Farming roots run deep at Orchard Hill Wagyu Beef. With family farming for over a century, the entrepreneurial spirit here has made for a variety of home-grown products. From humble beginnings as a small fruit and dairy farm in the early 1900s by Thomas & Mary Jane Balgoyen, the family business grew into a full-scale fruit farm by son Marvin Balgoyen, wife Francis and five children. Through many years of hard work and determination, including surviving The Great Depression, Orchard Hill Farm scaled to over six different varieties of fruits. Son Bill Balgoyen with wife Solveig “Tita” and their own five children continued the fruit farming tradition, specializing in cherry, grape, peach, and apple production with many varieties of each! After many “fruitful” years, it was time for a new opportunity.

As the namesake of his grandfather, Marvin Balgoyen brings the same hard working entrepreneurial spirit to farming just with a new niche. As a University of Michigan alumni with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, he understands ingenuity and process improvement. Through careful study and research, Marvin thoughtfully launched a quality, full blood Wagyu beef business. As a side business during Orchard Hill Farm days, cattle raising was already part of the farm’s DNA, making the transition that much more feasible. It was the shift to a luxury brand of beef that takes Orchard Hill Wagyu Beef to the next level.