Eckert's Boyd Orchard

What Eckert's Boyd Orchard does

Eckert's, Inc., doing business as Eckert's Boyd Orchard, is a privately held, family-owned farm operation that has been continuously family-run for eight generations since its founding in 1837. The company operates four farm locations — Belleville, Grafton, and Millstadt in Illinois plus Versailles, Kentucky — offering pick-your-own produce (strawberries, blackberries, peaches, apples, pumpkins, tulips, sunflowers, and Christmas trees), on-site food and beverage (a country restaurant, donut and custard shop, bakery, deli, and the Cider Shed hard-cidery tasting room), retail stores and a garden center, and seasonal family attractions including the Tulip Trail, Sunflower Experience, Jack's Lighted Trail, corn mazes, animal rides, and educational school tours. Belleville is the only year-round location; the others operate seasonally. The business model is 100% direct-to-consumer with no third-party distribution, monetizing visitors through per-pound produce pricing ($0.79-$5.99/lb), field-access and event ticket admissions, F&B transactions, and retail/online shop sales, supported by Stripe payments and TicketSpice ticketing. The customer base is fragmented across families with children, Gen Z / young adults seeking unplugged experiences, and local community / food enthusiasts in the St. Louis metro and Central Kentucky catchments. Technology is described as traditional family farming with sustainable practices; the only disclosed technology integrations are payment, mapping, and ticketing infrastructure, with no AI/ML, no proprietary software platform, and no third-party resellers.

Name

Eckert's Boyd Orchard

Legal name

Eckert's, Inc.

Website

https://eckerts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1837

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Eckert's Boyd Orchard is a privately held, 8th-generation family farm operating four locations in Illinois and Kentucky, offering pick-your-own produce, on-site dining, hard cider, retail, and seasonal agritourism attractions to families and regional visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agritourism and Pick-Your-Own Farm Operations

NAICS

Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (1113), Fruit and Tree Nut Combination Farming (111336), Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (444240)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200)

akta.pro primary industry

Farm-to-Table & Agritourism Dining Experiences (Farm Visits, Harvest Meals) (THAJAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Stone Fruit Orchards (Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, Cherries, Apricots) (AFAGACAC), Berry Farming (Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Cranberries) (AFAGACAD), Farmers’ Markets & Farm Stands (Fresh Food) (CRAHAHAE), Farmstead & Local Artisan Food Markets (Retail Shops) (CRAHAGAO), Plants, Seeds & Nursery Retail (Garden Centers) (CRAIAIAB)

Keywords

• Pick-your-own farm
• Agritourism experiences
• Farm-to-table dining
• Orchard operations
• Seasonal farm attractions

Headquarters

HQ city

Belleville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Pick-Your-Own Produce Sales: Customers pay per pound for produce they harvest themselves, including strawberries, blackberries, peaches, apples, pumpkins, and sunflowers. Blackberries at $5.99/lb, apples at $2.79-$2.99/lb depending on location, pumpkins at $0.79/lb.
2. Field Access and Event Tickets: Admission tickets for field access, special events like Jack's Lighted Trail, Tulip Trail, and seasonal activities. Gate pricing for events significantly higher than online advance purchase.
3. Food and Beverage: Country Restaurant, Mr. E's Donut and Custard Shop, Cider Shed (hard cider), Bakery, Deli, and Concessions across farm locations.
4. Retail Sales: Country Stores selling fresh produce, handmade goods, and farm merchandise. Garden Center for plants and gardening supplies.
5. Christmas Tree Sales: Pre-cut trees (Balsam, Fraser, White Pine) ranging from $50-$215, and cut-your-own White Pine trees at $65.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Eckert's Boyd Orchard operates a multi-generational family farm business offering pick-your-own produce experiences (strawberries, blackberries, peaches, apples, pumpkins, tulips, sunflowers, Christmas trees), farm-to-table dining (Country Restaurant, Mr. E's Donut and Custard Shop, Cider Shed with small-batch hard cider), retail (Country Store, Garden Center), and seasonal agritourism attractions across four farm locations in Illinois and Kentucky. The core offering centers on direct-to-consumer farm experiences where visitors purchase field access, pick produce by weight, and spend on food, beverages, and retail merchandise during their visit.

