Apple Orchards & Cannabis: A New York Farm’s Bold Bet This June

Last updated: June 22, 2026

Quick Answer: Beak & Skiff Apple Orchard, a century-old farm in LaFayette, New York, made a calculated pivot into cannabis cultivation and processing, launching the brand Ayrloom. That bet paid off: Ayrloom has grown into New York State’s best-selling cannabis brand, according to a June 2026 Forbes report, proving that agricultural diversification can redefine a legacy farm’s future.

Key Takeaways

Beak & Skiff Apple Orchard was founded over 100 years ago in LaFayette, NY, and built its reputation on apple growing and cider production.
The farm launched Gen V Labs and received one of New York’s first cannabis processing licenses in August 2022. [1]
The cannabis brand Ayrloom, born from Beak & Skiff’s legacy, offers premium flower, vapes, and edibles with a focus on quality and sustainability. [2]
As of June 2026, Forbes has reported Ayrloom as New York State’s best-selling cannabis brand.
The farm’s pivot reflects a broader trend of New York agricultural operations diversifying to stay economically viable.
Several other New York farms, including Tricolla Gardens and Paul’s Organic Farm, are blending traditional cultivation with cannabis or hemp. [3][8]
Sun-grown, sustainable methods are a common thread among New York’s farm-based cannabis producers.
The Beak & Skiff story offers a template for fruit growers facing tightening margins and shifting consumer demand.

Historic Beak & Skiff Apple Orchard in LaFayette New York

What Is the Story Behind Apple Orchards & Cannabis: A New York Farm’s Bold Bet This June

Traditional apple orchards are making surprising pivots to stay competitive. One New York farm, famous for its apples, has found unexpected success by venturing into the cannabis market.

Beak & Skiff Apple Orchard has operated in LaFayette, New York, for more than a century. The farm built generations of loyalty through apple picking, hard cider, and agritourism. But by the early 2020s, like many fruit growers, it faced the familiar pressures of rising input costs, climate variability, and shrinking margins on commodity crops.

When New York State passed the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) in 2021, the farm’s leadership saw an opening. They created Gen V Labs as their cannabis processing arm and secured one of the state’s first cannabis processing licenses in August 2022. [1] The move was not a casual side project. It was, by most accounts, a genuine bet on the farm’s future.

How Did Beak & Skiff Build Ayrloom Into a Top Cannabis Brand

Ayrloom is the consumer-facing cannabis brand that emerged from Beak & Skiff’s century of farming knowledge. Based in the Syracuse area, Ayrloom offers premium flower, vape cartridges, and edibles, with the farm’s agricultural heritage woven into its brand identity. [2]

The brand’s positioning leaned heavily on what the farm already knew: soil, seasons, and quality control. Rather than entering the cannabis market as a tech-driven startup, Beak & Skiff approached it as farmers first. That distinction resonated with New York consumers who were increasingly interested in where their products came from.

Key factors behind Ayrloom’s rise:

Farming credibility: Over 100 years of cultivation experience translated into consumer trust.
Vertical integration: The ability to grow, process, and manufacture under one roof kept quality consistent. [1]
Sustainability emphasis: The brand’s messaging aligned with growing consumer preference for clean, responsibly grown products. [2]
Timing: Entering the market early, with a processing license in 2022, gave Ayrloom a head start before the New York market became crowded.

By June 2026, Forbes had named Ayrloom New York State’s best-selling cannabis brand, a milestone that validated the farm’s original decision to diversify.

Why Are Apple Orchards Considering Cannabis as a Diversification Strategy

Apple growing is a low-margin business. Orchards face weather risk, pest pressure, labor costs, and competition from large-scale producers. Cannabis, particularly in a newly legalized state market, offers the potential for significantly higher revenue per acre, though it comes with its own regulatory complexity and startup costs.

