How to Start an Orchard

An orchard may be an extension or addition to an existing farm. It can offer pick-your-own fall family fun or incorporate a cider press and resultant sales of the additional product. It may ship all the fruit wholesale to a food distributor or have a farmer’s market on site.

Ready to turn your business idea into a reality? We recommend forming an LLC as it is the most affordable way to protect your personal assets. You can do this yourself or with our trusted partner for a small fee.

Northwest ($29 + State Fees)

DIY: How to Start an LLC

Start an orchard by following these 10 steps:

  1. Plan your Orchard
  2. Form your Orchard into a Legal Entity
  3. Register your Orchard for Taxes
  4. Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
  5. Set up Accounting for your Orchard
  6. Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Orchard
  7. Get Orchard Insurance
  8. Define your Orchard Brand
  9. Create your Orchard Website
  10. Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your orchard. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

What will you name your business?

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Orchard Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:

  • Your state’s business records
  • Federal and state trademark records
  • Social media platforms
  • Web domain availability

It’s very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

What are the costs involved in opening an orchard?

If you are starting from scratch, remember to include five years of living expenses to your start-up projections. Expect to pay $10 to $20 per tree and be planting 100-400 trees per acre depending on the size of the tree. You’ll need to spend about $5 per tree per year on pesticides, pruning, and fertilizer. Of course, you’ll need to purchase the land in the first place. A small orchard that caters to the farm stand crowd will only need five to ten acres at minimum, but if you’re going to make a decent profit, you’ll want to consider 50 to 100 acres for planting purposes.

Read our orchard purchasing guide to learn about the materials and equipment you’ll need to start an orchard, how much to budget, and where to make purchases.

What are the ongoing expenses for an orchard?

Your expenses will be focused on paying for fertilizer, pest control, and harvesting. You will need to replace some of your trees on a regular basis to maintain the health and vitality of the entire orchard. Payroll during the harvest season will also make a large dent in the checking account.

Who is the target market?

A food distributor for a large supermarket chain will be willing to buy your entire harvest for one price, which guarantees the sale. However, individual customers who pay to pick-your-own from the trees will pay a premium price per pound for the opportunity to explore the rural life for an afternoon. A farm stand can generate income throughout the growing season from your local neighbors.

How does an orchard make money?

Very slowly. Fruit trees require patience and planning before any profit can be generated. Plan to wait at least two years for dwarf variety fruit trees to start bearing fruit and allow up to seven years for larger varieties to mature. You earn a profit by spending as little as possible on the maintenance of your trees and landing a high price when they’re ready to sell.

How much can you charge customers?

Retail pricing for fruits vary over time and in different markets. Typical apple pricing runs from ten cents a pound when selling direct to a distributor and up to two dollars per pound when selling retail direct to a single market customer. However, if you hope to sell the entire harvest at your farm stand, expect to see a significant percentage fail to move. In the right climate, olives can generate impressive income when used for their valuable oil.

How much profit can an orchard make?

Expect not to clear a profit for the first three fruit-bearing years as the orchard pays for the trees and maintenance. After that, you will still be making payments on harvesting equipment. As a sideline, a healthy small orchard of five to ten acres can generate $10,000 a year, but expenses must be deducted before you see profit. The profit margin increases for industrial sized orchards where the cost of machinery is shared over more trees.

How can you make your business more profitable?

Diversification can help you increase profit at an orchard. Plant multiple types of fruits and consider in investing in a cider press or jam kitchen to be able to offer multiple products at your farm stand.

Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC’s free Small Business Startup Guide – a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

One crucial aspect that cannot be overlooked when starting your orchard is the importance of establishing a solid business foundation. While sole proprietorships and partnerships are the most common entity types for small businesses, they’re a far less stable and advantageous option than LLCs.

This is because unincorporated business structures (i.e., sole proprietorships and partnerships) expose you as an owner to personal liability for your business’s debts and legal actions, while LLCs protect you by keeping your personal assets separate from your business’s liabilities.

In practice, this means that if your orchard were to face a lawsuit or incur any debts, your savings, home, and other personal assets could not be used to cover these costs. On top of this, forming your business as an LLC also helps it to appear more legitimate and trustworthy.

More than 84% of our readers opt to collaborate with a professional LLC formation service to kickstart their venture. We’ve negotiated a tailored discount for our readers, bringing the total down to just $29.

FORM YOUR LLC

Note: If you’re interested in more information before getting started, we recommend having a look at our state-specific How to Start an LLC guide (DIY) or our in-depth Best LLC Services review (for those opting for a professional service).

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It’s really easy and free!

You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website. If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

  • Separates your personal assets from your company’s assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
  • Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate an orchard business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.

Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.

