Bonton Farms 2016, 2017

The Market at Bonton Farms

Bonton Farms is a non-profit organization focused on transforming impoverished urban neighborhoods through a scalable model of social enterprise and an integrated set of programs that nourish the individual.

Since launching in 2014, Bonton Farms has helped dozens of local residents and received substantial press and numerous awards for its innovative, impactful and sustainable approach.

Bonton Farms began as an urban farm providing more healthful foods to its neighbors and offering programs to provide economic advancement. In only three years, Bonton Farms has expanded to a 40-acre farm and begun distributing its products online and directly to restaurants and grocery stores. In early 2018, it will open the Market at Bonton Farms, a neighborhood center that will offer fresh produce, prepared foods and other essential items. The Market will also provide educational and health programs to improve the lives of local residents, while expanding employment opportunities.

OUR WORK: Through two investments, GroundFloor invested a total of $135k in seed funding and mentoring support focused on the sustainability of Bonton Farms through expanding their amount of farmable land and creating the new The Market at Bonton Farms. With project management expertise, mentoring focused around developing a project schedule for the construction of The Market and developing a partnership platform for its health & wellness programming. Additionally, marketing experts helped Bonton Farms with a rebranding and messaging strategy to more effectively talk about all that Bonton Farms does. Through Bonton Farms' participation in 2016's OneUp the Vote, they received an additional $43,500 for winning two weekly prizes and the grand prize for most overall votes throughout the campaign.