The Beak & Skiff model is not unique in concept, but it is exceptional in execution. Several other New York farms have made similar moves:

Farm	Location	Cannabis/Hemp Approach
Paul’s Organic Farm	Colden, NY	Full-spectrum CBD oil alongside organic apple U-pick [3]
Tricolla Gardens	Berkshire, NY	Certified organic cannabis, regenerative practices [8]
High Falls Canna	Near New Paltz, NY	Sun-grown cannabis, including apple-inspired strains [5]
Blackbird Gardens NY	Jefferson, NY	Regenerative small-batch cannabis, natural spring water
Sticky’s Weed Farm	Essex, NY	Living soil, sun-grown hybrid strains

The common thread across these operations is a commitment to sustainable, soil-focused cultivation methods that mirror traditional farming values.

What Does Apple Orchards & Cannabis: A New York Farm’s Bold Bet This June Mean for Agricultural Land Use

The diversification of apple orchards into cannabis raises legitimate questions about land use, crop rotation, and the long-term health of New York’s agricultural landscape.

Cannabis cultivation, when done using regenerative and organic methods, does not necessarily degrade orchard land. In fact, farms like Tricolla Gardens in Berkshire, NY, have built their entire cannabis identity around certified organic and regenerative practices. [8] Paul’s Organic Farm in Colden combines organic apple growing with hemp production, suggesting the two crops can coexist on the same property without compromising either. [3]

For consumers and nutrition-focused readers, the key question is whether cannabis diversification comes at the expense of apple production. In Beak & Skiff’s case, the answer appears to be no. The orchard continues to operate its apple and cider business while cannabis revenue supplements and strengthens the overall farm economy. The farm is not replacing apples; it’s adding a second crop that funds the first.

What Regulatory Steps Did Beak & Skiff Navigate to Enter Cannabis

New York’s cannabis licensing process is managed by the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), established under the MRTA. Beak & Skiff received one of the state’s first cannabis processing licenses in August 2022, which authorized the farm to grow, harvest, process, and manufacture cannabis products. [1]

Steps that farm-based cannabis operators in New York typically navigate:

Apply for the appropriate license type (cultivator, processor, distributor, or retail).
Meet facility and security requirements set by the OCM.
Pass background checks for all principals in the business.
Comply with seed-to-sale tracking requirements using state-approved software.
Adhere to packaging and labeling rules, including potency testing by a licensed lab.
Maintain separation between licensed cannabis operations and any other agricultural activities on the property.

The regulatory burden is real, but farms with existing infrastructure, land, and agricultural expertise are better positioned than most to absorb those startup costs.

How Does the Ayrloom Story Fit the Broader New York Cannabis Market

Ayrloom cannabis products alongside fresh New York apples on a farm table

New York’s adult-use cannabis market has grown rapidly since retail sales began in late 2022, but it has also been marked by licensing delays, supply chain friction, and intense competition. Against that backdrop, Ayrloom’s rise to the top-selling brand position in the state is a notable achievement.

Other New York farm-based cannabis brands operating in the same market include:

Breyer’s Cannabis (Hillsdale, NY): A family-owned, fully licensed cultivator, processor, and distributor offering flower, pre-rolls, vapes, and infused products. [7]
Sapphire Farms: Grows full-spectrum cannabis using sustainable, sun-driven methods and produces its own extracts on-site. [9]
Kaleidoscope Farms (Westfield, NY): A veteran and woman-owned operation restoring a historic warehouse for state-of-the-art cultivation. [10]
Fela’s Farm (Brewster, NY): Small-batch indoor cultivation with a sativa-forward strain focus. [6]

Ayrloom’s advantage over many of these competitors is scale combined with brand recognition. The Beak & Skiff name carries decades of consumer goodwill in New York, and Ayrloom has effectively borrowed that equity.

What Can Other Fruit Growers Learn From Apple Orchards & Cannabis: A New York Farm’s Bold Bet This June

The Beak & Skiff story offers a practical framework for any fruit grower considering diversification into cannabis or hemp.

Choose diversification that fits your existing infrastructure. Beak & Skiff already had land, irrigation, processing equipment, and agricultural labor. Cannabis did not require building from scratch.

Lead with your farming identity. Ayrloom’s marketing did not hide its orchard origins. It made them central. Consumers responded to authenticity.

