Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard Educational Foundation, Inc.

What Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard Educational Foundation, Inc. does

Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard Educational Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity founded in 1925 by Richard and Laurine Kimmel, operating a working orchard, vineyard, and educational destination on a contiguous property at 5995 G Road in Nebraska City, Nebraska. The organization runs an on-site Apple Barn retail market, U-Pick fruit operations (strawberries, peaches, blackberries, apples), a wine tasting room drawing from an on-site vineyard, and over two miles of educational nature trails. Educational programming is delivered through the Kimmel Education and Research Center in partnership with University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, encompassing K-12 and adult tours, entomology and pollinator workshops, and summer internships.

The organization serves three primary customer segments: families and general public visitors (primary) seeking U-pick experiences and seasonal festivals; students, educators, and UNL-affiliated researchers using the lab, conference, and outdoor classroom facilities; and corporate and social event planners booking facility rentals. It monetizes through one-time retail purchases (fruit, wine, baked goods from the on-site Kimmel Kitchen), festival admission and activity fees (AppleJack, Fresh Fruit Festival, Scarecrow Festival, Christmas at Kimmel with German Christmas Market), event hosting fees, educational program fees, and charitable donations routed through a Support Us program. Marketing is executed through a content website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, email newsletter, and the OrderSpoon online registration platform; live-view webcams are deployed on-site.

Recent strategic activity has centered on conservation credentialing rather than geographic expansion. Kimmel Orchard received Nebraska Pollinator Habitat certification in 2024 and Monarch Waystation certification in 2025 (first in Otoe County, one of only 10 sites statewide), and has documented three IUCN Red List pollinator species on-site, including the Endangered Southern Plains Bumble Bee. The organization is supported by a broader Kimmel community network that includes the Kimmel Foundation, Kregel Windmill Factory Museum, and KHN Center for the Arts, which together reinforce its positioning as a heritage agritourism and conservation-education destination in southeast Nebraska.

Name

Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard Educational Foundation, Inc.

Legal name

Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard Educational Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://www.kimmelorchard.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1925 in Nebraska City, Nebraska, operating a working orchard, vineyard, Apple Barn retail market, wine tasting room, and UNL-affiliated educational research center serving families, students, and corporate event clients through U-pick experiences, seasonal festivals, and conservation programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agritourism and Educational Orchard Destination

NAICS

Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (1113), Apple Orchards (111331), Grape Vineyards (111332)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Cider & Orchard Fruit Production (Apples/pears for cider & processing) (AFAGACAJ)

Keywords

• Agritourism experiences
• Orchard fruit sales
• Wine tasting venue
• Agricultural education programs
• Event facility rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Nebraska City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Fruit Sales: The orchard sells fresh produce including apples, peaches, pears, and cherries directly to consumers through the Apple Barn store and U-pick operations.
2. Wine Sales: Kimmel Vineyard produces and sells wines, with a wine tasting room available for visitors to sample and purchase products.
3. Event Hosting and Facility Rentals: The venue offers meeting spaces for social and corporate events, generating revenue through facility rentals.
4. Educational Programs: The Kimmel Education and Research Center provides educational courses, workshops, and internship programs, including offerings in entomology and biodiversity research.
5. Festival Admissions and Activities: Seasonal festivals such as AppleJack Festival, Scarecrow Festival, Fresh Fruit Festival, and Christmas at Kimmel with German Christmas Market generate admission and activity fees.
6. Donations and Support: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity, Kimmel Orchard accepts charitable contributions and support through its 'Support Us' program.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard Educational Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a historic orchard and vineyard in Nebraska City, NE. Its core offerings include U-pick and pre-picked fresh fruit sales (apples, peaches, pears, cherries, berries), an on-site Apple Barn retail market, a Wine Tasting Room, seasonal festivals, educational tours and research programs in partnership with University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and event facility rentals for corporate and social gatherings.

