Nichols Farm

What Nichols Farm does

Nichols Farm & Orchard is a 300-acre certified sustainable family farm located in Marengo, Illinois, founded in 1978 by Lloyd and Doreen Nichols and now operated by three generations of the Nichols family. The farm grows close to 1,000 different fruits, vegetables, flowers, and herbs annually, including over 200 apple varieties — many of them rare heirlooms — making it one of the most diversified fruit and vegetable operations in the Chicagoland region.

The business operates four primary revenue streams: (1) CSA subscriptions across multiple tiers (Small at $912, Standard at $1,152, Chef's Premium at $1,800 for 24-week summer shares, plus Fall and Winter extensions) delivered to 40+ pickup locations or directly to homes via a partnership with Chicago Currier; (2) direct-to-consumer sales at 13 Chicagoland farmers markets operating 7 days a week during peak season; (3) B2B restaurant supply delivering specialty and heirloom produce to top Chicago restaurants including Rick Bayless's establishments (Frontera Grill, Topolobampo), The Publican, Blue Door Kitchen, and others; and (4) e-commerce via an online store with selective nationwide shipping for apples. The business is privately held, family-owned, has no external funding, and operates with 16 employees.

The underlying production model is diversified horticulture on certified sustainable acreage, with custom crop opportunities for restaurant clients and a chef-quoted value proposition rooted in freshness (same-day harvest for market days) and varietal breadth. Technology is concentrated in distribution logistics (home delivery routing, CSA management) and a basic e-commerce storefront rather than in production automation. The company has been gradually extending its season (winter markets since 2018), channel (online store), and footprint (new pickup sites) over the past decade, with no evidence of breakthrough product or business model innovation.

Name

Nichols Farm

Legal name

Nichols Farm & Orchard

Website

https://nicholsfarm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nichols Farm & Orchard is a 300-acre certified sustainable family farm in Marengo, Illinois, founded in 1978, that sells roughly 1,000 varieties of produce (including 200+ apple varieties) through CSA subscriptions, 13 Chicagoland farmers markets, home delivery, and direct supply to Chicago restaurants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Produce Farming

NAICS

Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (1113), Other Crop Farming (1119)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Farm-to-Consumer Produce Boxes / CSA Delivery (AFAIANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Farmers’ Markets & Farm Stands (Fresh Food) (CRAHAHAE), Farmstead & Local Artisan Food Markets (Retail Shops) (CRAHAGAO)

Keywords

• Sustainable fruit farming
• Csa produce subscriptions
• Heirloom apple varieties
• Farmers market produce
• Restaurant produce supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Marengo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA): Subscription-based weekly produce shares delivered to pickup locations or homes across Chicagoland. Includes summer, fall, and winter share options ranging from 24 weeks to year-round delivery.
2. Farmers Market Sales: Direct retail sales at 13 Chicagoland farmers markets operating seasonally and during winter months. Customers shop and purchase directly at market booths.
3. Restaurant Supply: B2B supply of specialty produce to top Chicago restaurants and chefs with direct delivery and custom crop opportunities.
4. E-commerce Online Store: Online store for produce delivery anywhere in Chicagoland for a flat rate fee. Many apples available for shipping nationwide.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Nichols Farm is a 300-acre certified sustainable family farm in Marengo, Illinois (founded 1978) that grows and sells more than 1,000 different specialty produce items, including 200+ apple varieties, to consumers and restaurants. Distribution occurs through 13 Chicagoland farmers markets, multi-week CSA subscriptions, home delivery across Chicagoland, an online store, and direct supply to top Chicago restaurants.

Product overview

Nichols Farm & Orchard is a 300-acre certified sustainable family farm established in 1978, offering a diversified portfolio of produce-related products and services. The core offerings consist of direct-to-consumer channels: seasonal CSA subscriptions (in four share tiers from Small to Chef's Premium, spanning 32 weeks), home delivery service, an online store, and presence at 13 Chicagoland farmers markets. The farm also operates a restaurant supply service delivering specialty produce to Chicago-area chefs. With over 1,000 different fruit and vegetable items grown annually—including 206 apple varieties—the farm positions itself on diversity and sustainable growing practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Chicago CurrierminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 16 November 2016Home delivery logistics partnership for CSA share deliveries. Chicago Currier partnered with Nichols Farm to bring produce delivery directly to customer doors in Chicagoland.
• Green City MarketcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing vendor at Green City Market, one of Chicago's premier farmers markets held at Peggy Notebaert Museum. Also operates winter indoor market at the same location.
• Rick BaylesscoreOthersCelebrity chef Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill, Topolobampo) is a prominent supporter and partner, providing testimonials and industry credibility for Nichols Farm's restaurant supply business.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Apple Holler: Wisconsin apple orchard with agritourism and direct-to-consumer apple sales. Comparable U.S. Midwest orchard business, but operates as a regional day-trip destination rather than a CSA/restaurant supply farm.

Direct peers

• Heritage Prairie Farm: Chicago suburb farm offering CSA shares, on-farm events, and direct produce sales. Comparable local-family CSA model with diversified offerings in the same Chicagoland market.
• Mint Creek Farm: Illinois sustainable farm with CSA and direct-to-chef supply. Comparable Midwest sustainability positioning and diversified farm-to-table business model.
• Tomato Mountain Farm: Wisconsin-based organic farm operating a CSA, farmers-market presence, and restaurant supply business. Highly comparable multi-channel small-farm model serving Midwest consumers and chefs.
• Mighty Vine: Chicago indoor tomato producer supplying regional restaurants and retailers. Comparable Chicagoland produce operation with B2B chef/supermarket distribution in the same metro.
• Spence Farm: Illinois family sustainable farm producing specialty grains, produce, and meats for Chicago chefs and consumers. Direct peer in region, sustainability positioning, and farm-to-table supply focus.
• Videnovich Farms: Chicago-area family produce farm serving farmers markets and restaurants in the region. Comparable small-scale, multi-channel Chicagoland farm with similar chef and direct-to-consumer reach.

Others

• Green City Market: Chicago's premier farmers market where Nichols Farm is a long-standing vendor. Comparable as a sales channel and ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.

Emerging players

• BrightFarms: Indoor hydroponic farm producing local leafy greens and salads for supermarket distribution. Comparable local-produce positioning and chef/retail supply focus, but with a technology-driven greenhouse model.

Broad incumbents

• Local Foods: Chicago-based local food distributor aggregating Midwest farms and supplying restaurants. Operates in the same farm-to-restaurant ecosystem but at broader portfolio scale rather than single-farm specialization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/nicholsfarmer
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nichols-farm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Nichols Farm