Red Fern Farm

What Red Fern Farm does

Red Fern Farm is a privately held family agroforestry operation located in Wapello, Louisa County, Iowa, co-owned and operated by Tom Wahl and Kathy Dice. The farm cultivates cold-hardy specialty tree crops — including Chinese chestnuts, pawpaws, American persimmons, heartnuts, cornelian cherries, and hazels — on approximately 10 acres of plantings, with around 1,200 chestnut trees and over 2 acres of aronia berries as understory. Its core differentiator is a multi-decade breeding program that has produced a portfolio of named, proprietary cultivars (Mark, Mike, Resilient, Red Fern Super, Qingsu, Ken, Chateau Rouge, Arbor Laedi, Asp chestnuts; Asterion, Canopus, Regulus, Rigel, and other full-sibling pawpaws; KimK heartnut) selected for cold-hardiness, yield reliability, and nut quality under Midwest conditions.

The business operates a hybrid direct-to-consumer model anchored by reservation-only you-pick experiences ($25 minimum checkout, weekday and weekend slots, with primitive grove camping for multi-day visitors) and an e-commerce storefront on WordPress/WooCommerce that ships scion wood, seed nuts, culinary chestnuts and heartnuts, freeze-dried American persimmon products, and dried shiitake mushrooms via USPS to the continental U.S. (excluding several states under plant quarantine). Professional agroforestry consultation services with the founders are offered as a separate revenue stream, and bulk/wholesale pricing exists for farmers market resellers of pawpaws. In 2023, Red Fern formally divested its tree nursery operations, transferring seed genetics and growing practices to a network of partner nurseries — notably Canopy Farm Management (Illinois/Wisconsin), Olivia's Orchard, Lola's Nursery, and Plate Specialty Seedlings — that now propagate Red Fern's genetics downstream.

Marketing and customer acquisition are primarily organic and content-led: an extensive blog, a YouTube channel featuring conference and workshop recordings, crop-specific email notification lists, and recurring co-hosted workshops with Practical Farmers of Iowa and the Sustainable Iowa Land Trust. The farm has received regional recognition including the 2016 Women Impacting the Land award (Kathy Dice, Iowa State Extension) and is referenced in university-level chestnut research collaborations with the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry. The farm does not publish financial results and operates as a bootstrapped, owner-operated specialty agriculture business.

Name

Red Fern Farm

Legal name

Red Fern Farm

Website

https://redfernfarm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Red Fern Farm is a family-run Iowa agroforestry operation that grows cold-hardy specialty tree crops (chestnuts, pawpaws, persimmons, heartnuts) and sells them via reservation-only you-pick visits, a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront carrying proprietary cultivars and freeze-dried products, partner-nursery propagation, and agroforestry consulting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Agroforestry / Tree Crop Farming

NAICS

Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (1113), Fruit and Tree Nut Combination Farming (111336), Tree Nut Farming (111335)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Forest Nurseries, Seed Orchards & Genetic Improvement (AFAMAAAD)

Keywords

• Agroforestry products
• Specialty tree crops
• You-pick farming
• Nut tree genetics
• Freeze dried fruits

