Once Upon a Farm

Once Upon a Farm

Once Upon a Farm launched in 2015 when actress Jennifer Garner partnered with John Foraker, the former CEO of Annie's, and Cassandra Curtis, the company's original founder. The trio built the brand on a cold-pressure technology that preserves nutrients in baby food without heat pasteurization. From a direct-to-consumer start, the company quickly moved into mass retail, securing shelf space at Target and Whole Foods within its first two years. The product portfolio spans organic baby food pouches, dairy-free smoothies, plant-based kids' meals, and oat bars — covering infant, toddler, and big-kid stages. The company uses a patented cold-pressure process to lock in freshness. Co-packing partnerships with regional growers anchor an organic supply chain that sources fruits and vegetables from farms in the Pacific Northwest, California, and the Midwest. Once Upon a Farm blends a retail model with a recurring subscription business called 'Farm to Highchair,' which generates predictable recurring revenue. In 2017, CAVU Venture Partners, co-founded by Rohan Oza and Brett Thomas, led a Series B round that brought celebrity investors including Jimmy Kimmel and Kristen Bell into the cap table. Since its founding, the company has added plant-rich, refrigerated lines for school-age children and expanded into national distribution at Walmart, Kroger, and Publix. In November 2021, the company raised a $52 million Series D round valuing it above $300 million, with CAVU again leading the round alongside new investors including 301 INC, General Mills' venture arm. The same year, Once Upon a Farm appointed its first chief innovation officer from within its founding team and deepened a partnership with Save the Children that donates millions of meals to food-insecure communities across rural America. The company operates from a headquarters in Berkeley, California. Once Upon a Farm's structure as a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) sets it apart from conventional CPG brands. The PBC designation legally obligates the company to balance profit with its stated mission: providing organic nutrition to children regardless of economic circumstance. This governance choice allows the leadership team to reject distribution partnerships or ingredient compromises that would conflict with that charter — a feature Garner and Foraker have publicly cited as non-negotiable when fielding acquisition interest from legacy food conglomerates.