GROW FOOD NORTHAMPTON INC
Nourishing our community and the earth.
GROW FOOD NORTHAMPTON INC
EIN: 01-0959428
as of September 2023
as of September 18, 2023
Mission
Grow Food Northampton’s mission is to create a just and resilient local food system that nourishes our community and protects and enriches the earth.
Ruling year
2010
Executive Director
Alisa Klein
Main address
221 Pine St. Suite 349
Florence, MA 01062 USA
EIN
01-0959428
Climate change
Outdoor education
Agriculture
Food security
Environmental and resource rights
Population served
Children and youth
Older adults
Seniors
Ethnic and racial groups
Economically disadvantaged people
NTEE code
Agricultural Programs (K20)
Farmland Preservation (K25)
Food Service, Free Food Distribution Programs (K30)
IRS subsection
501(c)(3) Public Charity
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Tax forms
Communication
Programs and results
Reports and documents
Download annual reports Download other documentsWhat we aim to solve
Do you remember the empty grocery store shelves at the height of the pandemic? COVID provided crystal clear evidence that our conventional food system is broken. Industrial agriculture dominates while small local farms struggle. Poor and BIPOC communities can’t get healthy affordable food. A system that transports food across the world is not only destroying the environment, it breaks down in a crisis. Nearly 3,000 Northampton residents can’t access the quantity and quality of food that they want. In collaboration with emergency food partners, food insecure residents, and community organizations, we lead programs that provide access to locally grown, fresh fruits and vegetables where people live, work, and visit. And beyond transportation and financial barriers, we work to understand and address deeper barriers that prevent people from eating healthy.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Grow Food Northampton Organic Community Garden
We own and operate a 330-plot organic Community Garden on our Community Farm. Utilized by over 400 community members, the Community Garden allows gardeners to grow food for themselves, their families, and their neighbors. Garden plots are made available on a sliding feel scale offered as part of our Equitable Access Policy to ensure that all community members have access to land to grow food, particularly those from communities that have been marginalized and harmed by the conventional food system.
Community Education
We offer food system education to learners of all ages, including farm- and school-based gardening, farming, cooking, nutrition, composting, and food system education for kids of all ages, abilities, backgrounds, sexualities, and gender identities. Kids and adults come to Grow Food Northampton's Community Farm to learn about the cultural origins of food, Indigenous foodways, the Indigenous and Abolitionist history of our farmland, how to grow food, and how to participate in the local food system.
Food Access for Low-Income, Disabled, and Senior Residents
Grow Food Northampton operates several programs that provide food and land access for community members experiencing food insecurity. We also provide land and resources for gardening and farming to low-income individuals, families, and farmers who have historically and traditionally been excluded from land access. Food access programs include: SNAP Matching at our Tuesday Market; subsidies for Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares; Free Mobile Farmers Markets, subsidies for no- or low-cost Community Garden plots; and farm parcels. The Food Access Advisory Committee (FAAC), a leadership body made up of people with lived experience of food insecurity, leads and informs this work.
Tuesday Market and Winter Market Farmers Markets
Grow Food Northampton owns and operates vibrant year-round downtown farmers markets: Winter Market throughout the winter, and Tuesday Market in the spring, summer, and fall. Over 30 local farms and craft vendors sell produce, value-added farm products, and crafts directly to customers generating over half a million dollars in sales. Grow Food Northampton conducts a SNAP Match program for low-income customers to more than double their purchasing power of local farm products. The farmers markets serve as a weekly food hub of food system activity and community-building with music, games, and food-centered activities.
Free Mobile Farmers Markets
Grow Food Northampton's Free Mobile Farmers Market program purchases fresh produce and other products from local farms to deliver for free to community members experiencing food insecurity. Fresh farm foods are distributed to six subsidized housing communities throughout the winter, and 16 housing communities in the spring, summer, and fall. Guided by Grow Food Northampton's Food Access Advisory Committee, comprised of community members grappling with food insecurity, the Mobile Markets also provide a wide range of food-related activities in English and Spanish, including recipe distribution, cooking videos, food preparation demos, and other community-building activities focused multi-culturally on holidays, celebrations, and food.
