Wilson's Orchard & Farm

What Wilson's Orchard & Farm does

Wilson's Orchard & Farm is a privately held, multi-site Iowa agricultural and hospitality company founded in 1980 by Chug and Joyce Wilson and now owned by Paul Rasch (with Sara Goering as co-owner of the Solon Farm). It operates three farms — the Iowa City Farm (headquarters on Dingleberry Rd NE), the Solon Farm (~67 acres acquired in 2005, focused on cider production), and the Des Moines/Cumming Farm (~115 acres, opened 2023) — cultivating over 100 varieties of dessert, heirloom, and cider apples using high-density dwarf cultivars on wire-and-post trellis systems, alongside vegetables, berries, flowers, and Katahdin sheep for rotational grazing.

The business is vertically integrated across production, processing, and consumer-facing channels. A 6,000 sq ft Cider Barn at the Solon Farm handles sweet cider, hard cider (Core, Seasonal, and Cidermaker Series), and sparkling water production, using wild-yeast fermentation for specialty SKUs. Consumer offerings include on-site farm markets, Wilson's Bakery, Wilson's Smokehouse, Rapid Creek Cidery/Pizza & Cider restaurants, an online ordering and contactless delivery service ($6 fee, $30 minimum) covering Greater Iowa City, North Liberty, and Coralville, and event venue rentals for weddings, corporate events, and the Farm Sessions concert series.

Revenue is generated across multiple streams: on-site retail (farm markets, bakery, smokehouse, restaurant), food and beverage sales (dine-in and take-out), beverage production (hard cider, sweet cider, sparkling water), event venue rentals, online ordering with delivery fees, and wholesale produce to area retailers, schools, and restaurants. The customer base is dominated by local Iowa consumers and families, with secondary segments in event hosts, craft beverage enthusiasts, and institutional buyers. The company also operates Studio Bee, an in-house content studio producing the Pollinate podcast and Bite Size video series, used to drive community engagement and brand awareness.

Name

Wilson's Orchard & Farm

Legal name

Wilson's Orchard & Farm

Website

https://wilsonsorchard.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wilson's Orchard & Farm is a privately held, multi-site Iowa agritourism and craft beverage company operating three farms (Iowa City, Solon, Des Moines) that grow 100+ apple varieties and serve local consumers through farm markets, bakeries, smokehouse, restaurants, hard cider production, event venues, and online ordering.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Foods & Agritourism

NAICS

Apple Orchards (111331), Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (1113)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Cider & Orchard Fruit Production (Apples/pears for cider & processing) (AFAGACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cideries & Meadery Tasting Rooms (THAFALAI), Farmers’ Markets & Farm Stands (Fresh Food) (CRAHAHAE)

Keywords

• Apple orchard
• Hard cider production
• Farm market
• Bakery products
• Agritourism venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Iowa City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Farm Market Retail: On-site retail sales of fresh produce, groceries, prepared foods, merchandise, and beverages from farm market locations in Iowa City and Des Moines.
2. Food & Beverage Operations: Bakery, restaurant (Ciderhouse), smokehouse, and pizza operations generating revenue from dine-in and take-out customers.
3. Hard Cider & Beverages: Production and sale of hard ciders (core, seasonal, and cidermaker series), sweet cider, and sparkling water under Wilson's Beverages brand.
4. Event Venue Rental: Revenue from hosting weddings, private events, corporate events, and farm sessions at event venues in Iowa City and Des Moines locations.
5. Online Ordering & Delivery: Contactless delivery and pickup services for farm market items, bakery, smokehouse, and restaurant food with delivery fee revenue.
6. Wholesale Produce: Wholesale sales of produce from controlled growing system orchard to area retailers, schools, and restaurants.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wilson's Orchard & Farm is a multi-location Iowa farm that grows apples and produces hard ciders, baked goods, and beverages. It operates farm markets, a bakery, a smokehouse, a cidery tasting room, and event venues (Ciderhouse), and supplies wholesale produce to schools, retailers, and restaurants across Iowa.