Enter early when possible. The farm secured its processing license in August 2022, among the first issued in New York. Early movers in newly legalized markets often capture disproportionate market share.

Maintain the core business. The apple orchard and cider operation continued. Cannabis revenue reduced financial risk rather than replacing a proven income stream.

Invest in vertical integration. The ability to control growing, processing, and manufacturing under one roof reduces costs and protects quality. [1]

Farms that treat cannabis as a complement to existing agricultural identity, rather than a replacement for it, appear to be the ones finding the most durable success.

FAQ

What is Ayrloom? Ayrloom is a Syracuse-area cannabis brand founded by Beak & Skiff Apple Orchard. It offers premium flower, vapes, and edibles, drawing on the farm’s century-long agricultural heritage. As of June 2026, Forbes reports it is New York State’s best-selling cannabis brand. [2]

When did Beak & Skiff get its cannabis license? Beak & Skiff received one of New York’s first cannabis processing licenses in August 2022, authorizing the farm to grow, harvest, process, and manufacture cannabis products. [1]

Is Beak & Skiff still an apple orchard? Yes. The farm continues to operate its apple orchard and cider business alongside its cannabis operations. Cannabis diversification supplemented rather than replaced the core agricultural business.

Where is Beak & Skiff located? Beak & Skiff Apple Orchard is located in LaFayette, New York, in Onondaga County, approximately 15 miles south of Syracuse.

What other New York farms combine traditional agriculture with cannabis? Paul’s Organic Farm in Colden, NY, combines organic apple growing with hemp and CBD oil production. [3] Tricolla Gardens in Berkshire, NY, operates as a certified organic cannabis farm using regenerative practices. [8]

What is Gen V Labs? Gen V Labs is the cannabis processing arm created by Beak & Skiff to handle the cultivation, processing, and manufacturing side of their cannabis business. [1]

Why are apple orchards diversifying into cannabis? Apple growing carries thin margins and significant weather and market risk. Cannabis, in a newly legalized state market, offers the potential for higher revenue per acre. Farms with existing land, infrastructure, and agricultural expertise are well-positioned to make the transition.

Is cannabis cultivation harmful to orchard land? Not inherently. Farms like Tricolla Gardens and Paul’s Organic Farm use organic and regenerative methods that support long-term soil health. [3][8] The two crops can coexist on the same property when managed responsibly.

What does Forbes say about Ayrloom? A June 2026 Forbes report identified Ayrloom as New York State’s best-selling cannabis brand, validating Beak & Skiff’s decision to enter the cannabis market.

How does High Falls Canna connect apples and cannabis? High Falls Canna, located near New Paltz, NY, cultivates sun-grown cannabis and offers a strain called “Apple Headbanger,” a hybrid combining Apple Fritter and Headbanger genetics, reflecting the cultural overlap between apple-growing regions and cannabis cultivation in New York. [5]

Conclusion

The story of Apple Orchards & Cannabis: A New York Farm’s Bold Bet This June is more than a novelty. It is a case study in agricultural adaptation. Beak & Skiff took a century of farming knowledge, applied it to a newly legal crop, and built Ayrloom into New York State’s best-selling cannabis brand within a few years of launching.

For fruit growers watching their margins compress, the lesson is clear: diversification works best when it builds on what a farm already does well. Beak & Skiff did not abandon apples. It used apples, and everything the orchard represented, as the foundation for something new.

Actionable next steps for farms and agricultural stakeholders:

Research New York’s Office of Cannabis Management licensing requirements at cannabis.ny.gov before committing resources.
Study Ayrloom’s brand positioning as a model for leading with agricultural identity rather than obscuring it.
Explore hemp and CBD as a lower-barrier entry point before pursuing full cannabis licensing, as Paul’s Organic Farm has done. [3]
Consult with an agricultural attorney familiar with New York’s MRTA to understand how cannabis operations interact with existing farm classifications and tax structures.
Visit operating farm-cannabis hybrids like Tricolla Gardens to assess regenerative cultivation methods firsthand. [8]

New York’s agricultural landscape is changing. The farms that will thrive in the next decade are the ones willing to grow something new while staying rooted in what they know.