Executive Summary

Printable PDF

Organic Fresh Experience (OFE), formerly Blueberry Ranch LLC (BBR), is a year-round agritourism destination that combines sustainable agriculture with memorable customer experiences. Unlike traditional single-crop, seasonal farms, OFE integrates advanced growing methods (e.g., High Tunnels, Grow Bags, and Picking Patches) to provide fresh, healthy, organically grown fruits and vegetables while offering customers interactive, educational, culinary, and hospitality experiences.

Blueberry Ranch LLC presents a rare opportunity to acquire a premier organic agricultural property with significant untapped upside. The business is offered at an asking price of $7.5 million, based primarily on underlying land and infrastructure value rather than current earnings performance.

While the farm is profitable today, its current operations intentionally underutilize the property’s full potential. A buyer should anticipate investing an additional $5–$10 million to fully realize the vision of transforming the farm into a diversified regional destination centered on agriculture, experiences, retail, hospitality, and community engagement.

With strategic investment and expansion, projected annual gross revenues are estimated at $7–$10 million by Year 5.

*Additionally, BBR is offering a one-time $50,000 referral reward to any individual who successfully identifies the next owner.

Business Concept & Differentiation

Core Philosophy

OFE is built around three foundational principles:

  • Experience over production: Customers do not simply buy produce. They participate in growing, harvesting, dining, learning, and celebrating.

  • Healthy living focus: All offerings emphasize organic, fresh, and locally sourced products.

  • Community engagement: Festivals, memberships, workshops, and recurring events create a loyal customer “tribe.”

Vision: Beyond Blueberries

BBR currently operates the largest certified organic blueberry farm in the Midwest, with more than 30 years of certified organic production and strong direct-to-consumer brand recognition.

However, growth through blueberries alone is inherently limited. The true opportunity lies in expanding beyond blueberries into a fully diversified agritourism and experiential enterprise integrating:

  • Organic agriculture

  • Hospitality

  • Education

  • Retail

  • Culinary experiences

  • Community events

  • Lodging and tourism

This concept has not yet been fully realized at scale within the region, creating a significant first-mover advantage.

Key Agricultural Innovations

A. High Tunnels

Large unheated greenhouse structures extend the growing season, protect crops from weather extremes, and improve production consistency while maintaining organic growing standards.

Benefits include:

  • Longer harvest windows

  • Improved crop reliability

  • Better weather protection

  • Expanded crop diversity

B. Grow Bags

Grow Bags create customized soil environments tailored to specific crops, improving plant health and enabling flexible crop rotation.

Advantages include:

  • Higher-density planting

  • Better disease management

  • Improved production quality

  • Faster crop transitions

C. Picking Patch

The Picking Patch is a revolutionary u-pick concept where Grow Bag plants are moved under High Tunnels with shade cloth protection, creating a comfortable customer experience regardless of weather conditions.

This system enables:

  • Rain- and heat-protected picking

  • Improved accessibility

  • Multiple fruit varieties simultaneously

  • Expansion into specialty and exotic crops

Current Operations & Competitive Strengths

  • 30+ years of certified organic production

  • Strong regional brand recognition

  • Established customer loyalty

  • Direct-to-consumer sales infrastructure

  • Debt-free operations

  • Experienced management team

  • Existing H2A labor housing

  • Flexible owner workload structure

Unlike traditional farms that operate as “one-trick ponies,” OFE’s diversified model maximizes infrastructure utilization and significantly reduces seasonal revenue risk.

Products & Revenue Streams

1. Fruit & Produce

Bush Fruit

  • Blueberries

  • Raspberries

  • Strawberries

  • Blackberries

  • Currants

  • Gooseberries

  • Cranberries

Tree Fruit

  • Apples

  • Peaches

  • Pears

  • Cherries

  • Plums

  • Apricots

Vegetables

  • Tomatoes

  • Cucumbers

  • Squash

  • Beans

Specialty Crops

  • Figs

  • Botanicals

  • Wine grapes

  • Edible flowers

  • Lavender

  • Sunflowers

2. Country Store & Farm Market

The OFE farm market is envisioned as a healthy local convenience destination operating year-round.

Offerings would include:

  • Fresh organic produce

  • Frozen and fresh pies

  • Jams and jellies

  • Fresh bakery products

  • Prepared meals

  • Coffee and grab-and-go foods

  • Pasture-raised meats

  • Eggs and dairy products

  • Local partner products on consignment

  • Branded merchandise and gift items

A heated farm market would support 12-month operations.

3. Winery & Vineyard

Future vineyard and winery operations would feature:

  • Organic low-sulfite wines

  • Farm-to-table tasting experiences

  • Event pairings and culinary programs

Potential investor partnership opportunities

4. Commercial Kitchen & Culinary Experiences

A commercial kitchen would support:

  • Bakery operations

  • Catering services

  • Event food production

  • Farm-to-table brunches and dinners

  • High-margin value-added products

5. Agritourism & Event Experiences

Experiential offerings may include:

  • Weddings

  • Corporate retreats

  • Graduation parties

  • Family reunions

  • Harvest festivals

  • Earth Day celebrations

  • Christmas markets

  • Easter and summer events

  • Cooking workshops

  • Flower arranging classes

  • Educational demonstrations

The property is designed to become a year-round community gathering destination.

 6. Memberships & Visitor Programs

 Membership models may include:

  • Day Passes

  • Family Passes

  • Patron Memberships

Benefits may include:

  • Early produce access

  • Event discounts

  • Rental priority

  • Exclusive experiences

Dynamic attendance management ensures high-quality customer experience while avoiding overcrowding.

