U-Pick orchard with a farm gate shop

Local families, day-trippers and tourists, plus people buying in bulk for canning, baking or pressing.

Pick-your-own fruit by weight or by the bag, ready-picked fruit at a higher price, and farm shop sales. Some orchards add paid events like school visits or autumn weekends.

• Orchard management
• Welcoming and organising visitors
• Marketing, especially local and social media
• Managing seasonal helpers

• Commercial general liability insurance that covers visitors on the property, including ladders and uneven ground
• Municipal rules on traffic, parking, signage and public washrooms; check with your municipality
• Public health unit permits if you sell anything prepared, such as baked goods, cider or drinks
• Weather and crop failure can cancel a season, so build a financial buffer
• WCB/WSIB coverage and employment rules when hiring seasonal staff, which vary by province
• Income is concentrated in a few months, with quiet winters

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around $30,000 to $150,000, depending on acreage, parking, visitor facilities and farm shop setup. Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on harvest season and visitor numbers. Income is concentrated in a few months.

Check commercial general liability insurance that covers visitors, including ladders and uneven ground, and municipal rules on traffic, parking, signage and public washrooms. Also check public health unit permits for prepared items like baked goods or cider, and WCB/WSIB rules for seasonal staff.

You'll want orchard management skills, a welcoming manner with visitors, local and social media marketing, and the ability to manage seasonal helpers. Estimates suggest at least about 25 hours a week. Weather can cancel a season, so build a financial buffer.