Blue Hills Orchard
Blue Hills Orchard is a sixth-generation, family-owned farm in Wallingford, Connecticut that grows apples and stone fruit across 300+ acres and sells directly to consumers via an on-site farm stand, Pick Your Own experiences, school tours, private hay rides, and a partnered hard cider line.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1904
- HeadquartersWallingford, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Blue Hills Orchard does
Blue Hills Orchard is a sixth-generation family-owned and operated farm located on the northern slope of Sleeping Giant Mountain at 141 Blue Hills Road in Wallingford, Connecticut. Established in 1904 by William Henry, the orchard spans over 300 acres, with approximately 250 acres dedicated to apple production across 20+ varieties (including McIntosh, Honeycrisp, Gala, Empire, Cortland, Macoun, Pink Lady, Granny Smith, Fuji, and Braeburn) and 30+ acres in stone fruit (peaches, plums, and nectarines). The orchard maintains over 60,000 trees that require annual pruning and training, and operates seasonally from late July or early August through the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
The business generates revenue through five distinct streams: on-site farm store retail sales of fresh fruit, Pick Your Own experiences at $2.25 per pound on designated weekends, school tours at $7.00 per person with a $150 minimum base charge, private hay rides starting at $200 for groups up to 40 people, and a licensing/royalty arrangement with Massachusetts-based Stormalong Cider for year-round hard cider production. The hard cider is unfiltered, 5.0% alcohol, gluten-free, and uses McIntosh blended with Honeycrisp, Gala, Empire, Cortland, and Macoun apples. Pricing is seasonal and activity-based, with the farm store accepting cash, check, and credit cards.
Today the orchard is managed by Eric Henry, the great-great-grandson of founder William Henry, with his mother Rita handling bookkeeping and his wife Rebecca managing the small retail facility on the farm. The primary customer base consists of local Connecticut families and individual consumers seeking fresh, locally-grown produce and an authentic farm experience, with a secondary segment of regional school groups seeking educational agricultural tours. The company maintains a comprehensive website (bluehillsorchard.com), an email newsletter for community engagement, and a website-only distribution model with no wholesale, e-commerce shipping, or multi-location footprint.
Blue Hills Orchard firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Blue Hills Orchard
- Legal name
- Blue Hills Orchard
- Website
- https://bluehillsorchard.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1904
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Blue Hills Orchard is a sixth-generation, family-owned farm in Wallingford, Connecticut that grows apples and stone fruit across 300+ acres and sells directly to consumers via an on-site farm stand, Pick Your Own experiences, school tours, private hay rides, and a partnered hard cider line.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Blue Hills Orchard industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fruit Orchard and 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 industry
- Stone Fruit Orchards (Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, Cherries, Apricots) (AFAGACAC)
Keywords
Where Blue Hills Orchard is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wallingford
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Blue Hills Orchard business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Farm Stand Retail Sales: On-site farm store sells fresh peaches, plums, nectarines, and apples directly to consumers. Store operates seasonally (opening July/August through Saturday after Thanksgiving). Accepts cash, check, and credit cards.
- Pick Your Own Sales: Customers pick their own fruit on designated weekends. Pricing at $2.25 per pound. Operating Saturdays 10am-5pm and Sundays 10am-4pm during harvest season beginning August 22.
- School Tours: Educational orchard tours for school groups. $7.00 per person with base charge of $150. Includes hay ride, apple tasting, fruit storage tour, 1/4 Peck of PYO apples, and fresh apple cider snack.
- Private Hay Rides: Private orchard wagon tours for groups up to 40 people. Pricing begins at $200 and increases based on number of people and options. Approximately one hour scenic ride through orchard fields.
- Hard Cider Partnership: Partnership with Stormalong Cider (Massachusetts) to produce unfiltered hard cider. Features McIntosh variety blended with New England favorites. Available year-round at 5.0% alcohol, gluten-free with no added sugars.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pick Your Own Apples - $2.25 per pound |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | School Tours - $7.00 per person (minimum $150) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Private Hay Rides - Starting at $200 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels3 records
Blue Hills Orchard product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Blue Hills Orchard is a 300+ acre family-owned fruit farm that grows and sells its own fresh apples, peaches, plums, and nectarines directly to consumers through an on-site farm store, Pick Your Own experiences, school tours, and private hay rides. The orchard also produces a co-branded unfiltered hard cider in partnership with Stormalong Cider. All fruit is grown on the northern slope of Sleeping Giant Mountain in Wallingford, CT, and sold seasonally direct to the public.
