The quaint mountain town of Ellijay is known as the “apple capital of Georgia.” And the family-run B.J. Reece Orchards is one of the area’s top attractions, drawing half a million visitors annually to its farmers market and bakery, U-pick apple experience, and hands-on activities.
Second-generation owners Rachel and John Reece are behind the orchard’s exponential growth. After purchasing the business from John’s father, B.J. Reece Jr., in 1996, they quadrupled its land footprint and expanded foot traffic through on-site and wholesale retail, agritourism events, and savvy marketing. The couple’s three children, now in their 20s, have been integral to the farm’s success. Their oldest son, Taner, launched a hard cider business in 2020, and younger sisters Emily (a real estate agent) and Josie (a recent nursing graduate) pitch in during the busy fall season. And John says his father “is still a driving force for the farm and gives us educated advice on how to best proceed in business.” The advice is working—60 years into its run. Here’s why this multigenerational business is one of the most-visited orchards in the state. In 1960, B.J. Reece Jr. purchased the 30-acre orchard and planted the company’s now-beloved apple varieties, like Pink Lady and Golden Delicious.
Today, B.J. Reece Orchards sells 100,000 bushels of 60 different types of apples each year. B.J.’s son and daughter-in-law, John and Rachel, took over the farm in 1996, adding more than 200 acres of land to the operation. In 2010, the couple opened the farm to the public for the now-beloved U-pick apple experience and family-friendly activities like a petting farm, wagon and train rides, corn maze scavenger hunts, and apple cannons. “We are so thankful to have the opportunity to allow people to bring their families and come pick with us,” says John. Twenty-four full-time employees help operate the farm, along with friends and family members who pitch in as needed.
In 2020, Taner launched Reece’s Cider Company, a line of hard ciders made from the farm’s apples and other produce. “We had so many customers coming in and asking for hard cider and I saw orchards in other states making it, so I knew there was a market,” Taner says. The company sells 20,000 gallons of hard cider annually online and in its taproom in Ellijay, located across the road from the family farm. Currently, the orchard is expanding its cold storage and freezer space and adding more parking. This fall, it will unveil a new retail space with 40 percent more capacity. Each year, 500,000 people visit the Apple House, the orchard’s roadside farmers market and retail store, to purchase treats like apple cider doughnuts, caramel apples, fresh pies, and dry goods like honey and sorghum.
This article appears in the Fall 2024 issue of GaBiz
