Vollmer Farm

What Vollmer Farm does

Vollmer Farm is a 6th-generation family farm founded in 1866 in Bunn, North Carolina, operating an integrated agricultural and agritourism business across a single site located roughly 30 minutes from the Raleigh-Durham Triangle. The farm combines working agriculture (greenhouse and field-grown produce, flowers, pick-your-own berries and pumpkins) with a direct-to-consumer retail and experience layer consisting of the Market Cafe and homemade ice cream shop, the Farm Market for produce and local goods, curriculum-aligned school tours for Pre-K through high school, and the seasonal 40+ acre Back Forty playground. Pricing is transactional and fragmented: $15 per student for all-inclusive school tours with teacher and homeschool accommodations, one-price weekend admission for Back Forty during the fall season, and individual pricing for cafe, market, and pick-your-own items. Go-to-market relies on community-led word-of-mouth, a 5,594-subscriber GetResponse e-newsletter, organic Facebook presence, and teacher/school partnerships supported by online registration via Google Forms.

The business is family-owned and operated, with current leadership held by Mann Mullen and Nikki Pleasants Mullen alongside Russell Vollmer and Vanessa Weathers following the 2014 passing of founder John Vollmer. The farm employs 7 people and supplements its core staff with seasonal Back Forty, tour guide, cafe/market, and greenhouse workers hired at a $7.50/hr starting wage. Strategic partnerships extend the experience: Tar River Life provides kayaking, tubing, and camping on the Tar River behind the farm, and Lanoca Coffee supplies roasted beans for the cafe. Commercial channels include on-site retail, online ordering through Square with curbside pickup, and event-driven attendance anchored by the annual Turkey Shoot competition. There is no disclosed revenue, no funding history, no parent company, and no external investors; the entity is a private family operation.

Name

Vollmer Farm

Legal name

Vollmer Farm

Website

https://vollmerfarm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1866

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Vollmer Farm is a 6th-generation family farm in Bunn, North Carolina that combines working agriculture with agritourism, serving Triangle-area families and K-12 school groups through a Market Cafe, farm market, school tours, and seasonal Back Forty playground.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agritourism and Farm Retail

NAICS

Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (444240), Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (44424)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

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

Keywords

• Agritourism experiences
• School field trips
• U-pick produce
• Farm market retail
• Homemade ice cream

Headquarters

HQ city

Bunn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Farm Market & Ice Cream Sales: Year-round sales of homemade ice cream, sandwiches, coffee drinks, baked goods using farm-grown blueberries and seasonal fruit. Also includes fresh produce, jams, jellies, dressings, and locally crafted gifts.
2. School Tours: Educational field trips for Pre-K through High School with all-inclusive pricing at $15 per student. Includes wagon tours, agricultural education, and Back Forty play area access.
3. Fall Agritourism (Back Forty): Forty-plus acre playground with one-price admission during fall season (September-October). Opens weekends with activities including jumping pillow, underground slide, animal barn, and pond exploration.
4. Fresh Produce Sales: Greenhouse-grown and field-grown produce sold at the Farm Market. Includes sunflowers, celosia, zinnias, and other flowers, with pick-your-own options available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Vollmer Farm operates an agritourism and farm-retail business in Bunn, North Carolina. It sells homemade ice cream, fresh produce, and farm goods through its on-site Market Cafe & Farm Market, runs curriculum-aligned school field trips for K-12 groups, and operates a seasonal 40+ acre Back Forty playground with fall family entertainment activities including a jumping pillow, underground slide, and animal barn.

Product overview

Vollmer Farm is a 5th-generation working family farm offering agritourism experiences centered around a genuine 'REAL FARM' atmosphere. The operation combines agricultural production with visitor attractions, featuring the Market Cafe & Ice Cream shop serving homemade ice cream and coffee, the Farm Market selling fresh produce and local goods, School Tours providing educational field trips with agricultural curriculum, and the seasonal Back Forty Playground spanning 40+ acres with play activities. The farm also offers fresh cut flowers, pick-your-own produce, and hosts annual events including Turkey Shoots. Located 30 minutes from the Triangle area in Bunn, NC, the farm is open Spring, Summer, and Fall with varying seasonal hours.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Market Cafe & Ice Cream: Farm market cafe serving homemade ice cream, coffee drinks, sandwiches, and baked goods using farm produce.
• Back Forty