Product overview
Blue Hills Orchard is a sixth-generation family farm offering a diversified portfolio of products and services centered on fruit cultivation and agritourism. The core products include fresh apples (250+ acres with 20+ varieties) and stone fruit (30 acres of peaches, nectarines, plums), complemented by a hard cider line produced in partnership with Stormalong Cider. The agritourism services include Pick Your Own experiences, school tours with educational components, and private hay ride tours. The farm also operates a retail store selling its fresh produce directly to consumers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fresh Apples Fresh apples grown across 250 acres including varieties such as McIntosh, Honeycrisp, Gala, Empire, Cortland, Macoun, Early Gold, Paula Red, Ginger Gold, Red Delicious, Opalescent, Golden Delicious, Mutsu, Evercrisp, Ludacrisp, Cameo, Ida Red, Roxbury Russet, Golden Russet, Braeburn, Fuji, Pink Lady, and Granny Smith. Sold at the on-site farm store and harvested during Pick Your Own weekends.
- Stone Fruit Stone fruit including peaches (yellow and white varieties), nectarines (yellow and white), flat (donut) peaches, and plums cultivated across approximately 30 acres. Sold at the on-site farm store during the summer season.
- Hard Cider Unfiltered hard cider produced in partnership with Stormalong Cider, featuring McIntosh blended with Honeycrisp, Gala, Empire, Cortland, and Macoun apples. Gluten-free with 5.0% alcohol, no added sugars, water, or concentrates; available year-round.
- Pick Your Own Experience Customer-operated fruit picking experience on the orchard, with wagon rides to designated picking areas. Operating Saturdays 10am-5pm and Sundays 10am-4pm during apple harvest season at $2.25 per pound, with picking containers provided.
- School Tours Educational orchard tours lasting 1.5 to 2 hours for school groups, including hay ride, apple tasting, fruit storage tour, 1/4 peck of Pick Your Own apples, and fresh apple cider snack. Priced at $7.00 per person with a $150 minimum base charge, accommodating up to 50 people on the wagon.
- Private Orchard Hay Rides Private group wagon tours through the orchard with scenic Wallingford views, accommodating up to 40 people for approximately one hour. Pricing starts at $200 and increases based on group size and options; bookings taken for birthdays, anniversaries, and graduations.
- Farm Store On-farm retail facility operated by Rebecca Henry selling fresh produce including peaches, plums, nectarines, and apples. Open Friday through Sunday during season, accepting cash, check, and credit cards.
Companies that use Blue Hills Orchard
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Blue Hills Orchard technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Blue Hills Orchard partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Stormalong CiderminorBlue Hills Orchard partnered with Massachusetts-based craft cidery Stormalong Cider to produce an unfiltered hard cider reminiscent of their farmstand cider. The cider features McIntosh variety blended with other New England favorites (Honeycrisp, Gala, Empire, Cortland, Macoun). Available year-round at 5.0% alcohol, gluten-free with no added sugars, water, or concentrates.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Blue Hills Orchard competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Blue Hills Orchard social profiles
Digital presenceBlue Hills Orchard financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Blue Hills Orchard leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Blue Hills Orchard funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Blue Hills Orchard M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Blue Hills Orchard
What does Blue Hills Orchard do?
Blue Hills Orchard is a 300+ acre family-owned fruit farm that grows and sells its own fresh apples, peaches, plums, and nectarines directly to consumers through an on-site farm store, Pick Your Own experiences, school tours, and private hay rides. The orchard also produces a co-branded unfiltered hard cider in partnership with Stormalong Cider. All fruit is grown on the northern slope of Sleeping Giant Mountain in Wallingford, CT, and sold seasonally direct to the public.
Is Blue Hills Orchard a public or private company?
Blue Hills Orchard is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Blue Hills Orchard founded?
Blue Hills Orchard was founded in 1904. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Blue Hills Orchard based?
Blue Hills Orchard is headquartered in Wallingford, United States, in the North America region.
How does Blue Hills Orchard make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Farm Stand Retail Sales are the primary driver. The others are pick Your Own Sales, school Tours, private Hay Rides and hard Cider Partnership.
Does Blue Hills Orchard have an API?
No public API is recorded for Blue Hills Orchard.
What industry is Blue Hills Orchard in?
Blue Hills Orchard's product category is Fruit Orchard and Agritourism. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAGACAJ, Cider & Orchard Fruit Production (Apples/pears for cider & processing), with a secondary code of AFAGACAC, Stone Fruit Orchards (Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, Cherries, Apricots). Its NAICS code is 111331 and its SIC code is 100.