01 · Cover
Groundworks.
The culture in agriculture.
02 · The paradox
Working farms and growing towns still lack one shared front door.
The corridor grows food, but growers and residents still need a dependable public place to meet. Groundworks is one building designed to close that gap.
03 · What it is
A café, a farm stand, an education room.
Under one roof. Under one calendar. Operated by a 501(c)(3) so earned revenue pays for mission programming.
04 · The café
The revenue anchor.
Counter-service. Seasonal menu. The daily gathering point that pays the rent.
05 · The farm stand
The front door.
Curated produce and value-added goods from corridor growers. SNAP / EBT acceptance is part of the proposed model and must be confirmed before opening.
06 · Education
The reason to stay.
Workshops, film nights, cooking demos, youth programming, the Groundworks Bookshelf — owned and curated by Groundworks.
07 · The market
A corridor market to validate.
McMinnville is the proposed public anchor for a corridor that needs a dependable place where local produce, prepared food, and learning meet.
08 · The site
1,500 – 2,500 sq ft. McMinnville.
Ground floor, lease. Loading access for produce. Street presence for walk-in.
09 · The big number
Startup capital. That's the threshold. The Founder's Table is the first cohort closing that gap.
10 · Year 1 revenue
Across conservative, baseline, and optimistic scenarios. Contribution margin 62–66%.
11 · Coverage
Of fixed operating costs covered by earned revenue in Year 1. The remainder is the philanthropic gap.
12 · What we're not
Not a food bank. Not a farmer's market. Not a community room.
Existing markets, food-assistance organizations, and gathering spaces do important work. Groundworks is designed as a daily complement — not a replacement.
13 · Team
Founder-led. Board recruited from food, finance, education, and agriculture.
Phased hiring through pre-opening. Clear governance scope from day one.
14 · Timeline
2026 form. 2027 site. 2028 build. Open late 2028 / early 2029.
15 · Risk
Build-out cost, café ramp, founder bandwidth.
All three modeled. Fixed-bid GC, conservative Year 1, phased hiring, board handoff plan.
16 · The long view
A second site. A teaching kitchen. A grant program for valley growers.
Phase 2 begins when Phase 1 is boring.
17 · The ask
Introductions. A seat at the table. Time.
Capital, yes — and operators, designers, and food professionals who already live this.
18 · Close
Groundworks opens because the people next to it decided it should.
hello@groundworksmb.org