Appel Farms

What Appel Farms does

Appel Farms is a multi-generational, family-owned artisan cheese producer based in Ferndale, Washington, operating a vertically integrated farm-to-table dairy and creamery founded by Jack Appel over 40 years ago after he trained in cheesemaking on farms in France. The company produces a diverse portfolio of European-style cheeses — including Gouda (in eight flavor varieties such as Mild, Smoked, Jalapeno, Ginger Bell, Cumin, Black Pepper, Garlic, and Italian Blend), Farmstead Swiss (Maasdammer), Feta (Plain and Basil Tomato), Paneer, Traditional Quark, Low Fat Quark, Nokkelost, Parmesan, and Havarti — all made from milk sourced exclusively from the company's own Jersey cow dairy herd. This vertical integration, spanning herd management through finished product, supports quality control and a farm-fresh positioning difficult for non-vertically-integrated competitors to match.

The business operates a hybrid go-to-market combining direct-to-consumer sales (on-farm cheese shop open Tue–Sat, e-commerce with nationwide shipping, monthly Cheeselover's subscriptions at $25/$45/$65, and farm venue hosting) with regional retail distribution through Pacific Northwest grocery chains (Haggen, Fred Meyer) and specialty distributors (DPI Specialty Foods). Pricing spans individual units ($7.00–$7.50), catering platters ($98–$107 for 8–12 servings), creamery tours ($4–$15/person), and a corporate Christmas gifting program for B2B customers. The company employs 1–10 people and is led by founder Jack Appel's children John (head cheese-maker and cheese-business manager) and Rich (dairy manager), with third-generation owners Chris and Marlies Appel representing ongoing family succession. Value-added services including a 100+ recipe content library, creamery tours, event hosting, and corporate gifting complement the core cheese product line.

Name

Appel Farms

Legal name

Appel Farms

Website

https://appelcheese.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Appel Farms is a family-owned, multi-generational artisan cheese producer in Ferndale, Washington, making European-style cheeses from its own Jersey cow dairy and selling through an on-farm shop, e-commerce, regional grocers, subscriptions, and catering.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Cheese Manufacturing

NAICS

Cheese Manufacturing (311513), Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing (31151)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Ripened Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Semi-Soft, Hard & Blue) (AFAHABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fresh/Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Unripened & Soft) (AFAHABAA), Cheese (Natural & Processed) (CRADACAC)

Keywords

• Artisan cheesemaking
• Farmstead dairy products
• Cheese subscription boxes
• Corporate cheese gifting
• Farm tours events

Headquarters

HQ city

Ferndale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cheese Product Sales: Direct sales of cheese products including Gouda, Feta, Farmstead Swiss, Paneer, and specialty varieties. One-time purchases at varying price points from $7.00-$7.50 per item.
2. Cheese Subscription Boxes: Monthly subscription service delivering curated selections of cheeses in Small ($25), Medium ($45), and Large ($65) boxes with monthly billing.
3. Farm Shop Retail: On-site cheese shop sales including cheese, local products, and gift items. Also offers catering platters (Cheese & Crackers $102, Cheese & Sweets $98, Cheese & Meats $107).
4. Event Hosting & Venue Rental: Private event hosting at the cheese shop venue including parties, showers, family gatherings, and corporate events.
5. Farm Tours: Educational tours of the creamery with cheese sampling. Homeschool/Preschool tours at $4/person and Private Tours at $15/person with minimum 4 people.
6. Corporate Gifting: Corporate Christmas gift program offering curated cheese gift boxes for B2B customers including customers, clients, colleagues, and employees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Appel Farms is a family-owned artisan cheese manufacturer based in Ferndale, WA that produces European-style cheeses using milk from its own Jersey cow dairy. The portfolio spans Gouda varieties (Mild, Smoked, Jalapeno, Ginger Bell, Cumin, Black Pepper, Garlic, Italian Blend), Farmstead Swiss (Maasdammer), Feta, Paneer, Quark, Nokkelost, Parmesan, and Havarti. Cheeses are sold directly through an on-farm cheese shop, an online store, monthly subscriptions, catering platters, and a corporate gifting program, with additional regional retail distribution.

Product overview

Appel Farms is a family-owned cheese and dairy farm in Ferndale, WA. The product portfolio centers on artisan cheeses produced on-site using milk from the family's own dairy herd. The core offering consists of multiple cheese varieties including Gouda (in Mild, Smoked, Jalapeno, Ginger Bell, Cumin, Black Pepper, Garlic, and Italian Blend varieties), Farmstead Swiss (Maasdammer), Feta (Plain and Basil Tomato), Paneer, Parmesan, Havarti, Nokkelost, and Quark (Traditional and Low Fat). These are sold alongside value-added products including gift boxes (Small, Medium, and Large Cheeselover's), monthly cheese subscriptions (Small, Medium, and Large Cheeselover's Monthly), catering platters (Cheese & Crackers, Cheese & Sweets, Cheese & Meats), and on-site services such as creamery tours, event venue hosting, and corporate holiday gifting. The business operates a cheese shop and gift shop at the farm location, and manages both the creamery and dairy operations under family ownership spanning multiple generations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gouda (Mild and flavored varieties)
• Farmstead Swiss (Maasdammer)
• Feta (Plain, Basil Tomato, and Oregano Tomato Garlic)
• Paneer

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BelGioioso Cheese Company: Wisconsin-based specialty cheese manufacturer with broad portfolio of fresh and aged Italian-style cheeses. Comparable in producing multiple specialty cheese varieties for national wholesale distribution, though at significantly larger scale.
• Tillamook County Creamery Association: Oregon-based large dairy cooperative with broad cheese portfolio and Pacific Northwest retail dominance. Comparable as a regional dairy brand competing for the same grocery shelf space and consumer mindshare, though at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Vermont Creamery: Vermont-based artisan creamery producing fresh and aged cheeses including European-style varieties. Comparable in producing specialty fresh cheeses (similar to quark) alongside aged cheeses with strong specialty retail distribution.
• Cypress Grove: California-based artisan cheese maker known for fresh and aged cheeses with strong national specialty distribution. Comparable as a craft cheesemaker with similar product breadth across fresh and aged varieties.
• Beecher's Handmade Cheese: Washington-based artisan cheese maker producing handmade cheeses with strong farm-to-table and direct-to-consumer retail presence. Highly comparable as a Pacific Northwest craft cheese brand with flagship retail locations and national distribution.
• Rogue Creamery: Oregon-based artisan cheese maker specializing in farmstead cheeses with direct-to-consumer e-commerce, wholesale distribution, and farm tours. Comparable as a vertically-integrated Pacific Northwest creamery competing in the specialty cheese category.
• Jasper Hill Farm: Vermont-based artisan cheesemaker with farm-to-table operations, cellar-aged cheeses, and direct e-commerce. Comparable as a vertically-integrated specialty cheese brand with national distribution.
• Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company: California farmstead cheese maker operating from a single dairy with vertically-integrated milk supply. Comparable in using own-herd milk and emphasizing farmstead provenance in marketing.
• Cowgirl Creamery: California artisan cheese maker with farmstead operations, direct retail shops, and strong wholesale in specialty grocers. Comparable in business model combining farmstead production with DTC retail and wholesale distribution.

Regional players

• Acme Farms Cheese: Whatcom County, Washington artisan cheese maker explicitly named as a collaborator on Appel Farms' catering platters. Comparable as a direct regional competitor serving the same Pacific Northwest specialty cheese market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/appelcheese
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/appel-farms

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Appel Farms