Jones Family Farms

What Jones Family Farms does

Jones Family Farms is a 7th-generation, 160+ year old family-owned diversified agricultural operation headquartered in Shelton, Connecticut, operating across 500+ acres in Shelton and Monroe. Its core offering is agritourism and direct-to-consumer farm experiences, anchored by five seasonal U-pick cycles (strawberries, blueberries, pumpkins, and Christmas trees) supplemented by a nursery/greenhouse, gift shop, and an on-site winery established in 2003 that produces and sells estate wines through a tasting room, wine club, and Connecticut retail distribution.

The business model is purely transactional and direct-to-consumer: revenue is generated through per-visit entry/container fees during picking seasons, plant and nursery sales, wine tastings and bottle sales, gift basket purchases, and recurring wine club memberships. Pricing is unbundled by activity (e.g., per-pint or per-container picking, per-bottle wine) with no enterprise contracts or B2B anchors. Educational programming for school groups and family events, along with co-marketing partnerships with local artisans (e.g., Woodbury Pewter) and the UNICEF Children's Festival, supports visit dwell time and basket size.

Operationally, the farm runs with a small core staff (1-10) that expands seasonally to ~30+ during peak harvest periods. Strategic collaborations with Cornell, UConn, and the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station provide applied agricultural research input, while a 2023 Aldo Leopold Conservation Award signals formal sustainability positioning. There is no evidence of proprietary technology, digital platform, AI/ML systems, or external capital; the firm is privately held with multi-generational family stewardship as the central governance and continuity mechanism.

Name

Jones Family Farms

Legal name

Jones Family Farms

Website

https://jonesfamilyfarms.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1858

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Jones Family Farms is a 7th-generation, 400+ acre family-owned agritourism operation in Shelton, Connecticut, offering seasonal U-pick berries, pumpkins, Christmas trees, nursery plants, and estate wines directly to visiting families and wine club members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Diversified Family Farm and Agritourism

NAICS

Strawberry Farming (111333), Berry (except Strawberry) Farming (111334), Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (44424)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Berry Farming (Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Cranberries) (AFAGACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Greenhouse Fruit & Berry Production (Strawberries, Specialty Fruits) (AFAGAHAB), Plants, Seeds & Nursery Retail (Garden Centers) (CRAIAIAB)

Keywords

• Harvest-your-own berries
• Estate winery tastings
• Pick-your-own pumpkins
• Cut-your-own Christmas trees
• Agritourism farm experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

Shelton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Harvest-Your-Own Berry Sales: Customers pay for berry containers (baskets and boxes) and pick their own strawberries and blueberries. Pricing based on container size with discounts for returning containers. Revenue is transaction-based per container filled.
2. Winery and Wine Sales: Wine tasting experiences, wine by the glass, and bottle sales at the tasting room. Includes wine flights for special occasions and wine club memberships. Pre-picked berries also sold at winery location.
3. Christmas Tree Sales: Cut-your-own and pre-cut Christmas tree sales. Includes harvest-your-own experience with hayrides. Extended to guests getting pre-cut trees over 6 feet tall with complimentary pewter ornament tradition.
4. Pumpkin and Fall Harvest: Entry fees for pumpkin season with additional revenue from pumpkins, squash, hayrides, and farm experiences. Includes grab-and-go quick purchase area for direct pumpkin sales.
5. Educational School Tours: Paid educational programs for preschool through first grade students including hay wagon tours, pumpkin harvesting, and farm education. Pricing per student/chaperone.
6. Seasonal Employment: College summer work opportunity and part-time seasonal positions across farm, winery, and kitchen operations during peak seasons.
7. Holiday Gift Products: Holiday gift baskets, wine gift boxes, Christmas ornaments, and specialty items sold during holiday season at winery and tasting room.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Jones Family Farms operates a 500-acre diversified family farm offering seasonal harvest-your-own (U-pick) experiences for strawberries, blueberries, pumpkins, and Christmas trees, alongside an estate winery producing and selling wines from farm-grown grapes, a seasonal greenhouse nursery, and structured educational programs for preschool through first-grade students. Revenue is generated through container-based produce sales, winery tastings and bottle sales, entry-fee pumpkin experiences, nursery plant retail, school tour fees, and seasonal holiday gift baskets.