Headquarters

HQ city

Wapello

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. You-Pick Farm Sales: Customers visit the farm by reservation to harvest fruits and nuts themselves. Minimum $25 checkout per visit. You-pick available for chestnuts, pawpaws, persimmons, heartnuts, cornelian cherries, hazels, and spicebush berries. Pricing varies by crop and whether customer picks or farm picks.
2. Direct Farm Product Sales (Shipped): Sells scion wood, seed nuts, seed, freeze dried persimmons, culinary nuts (chestnuts, heartnuts), and dried shiitake mushrooms through the website. Products ship via USPS. Sales closed for some items due to high demand.
3. Tree Nursery (Retired 2023): Previously operated a full-time tree nursery business selling seedling trees. Retired in 2023 to concentrate on other farm operations. Passed genetics and growing practices to Canopy nursery.
4. Tree Shelters and Stakes: Sells Plantra tree shelters, stakes, and combo packages for pickup at farm. Does not ship these items. Supports tree planting operations.
5. Consultation Services: Offers consultation services with Tom Wahl and Kathy Dice for those thinking about planting chestnuts or developing agroforestry systems.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Red Fern Farm is a small family-run agroforestry farm that grows, breeds, and sells specialty tree crops including cold-hardy Chinese chestnuts, pawpaws, American persimmons, heartnuts, cornelian cherries, and hazelnuts. It sells these as fresh culinary nuts, freeze-dried persimmon snacks, dried shiitake mushrooms, seed nuts, and scion wood through a reservation-only you-pick program at the farm and an online store that ships across the continental US. The farm also provides on-farm consultation services and distributes tree-planting supplies (Plantra tree shelters and stakes) for pickup.

