When Jennifer Garner stood on the balcony of the New York Stock Exchange on February 6, 2026 and rang the opening bell, it was not just a Hollywood moment — it was the culmination of nearly a decade of building one of the most beloved organic children’s food brands in America. But Garner is not the only owner of Once Upon a Farm, and the real story behind this company is far more interesting than any celebrity headline would suggest.
Once Upon a Farm and SyberJet
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What Is Once Upon a Farm?
Once Upon a Farm is an organic baby food and children’s snack brand headquartered in Berkeley, California. The company makes refrigerated, cold-pressed, and organic food pouches designed for babies, toddlers, and kids — with a mission focused on improving childhood nutrition at scale.
The brand is sold at approximately 25,000 stores across the United States, including Target, Whole Foods, Walmart, Kroger, Publix, and Wegmans. It reported $225 million in annual revenue for the year ending September 2025 — up over 40% from the prior year — representing a compound annual growth rate of more than 60% since 2018.
Who Owns Once Upon a Farm in 2026?
Once Upon a Farm went public on the New York Stock Exchange on February 6, 2026, trading under the ticker symbol OFRM at $18 per share, giving the company a valuation of $724 million. The IPO raised $198 million and the stock jumped nearly 40% on its first day of trading, closing at over $25 per share.
Since the company is now publicly traded, it is owned by its public shareholders. But the three most important names in the ownership story are its three co-founders: Cassandra Curtis (original founder), Jennifer Garner (co-founder and Chief Brand Officer), and John Foraker (co-founder and CEO). Jennifer Garner is the single largest individual shareholder in Once Upon a Farm, holding a 7% stake worth approximately $55–60 million as of 2026.
Ownership and Key Stakeholders Table
| Owner / Shareholder | Role | Stake / Position | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jennifer Garner | Co-Founder & Chief Brand Officer | 7% stake (~$55–60M value) | Largest individual shareholder; joined 2017; named to Forbes 50 Over 50 in 2026 |
| Cassandra Curtis | Original Founder & Co-Founder | Significant founding stake | Founded Once Upon a Farm in 2015; rang NYSE opening bell Feb 6, 2026 |
| John Foraker | Co-Founder & CEO | Significant founding stake | Former CEO of Annie’s (sold to General Mills); joined as angel investor first |
| CAVU Venture Partners | Lead Venture Capital Investor | Undisclosed institutional stake | Led the $20 million Series B in 2018; food-focused VC firm |
| S2G Ventures | Institutional Investor | Undisclosed stake | Sustainable food systems investor; key early backer |
| Goldman Sachs & JPMorgan | IPO Lead Underwriters | No equity; fee-based | Managed the February 2026 IPO bookrunning |
| Public Shareholders (NYSE: OFRM) | Retail & Institutional | Remaining post-IPO shares | Anyone can buy OFRM on the New York Stock Exchange |
The Origin Story: A Mom, a Mission, and a Refrigerated Pouch
Once Upon a Farm was originally founded by Cassandra Curtis and Ari Raz in 2015 in Berkeley, California. Curtis had a simple but powerful idea: give parents a better option than shelf-stable, ultra-processed baby food. She wanted to create refrigerated, cold-pressed organic food pouches that actually tasted like real food — because they were made from real food.
The early product was straightforward: fresh, organic ingredients, cold-pressed to preserve nutrients, sold in the refrigerated aisle rather than on a shelf with a two-year shelf life. It was a completely different approach to baby food — and parents responded immediately. The company grew quickly through farmer’s markets, local health food stores, and early e-commerce before catching the attention of a much bigger name.
How Jennifer Garner Became a Co-Founder
Jennifer Garner joined Once Upon a Farm in 2017 as its Chief Brand Officer — and the company’s trajectory changed completely from that moment.
Garner was given a co-founder title and a seven percent stake in the business when she joined. Her involvement was never a typical celebrity endorsement deal. She attended strategy meetings, traveled on the sales roadshow before the IPO, helped develop products, and even sourced some ingredients from her family farm in Oklahoma. Her three children with Ben Affleck were part of the inspiration — and the taste testing.