Product overview

Jones Family Farms is a diversified 500-acre family farm operation in Shelton, Connecticut offering a portfolio of interconnected agricultural and hospitality experiences. The core offerings include harvest-your-own berry picking (strawberries and blueberries), pumpkin picking at Pumpkinseed Hill, and Christmas tree harvesting at multiple locations. The company operates an estate winery (Jones Winery) producing wines from farm-grown grapes, offering tastings, bottle sales, and a summer music series. Supporting products include a nursery/greenhouse for plant sales, farm educational programs for schools, a flower picking experience, and seasonal holiday events. The business operates multiple distinct locations: Homestead Farm (winery and main farm), Pumpkinseed Hill (pumpkins), Valley Farm (berries), Greenhouse Nursery (Monroe), and various Christmas tree fields. The integrated model combines agricultural production with direct-to-consumer hospitality, educational programming, and seasonal events, creating year-round engagement across diverse customer segments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jones Winery: Estate winery operation producing wines from farm-grown grapes, featuring a tasting room, summer music series, and wine sales.
• Pumpkinseed Hill Farm
• Harvest Kitchen

Products and services

• Harvest-Your-Own Berry Picking Seasonal pick-your-own strawberry and blueberry experiences at multiple farm locations including Pumpkinseed Hill and Valley Farm. Customers purchase Jones containers (baskets/boxes) at the farm and pick their own berries, with Berry Ferry transportation available to fields and online reservations required.
• Pumpkinseed Hill Pumpkin Harvest Seasonal fall pumpkin picking experience at Pumpkinseed Hill featuring harvest-your-own fields, mini-corn maze, hayrides, farm activities, and seasonal events. Entry fees include credits toward pumpkin and squash purchases, with options for grab-and-go quick purchase.
• Christmas Tree Harvest Cut-your-own Christmas tree experience including wreath and ornament shopping at multiple locations: Homestead Farm, Merry Berry Valley, and Candy Cane Hill. Includes complimentary pewter ornament tradition for guests harvesting their own trees.
• Jones Winery and Tasting Room Estate winery producing wines from farm-grown grapes, offering wine tastings, glasses, and bottle sales at the tasting room located at 606 Walnut Tree Hill Road in the historic dairy barn. Open Friday-Sunday with extended hours during events.
• Estate Wine Products Estate-grown wines including Strawberry Serenade (sparkling wine), Beacon Light (red wine), White Lotus (dry white), Ripton Red, Whimsical White, Woodlands White, and Red Orchid, available for tasting and purchase at the winery and through Connecticut wine shops.
• Nursery and Greenhouse Plants Seasonal spring plant sales including hanging baskets, summer annuals, vegetable starters, herbs, flower pots, tree seedlings, and arborvitae at the greenhouse nursery at 282 Shelton Road, Monroe. Open Thursday-Sunday, 10am-4pm during spring season.
• Farm Educational Programs Paid school tour programs including Preschool Guided Pumpkin Harvest, Educator-Guided Fall Harvest Program for K-1 students, and self-guided group exploration. Includes hay wagon tours, farm education, and pumpkin harvesting with educator-led structure.
• Farm Flower Picking Seasonal flower picking experience at the flower garden next to the Jones Winery. Offers small bouquets of 10 flowers for $12 or fill a glass mason jar for $25 including the jar.
• Farm Events and Music Series Seasonal events including Summer Music Series at the winery featuring local singer-songwriters, Summerfest at the Hill, Harvest Fest, holiday celebrations, and specialty tasting events for families and adults.
• Holiday Gift Baskets and Merchandise Pre-made holiday gift baskets including Date Night Basket ($65.95), Celebration Basket ($55.95), Christmas Brunch Basket ($59.95), and Snow Day Basket ($62.95), plus wine gift boxes sold during the holiday season at the winery and tasting room.
• Christmas Tree Ornaments Annual commemorative pewter tree ornaments crafted by Woodbury Pewter, gifted to customers who harvest their own Christmas trees. Each year's design is unique with a historical series dating back to the early 1990s.
• Wreath Barn and Barnyard Holiday Shops Holiday wreath shop and gift shop at the Barnyard Village location offering ornaments, decorations, and holiday gifts during the Christmas tree season.
• Harvest Kitchen and Farm Snacks On-site food offerings including cheese, charcuterie, scones, cookies, farm treats, gelato, and seasonal menu items prepared in the farm kitchen (June-December), served at the winery tasting room.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500 acres of protected Connecticut farmland maintained in perpetuity
