What dalby farm does

Dalby Farm is a family-owned educational farm established circa 1860 in Scituate, Massachusetts, dedicated to preserving endangered and critically populated heritage breeds of farm animals through public education and direct animal care. The company operates a dual-revenue model comprising (1) on-site educational and recreational programs — including Family Animal Encounters, Toddler Enrichment, Summer Learning Programs (K-9th grade), Birthday Parties, School Tours, Homeschool offerings, Crochet Classes, Fitness on the Farm, and a newer Animal Advocate Foundations 'Learn & Earn' pathway — and (2) a Country Store (online and on-site) selling all-natural pantry goods, goat milk soaps and lotions, gift packs, Christmas decor, eco-friendly merchandise, and digital crochet pattern downloads under the Little Dalby Crochet sub-brand. A third donation stream comes from individual animal sponsorships ($25-$250) with personalized certificates and video updates.

The business runs on a direct-to-consumer, appointment-only model with farm visits at 59 Grove Street, Scituate, MA. Pricing is per-transaction across programs ($30-$275), store SKUs (single-digit to roughly $70 per item), and digital downloads ($2.25-$3.25), supported by gift certificates and US-wide USPS shipping with local pickup for South Shore MA customers. Marketing is conducted primarily through the company's own website, an email newsletter, and organic Facebook/Instagram/YouTube channels, with no disclosed paid acquisition, no external equity investment, and no proprietary technology platform beyond a Squarespace-based e-commerce site. Operations are family-staffed, with daily animal care performed almost entirely by family members and seasonal support added as programs scale.

Name

dalby farm

Legal name

Dalby Farm

Website

https://dalbyfarm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1860

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Dalby Farm is a 165-year-old family-owned educational farm in Scituate, MA that preserves endangered heritage breed animals through on-site programs (toddler enrichment, summer learning, birthday parties, school tours) and an online country store selling pantry goods, goat milk soaps, gift packs, digital crochet patterns, and animal sponsorships to local families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Scituate

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Country Store Sales: Online and on-site country store selling all-natural preserves, pantry items, goat milk soaps, lotions, candles, and gift items for people and pets. Helps fund farm operations and animal care.
2. Educational Programs: Fees from structured programs including toddler enrichment, summer learning programs, farm animal caregiver programs, birthday parties, school tours, and homeschool offerings. Programs range from $30 to $275.
3. Animal Sponsorships: Monetary gifts allowing supporters to contribute to specific animal care (food, hay, vet care). Sponsors receive certificate of appreciation and custom animal thank you video updates.
4. Digital Products: Crochet pattern digital downloads inspired by farm animals, priced at $2.25-$3.25 per pattern.
5. Gift Experiences: Gift certificates and experience bookings that can be applied toward visits, toddler enrichment, and special events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Dalby Farm operates a family-owned educational farm dedicated to preserving endangered heritage breeds of farm animals, offering structured on-site programs such as Family Animal Encounters, Toddler Enrichment, Summer Learning Programs, Birthday Parties, School Tours, and Homeschool Programs. It also runs a Country Store selling all-natural preserves, goat milk soaps, lotions, candles, gift packs, seasonal Christmas decor, and digital crochet pattern downloads, with animal sponsorship donations funding animal upkeep.

Product overview

Dalby Farm is a 165-year-old family-owned educational farm in Scituate, MA focused on preserving endangered heritage breed animals. The company operates a dual business model: (1) Educational farm experiences including Family Animal Encounters, Toddler Enrichment Programs (Summer Fun in the Sun, Autumn Animals & Adventure, Wander & Stroll), Summer Learning Programs (Exploring Farm Animals, Farm Animal Caregiver), Birthday Parties, Homeschool Programs, School Tours, Animal Advocate Foundations, and Fitness on the Farm; and (2) A Country Store offering e-commerce and onsite sales of goat milk soaps, preserves, gift packs, Christmas decorations, crochet patterns, and animal sponsorship opportunities. The programs fund the farm's mission of animal preservation and community education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Little Dalby Crochet: Crochet pattern digital downloads and tutorials inspired by the animals at Dalby Farm
• Dalby Merch