Certificate of Occupancy

An orchard is run out of a large outdoor space. Businesses operating out of a physical location typically require a Certificate of Occupancy (CO).  A CO confirms that all building codes, zoning laws and government regulations have been met.  

  • If you plan to lease a location:
    • It is generally the landlord’s responsibility to obtain a CO.
    • Before leasing, confirm that your landlord has or can obtain a valid CO that is applicable to an orchard.
    • After a major renovation, a new CO often needs to be issued. If your place of business will be renovated before opening, it is recommended to include language in your lease agreement stating that lease payments will not commence until a valid CO is issued. 
  • If you plan to purchase or build a location:
    • You will be responsible for obtaining a valid CO from a local government authority.
    • Review all building codes and zoning requirements for your business’ location to ensure your orchard will be in compliance and able to obtain a CO.

Food Regulations

There are federal regulations regarding what can and cannot be added to, sold as, and processed with food. Attached is a resource from the Food and Drug Administration detailing the process of starting a food business: How to Start a Food Business.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers’ Compensation Coverage.

Find out what types of insurance your Orchard needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Orchard.

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market an orchard

While you are waiting for your first crop, you have plenty of time to learn about the different distributors, big city farmers markets, and how other local farms make the most out of their harvest. If you’re staying local, you’ll want to participate in all the county fairs and agricultural meets. Offer free samples and make donations to churches and local organizations. Come harvest time consider buying billboard space and advertise on local radio and television shows. When selling big, you’ll need to contact your buyers a few weeks before harvest to compare pricing and see who might need your truckloads of produce.

How to keep customers coming back

The quality of your fruit will do most of your advertising for you. However, in order to get your name known in the local neighborhood, you’re going to need to make appearances in parades, agricultural shows, school fairs, and even by contacting the local grocery stores to get your fruit in front of local buyers. By maintaining your trees you will grow healthy, fresh fruit that everyone will be looking for next year.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:

  • All legitimate businesses have websites – full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
  • Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
  • Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.

Other popular website builders are: WordPressWIXWeeblySquarespace, and Shopify.

STEP 10: Set up your business phone system

Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2024 to find the best phone service for your small business.

Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com

Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it’s fair pricing.

Is this Business Right For You?

If you have a love of the earth and a love for growing things, you’ve got the first requirement. You must also be willing to work extensive hours during the growing season and have patience for years when the crops struggle to thrive. A small orchard should only be considered as a sideline business.

Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?

Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!

Entrepreneurship Quiz

What happens during a typical day at an orchard?

If you own and operate an orchard, you may be expected to:

  • Determine which trees are optimal for planting in your region and what products are in high demand
  • Plant new trees in the spring
  • Prune, spray, and fertilize trees according to schedule
  • Be able to determine when the crop is ripe and harvest in a timely manner, reducing loss
  • Check trees on a regular basis for disease or infestation
  • Seek best prices for your crop among distributors
  • Maintain a farm stand during the growing season
  • Plan harvest entertainment options for pick-your-own activities
  • Apply for any grants or assistance available to farms or orchards in your region

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful orchard?

The successful orchard grower and owner will have a solid background in:

  • Soil science
  • Agricultural studies
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Understanding of current fruit markets, demand, and pricing
  • Basic business knowledge
  • Time management skills
  • Food handling safety standards
  • Proper harvesting techniques

What is the growth potential for an orchard?

Most orchard businesses only consist of a single orchard. You are better off planning ahead when planting a vast orchard, as every hill and valley will affect how well any particular tree will grow. Your property will largely define how high a yield you can expect. Knowledge in tree husbandry, soil biology, and even weather can help you find the right place to plant your orchard and choose the right fruit to earn the highest yield possible.

Take the Next Step

Find a business mentor

One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.

Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.

Learn from other business owners

Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.

Resources to Help Women in Business

There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:

  • Funding
  • Events
  • Guides
  • Support

If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.

What are some insider tips for jump starting an orchard?

You cannot go into this business blind. You need to have an excellent understanding of how to care for the trees. You must realize that you won’t see one penny of income for two to five years and plan accordingly. You must know what will thrive in your climate or else risk losing your entire investment. Check the demand for your potential crop before buying the trees that only produce sour apples that nobody wants. Research and patience are needed.

How and when to build a team

Orchards require massive amounts of work in the spring and again during and after harvest. The rest of the year, one or two people should be able to handle the pest and disease checks and run any irrigation. Come harvest time you will be hiring transient workers to operate your machinery and to pick the fruit, or to operate your harvest themed attractions. These workers typically only work for you for a few weeks before moving onto the next farm. Talk to other nearby farmers to find out where they find their crews.

Read our orchard hiring guide to learn about the different roles an orchard typically fills, how much to budget for employee salaries, and how to build your team exactly how you want it.

Useful Links

TRUiC Resources

Industry Opportunities

Real World Examples

Further Reading