world farmers
World Farmers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating Flats Mentor Farm, a ~70-acre Lancaster, Massachusetts program that provides land access, training, and market connections to roughly 270-354 immigrant and refugee farmers annually, distributing ethnic specialty crops through 40+ New England farmers' markets, wholesale accounts, and a CSA program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersLancaster, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What world farmers does
World Farmers, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1984 and headquartered at 769 Main Street, Lancaster, Massachusetts. It operates Flats Mentor Farm, a land-based mentorship program on approximately 70 acres of floodplain along the Nashua River, divided into more than 300 individual farming plots. The organization provides beginning immigrant and refugee farmers (currently 270-354 active, with over 1,200 cumulative alumni since 1984) with land access, multilingual agricultural and business training (Hmong, Spanish, Swahili), and connections to wholesale and retail markets. Farmers cultivate ethnic specialty crops including gongura, African White Corn, pumpkin vines, cassava, taioba, and Asian leafy greens.
The core technology stack is utilitarian: KoBoToolbox is used for offline field data collection including plot assessment forms and photography, with export to Excel; this is supplemented by Google Forms and DataScope. World Farmers runs a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program with Full Shares at $600 and Partial Shares at $480 for 16-week seasons, distributed across four pickup locations (Lancaster HQ, Concord, Natick, Wayland), and is a Massachusetts HIP-certified vendor enabling SNAP/EBT redemption. Supplemental programs include the Mentorship Program, farmers' market placement (40+ markets across New England), wholesale partnerships with ethnic retailers (e.g., India Market in Shrewsbury), and emergency flood relief campaigns.
The revenue model is a hybrid typical of a mission-driven nonprofit: CSA subscriptions (subscription/recurring), individual donations and fundraising tiers ($10-$500+), grant funding from USDA, MDAR, and foundations (including state funding secured through bipartisan legislative efforts), and earned revenue from wholesale and retail produce sales. In 2025, federal policy shifts eliminated or compromised nearly 80% of funding, prompting a leadership transition in which Amie Avila was appointed Executive Director (effective June 15, 2025) after serving as Interim ED and previously as Director of Finance and Human Resources since 2020. The organization was designated a USDA National Model in 1999 and has served as a template for beginning farmer programs nationally.
world farmers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- world farmers
- Legal name
- World Farmers, Inc.
- Website
- https://worldfarmers.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- World Farmers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating Flats Mentor Farm, a ~70-acre Lancaster, Massachusetts program that provides land access, training, and market connections to roughly 270-354 immigrant and refugee farmers annually, distributing ethnic specialty crops through 40+ New England farmers' markets, wholesale accounts, and a CSA program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
world farmers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainable Agriculture Nonprofit Services
- NAICS
- Farm Management Services (115116), Support Activities for Crop Production (1151)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Capital Projects & Farm Expansion Advisory (Feasibility, Site Planning, ROI) (AFACAJAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Agricultural Production & Farm Operations (EDAOAOAA), Carbon, Sustainability & Farm Certification Support (Agro-Environmental Advisory) (AFACABAL)
Keywords
Where world farmers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lancaster
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
world farmers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- CSA Memberships: Community Supported Agriculture program where subscribers pay for seasonal shares of produce. Full Share priced at $600 for 16 weeks (feeding 3-4 people), Partial Share at $480 for 16 weeks (feeding 1-2 people). Accepts SNAP/EBT payments through Massachusetts Healthy Incentives Program.
- Donations and Fundraising: Organization relies heavily on donations and fundraising campaigns including disaster relief efforts (flood relief campaigns via GoFundMe). Various donation tiers available ($10-$500+).