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cornell Cooperative Extension (Cornell Vegetable Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for agricultural research and education. Farm utilizes university extension resources for environmental and agricultural education, including Integrated Pest Management research and best practices.
• Connecticut Agricultural Experiment StationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative agricultural research partnership. Farm collaborates with CAES scientists on research projects supporting sustainable farming practices.
• Cornell CALS (College of Agriculture and Life Sciences)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerViticulture and wine resources partnership providing grape and wine research and extension services supporting the Jones Winery operations.
• UConn College of Agriculture, Health and Natural ResourcesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership providing agricultural education resources and research collaboration for sustainable farming and horticulture.
• Jamie Jones (6th Generation Winemaker - Cornell Graduate)coreOthersSixth generation family member with Cornell agricultural education returning in 2003 to establish the winery and lead farm operations into modern era.
• Paugussett, Pequonnock, Schaghticoke and Wappinger Nations (Indigenous Nations)minorOthersFormal land acknowledgment recognizing Indigenous peoples who have lived and cared for the land since time immemorial. Farm operates on ancestral homelands of these displaced nations.
• UNICEFminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNonprofit partner for Children's Festival. Farm donates 10% of all entry fees plus $1 per entry to support children in need internationally. 39+ year tradition.
• Woodbury PewterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConnecticut-based pewter manufacturer crafting annual Christmas tree ornaments. Ornaments gifted to customers harvesting their own trees since early 1990s.
• Eagle Eye PizzaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFood truck vendor partner for Summerfest at the Hill events. Provides food offerings alongside farm activities and entertainment.
• D'Andrea's Deli Sandwiches and Specialty CoffeeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFood truck vendor for Summerfest at the Hill events providing sandwiches and specialty coffee alongside farm entertainment.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Blue Jay Orchards: Family-operated Connecticut orchard offering apple, pumpkin, and berry picking plus hayrides—comparable as a similarly sized Northeast pick-your-own family farm with multi-season offerings.
• Easy Pickin's Orchard: Connecticut family farm in Enfield offering pick-your-own produce, farm market, and seasonal events with no-fee entry model—comparable in direct-to-consumer pick-your-own positioning and Connecticut geography.
• Alstede Farms: Family farm in Chester, NJ operating pick-your-own produce, a farm store, CSA, and seasonal events—comparable as a diversified Northeast family farm with strong direct-to-consumer model.
• Bishop's Orchards: Multi-generational family farm in Guilford, CT operating a pick-your-own orchard, farm market, and value-added retail—directly comparable as a Connecticut pick-your-own destination with retail and family experiences.
• Lyman Orchards: Family-owned Connecticut farm operation in Middleford offering pick-your-own apples, berries, and peaches alongside a bakery, market, and on-site attractions—closely aligned in model, geography, and customer segments.
• March Farms: Family-run third-generation farm in Bethlehem, CT offering pick-your-own produce, farm market, bakery, and seasonal events—a directly comparable Connecticut diversified family farm.
• Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards: Family-owned New York orchard that has expanded into a destination cider, spirits, and agritourism operation—comparable in combining heritage pick-your-own with beverage adult beverages and events.
• High Hill Orchard: Connecticut pick-your-own farm in Meriden offering seasonal fruit and vegetable harvesting plus a farm market and hayrides—a directly comparable small Northeast pick-your-own operator.

Regional players

• White Flower Farm: Connecticut-based mail-order/retail nursery and plant retailer selling perennials, shrubs, and gardening supplies—comparable as a Connecticut plant and nursery retail business to Jones' Monroe greenhouse nursery operation.
• Chamard Vineyards: Connecticut winery in Durham with tasting room and estate-grown wine—comparable as a regional Northeast estate winery operating tasting room distribution alongside Jones Winery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/jonesfamilyfarms
• Xx.com/JonesFamilyFarm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Jones Family Farms