Fly Fishing Collaborative

What Fly Fishing Collaborative does

Fly Fishing Collaborative (FFC) is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2013 by Bucky Buchstaber and headquartered in Tigard, Oregon. The organization's core function is building sustainable aquaponics farms in partnership with local leaders at orphanages, schools, and anti-trafficking safe homes, then handing over full ownership to the host community. Each farm converts a small footprint of land and water into a year-round supply of fresh fish and vegetables, addressing food insecurity as an upstream cause of child trafficking. As of 2025, FFC reports 14 farms across 11 countries producing approximately 100,000 lbs of fish and vegetables per year and feeding 2,500+ children annually, with a documented strategic partner relationship at ZOE International in Thailand that has extended into vocational training and frog farming.

FFC's commercial activity is structured as a nonprofit revenue model. The primary income stream is donations, anchored by the Sustainable Partnership Program, which offers tiered monthly giving at $50, $100, and $500 per month with branded merchandise perks (hat, t-shirt, custom embroidered Patagonia jacket). Secondary revenue comes from one-time donations and an e-commerce shop selling branded hats, t-shirts, and jackets. The organization has no disclosed institutional funding rounds and does not publish revenue figures. Marketing and donor acquisition are driven by a fly-fishing-community-led GTM motion: brand ambassador networks, fly fishing outfitters, guides, fly shops, and major industry partners (Simms, Patagonia, Orvis, Korkers, NRS, Belize River Lodge, Fly Fusion Magazine) plus email newsletter and the founder's Instagram presence.

Operationally, FFC runs on a lean team of 1-10 employees with named functional directors in aquaponic farm operations, operations, and marketing/creative, alongside a Board of Directors chaired by Drake Van Zante. Technology consists of a proprietary sustainable aquaponics farming methodology tuned for orphanage and school deployment in developing regions; there is no AI/ML, software platform, or app component in the current offering. Distribution of impact occurs through direct field partnerships with NGOs, while distribution of the mission runs through the website, e-commerce store, newsletter, and the ambassador ecosystem.

Name

Fly Fishing Collaborative

Legal name

Fly Fishing Collaborative

Website

https://flyfishingcollaborative.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fly Fishing Collaborative is a nonprofit that builds sustainable aquaponics farms in partnership with local communities across 11 countries, addressing food insecurity as a root cause of child trafficking and feeding over 2,500 children annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Humanitarian Services

NAICS

Aquaculture (1125), Finfish Farming and Fish Hatcheries (112511)

akta.pro primary industry

Aquaponics (Integrated Fish & Plant Production) (AFAEAAAI)

Keywords

• Aquaponics farming systems
• Nonprofit anti-trafficking
• Sustainable food security
• Human trafficking prevention
• Orphanage support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Monthly Giving: Recurring monthly donations through Sustainable Partnership Program with tiered perks ($50-$500/month). One-time donations also accepted. Registered 501(c)(3) organization making all giving tax-deductible.
2. Merchandise Sales: E-commerce shop selling FFC branded merchandise including hats, t-shirts, and embroidered jackets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Fly Fishing Collaborative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that builds sustainable aquaponics farms in partnership with local leaders for orphanages, schools, and anti-trafficking organizations, then transfers full ownership to the local community. The aquaponics systems convert a small footprint of land and water into a year-round source of fresh fish and vegetables to address food insecurity, a root cause of human trafficking. The organization also runs the Sustainable Partnership Program, a tiered monthly donor subscription ($50, $100, and $500 per month) that funds farm construction, along with a branded merchandise e-commerce shop.

Product overview

Fly Fishing Collaborative operates as a non-profit organization offering aquaponics farm construction services and a Sustainable Partnership Program for monthly donors. The core offering consists of building sustainable aquaponics farms in partnership with local communities (particularly orphanages and schools) to combat food insecurity and prevent human trafficking. The farms are built alongside local leaders and then handed over for full local ownership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aquaponics Farms
• Sustainable Partnership Program
• FFC Branded Merchandise

Quantifiable outcome

• 14 farms built across 11 countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ZOE InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFFC collaborated with ZOE International to build an aquaponics farm at one of their off-grid safe homes in Thailand. This farm provides rescued children with fresh food, hands-on training, and a path toward long-term independence. ZOE International is now incorporating fish farming into their vocational school program to teach children how to run and develop their own fish farms.
• Adventure Sun ValleyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFly fishing outfitter partner in the FFC network that supports the organization financially and through volunteer labor.
• Teton Valley LodgeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFly fishing lodge partner that provides financial support and volunteer labor to FFC's mission.
• Little Creek OutfittersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFly fishing outfitter partner providing financial support and volunteer labor to support FFC's mission.
• Simms AmbassadorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSimms brand ambassadors who support FFC as part of their partnership network, providing financial contributions and volunteer labor.
• Patagonia AmbassadorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPatagonia brand ambassadors who support FFC through the partnership network, providing financial support and volunteer labor.
• Fly Shops NetworkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHundreds of fly shops across the fly fishing community that support FFC through financial contributions and volunteer labor.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Casting for Recovery: National nonprofit that runs fly fishing retreat programs for women with breast cancer. Closely comparable in that it mobilizes the fly fishing community around a mission-driven, programmatic nonprofit model with a small staff.
• Reel Recovery: Nonprofit combining fly fishing retreats with supportive services for men recovering from cancer. Similar in using fly fishing as a programmatic vehicle for a social mission, with comparable donor base and small organizational scale.
• Agros International: Nonprofit that supports rural agricultural communities in Latin America to break the cycle of poverty. Comparable in agricultural intervention for vulnerable populations in developing countries with a build-and-transfer orientation.
• SweetWater Organics: Aquaponics-focused operator combining fish and plant production. Comparable in core aquaponics technology and methodology, though commercially oriented rather than mission-driven like FFC.
• Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing: Nonprofit that uses fly fishing as a therapeutic and rehabilitative activity for disabled veterans. Comparable fly-fishing-led nonprofit model with volunteer-driven community programming and small operational staff.

Broad incumbents

• Polaris Project: Major anti-trafficking nonprofit operating the US National Human Trafficking Hotline and systemic intervention programs. Comparable in anti-trafficking mission but operates at much larger scale and with policy/systemic focus rather than farm-based prevention.
• Heifer International: Large international nonprofit providing livestock and aquaculture inputs to smallholder farmers for food security and poverty alleviation. Comparable in food-security mission and international farm-deployment model, but with much broader scope and institutional funding.
• International Justice Mission: Large anti-trafficking and modern-slavery organization operating internationally with rescue, restoration, and prosecution programs. Comparable in anti-trafficking mission and global operational footprint, but vastly larger and focused on legal/justice interventions rather than food security.
• Trout Unlimited: Largest US coldwater conservation nonprofit with deep fly fishing community ties. Operates in a broader conservation mandate rather than anti-trafficking, but overlaps significantly in fly fishing donor universe and brand ambassador partnerships.

Emerging players

• Not For Sale: Anti-trafficking nonprofit that builds social enterprises for survivors and at-risk communities. Comparable in anti-trafficking mission and social-enterprise deployment, though primarily focused on human trafficking rather than food security.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/bucky_buchstaber
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fly-fishing-collaborative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Fly Fishing Collaborative