Wayne Collie turned a neglected high‑density apple orchard into Redemption Farms—a thriving U‑pick and farm‑stand business—by grafting apple varieties, adding strawberries, peaches, pumpkins, and using social media to mobilize customers.

With Sue Hudson (NLR), we dig into financing, location strategy, strawberries, and what it actually takes to make a small farm cash‑flow.

Recorded in Maryland’s Eastern Shore farm country, this episode is a practical blueprint for building a direct‑to‑consumer U‑pick farm—from acquisition and financing to crop selection, infrastructure, and marketing.

Guest: Wayne Collie, owner of Redemption Farms (Denton, MD)—a 38‑acre, two‑parcel farm split by a major highway—revived an abandoned high‑density apple orchard and layered in strawberries (annual plasticulture), peaches, cherries, plums, blackberries, and a pumpkin patch to give customers something to pick from late April through early November.

Redemption Farms (Facebook)

https://www.facebook.com/redemptionfarmsmd/ 

Redemption Farms (Website)

https://www.redemptionfarms.com/ 

National Land Realty

https://www.nationalland.com