Grow Food Northampton Community Farm
Grow Food Northampton owns and stewards the 121-acre organic Grow Food Northampton Community Farm where we:
• Lease low- and no-cost farmland to 10 small farms (including four farms owned and operated by Farmers of Color, including a collective of 20 Somali Bantu refugee families);
• Run a 330-plot Organic Community Garden for over 400 community members, more than 35% of whom receive subsidized or no-cost plots to grow food for themselves, their families, and their neighbors;
• Operate a Giving Garden that grows thousands of pounds of food annually for donation to local food pantries and community meal sites;
• Grow scores of edible plants and trees for community foraging;
• Conduct collaborative research projects with academics and others on climate resilience-enhancing agricultural practices; and
• Provide extensive land- and food-based educational programming for children and adults.
Where we work
Awards
Best of the Valley - Farmers Market 2022
Valley Advocate
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of farmers who sold to an organization as a result of the nonprofit's efforts
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Referring to our farmer lessees, who sell their products locally to various vendors.
Acres of farmland protected
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
We own a 121-acre Community Farm
Area of land, in hectares, directly controlled by the organization and under sustainable cultivation or sustainable stewardship
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
We own a 121-acre Community Farm
Number of people within the organization's service area accessing food aid
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Food Access for Low-Income, Disabled, and Senior Residents
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of groups/individuals benefiting from tools/resources/education materials provided
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Community Education
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Our vision is equitable land and food access for all.
Our values are:
- Community Power
- Environmental Stewardship
- Social, Economic and Racial Justice
Goals and Strategies
We will create a just and resilient local food system by:
- Shifting power to those most affected by food insecurity and helping to actualize the power of members of our community.
- Increasing collaboration with partners throughout the community.
- Growing a culture of care within our organization and community.
- Strengthening our organization financially to continue to nourish our community and protect and enrich the earth.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The core components of our work are:
1. Land Access and Stewardship
We provide ethical stewardship of and equitable access to farmland so that people can grow food for themselves and our community.
2. Food Access
We partner with community members, farms, and organizations to increase access to locally and sustainably grown food.
3. Education
We facilitate opportunities for community members to exchange knowledge about sustainable gardening and farming, preparing and eating nutritious foods, and creating a just local food system.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The Community Farm is the backbone of our organization and where it all began. Thanks to a
collaborative preservation effort of the Trust for Public Land and the City of Northampton, two
farms previously known as the Bean and Allard farms were restricted from development. In
2010, the Trust for Public Land purchased both farms, a total of 180 acres for $2.5 million, then
sold 60 of these acres to the City of Northampton to establish a recreational complex and a river
greenway. On the remaining 121 acres of land, the City and the Massachusetts Department of
Agricultural Resources purchased an Agricultural Preservation Restriction to ensure forever-protected farmland.
Through enormous community organizing efforts, citizens of Northampton came together to
purchase this farmland and form what is now the non-profit organization, Grow Food
Northampton. In only six months in 2010, we raised over $670,000 to buy all 121 acres of land.
In 2011, Grow Food Northampton purchased the Agricultural Preservation Restriction farmland
from the Trust for Public Land and the Grow Food Northampton Community Farm was born.
Over its first decade, Grow Food Northampton first focused on securing the land and legal
agreements, establishing uses, recruiting users, and creating agreements with tenant farmers.
We developed successful educational programming and built and managed what is now known
as the Grow Food Northampton Organic Community Garden. In more recent years, we created
and manage the Giving Garden, purchased the Tuesday Market, and focused on programming
along with community outreach, financial stability, and organizational development among our
many accomplishments. During this period, we established a reputation as a solid, progressive
organization and valued community partner. Staffing and programs also grew considerably over
the last decade.
In 2020, our organization experienced a leadership transition and shortly after, was confronted
with the challenges of the COVID pandemic. Despite the challenges, we were able to pivot
existing programs and create a new program, the Community Food Distribution Project, in
response to food insecurity associated with the pandemic. The community responded to our
leadership with increased donations and funding.
With a strong reputation and established impact in the community, we have a solid foundation on
which to build the future of our organization.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In 2021, Grow Food Northampton continue to grow and adapt its programs to build a just local food system.
We accomplished the following benchmarks that year:
Food Access
- 300,000 lbs. of farm products purchased from 27 local farms
- 2,100 individuals and 800 families at 14 subsidized housing communities received regular deliveries of free fresh local farm foods
- 7,000 lbs. of Giving Garden-grown produce donated to our 4 community partners
- $123,500 of SNAP and HIP benefits spent at our farmers markets, supporting 30 local farmers and vendors
Land Access & Stewardship
- 121 acres of land stewarded and protected for agricultural use
- 10 farmer lessees, including farmers of color, and farmers from groups historically disadvantaged by the conventional food system.