When Garner and Foraker joined, the company was still tiny. By the time they rang the NYSE opening bell together in February 2026, annual revenue had grown from near zero to $225 million — a 60%+ compound annual growth rate over eight years. That number is the clearest evidence that Garner’s brand power and Foraker’s operational expertise combined to create something genuinely exceptional.
John Foraker: The CEO Who Scaled It All
John Foraker is the strategic and operational engine behind Once Upon a Farm’s growth. He was actually the company’s first outside backer — investing as an angel investor before formally joining as co-founder and CEO.
Foraker had previously taken Annie’s Homegrown — another organic food brand — public in 2012 and then led its acquisition by General Mills two years later. That track record made him uniquely qualified to take Once Upon a Farm through the same journey. He managed the company’s retail expansion to 25,000 stores, led the fundraising rounds that brought in CAVU Venture Partners and S2G Ventures, and drove the entire IPO process that closed in February 2026.
The IPO: A Rare Food Listing That Wall Street Loved
Once Upon a Farm’s IPO on February 6, 2026 was one of the most talked-about public offerings of the year — and not just because of Jennifer Garner’s celebrity profile. It was a genuinely rare event: a food company going public in a market where most CPG brands had been avoiding stock market listings for years.
The company priced at $18 per share, raising $198 million at a $724 million valuation. The stock closed its first day up 17%, and by February 9 had jumped nearly 40% to over $25 per share. Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase served as joint lead bookrunning managers of the offering. The company’s S-1 filing included details about the risks related to President Trump’s tariffs and trade barriers, particularly against Mexico and South America, where Once Upon a Farm sources a significant portion of its fruit and vegetable ingredients.
After a strong opening, the stock pulled back. By August 2026, OFRM was down approximately 15% from its peak — a common pattern for newly public consumer brands finding their footing with institutional investors. But Garner said publicly she has “no interest” in checking the stock price and remains focused on the long-term mission.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Who owns Once Upon a Farm in 2026?
Once Upon a Farm (NYSE: OFRM) is publicly traded, with Jennifer Garner as the largest individual shareholder at 7%, alongside co-founders Cassandra Curtis and John Foraker.
Q2. When did Once Upon a Farm go public?
Once Upon a Farm went public on the New York Stock Exchange on February 6, 2026, priced at $18 per share with a valuation of $724 million.
Q3. Who founded Once Upon a Farm?
Once Upon a Farm was originally founded by Cassandra Curtis and Ari Raz in 2015 in Berkeley, California.
Q4. When did Jennifer Garner join Once Upon a Farm?
Jennifer Garner joined in 2017 as Chief Brand Officer and was given a co-founder title along with a 7% ownership stake in the company.
Q5. Who is the CEO of Once Upon a Farm?
John Foraker — former CEO of Annie’s Homegrown — serves as co-founder and CEO of Once Upon a Farm.
Q6. How much revenue does Once Upon a Farm generate?
Once Upon a Farm reported $225 million in annual revenue for the year ending September 2025, up over 40% year-over-year.
Q7. How much is Jennifer Garner’s stake worth?
Jennifer Garner’s 7% stake in Once Upon a Farm was worth approximately $55–60 million as of the February 2026 IPO valuation.
Q8. Where is Once Upon a Farm sold?
Once Upon a Farm products are sold at approximately 25,000 stores nationwide, including Target, Whole Foods, Walmart, Kroger, Publix, and Wegmans.
Once Upon a Farm is a publicly traded company on the NYSE under the ticker OFRM, valued at $724 million at its February 6, 2026 IPO. Its three co-founders — Jennifer Garner (7% stake, ~$55–60 million), Cassandra Curtis (original founder), and John Foraker (CEO) — remain the most important figures in its ownership and leadership. CAVU Venture Partners and S2G Ventures are the primary institutional backers from its pre-IPO funding rounds.
From a simple idea about refrigerated baby food pouches in 2015 to a $200+ million revenue public company serving 25,000 stores across America — Once Upon a Farm is one of the most remarkable growth stories in modern organic food. And Jennifer Garner, for all her Hollywood fame, has proven she is just as serious about building businesses as she is about making movies.
