Gorge Grown Food Network

What Gorge Grown Food Network does

Gorge Grown Food Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2006 and headquartered in Hood River, Oregon, that coordinates a regional food system across five counties in the Columbia River Gorge (Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman in Oregon; Klickitat and Skamania in Washington). The organization directly operates three farmers markets — Hood River Farmers Market, White Salmon Farmers Market, and Mercado del Valle — and supports six additional markets through the Rural Farmers Market Network, collectively hosting up to 60 vendors at peak season and connecting roughly 220 producers via the Who's Your Farmer directory.

Its programmatic portfolio spans food access (SNAP Match programs that double or triple federal benefits, Veggie Rx prescriptions through healthcare provider One Community Health, and the Power of Produce Club for children), producer support (Crop Talks, Producer Working Groups, Food Business Incubator), food waste reduction (Gorge Gleaning), and food sovereignty (Tribal Food Sovereignty Initiative with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation). Coordination is delivered through a Food Security Coalition of 30+ organizations meeting monthly, with a Community Advisory Council composed of 50% Medicaid recipients.

Revenue is generated from vendor application and booth fees ($25-$50 plus percentage-of-sales take rates), grants (notably the 2016 RWJF Culture of Health Prize), healthcare-partner contributions, and donations through the GiveLively platform. The organization employs 1-10 staff, led by Executive Director Sarah Sullivan, and is governed by a volunteer board including tribal, farmer, and nonprofit-sector representatives. In 2026 the Hood River Farmers Market enters its 20th season.

Name

Gorge Grown Food Network

Legal name

Gorge Grown Food Network

Website

https://gorgegrown.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gorge Grown Food Network is a Hood River, Oregon-based nonprofit that operates three farmers markets and runs food access, producer support, and food sovereignty programs connecting roughly 220 regional producers and food-insecure households across the five-county Columbia River Gorge.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Food Systems and Farmers Market Management

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Specialty Food Retailers (4452)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Systems & Value Chain Development for Nutrition (BPADAJAG)

Keywords

• Farmers market management
• Food access programs
• SNAP matching services
• Regional food systems
• Food security coalition

Headquarters

HQ city

Hood River

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization accepts donations through GiveLively platform and runs fundraising events such as the annual Harvest Dinner farm-to-table fundraiser.
2. Grants and Awards: Gorge Grown receives grant funding including the 2016 RWJF Culture of Health Prize. The organization partners with healthcare providers like One Community Health who contribute funding for Veggie Rx programs ($35,000/year from operating funds).
3. Farmers Market Operations: Revenue generated through vendor application fees ($25-$50), booth fees (flat rate or percentage of sales), and market operations. Application fees are non-refundable and vary by market and vendor category.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Gorge Grown Food Network coordinates and operates a network of farmers markets (Hood River Farmers Market, White Salmon Farmers Market, and Mercado del Valle) and food system programs across the Columbia River Gorge. It connects local producers directly with community members through the markets while running food access initiatives such as SNAP/EBT matching, Veggie Rx produce prescriptions, the Power of Produce Club for children, the Gorge Gleaning food-rescue program, and a Food Business Incubator for emerging food entrepreneurs.

Product overview

Gorge Grown Food Network operates a network of farmers markets and food access programs across the Columbia River Gorge region. Their core offerings consist of three managed farmers markets (Hood River Farmers Market, White Salmon Farmers Market, and Mercado del Valle) alongside food security programs including SNAP Match, Veggie Rx, and the Power of Produce Club for children. The organization also runs food system infrastructure programs such as Gorge Gleaning (food rescue), the Food Business Incubator, Farmland Preservation and Land Access, Producer Working Groups, and the Tribal Food Sovereignty Initiative. Supporting services include the Who's Your Farmer directory, Fill Your Pantry bulk-buying events, Fresh Sheets weekly market updates, Community Table vending opportunities, and Youth Vendor programs. These interconnected programs work together to increase access to local food, support regional farmers, and build a resilient inclusive food system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hood River Farmers Market

Quantifiable outcome

• SNAP adds $4.7 million annually to Hood River economy, $4.6 million to Wasco County
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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.

• Washington Department of HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for SNAP Match program at White Salmon Farmers Market. WA Department of Health provides funding that allows Gorge Grown to offer $25 SNAP Match to customers purchasing fresh produce with SNAP benefits.
• Ferment Brewing CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWinter season venue for Hood River Farmers Market (December-April). Located at 403 Portway Ave on the waterfront, provides covered space for year-round market operations.
• Rockford GrangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinator of the annual Fill Your Pantry Market, a bulk-buying event featuring local growers from the Columbia River Gorge. Grange provides venue at Rockford for the one-day market event.
• One Community HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare provider contributing over $35,000/year from general operating funds for Veggie Rx program. Recognizes food as cornerstone of health and addresses food insecurity among patients through prescriptions for fresh produce.
• Food Security CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGorge Grown leads a coalition of 30+ organizations that meet monthly to collaborate on ensuring better health for all. Community Advisory Council includes 50% Medicaid recipients.
• Columbia Gorge Health CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinated Care Organization with Community Advisory Council that conducted hunger assessment in 2014 and prioritizes food security. Informs priorities of CCO and 30+ stakeholders.
• Rural Farmers Market NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork convening other farmers markets in the Gorge including Stevenson, The Dalles, and Trout Lake to provide support and coordination.
• Oregon Food BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 5-county Community Food Assessment (2007-2010) addressing food security, agriculture, and health in the region.
• Wy'East Resource Conservation & Development CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 5-county Community Food Assessment supporting farmland preservation and agricultural viability in the Columbia Gorge.
• Klickitat County Health DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 5-county Community Food Assessment working on food security and health initiatives.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Center for Rural Affairs: Rural community development nonprofit with food-systems and beginning-farmer programming across the rural Midwest; comparable given GGFN's rural, beginning-farmer, and food-access focus.
• Appalachian Sustainable Development: Regional nonprofit operating farmers markets, food hubs, and producer-support programs across Appalachian Virginia/Tennessee. Comparable rural, multi-county regional food-system model.
• Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming: New York-based nonprofit advancing regional food systems through farmer training, food access, and regional planning; mirrors GGFN's combined producer + food-access approach.
• Ecotrust: Pacific Northwest nonprofit working on regional food systems, forestry, and economy. Overlaps with GGFN's regional food-system development focus in the same geography.

Direct peers

• FRESHFARM: Nonprofit operating multiple farmers markets and food-access programs in the DC region with SNAP matching and producer support. Most directly comparable peer given the combined market-operator + food-assistance model.
• Wholesome Wave: National nonprofit known for pioneering SNAP produce-incentive programs and Veggie Rx; now part of Fair Food Network but historically a direct parallel to GGFN's SNAP-matching and Veggie Rx offerings.
• Local Food Hub: Virginia-based nonprofit food hub aggregating and distributing local farm products to consumers and institutions; comparable producer-support + community food-access mission.
• Fair Food Network: National nonprofit that runs Double Up Food Bucks (a SNAP-incentive program) and supports farmers markets; highly comparable because of the matching-program DNA and farm-to-consumer mission.
• Community Foodworks: DC-area nonprofit running farmers markets plus nutrition incentive and food-access programs. Closely aligned multi-market, food-access nonprofit model.

Others

• Farmers Market Coalition: National membership organization supporting farmers market operators and SNAP/EBT programs; comparable via the market-network support role GGFN plays regionally through the Rural Farmers Market Network.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HoodRiverFarmersMarket
• Instagraminstagram.com/gorgegrown
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gorge-grown-food-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Gorge Grown Food Network