Rulfs Orchard

What Rulfs Orchard does

Rulfs Orchard is a family-owned, single-site farm operation headquartered at 531 Bear Swamp Road in Peru, New York, founded by Bob Rulfs on March 19, 1952 as a small dairy with 12 acres of apple trees and since re-oriented around fruit production, value-added food, and agritourism. The business is structured as Rulfs Orchard LLC, operates year-round with 11-50 employees, and runs a diversified portfolio spanning an on-site farm store and bakery, a cafe serving sandwiches, homemade ice cream, and fresh cider, seven greenhouses for annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetable starters, Proven Winners plants, and landscaping materials, six seasonal U-pick crops (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, tomatoes, apples, pumpkins), a petting zoo, kids play area, event pavilion, and a recurring corn maze with flashlight nights and group tours. The bakery, opened in 1987, has produced an apple pie named one of America's Best Apple Pies by The Daily Meal and anchors the food retail line alongside donuts, quiches, cookies, and seasonal treats.

The company monetizes through multiple unit-priced pay-as-you-go streams: year-round farm store retail with drive-thru and walk-up service, U-pick pricing per pound or per container (strawberries $4.50/lb, blueberries $4.50/lb, raspberries $5.00/lb, apples from $4 per quarter-peck to $65 per Honeycrisp bushel, pumpkins $0.50/lb capped at $10), event admissions (corn maze $6-$8, flashlight nights $8, holiday cookie parties $15), wholesale distribution to area grocery stores and businesses, an online web store offering self-pickup, drive-thru pickup, and shipping on select items, and seasonal landscaping delivery within a 20-mile radius. Pricing tiers span greenhouse stock (pansies $3.29 per 6-pack, mulch $53 per yard, delivery $25-$65 by distance), Christmas trees and wreaths (Balsam Fir 3-5 ft at $32.99 to Fraser Fir 9-10 ft at $99.99), and specialty doughnuts at $3 each.

Go-to-market is hybrid: direct-to-consumer farm retail and U-pick form the core, layered with seasonal event-driven traffic (corn maze, flashlight nights, color run partnership with North Country Mission of Hope), and a community-led motion built on donation requests, school field trips, and group tours. Customer segments are predominantly local families and individual consumers, supplemented by area grocery and wholesale buyers, schools and community groups, and event participants. Marketing is conducted via organic social (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Messenger under @rulfsorchard), the company website and news blog, customer reviews, and recurring community partnerships. There is no external institutional ownership, no disclosed funding rounds, and no app or AI-enabled technology layer; the operation is a traditional, family-run diversified farm business with broad community embedment in the North Country region of New York.

Name

Rulfs Orchard

Legal name

Rulfs Orchard LLC

Website

https://rulfsorchard.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rulfs Orchard is a family-owned farm in Peru, NY, operating since 1952, running a year-round farm store, award-winning bakery, cafe, seven greenhouses, six seasonal u-pick crops, and agritourism events for local families, wholesale grocery buyers, schools, and community groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Orchard Farm Market & Agritourism

NAICS

Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (1113), Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (444240)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Farmers’ Markets & Farm Stands (Fresh Food) (CRAHAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Farmstead & Local Artisan Food Markets (Retail Shops) (CRAHAGAO)

Keywords

• U-pick farm operations
• Farm fresh produce
• Bakery and cider
• Greenhouse and nursery
• Agritourism events

Headquarters

HQ city

Peru

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Farm Store & Bakery: On-farm retail store selling fresh produce, baked goods, cider, ice cream, and merchandise. The farm stand is open year-round, providing consistent retail revenue. Bakery products include donuts, pies (notably apple pie recognized nationally), quiches, cookies, and seasonal treats.
2. U-Pick Operations: Seasonal pick-your-own fruits and vegetables including strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, tomatoes, apples, and pumpkins. Customers pay per pound or per unit for produce they harvest themselves, with wagon rides available during fall pumpkin season.
3. Wholesale Distribution: Wholesale products to many area grocery stores and other businesses. Diversified revenue stream beyond direct retail operations.
4. Event Admissions: Corn maze and flashlight nights with ticket sales, plus seasonal event fees for activities like pumpkin launching. Event space rental for private parties at pavilion and picnic areas.
5. Greenhouse & Garden Products: Annual and perennial plants, vegetable starters, herbs, trees, shrubs, mulch, topsoil, and garden mix sold to consumers for home gardening. Includes landscaping product delivery within 20 miles.
6. Online Ordering: Web store with self pickup, drive-thru pickup, and shipping on select items. Orders processed 24 hours after placement, with pickup options for merchandise, produce, and other products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Rulfs Orchard is a family-owned, multi-generational farm in Peru, NY operating a year-round farm market, bakery, cafe, ice cream counter, and seven greenhouses. The farm grows apples, berries, vegetables, and pumpkins for both pre-picked retail sales and seasonal u-pick experiences, produces fresh cider through an on-site mill, and bakes award-winning pies, donuts, and quiches. It also operates a petting zoo, kids play area, seasonal corn maze, event pavilion, and online ordering with pickup and shipping options.