- Grant Funding: Receives funding through partnerships with government agencies including USDA, MDAR, and various foundations. Has received state funding secured through bipartisan legislative efforts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Full Share CSA - 16 weeks, feeds 3-4 people |
| Subscription | Annual | Partial Share CSA - 16 weeks, feeds 1-2 people |
| Subscription | Monthly | SNAP/HIP Eligible CSA Shares |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
world farmers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
World Farmers runs Flats Mentor Farm, a 70-acre land-based mentorship program in Lancaster, Massachusetts, providing immigrant and refugee farmers with plot space, infrastructure, multilingual training in agricultural production, business development, and marketing, and connections to wholesale and retail markets throughout New England. The organization supplements the farm with a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscription program, a mentorship curriculum, and emergency relief initiatives for participating farmers.
Product overview
World Farmers is a non-profit organization offering a suite of programs supporting small immigrant and refugee farmers in sustainable agriculture. The core offering is the Flats Mentor Farm program, which provides land access, mentorship, and market connections. Supporting programs include Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares for direct consumer sales, training resources, and emergency flood relief initiatives. The organization connects culturally relevant produce to viable wholesale and retail markets throughout New England.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Flats Mentor Farm A land-based mentorship program on approximately 70 acres in Lancaster, Massachusetts, providing subdivided plots, infrastructure, training, and market access for immigrant and refugee farmers to start small-scale agricultural operations. Since 1984, more than 1,200 farmers have participated; today 270–354 farmers actively cultivate over 300 plots producing ethnic specialty crops.
- Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Seasonal subscription program offering weekly produce shares from Flats Mentor Farm farmers. Full Share ($600, 16 weeks, 9 seasonal items) feeds 3–4 people; Partial Share ($480, 16 weeks, 6 seasonal items) feeds 1–2 people. Shares include leafy greens, root vegetables, fruiting vegetables, herbs, and cultural crops with recipe cards. SNAP/EBT and HIP benefits accepted; World Farmers is a HIP-certified vendor.
- Mentorship Program Training and mentorship offering that provides immigrant and refugee farmers with regular instruction in agricultural production, business development, and marketing, delivered in a cross-cultural co-learning environment with multilingual support.
Quantifiable outcome
- 30% of Flats Mentor Farm graduates go on to farm their own land, with 60% being women-owned operations
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use world farmers
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
world farmers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature1 record
world farmers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Burgoyne FamilyminorGenerous arrangement resulted in World Farmers acquiring the 12-acre Burgoyne Farm in Lancaster, MA. Currently cultivating African White Corn, pumpkin vines, and mushrooms.
- Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR)corePartnership with MDAR for grant funding including the community kitchen in the Lancaster Community Center. MDAR consulted on flood recovery in 2023, identifying increased bacteria loads making certain crops dangerous to plant.
- UMass ExtensioncoreUMass Extension consulted with World Farmers following the 2023 floods to assess safety of replanting crops, particularly those normally eaten raw.
- USDAcoreUSDA identified Flats Mentor Farm as a national model in 1999. World Farmers works with USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service and Risk Management Agency on farmer support programs including crop insurance advocacy.
- Southern New England Farmers of Color CollaborativecorePartnership for collaborative advocacy and media coverage including Chronicle Channel 5 interview about winter farming.
- Somali Bantu Community Mutual Assistance AssociationminorPartner organization in Lewiston, Maine helping Somali Bantu refugees access agricultural opportunities. World Farmers highlighted their Well-Wishers campaign for irrigation system fundraising ($8,000 goal).
- Nashoba Regional High SchoolminorPartnership providing summer interns who complete plot assessments, assist in CSA deliveries, farmer outreach, media support, and farm maintenance. Lunenburg High School also assists with Taioba transplants.
- India Market (Shrewsbury)minorWholesale buyer of gongura crop from FMF farmers, along with other Indian shops in Burlington and Framingham.
- Food Solutions New England (FSNE)minorFSNE coordinates the 21-day Racial Equity Challenge. World Farmers participated and wrote reflections on immigrant justice and equity.
- Springfield Food Policy CouncilminorPartner Liz O'Gilvie, Director of Springfield Food Policy Council, helped launch the FMF Flood Relief Campaign in 2023 via GoFundMe.
- ECHO, InternationalminorDonated Cassava cuttings for FMF farmers through Propagation Manager Lydia Hoffman.