Products and services

• Family Animal Encounters Self-guided, semi-private 45-minute farm tours where families and small groups can see, learn about, and feed endangered rare breed animals. Designed for families and small groups of up to 6 people.
• Toddler Enrichment Programs Weekly structured programs for toddlers featuring farm activities such as collecting eggs, feeding animals, crafts, and seasonal themes. Multi-week sessions and drop-in options available.
• Summer Learning Programs Interactive summer programs for school-age children combining hands-on farm activities with animal care and education. Includes grade-specific tracks for K-5 and 6-9.
• Birthday Parties Full-service farm birthday party hosting including themed scavenger hunts, animal encounters, and party coordination.
• Country Store Online and on-site retail store offering all-natural preserves, goat milk soaps and lotions, pantry items, candles, gift packs, seasonal Christmas decor, and related gift items, with proceeds supporting farm operations.
• Animal Sponsorship Program Donation-based sponsorship program enabling supporters to fund specific animal care (food, hay, vet care) for goats, chickens, sheep, and barn birds. Sponsors receive certificates and personalized video updates.
• Homeschool Programs DIY Farm Classroom drop-in sessions for homeschool groups providing a customizable learning venue with farm educator access and participation in daily farm activities.
• School Tours Educational field trip programs for school groups featuring guided farm tours and age-appropriate animal education activities.
• Little Dalby Crochet Pattern Downloads Digital download crochet patterns and tutorials inspired by Dalby Farm animals, including amigurumi toys and loveys.
• Animal Advocate Foundations: Intro to Learn & Earn Animal advocacy program for children ages 8-12 introducing animal care, presence and safety around animals, and advocacy basics through weekly 1-hour sessions over 4-8 weeks.
• Crochet Classes for Kids Children's crochet instruction classes held on-site at the farm.
• Gift Certificates / Gifted Visits Redeemable gift certificates and gifted visit experiences that can be applied toward toddler enrichment, family visits, and special events.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SHD MarketingminorOthersWebsite design partner credited for the company website design and development.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Shelburne Farms: A nonprofit historic farm estate in Shelburne, VT that combines sustainable agriculture with education programs and public events. Directly comparable to Dalby Farm as a heritage-scale educational farm offering school tours, family programs, and on-site experiences.
• Appleton Farms: One of the oldest continuously operating farms in the US, located in Ipswich, MA and managed by The Trustees of Reservations. Comparable as a regional heritage farm offering educational programs, CSA, events, and family visits in Massachusetts.
• Weir River Farm: A Trustees-managed working farm in Hingham, MA on the South Shore offering CSA, educational programs, and farm visits. Highly comparable due to geographic proximity, family/youth programming, and similar educational-farm positioning in the same Massachusetts market.
• Natick Community Organic Farm: A nonprofit educational organic farm in Natick, MA offering school visits, summer programs, and volunteer engagement. Comparable as a Massachusetts educational farm running children's programs and animal husbandry with a conservation mission.

Broad incumbents

• Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture: A nonprofit farm and education center in Pocantico Hills, NY focused on sustainable agriculture and food education. Comparable as a much larger-scale educational farm brand with programs, on-site dining, and visitor experiences, but operates at significantly greater scale than Dalby.
• Wolfe's Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment: A nonprofit regenerative farm in Freeport, ME offering farm camps, school programs, and visitor experiences. Comparable mission and program model but at larger institutional scale than the family-run Dalby.

Others

• Newman's Own Farm (Connecticut): While primarily a food brand, Newman's Own Foundation supports educational farm initiatives. Included as an adjacent thematically related organization sharing the family-owned mission-driven consumer brand model rather than as a direct operational competitor.
• The Livestock Conservancy: A national nonprofit focused specifically on heritage and rare breed conservation. Comparable as a mission-aligned ecosystem participant — Dalby Farm's heritage-breed preservation work is a downstream manifestation of the same conservation framework the Conservancy promotes.
• Diana K Fitness: A fitness instructor partnering with Dalby Farm to host 'Fitness on the Farm' classes. Listed as an enabling ecosystem partner illustrating the kind of adjacent lifestyle partnership Dalby Farm uses to monetize its setting without building the capability itself.

Regional players

• Parry Farm / Heritage Breed Conservation Farms: A representative class of small New England heritage-breed preservation farms and petting zoos that compete for the same family visit market. Listed as a category-level peer because specific named comparators vary; these farms compete for the same seasonal program and family-visit dollars in adjacent geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/dalbyfarm
• Instagraminstagram.com/dalbyfarm
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxQpGJoB2kFIMjjE1rZ6QKg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dalby-farm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 dalby farm