One-pager · Universal first ask
Groundworks. The Culture in Agriculture.
A community food culture space — café, farm stand, and education center — planned for the Monterey Peninsula. A single door where local produce, prepared food, and cultural programming meet.
Problem
Salinas and Pajaro Valley grow food for the world, yet the Monterey Peninsula lacks a durable, everyday place that connects local farms to local eaters — with CalFresh access, honest farmer pricing, and programming that treats food as culture.
Three pillars
The Café
The revenue anchor.
A light-but-real, counter-service café with a seasonal, farm-sourced menu people want to eat often. The daily gathering point.
The Farm Stand & Marketplace
The front door.
Curated produce and value-added goods from Salinas and Pajaro Valley farms. CalFresh / EBT accepted from day one.
The Education Center
The reason to stay.
Workshops, film nights, guest talks, cooking demos, youth programming, and the Groundworks Bookshelf. Programming owned and curated by Groundworks.
Key facts
- Legal entity
- Groundworks Monterey Bay · 501(c)(3) in formation
- Service area
- Monterey & Santa Cruz County
- Site target
- Seaside or Marina
- Facility size
- 1,500 – 2,500 sq ft
- Startup capital
- $150K – $250K
- Year-1 revenue (est.)
- ~$295K – $360K
- Target opening
- Late 2028 / Early 2029
- Founder
- Drew Keske
The ask · three lines
- 01Money — commitments toward the $150K–$250K to open. Founder's Table starts at $25.
- 02Warm intros — Legal / Land Use, Nonprofit Finance, or a Philanthropic Connector for board Priority-1 seats.
- 03A fiscal sponsor that can hold funds during the 501(c)(3) determination window.
Contact
hello@groundworksmb.org
groundworksmb.org — 501(c)(3) in formation
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