- Bigelow Nursery of NorthboroughminorProvided significant seedling donations to World Farmers for distribution to farmers.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
world farmers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cultivate Kansas City: Kansas City nonprofit supporting immigrant and refugee growers through urban farm incubators, training, and market access; comparable in mission to serve beginning farmers from immigrant communities through land and training infrastructure.
- Big River Farms / The Food Group: Minnesota-based nonprofit running a farmer incubation program for immigrant, refugee, and BIPOC farmers with CSA, farmers' market, and wholesale distribution channels closely mirroring World Farmers' multi-channel go-to-market.
- The Refugee Response - Bean Acres Farm: Cleveland-based nonprofit running a refugee farmer incubation program on leased farmland with CSA, market, and training components, structurally similar to Flats Mentor Farm in mission and operating model.
- New Entry Sustainable Farming Project: Tufts University-based incubator that provides land access, training, and market opportunities to beginning and immigrant farmers in Massachusetts. Operates a near-identical mentor-farm model in the same New England geography as World Farmers.
- Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA): California-based nonprofit operating a farmland incubator and training program for Spanish-speaking beginning farmers; shares the same land-access-plus-training-plus-market-linkage model that defines World Farmers' Flats Mentor Farm.
- Global Garden Refugee Training Farm: Chicago-area farm run by refugee farmers with training, land access, and CSA/market outlets for produce from Burmese, Bhutanese, and African refugee growers; closely parallels World Farmers' model in scale and approach.
Others
- Land For Good: New England-based nonprofit providing training, resources, and technical assistance on farmland access and tenure for beginning farmers; complementary enabling organization that strengthens the broader ecosystem in which World Farmers operates.
Regional players
- Somali Bantu Community Mutual Assistance Association: Lewiston, Maine-based partner organization of World Farmers that helps Somali Bantu refugees access agricultural opportunities; operates a similar farmer support mission in a separate geography, making it a regional rather than direct competitor.
Broad incumbents
- International Rescue Committee - New Roots: Global humanitarian organization running New Roots, a refugee agriculture program operating in multiple U.S. cities with land access, training, and market support directly comparable to World Farmers but at much broader scale.
- Catholic Charities - Refugee Agriculture Programs: Large national nonprofit that runs refugee agriculture and micro-enterprise programs in multiple states; broader and more diversified than World Farmers but overlapping in mission and target population.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
world farmers social profiles
Digital presenceworld farmers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
world farmers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
world farmers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
world farmers M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about world farmers
What does world farmers do?
World Farmers runs Flats Mentor Farm, a 70-acre land-based mentorship program in Lancaster, Massachusetts, providing immigrant and refugee farmers with plot space, infrastructure, multilingual training in agricultural production, business development, and marketing, and connections to wholesale and retail markets throughout New England. The organization supplements the farm with a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscription program, a mentorship curriculum, and emergency relief initiatives for participating farmers.
Is world farmers a public or private company?
world farmers is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was world farmers founded?
world farmers was founded in 1984.
Where is world farmers based?
world farmers is headquartered in Lancaster, United States, in the North America region.
How does world farmers make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. CSA Memberships are the primary driver. The others are donations and Fundraising and grant Funding.
Who are world farmers's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cultivate Kansas City, Big River Farms / The Food Group, The Refugee Response - Bean Acres Farm, New Entry Sustainable Farming Project, Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA) and Global Garden Refugee Training Farm. Land For Good is listed as an others. Somali Bantu Community Mutual Assistance Association is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are International Rescue Committee - New Roots and Catholic Charities - Refugee Agriculture Programs.
Does world farmers have an API?
No public API is recorded for world farmers.
What industry is world farmers in?
world farmers's product category is Sustainable Agriculture Nonprofit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFACAJAN, Capital Projects & Farm Expansion Advisory (Feasibility, Site Planning, ROI), with a secondary code of EDAOAOAA, Agricultural Production & Farm Operations. Its NAICS code is 115116 and its SIC code is 700.