- 375 community gardeners, including 58 subsidized garden plots for those experiencing economic hardship
Education
- 1,080 students reached in all of Northampton's public elementary schools
- 54 in-school workshops, 32 virtual workshops
- 12 youth workshops on the Community Farm and in subsidized housing communities, and 9 all-age workshops on the Community Farm
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals, To shape, design, lead, and implement all of our programs
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2022 info
1.86
Months of cash in 2022 info
6.2
Fringe rate in 2022 info
13%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Financial data
GROW FOOD NORTHAMPTON INC
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.
Fiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
This snapshot of GROW FOOD NORTHAMPTON INC’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.
Created in partnership with
Business model indicators
| Profitability info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | $31,322 | -$49,805 | $54,933 | $171,485 | $75,835 |
| As % of expenses | 9.9% | -14.7% | 11.1% | 27.3% | 9.9% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | $10,314 | -$66,452 | $42,857 | $148,332 | $45,645 |
| As % of expenses | 3.1% | -18.7% | 8.5% | 22.8% | 5.8% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $319,905 | $321,960 | $791,166 | $748,534 | $733,614 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | 19.4% | 0.6% | 145.7% | -5.4% | -2.0% |
| Program services revenue | 22.5% | 18.5% | 4.8% | 13.5% | 19.7% |
| Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Investment income | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Government grants | 22.4% | 16.0% | 10.9% | 39.0% | 19.8% |
| All other grants and contributions | 55.2% | 65.5% | 79.9% | 47.5% | 60.5% |
| Other revenue | 0.0% | 0.0% | 4.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $316,909 | $338,644 | $494,594 | $628,244 | $763,231 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | 24.8% | 6.9% | 46.1% | 27.0% | 21.5% |
| Personnel | 47.7% | 55.3% | 57.1% | 53.6% | 54.9% |
| Professional fees | 11.8% | 11.8% | 7.4% | 7.5% | 8.8% |
| Occupancy | 5.7% | 6.0% | 3.2% | 2.9% | 3.3% |
| Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pass-through | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| All other expenses | 34.8% | 27.0% | 32.3% | 35.9% | 33.0% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $337,917 | $355,291 | $506,670 | $651,397 | $793,421 |
| One month of savings | $26,409 | $28,220 | $41,216 | $52,354 | $63,603 |
| Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed asset additions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $89,709 | $37,930 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $364,326 | $383,511 | $547,886 | $793,460 | $894,954 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 6.5 | 4.2 | 10.0 | 9.4 | 6.2 |
| Months of cash and investments | 6.5 | 4.2 | 10.0 | 9.4 | 6.2 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 1.4 | -0.6 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 2.4 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $172,162 | $118,658 | $411,845 | $493,587 | $397,109 |
| Investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Receivables | $26,383 | $59,460 | $80,681 | $38,348 | $76,448 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $724,061 | $729,409 | $735,141 | $815,355 | $853,285 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 10.5% | 12.7% | 14.2% | 14.5% | 17.4% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 14.6% | 15.3% | 13.4% | 12.8% | 17.5% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $685,208 | $618,756 | $661,613 | $809,945 | $855,590 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | $45,375 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $45,375 | $78,496 | $320,135 | $268,938 | $163,486 |
| Total net assets | $730,583 | $697,252 | $981,748 | $1,078,883 | $1,019,076 |
Key data checks
| Key data checks info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material data errors | No | No | No | No | No |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Executive Director
Alisa Klein
Helming Grow Food Northampton allows Alisa to bring her extensive background in program management, policy analysis and advocacy, and fundraising to work that is near and dear to her heart – food justice and environmental sustainability. Prior to joining the organization, Alisa served as the Director of NEARI Press, a specialty publishing house and training center, and was the principal in her own consulting firm specializing in organizational development, public health prevention of interpersonal violence, international conflict resolution, and social justice advocacy. Alisa also served as Officer for Partnerships at Proteus Fund, and as the Director of Public Policy for a national organization working to end sexual violence. Alisa is a long-time activist and community organizer working on issues as diverse, yet interconnected, as the climate emergency, and ending the carceral continuum. Between 2014 and 2020, Alisa served as a Northampton, MA city councilor.
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
GROW FOOD NORTHAMPTON INC
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
GROW FOOD NORTHAMPTON INC
Board of directorsas of 08/23/2023
Board of directors data
Caitlin Marquis
Donna Wiley
Cynthia Suopis
Mary Bates
Diego Irizarry- Gerould
Kia Aoki
Michael Quinlan
Rebecca Busansky
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 08/22/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
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