Product overview

Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard is a single, unified agritourism destination offering a diverse portfolio of interconnected experiences: visitors can pick their own fruit at the U-Pick Barn, shop fresh produce and baked goods at the Apple Barn Market, taste wines at the Wine Tasting Room, explore over two miles of Nature Trails, and participate in Educational Tours and Internship Programs. The organization also operates a certified Pollinator Playground/Monarch Waystation for conservation education, a Vineyard for wine production, and offers Facilities & Rentals for events. The Lab & Research Facilities, operated in partnership with UNL Extension, provide additional educational programming. All offerings center on the historic 1925 orchard and its mission of agricultural education, research, and historic preservation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Apple Barn Market
• Wine Tasting Room On-site wine tasting facility offering wines produced from the Kimmel Vineyard, allowing visitors to sample and purchase local and regional varietals.
• U-Pick Barn Pick-your-own fruit experience allowing visitors to harvest fresh strawberries, peaches, blackberries, apples, and other seasonal produce directly from the orchard.
• Educational Tours Immersive nature-based educational programs covering science, entomology, orchard habitats, and agricultural principles for students, families, and visitors of all ages.
• Lab & Research Facilities Research and conference facility featuring a conference room with technology, outdoor classroom, and over two miles of educational trail system for hands-on and virtual learning, operated in partnership with University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
• Nature Trail Over two miles of winding educational trail system providing outdoor learning opportunities in natural settings across the orchard property.
• Pollinator Playground Certified Nebraska Pollinator Habitat and Monarch Waystation featuring native plantings that support pollinators including Monarch butterflies and serve as an educational conservation resource.
• Vineyard On-site vineyard producing wine grapes for the winery operation and offering educational programming about viticulture and winemaking.
• Facilities & Rentals Meeting and event spaces available for social and corporate events, accommodating groups of various sizes at the Nebraska City orchard destination.
• Internship Programs Summer internship opportunities providing hands-on experience in orchard management, landscape operations, and agricultural research for students.
• Orchard Fruit Fresh produce including apples, peaches, pears, and cherries grown on the orchard, available for purchase in-store and via U-pick harvesting.
• Kimmel Kitchen On-site kitchen preparing baked goods, preserves, and other prepared foods using orchard-grown produce for retail sale at the Apple Barn.
• Educational Research Center Collaborative research facility operated with University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, providing resources for faculty, staff, and community learning.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKimmel Orchard serves as the Kimmel Education and Research Center in partnership with UNL. The university utilizes the facility's conference rooms, outdoor classrooms, educational trail system, and lab spaces. UNL faculty and staff provide educational programming and the facility connects visitors with extensive UNL resources.
• Kimmel FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Kimmel Foundation supports the orchard as part of the broader Kimmel Community, which includes Kregel Windmill Factory Museum and KHN Center for the Arts. The foundation provides organizational support and connects the orchard to broader community educational initiatives.
• 402 LemonademinorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal vendor providing refreshments at events such as the Fresh Fruit Festival and A Night in Bloom, enhancing the visitor experience at seasonal programming.
• Nebraska Pollinator Habitat ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with UNL's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources for Nebraska Pollinator Habitat Certification, validating the orchard's conservation efforts and providing educational framework for pollinator programming.
• Monarch WatchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough Monarch Waystation certification, Kimmel Orchard participates in the national Monarch Watch program dedicated to conserving Monarch butterfly populations through habitat creation and citizen science.
• Journey NorthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCitizen science partnership allowing Kimmel staff to log pollinator sightings including Monarch butterflies to contribute to continental migration tracking efforts.
• Great Plains Master BeekeepingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership providing bee-related programming and resources as part of the pollinator education initiative.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Huber's Orchard & Winery: Family-owned Starlight, Indiana destination combining orchards, U-pick, vineyards, winery, tasting room, farm market, and event/facility rentals — a near-exact structural match to Kimmel's orchard + vineyard + hospitality model.
• Lyman Orchards: Connecticut orchard and farm market offering U-pick apples, peaches, pears, and berries, plus a cider/creamery, golf, and event facilities — a multi-product agricultural destination similar to Kimmel's diversified experience portfolio.
• Terhune Orchards: Family-owned orchard and farm winery in Princeton, NJ offering U-pick berries, apples, and pumpkins, a farm store, wine tasting room, and seasonal events and educational programming — directly comparable to Kimmel's U-pick + retail + wine + events model.
• Carter Mountain Orchard: Virginia orchard in Charlottesville offering U-pick apples and peaches, farm market, bakery, and on-site Hard Cider/Winery plus seasonal festivals and events — comparable in combining orchard production with retail, wine, and agritourism.
• Penn's Woods Winery: Pennsylvania winery with on-site vineyard and tasting events, illustrating a comparable integrated vineyard + tasting room experience that mirrors Kimmel's wine tourism component.
• Shelburne Orchards: Vermont orchard producing apples, peaches, pears, and cherries with on-site winery and tasting room — closely comparable to Kimmel in fruit diversity and vineyard integration.
• Arbor Day Farm: Headquartered in Nebraska City, NE, just minutes from Kimmel Orchard. Arbor Day Farm is also a nonprofit educational foundation offering an orchard, vineyard, farm-to-table dining, and event venues in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, making it the closest comparable in mission, geography, and product mix.
• Kauffman Fruit Farm: Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania orchard and farm market offering cherries, peaches, apples, and seasonal produce along with on-site bakery — comparable to Kimmel's farm store and orchard U-pick model.
• Beak & Skiff: Fifth-generation New York orchard with U-pick apples, on-site distillery and 1911 Established cider line, farm store, and event space — closely comparable to Kimmel as an orchard rooted in heritage that has layered on-site beverage and hospitality.
• Stribling Orchard: Virginia orchard with U-pick apples, peaches, and pumpkins plus an associated tasting room and wine sales — directly comparable to Kimmel's orchard + wine tourism combo.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xfacebook.com/kimmelorchard
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCyUaHvRCKg34N3nzYt8DkLQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/kimmelorchard
• Instagraminstagram.com/kimmelorchard
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kimmel-orchard

Compliance3 records

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 Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard Educational Foundation, Inc.