Products and services

• Market Cafe & Ice Cream Farm cafe offering seasonal homemade ice cream churned in-house, coffee drinks from local roaster Lanoca Coffee, fresh sandwiches, and weekly baked goods using farm-grown produce. Open year-round with seasonal hours for walk-in visitors.
• Farm Market Retail market featuring fresh greenhouse and field-grown produce using sustainable farming, jams and jellies, dressings, and unique gifts from local artisans. Located on-site at the Bunn, NC farm.
• School Tours Educational field trips for Pre-K through High School with agricultural education programs, wagon tours, hands-on activities such as butter-making, and Back Forty access. All-inclusive pricing at $15 per student. Offered in Fall (September-November) and Spring seasons with a 20-student minimum.
• Back Forty Playground 40+ acre fall playground with jumping pillow, giant 100-foot underground slide, animal barn, bridge pond, and multiple play activities. Open weekends in October during Fall Fun season with one-price admission.
• Turkey Shoots Annual family-friendly outdoor event featuring shooting competitions for youth, ladies, and open rounds with prizes, axe throwing, food vendors, and Market Cafe service.
• Fresh Cut Flowers Fresh cut flowers and pick-your-own options from farm fields including sunflowers, celosia, zinnias, cosmos, marigolds, amaranthus, and gomphrenia.
• Pick Your Own Produce Seasonal u-pick produce experiences including berries and pumpkins, allowing visitors to harvest fresh produce directly from the farm.

Named customers4 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

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Tar River LifeminorOthersTar River Life provides kayaking, tubing, and camping experiences along the Tar River located behind Vollmer Farm. During the Back-40 Fall Fun season, visitors can explore the pond with Tar River Life. The partnership offers complementary recreational activities for farm visitors seeking extended outdoor experiences.
• Lanoca CoffeeminorOthersLocal coffee roasters who supply coffee beans for the Vollmer Farm Market Cafe. Provides freshly roasted coffee for lattes, cappuccino, cold brew, and other hot/cold coffee drinks served at the cafe.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Justus Orchard: Long-standing Hendersonville, NC apple orchard with u-pick, farm market, bakery, and school field trips. Comparable as a multi-generation NC family farm combining education and direct-to-consumer retail.
• Terhune Orchards: Family-owned NJ orchard and farm offering pick-your-own, farm store, school tours, and seasonal festivals. Closely mirrors Vollmer's combination of education, retail, and family-entertainment revenue streams.
• Great Country Farms: Virginia farm offering u-pick produce, farm market, school field trips, and seasonal festivals (including fall play areas). Highly comparable agritourism operating model within the mid-Atlantic.
• Wegmeyer Farms: Virginia pick-your-own farm with strawberries, pumpkins, and agritourism events. Comparable smaller-scale family-operated u-pick and agritourism destination in the same general region.
• Hillside Orchard Farms: North Carolina agritourism farm in Hendersonville offering pick-your-own fruit, farm market, and on-site bakery. Regional comparable in the same state with similar u-pick and farm-market model.
• Stepp's Hillcrest Orchard: NC apple orchard offering u-pick, farm market, school tours, agritourism, and fall activities. Closely comparable agritourism model and Southeastern U.S. operating environment.
• Alstede Farms: New Jersey-based multi-generation family farm offering pick-your-own produce, farm market, ice cream, and seasonal agritourism events. Directly comparable in product mix, customer base, and family-farm positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Huber's Orchard & Winery: Large-scale Indiana agritourism destination with farm market, u-pick, winery, and extensive family attractions. Broader and larger than Vollmer but operates an overlapping business model spanning farm retail, food, and entertainment.
• Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards: Established 100+ year old New York orchard with farm market, hard cider, school tours, and seasonal events. Larger, more diversified operation sharing the multi-generation farm-tainment model.
• Cox Farms: Large Virginia agritourism destination with fall festivals, farm market, and extensive family attractions. Larger and more commercially scaled, but highly comparable in the fall-entertainment / farm-experience positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/tarriverlife
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vollmer-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 Vollmer Farm