Shuh Orchards

The roots of Shuh Orchards go back over a hundred years. In 1918, Robert Shuh’s grandfather bought a farm down the road and planted his first apple trees in 1920. He cared for that orchard into his nineties, with decades of pruning, picking, and passing on knowledge. But Robert, as a young man, wanted little to do with apples. “I hated those trees,” he admits. So, after his grandfather passed, the orchard came down. 

Years later, after purchasing the current farm in 2001, Robert found himself circling back to the fruit he once resented. He took a year away from farming to consider the future of the land—and surprisingly, apples won. “I didn’t know much about them, other than I didn’t like growing them,” he jokes. 

Despite the irony, Robert committed fully, planting 50 acres of high-density, trellis-grown apple trees. It was a labour-intensive system to establish, but one designed to reduce the workload in years to come. The investment marked the beginning of a new era for the Shuh family. One that blends tradition with innovation. 

Over time, Robert faced another crossroads: should the farm expand its orchard operation, or lean further into agrotourism? 

“We share our passion and our story as a family that’s been in Elmira for over 100 years,” says Robert. “It’s important for people in our area to know where their apples come from… There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing someone pick an apple right from the tree.”

During harvest season, Shuh Orchards brings in 18 staff through the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP), which is administered in Canada by the Foreign Agricultural Resource Management Services (FARMS). Robert is not only a grower, but he also serves as president of FARMS. 

On our visit, we met Dave and Maxroy, two staff members from Jamaica who have returned to the orchard every season for nearly a decade. This place, they say, feels like home. They’re part of the team responsible for pruning, monitoring pest pressure, and keeping the orchard healthy throughout the season. 

“I fell in love with growing apples here,” Dave says with a smile. “This job is my pride and joy.” 

With 50 acres of fruit-bearing trees, Dave and Maxroy have their hands full with the maintenance of the trees. The farm uses integrated pest management (IPM) practices to minimize harm to the environment while protecting the crop. “When something threatens the orchard,” says Robert, “you have to act quickly.” 

 After six years as a banker, spending two of them in Toronto, Robert’s son Tim made a big life decision. In April 2025, he left the city behind to join the family business full-time. 

“I looked around and realized I didn’t want to spend the rest of my career at the bank,” Tim says. “I wanted to create something.” 

Now, he’s bringing a new vision to the farm: transforming it into a destination for families and food lovers. He splits his time between learning orchard operations and growing the farm’s agritourism offerings, something he’s clearly passionate about. 

“We work so hard every year to grow a great crop,” he says, “and we want to share that experience with people. Most farmers are introverts by nature—we didn’t initially start this business to host visitors. But this is our family experiencing nature, the farm, and rural life with your family.” 

For the 2025 season, Tim is launching a host of new features: a farm market, a petting zoo, wagon rides, a children’s playground, and a brand-new corn maze planted just across the road. 

Each year, Shuh Orchards grows over two million pounds of apples, most of which are processed through Martin’s Family Fruit Farm in St. Jacobs and end up on Costco shelves. The relationship between the two runs deep. 

“We wouldn’t be here without them,” says Tim. “They supported us early on and helped us grow.” 

While much of the fruit exits the farm for large-scale distribution, what excites the Shuh family most is the opportunity to welcome people onto the land, and to connect community with agriculture. 

“Local is coming back,” Tim reflects. “COVID had a lot to do with it. But with global instability and trade challenges, people are realizing the importance of supporting local. And they’re doing it with intention.” 

As the Shuhs look to the future, their vision is clear: build on a hundred years of growing to create something that’s not just productive but deeply rooted in community. “We’re more than just an orchard,” says Robert. “We’re a family farm. And we’re inviting others to be part of that story.”