Product overview

Wilson's Orchard & Farm is a multi-location Iowa farm established in 1980, operating as a diversified agricultural and hospitality business. The company offers a vertically integrated portfolio centered on apple cultivation (100+ varieties across 90 acres) combined with food service operations including farm markets, bakeries, smokehouse, restaurants, and event venues. The beverages division produces craft hard ciders, sweet ciders, and sparkling waters from orchard-grown apples. The business model integrates agricultural production with retail, dining, and experiential tourism across two primary locations (Iowa City and Des Moines).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wilson's Ciderhouse: Farm to table dining and events venue offering dine-in and take-out menus
• Wilson's Hard Cider
• Wilson's Smokehouse
• Wilson's Bakery
• Wilson's Beverages
• Studio Bee
• The Smokehouse

Products and services

• Farm Market Retail farm store selling freshly picked apples, seasonal produce, baked goods, preserves, and farm-made products directly to consumers visiting the orchard.
• Bakery On-site commercial bakery producing donuts, pies, breads, and other baked goods from scratch, sold at the farm markets.
• Smokehouse On-site smokehouse producing smoked meats and related items sold at the farm markets and served at the Ciderhouse restaurant.
• Rapid Creek Cidery On-site cidery producing and serving craft hard ciders made from estate-grown apples, with a tasting room experience for visitors.
• Wilson's Hard Cider Line Bottled craft hard cider line sold at the farm, online, and through wholesale accounts.
• Wild Ferment 001 Hard Cider A wild-fermented, limited-release hard cider in the craft beverage lineup.
• Seasonal Hard Cider Limited-edition hard ciders released seasonally based on apple harvest availability.
• Sweet Cider Non-alcoholic fresh-pressed sweet cider sold at the farm market and wholesale.
• Wilson's Sparkling Water Bottled sparkling water produced alongside the hard cider line and sold at the farm and through retail.
• Ciderhouse Restaurant Full-service on-site restaurant at the orchard serving pizza, smokehouse items, and cider pairings to walk-in customers.
• Pizza & Cider Pairing Service Wood-fired pizza menu paired with house hard ciders, served at the Ciderhouse restaurant.
• Ciderhouse Event Venue Rental venue for private events such as weddings, corporate gatherings, and receptions, with on-site catering and beverage service.
• Online Ordering & Local Delivery Direct-to-consumer online ordering of farm products with a $30 minimum order and $6 delivery fee, plus scheduled pick-up at farm locations.
• Wholesale Produce Distribution Wholesale supply of apples and cider to schools, retailers, and restaurants across Iowa.

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

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• 2 Towns Ciderhouse: Oregon-based craft cider producer with broad cider portfolio (core, seasonal, specialty) plus taproom and distribution. Direct comparable in craft hard cider branding, seasonal releases, and Cidermaker-style specialty line.
• Stem Ciders: Colorado craft cidery producing barrel-aged and wild-fermented ciders from estate-grown and partner-grown apples, including a taproom. Comparable to Wilson's Beverages on craft cider positioning and wild-ferment signature line.
• Honey Hill Orchard: Iowa/Illinois commercial apple orchard with farm market, bakery, kitchen, and event venue. Strong regional peer operating a similar multi-revenue diversified orchard model in the same broad geography.
• Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards: New York diversified orchard operating a cidery (1911 Established), distillery, farm market, bakery, and event venue. Closest direct analog to Wilson'​s integrated orchard-to-consumer model with craft beverage and agritourism revenue.
• Mercier Orchards: Georgia family-owned orchard producing apples plus u-pick, farm market, bakery, hard cider, and event venue. Matches Wilson'​s emphasis on multi-revenue agritourism layered onto apple production.
• Lyman Orchards: Connecticut diversified orchard with farm market, bakery, pick-your-own, and event venue (Lyman Farm Weddings). Comparable to Wilson's in orcharding heritage (44+ years) and integrated retail/event strategy.

Regional players

• Center Grove Orchard: Iowa orchard offering u-pick apples, farm market, bakery, and school tours. Directly comparable regional peer in Iowa competing for the same agritourism consumer trip.
• Blake's Hard Cider: Michigan craft cidery integrated into a third-generation family farm with restaurant, taproom, and events. Comparable Midwest cidery-farm hybrid that pairs estate-grown fruit with hard cider brand and hospitality.

Broad incumbents

• Bold Rock Hard Cider: Largest U.S. independent cider brand with regional taprooms and broad off-premise distribution. Comparable craft-cider incumbent competing for similar DSD and tap placements.
• Angry Orchard: Largest U.S. hard cider brand (Boston Beer Co.), national DSD distribution, and Innovation Cider House taproom. Represents the incumbent competition Wilson'​s faces on taproom and shelf expansion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WilsonsOrchardandFarm
• Instagraminstagram.com/wilsonsorchardia
• Xx.com/wilsonsorchard

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Wilson's Orchard & Farm