7. Lodging & Hospitality

Hospitality opportunities include:

  • Airbnb stays

  • Immersive farm lodging experiences

  • Future glamping village near ponds

  • Eco-tourism accommodation

Assets & Infrastructure

Primary Property – Buckeye Road (91 Acres)

Existing infrastructure includes:

  • 2,880 sq ft Sales Building

  • 2,400 sq ft Packaging Facility

  • 3,500 sq ft Primary Residence

  • 800 sq ft Caretaker Home

  • 1,680 sq ft Certified Labor House (H2A compliant) 

    These assets provide a turnkey operational foundation for future expansion.

Secondary Property – Elder Road (15 Acres)

  • 1,700 sq ft Caretaker Residence 

These assets provide a turnkey operational foundation for future expansion.

Market Opportunity & Location Advantage

OFE benefits from exceptional regional positioning.

Strategic Location Advantages

  • 84,000+ households within a 7-mile radius

  • Approximately 6.8 miles from the University of Notre Dame

  • Near major retail corridors (Main Street and Grape Road)

  • Easy access via Indiana Toll Road Exit 83

  • Proximity to schools, sports complexes, and growing residential neighborhoods

Target Markets

Local Families

  • Especially young families seeking healthy organic food and outdoor experiences.

 Notre Dame Visitors & Tourists

  • Visitors seeking unique local attractions, lodging, and dining experiences.

Educational Groups

  • School field trips, homeschool organizations, and agricultural education programs.

Ethnic & Specialty Markets

  • Communities attracted to specialty crops such as currants and gooseberries.

 Event & Hospitality Customers

  • Wedding, retreat, and corporate event clientele.

Education & Community Engagement

Educational programming opportunities include:

  • School field trips

  • Summer camps

  • Agricultural workshops

  • Homeschool programming

  • Culinary classes

  • Sustainability education

The long-term vision positions OFE as both an agricultural and educational community resource.

Marketing & Customer Base

Existing audience infrastructure includes:

  • 10,300+ email subscribers

  • 13,000+ Facebook followers

  • Growing Instagram presence

  • Strong regional brand awareness

This existing customer base provides immediate scalability for expanded offerings.

Ownership & Leadership

John E. Nelson – Owner & Managing Partner

John Nelson is a pioneer in Midwest organic agriculture with nearly five decades of leadership experience.

Highlights include:

  • Organic blueberry farming since 1991

  • Longstanding Ecocert USA certification

  • Leadership within industry organizations

  • Regional innovation in organic production

Ownership remains open to partnering or co-investing with the right buyer to ensure long-term success and preservation of the property’s mission.

Financial Strategy & Growth Plan

Investment Requirements

 An estimated $5–$10 million in additional capital investment would support:

  • Infrastructure modernization

  • Agritourism development

  • Event center construction

  • Hospitality expansion

  • Controlled agriculture systems

  • Brand and marketing growth

  • Customer experience enhancements

Revenue Diversification Strategy

Future revenue streams include:

  • Produce sales

  • Retail operations

  • Events and rentals

  • Food and beverage services

  • Educational programming

  • Membership programs

  • Lodging and hospitality

  • Winery operations

This diversified model significantly reduces reliance on short seasonal harvest windows.

Financial Projections

Current State

  • Profitable but under-leveraged

  • Heavy concentration of seasonal revenue

Future State

  • Expanded 9+ month operating season

  • Diversified year-round income streams

  • Higher-margin experiential revenue

Projected Timeline

  • Years 1-2: Infrastructure and brand expansion

  • Years 3-4: Revenue acceleration

  • Year 5: Projected gross revenue of $7–$10 million annually

 Ownership Philosophy

Ownership has consistently prioritized preservation of the land’s agricultural integrity.

Past decisions include declining:

  • Residential development opportunities

  • Energy-sector acquisition proposals

The ideal buyer aligns with the philosophy: “Keeping it what it is—but significantly better.”

Risk Considerations

Potential investors should recognize:

  • Current earnings do not independently justify acquisition pricing.

  • Significant capital investment is required.

  • Operational scaling introduces execution risk.

  • Success depends on strong leadership and strategic vision.

However, these risks are balanced by substantial infrastructure, location, brand equity, and long-term expansion potential.

Conclusion

Organic Fresh Experience / Blueberry Ranch LLC represents a rare combination of:

  • Premium real estate

  • Established organic credibility

  • Loyal customer base

  • Scalable agritourism infrastructure

  • Strong regional location

  • Significant untapped growth potential

By combining sustainable agriculture with hospitality, entertainment, retail, education, and customer experiences, OFE is positioned to become a premier Midwest destination business.

For the right buyer or investment partner, this opportunity offers far more than a farm acquisition. It offers the ability to build a profitable, mission-driven lifestyle enterprise with long-term regional impact.

For more information and for price, please send your request to objbbr@gmail.com

 

Blueberry Season

The blueberry season typically starts the first week of July and runs through mid-August. Be sure to sign up for our email list and follow us on Facebook for the latest news!

 

Blueberry Benefits

Organic blueberries... Pick Often, Buy in Quantity, Eat More! You deserve it.

Our local organic blueberries are packed with: ✓phytonutrients ✓antioxidants ✓vitamins C & K ✓vitamin B6 ✓manganese ✓fiber ✓potassium ✓folate. Read more.