Product overview

Red Fern Farm is a specialty agricultural operation offering a diverse portfolio of products centered on nuts, fruits, and tree planting materials. The core offerings include culinary products (fresh chestnuts, heartnuts, persimmons, freeze-dried fruits, dried shiitakes) and extensive planting materials (seed nuts, scion wood for grafting in over 50 tree varieties including apple, pear, plum, chestnut, pawpaw, persimmon, heartnut, hickory, pecan, mulberry, and cornelian cherry). The farm also sells tree protection equipment (shelters and stakes) and agritourism experiences (you-pick harvest events). Professional consultation services on agroforestry and tree crop cultivation are also offered. The business operates a retail e-commerce store powered by WordPress/WooCommerce.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chestnut Seed Nuts Seed nuts for growing Chinese chestnut seedlings from named grafted varieties or superb seedlings, including Gideon, Scott, Szego, and cold-hardy collections. Sold by the pound at $25/lb or $20/lb for 5+ lbs.
• Chestnuts to Eat Fresh culinary chestnuts sold in 5 lb ($35), 10 lb ($70), or 25 lb ($125) bags, all large size.
• Chestnut Scion Wood Grafting wood from chestnut varieties including Chateau Rouge, Ken, Luvall's Monster, Mike, Qing, QingSu, Resilient, and others, sold at $5/stick (8 inches) with $10 minimum shipping; ships in spring only.
• American Persimmon Seed American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) seeds from Morris Burton, Prok, Yates, and other varieties, priced from $1 to $75 depending on weight.
• Freeze Dried American Persimmon Freeze-dried treats made from ripe American persimmons, offered as Brittle or Chunks in Prok, Yates, Morris Burton, or Mixed varieties, priced $6-$8 per package.
• American Persimmon Scion Wood Grafting wood from 26+ American persimmon varieties including Prok, Morris Burton, Yates, Early Golden, and others, sold at $5/stick.
• Pawpaw Seed Seeds for growing pawpaw seedlings from named grafted varieties or superb seedlings including the Shensus line, with 310-350 seeds per pound, priced $17-$85.
• Pawpaw Scion Wood Grafting wood from pawpaw varieties including proprietary Red Fern Farm breeds Asterion, Canopus, Betria, and others, sold at $6/stick.
• Heartnut Seed Nuts Heartnut seed nuts from Imshu, KimK, Grimo, or mixed varieties, for growing heartnut seedlings.
• Heartnuts to Eat Culinary heartnuts sold by the pound, including KimK and mixed varieties, cured for excellent eating quality at $8-$10/lb.
• Heartnut and Black Walnut Scion Wood Grafting wood from heartnut varieties Grimo, Mitchell, Kim K and black walnut varieties Hay and Sparks 147, sold at $5/stick.
• Dried Shiitake Caps Dried shiitake mushroom caps grown on chestnut and oak logs, sold in 1-ounce resealable bags.
• Apple Scion Wood Grafting wood from apple varieties including heritage selections like Ashmead's Kernel, Cox's Orange Pippin, and disease-resistant Liberty.
• Asian Pear Scion Wood Grafting wood from Asian pear varieties including Korean Giant, Nijisseiki, Summercrisp, and others.
• European Pear Scion Wood Grafting wood from European pear varieties including Comice, Magness, and cold-hardy varieties like Luscious.
• Plum Scion Wood Grafting wood from plum varieties including Superior, Waneta, and Shiro.
• Hickory and Pecan Scion Wood Grafting wood from hickory varieties Simpson and Yoder #1 and pecan varieties Hark and Walker I.
• Illinois Everbearing Mulberry Scion Wood Grafting wood from Illinois Everbearing Mulberry, a heavy bearer of large, high quality fruit ripening June through frost.
• Cornelian Cherry Scion Wood Grafting wood from Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) varieties including Pioneer, Grenadier, and Svetlyachok.
• 18-inch Mesh Tree Shelters Mesh tree shelters for protecting shrubs from rabbits, sold in bundles of 10 at $10/bundle. Pickup only at the farm.
• Plantra 5-foot Tree Shelters Five-foot tall ventilated Plantra tree shelters for protecting trees from deer, herbicide spray, rabbits, and mowing damage; $5 individual, $48/10-pack, $237.50/50-pack. Pickup only.
• Plantra Shelter and Stake Combo Bundle including 5-foot Plantra shelter, 74-inch fiberglass SunFlex stake, ties and bluebird netting for complete tree protection; $7.25 individual, $69.50/10-pack, $324.50/50-pack. Pickup only.
• Plantra Fiberglass Tree Stakes 74-inch fiberglass SunFlex stakes that flex in wind to develop sturdy tree trunks; $4 individual, $38/10-pack, $187.50/50-pack. Pickup only.
• You-Pick Harvest Experience Reservation-only on-farm harvest experiences for chestnuts, pawpaws, persimmons, heartnuts, cornelian cherries, hazels, aronia berries, and spicebush berries. $25 minimum checkout, picking hours 1 PM to sunset, weekday discounts available, primitive camping in groves ($50/day minimum purchase).
• Agroforestry Consultation with Tom Wahl and Kathy Dice One-on-one consultation services with Tom Wahl and Kathy Dice on tree crop growing, agroforestry systems, variety selection, and farm planning for those thinking about planting chestnuts or developing agroforestry systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• Chestnut yields of 3,000+ lbs/acre at 12-15 years maturity; wholesale value $2-$3/lb in Iowa
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Canopy Farm ManagementcoreTechnology or IntegrationRed Fern Farm passed on their excellent seed genetics and growing practices to Canopy Farm Management after retiring from the nursery business in 2023. Canopy offers potted and bare-root trees to customers who previously purchased from Red Fern Farm. Canopy has locations in Illinois and Wisconsin and also offers tree planting, care, harvest support, and crop marketing services.
• Practical Farmers of IowacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership to host chestnut workshops and educational events. Co-hosted a full-day chestnut workshop covering all aspects of production and marketing in the Midwest. Practical Farmers of Iowa videoed the conference presentations. Preregistration costs $10-$60 depending on membership.
• Sustainable Iowa Land Trust (SILT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted a farm showcase at Red Fern Farm on September 20, 2017. Event included farm tour of chestnut and pawpaw groves, lunch, and information about protecting farmland with SILT. A lawyer and appraiser were available to answer questions about land easements.
• Olivia's Orchard (Elana Gingerich)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSmall nursery near Parnell, Iowa sourcing much of its seed from Red Fern Farm. Now offers excellent pawpaw trees and has developed some unique varieties. Continues the genetics lineage of Red Fern Farm in the nursery trade.
• Plate Specialty SeedlingsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSmall nursery in Grinnell, Iowa managed by Andy Plate. Specializes in high quality potted chestnut seedlings. Customers can contact at 641-990-7350 or [email protected].
• Prairie Grove Chestnut Growers (Roger Smith)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRoger Smith, manager and owner, buys and sells chestnuts commercially. In 2018 sorted, bagged and sold over 84,000 pounds of chestnuts from Iowa, Missouri and Illinois. Partnered with Tom Wahl on commercial chestnut growing conferences and sees no end to market potential.
• University of Missouri Center for AgroforestryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMike Gold, Associate Director, spoke at the Commercial Chestnut Growing Conference at Letts, Iowa. Provided chestnut cultivar handout and presentation video. The Center for Agroforestry provides university research backing for chestnut and agroforestry production.
• Iowa State University ExtensionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIowa State Extension sponsored the 'Women Impacting the Land' award recognizing Kathy Dice in 2016. Also co-sponsored the Commercial Chestnut Growing Conference in 2017 with Practical Farmers of Iowa.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Edible Acres: New York-based agroforestry-focused nursery and permaculture operation selling chestnuts, pawpaws, heartnuts, and other multi-functional trees with an emphasis on perennial polyculture and food forest design. Comparable agroforestry philosophy and crop overlap.

