms: Tech-enabled indoor farming company deploying modular farm containers for on-site restaurant and retailer growing. Comparable tech-augmented urban agriculture model targeting restaurant and direct-to-consumer channels at small scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/herbanproduce
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/herban-produce

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Herban Produce Llc