Product overview

Rulfs Orchard is a family-owned farm established in 1952 offering a diversified portfolio of products and experiences. The core offerings include a year-round farm store and bakery (featuring award-winning pies recognized nationally), a cafe serving sandwiches, homemade ice cream, and seasonal u-pick operations for berries, apples, tomatoes, and pumpkins. The farm operates seven greenhouses for plant sales and landscaping products. Seasonal attractions include a corn maze with flashlight nights, petting zoo, kids play area, and event space rentals. An online web store enables remote ordering with pickup and shipping. Additional seasonal offerings include fresh cider, specialty quiches, rotating doughnut flavors, and Christmas trees/wreaths during the holiday season. The business also supports community giving through donation requests and offers group tour experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Farm Store / Roadside Stand Year-round on-farm retail store offering fresh produce, apples, jarred goods, local products, cider, ice cream, and merchandise. Open daily with drive-thru and walk-up service for local consumers.
• Bakery Full-service on-site bakery featuring award-winning apple pies (named one of America's Best by The Daily Meal), apple crumb pies, donuts, quiches, cookies, cookie platters, and seasonal treats available in multiple sizes for retail and Thanksgiving/holiday orders.
• Cafe On-site cafe serving sandwiches such as turkey bacon panini and breakfast quesadilla, plus beverages, in a year-round farm-side dining setting for visitors.
• Homemade Ice Cream Homemade ice cream served at the farm stand for walk-in and drive-thru customers.
• U-Pick Produce Seasonal pick-your-own operations including strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, tomatoes, apples, and pumpkins, with wagon rides during the fall pumpkin season. Customers pay per pound or per unit to harvest produce themselves.
• Greenhouse / Nursery Seven greenhouses offering annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetable starters, hanging baskets, certified Proven Winner plants, plus mulch, topsoil, and garden mix for landscaping, with delivery within 20 miles.
• Petting Zoo Interactive animal area featuring alpacas, goats, donkeys, a horse, cows, and bunnies located near the kids play area for visiting families.
• Corn Maze & Flashlight Nights Annual corn maze attraction with different themes, open September through October, including nighttime flashlight events. Tickets sold online via TicketSpice with group rates for parties of 20 or more.
• Event Space / Pavilion Rental Outdoor pavilion available for rent at $150 per day (8AM-5PM), plus a concrete picnic area with 10 tables near the playground for private parties, group events, and corporate outings.
• Web Store / Online Ordering Online ordering system for tote bags, apple shippers, jam shippers, and merchandise with self pickup, drive-thru pickup, and shipping options on select items. Orders processed 24 hours after placement.
• Christmas Trees & Wreaths Seasonal holiday offerings including Fraser Fir and Balsam Fir trees in various sizes, plus plain, decorated, and bow wreaths, available during the Christmas season.
• Fresh Cider Fresh apple cider pressed on-site from orchard apples and sold seasonally at the farm stand and via the web store.
• Group Tours Organized group visits and school field trips with downloadable flyers, arranged by contacting the store, providing hands-on agricultural experiences for schools, scouts, and community organizations.
• Wholesale Distribution Wholesale supply of apples and other farm products to many area grocery stores and local businesses, diversifying revenue beyond direct retail.

Quantifiable outcome

• Listed among America's Best Apple Pies by The Daily Meal

Named customers6 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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• North Country Mission of HopeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 May 2020Annual partnership for Color Run/Walk event. Rulfs Orchard serves as the venue for the 5k fun run/walk through the apple orchard. Proceeds benefit North Country Mission of Hope, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to fostering hope and empowering relationships with people of Nicaragua through sustainable programs in education, healthcare, community and ecological development.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Indian Ladder Farms: NY family-owned orchard in Altamont offering pick-your-own fruit, farm store, bakery, brewery, and seasonal events. Closely mirrors Rulfs Orchard's diversified farm-market-plus-agritainment model in a similar upstate NY setting.
• Terhune Orchards: Princeton, NJ family farm with pick-your-own fruit, farm store, bakery, and on-site winery. Comparable diversified fruit-farm-with-retail model with similar value-added product lines.
• Barton Orchards: Poughquag, NY family farm with U-pick fruit, farm market, corn maze, and seasonal events. Highly comparable multi-revenue-stream agritourism orchard competing in the same Hudson Valley geography.
• Masker Orchards: Warwick, NY apple orchard famous for U-pick and farm stand. Direct peer for the U-pick apple and roadside retail model that is core to Rulfs' seasonal revenue.
• Wickham Farms: Penfield, NY family farm with U-pick berries, farm store, corn maze, and agritainment events. Direct peer in the family-farm agritourism category with overlapping U-pick and event-based revenue.
• Lyman Orchards: Middlefield, CT family-owned orchard (since 1741) with farm store, U-pick apples/berries/ pumpkins, corn maze, and bakery. Closely analogous multi-generational diversified fruit farm with retail and agritourism.
• Fishkill Farms: NY family farm in Hopewell Junction offering organic U-pick fruit, farm store, and seasonal events. Directly comparable diversified fruit farm with U-pick and retail components.
• Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards: Historic New York apple orchard (since 1911) operating a farm store, cidery, distillery, and seasonal agritourism events. Highly comparable multi-generational family orchard business with overlapping U-pick, retail store, and value-added product strategy in the same NY geography.
• Pennings Farm Market: Warwick, NY farm market with on-site bakery, garden center, and seasonal events. Comparable diversified farm-retail operation in NY's Hudson Valley targeting a similar local-family customer segment.

Broad incumbents

• Wegmans: Major regional grocery chain headquartered in Rochester, NY that competes with Rulfs for fresh produce, bakery, and prepared-food spending in the same upstate NY market, but at much greater scale and price point.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC8m3HrgVIFQ4oxFD_kklx2A
• Facebookfacebook.com/rulfsorchard
• Instagraminstagram.com/rulfsorchard
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rulfs-orchard

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Rulfs Orchard