Product overview

Eckert's is a multi-generational family farm operation with four locations (Belleville Farm open year-round, Millstadt and Grafton Farms in IL, and Versailles Orchard in KY) offering a diversified portfolio of farm experiences. The core offering centers on pick-your-own produce including strawberries, blackberries, peaches, apples, pumpkins, tulips, sunflowers, vegetables, and Christmas trees. The company has expanded into agritourism with seasonal attractions (Tulip Trail, Sunflower Experience, Jack's Lighted Trail) and family entertainment activities (corn maze, pig races, apple/pumpkin cannons, pony/camel rides, playgrounds). On-site food and beverage includes small-batch hard cider production at the Cider Shed, country restaurant, donut/custard shop, bakery, and deli. Retail operations encompass country stores, garden centers, and online e-commerce. The business has evolved from a traditional farm to an integrated farm-entertainment-dining-retail destination since 1837.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pick-Your-Own Crops Seasonal u-pick produce experiences across all farm locations including strawberries, blackberries, peaches, apples, pumpkins, tulips, sunflowers, vegetables, and Christmas trees for visiting families and food enthusiasts.
• Country Restaurant Homestyle farm-to-table dining at the Belleville Farm location, open daily 8am-8pm, serving visitors to the farm.
• Mr. E's Donut and Custard Shop Fresh-baked donuts and frozen custard shop located at the Belleville Farm, serving farm visitors.
• Cider Shed On-site bar and tasting room featuring small-batch hard cider crafted from farm-grown apples, with seasonal varieties and outdoor seating overlooking the orchard.
• Country Store Farm retail store selling fresh produce, local products, seasonal decorations, handcrafted items, and farm merchandise.
• Garden Center Garden center at Belleville Farm offering flowers, plants, greenery, and gardening supplies for spring planting.
• Online Shop E-commerce platform for purchasing farm products, merchandise, and gift items online.
• Jack's Lighted Trail Halloween nighttime attraction featuring illuminated jack-o-lantern displays along a half-mile corn stalk trail at Belleville Farm, with wagon rides and seasonal drinks at Spook-Easy and Cider Shed.
• Tulip Trail Spring pick-your-own tulip experience featuring 300,000 tulips with wagon rides, photo opportunities, field bar, and picnic options. Plans to expand to 700,000 tulips in 2027.
• Sunflower Experience Summer sunflower maze spanning 2 acres with 100,000 sunflowers, wagon rides, photo spots, seasonal bar, and special events. Available mid-to-late July for 2-3 weeks.
• Christmas Tree Farm Cut-your-own and pre-cut Christmas tree farm at Belleville location featuring White Pine, Balsam Fir, Douglas Fir, Fraser Fir, and Blue Spruce varieties.
• Family Fun Farm Activities (Millstadt) Seasonal family entertainment attractions including corn maze, pig races, pony/camel rides, petting farm, pumpkin cannon (Jack-O-Lobber), apple cannon, haunted wagon ride, underground slide, combine slide, playground (Fort Eckert's), parakeet encounter, and live Grand Stage shows.
• School Tours Educational field trips for school groups at Millstadt, Grafton, and Versailles locations, offering hands-on farm experiences.
• Bonfire Site Rentals Private bonfire site rentals for groups up to 25 guests at Millstadt and Versailles locations, with straw bale seating and farm access included.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Siegel's Cottonwood Farm: Family-owned Illinois pumpkin/corn maze and U-pick farm offering fall agritourism attractions. Direct comparable to Eckert's in family ownership model, Illinois geography, and PYO + entertainment model.
• Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards: 5th-generation New York orchard with PYO apples, hard cider, distillery, and farm store. Comparable on multi-generational family ownership, hard cider production, and diversified farm retail.
• Apple Holler: Wisconsin orchard offering PYO apples, peach orchard, farm-to-table dining, bakery, and family attractions. Strong match on U-pick, farm restaurant, and entertainment layered on a working orchard.
• Underwood Family Farms: California multi-location U-pick farm with farm center, CSA, and agritourism events. Comparable on multi-location PYO model and seasonal attraction diversification.
• Great Country Farms: Virginia family farm offering PYO produce, farm market, and seasonal farm play attractions. Comparable on family-owned PYO + farm entertainment + retail model.
• Jonamac Orchard: Northern Illinois apple orchard with hard cidery, bakery, corn maze, and U-pick experiences. Closely matches Eckert's apple/peach PYO, hard cider production, and agritourism entertainment stack.
• Lewis Orchards: Maryland multi-generational family farm with PYO fruit, farm market, and seasonal events. Comparable on long-tenured family ownership, PYO apple/peach, and farm market retail.
• Didier Farms: Illinois family farm with pumpkin patch, greenhouse, and farm market. Comparable on family-owned Illinois operations, seasonal PYO produce, and farm retail.
• Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard: Nebraska orchard with PYO fruit, hard cider, farm market, and seasonal events. Comparable on diversified fruit PYO, hard cider, and farm entertainment offering.

Broad incumbents

• Angry Orchard: Largest U.S. hard cider brand (Boston Beer), focused on national off-premise distribution. Relevant as the broad incumbent in the hard cider category that Eckert's Cider Shed competes within.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/EckertsBoydOrchard

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Eckert's Boyd Orchard