Direct peers

• Olivia's Orchard: Small Iowa nursery near Parnell run by Elana Gingerich, sourcing much of its seed from Red Fern Farm and developing unique pawpaw varieties. Continues the genetics lineage of Red Fern in the nursery trade. Closely comparable direct peer and existing partner.
• Empire Chestnut Company: One of the largest chestnut growers in North America, based in Ohio. Operates commercial chestnut orchards and sells fresh, dried, and value-added chestnut products directly to consumers and wholesale. Most directly comparable farm-scale chestnut peer.
• Forrest Keeling Nursery: Midwestern tree nursery specializing in native fruit- and nut-bearing trees, including chestnuts, pawpaws, and persimmons. Sells bare-root and containerized stock to commercial growers and conservation projects. Comparable as a regional propagator of the same species Red Fern grows.
• Burnt Ridge Nursery & Orchards: Pacific Northwest nursery and orchard growing chestnuts, pawpaws, persimmons, heartnuts, and many other unusual fruit and nut trees. Sells both trees and fruit. Comparable as a multi-species nut/fruit specialty nursery with on-farm production.
• Route 9 Cooperative: Ohio-based chestnut nursery run by Greg and Amy Miller. Sells grafted chestnut trees and is flagged on Red Fern's website for caution due to Chestnut Gall Wasp and chestnut weevils in the region. Comparable direct peer in chestnut nursery with similar genetics focus.
• Nolin River Nut Tree Nursery: Kentucky-based nursery specializing in grafted nut trees including chestnuts, heartnuts, hickories, and persimmons. Sells improved cultivars to growers across the Eastern U.S. Direct comparable as a nut-tree specialist nursery serving hobbyist and commercial growers.
• Canopy Farm Management: Tree nursery with operations in Illinois and Wisconsin that inherited Red Fern's seed genetics and growing practices in 2023. Offers potted and bare-root trees plus tree planting, care, harvest support, and crop marketing services. Closely comparable as a Midwest nut/fruit tree nursery operating in adjacent geographies.

Broad incumbents

• One Green World: Oregon-based nursery specializing in rare and unusual fruit, nut, and berry plants including chestnuts, pawpaws, persimmons, and heartnuts. Comparable as a multi-species fruit/nut nursery with similar crop portfolio.
• Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards: Largest and longest-established U.S. fruit and nut tree nursery (Missouri, founded 1816). Offers chestnut, pawpaw, persimmon, and heartnut varieties alongside a much broader fruit tree catalog. Comparable broad incumbent in the fruit/nut tree nursery category.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC2LULlliBAvMJCy1rbL5DVA
• Facebookfacebook.com/redfernfarm.iowa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/red-fern-farm-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Red Fern Farm