Sharing Outdoor Experiences Brings Profits

By Jane Eckert - Eckert AgriMarketing

Your neighbor down the road already has a corn maze, and you’ve probably been surprised how many people pay to run through his fields. And the apple farm across town draws a lot people picking their own apples. So what’s left for you?

Think about what you enjoy doing outdoors, and chances are, your city dwelling visitors will be eager to pay you for the same opportunities.

AgriTourism is about creating experiences - providing city dwellers with a chance to experience something very different from the hustle and bustle of the city. Just remember that what you see, feel and hear every day - clear skies, open fields, and grazing livestock- looks like a new and wonderful experience for folks used to sitting at a computer, walking the shopping malls, and commuting to suburbia.

Farmers own the land and resources that city people want to see. What can you do to use your existing resources to entertain guests?

Let me start you thinking about the potential of developing outdoor recreation on your farm - either as a new enterprise, as an option for your off-season, or perhaps to supplement your existing season.

Outdoor recreation is looking at your land resources, woods, non-tillable land, ponds and trails in a different way.

Hunting is becoming a major agritourism enterprise for farms that have the habitat and animal population.

Hunters looking for the white tail buck or upland game birds are paying some farmers as much as $5,000 per hunter for a 5-day adventure. Even if you don’t have the animals on your property, many farms are now starting controlled shooting areas where they bring in and release the game birds.

Jerry Swanson's farm in Elsmore, Kansas is a great example. Jerry had been growing traditional grain crops, and now has turned his own passion for hunting into a business. Seven years ago, he agreed to host a few hunters on the farm. That now has expanded to a full service hunting lodge, restaurant, and Lakeside Bed & Breakfast cabins. Buddy’s Pointe Restaurant is now available for guests and open to the public, and the lodging is being marketed for families and fishermen in the off-season. During the season, Swanson's farm offers hunters a controlled shooting area with pheasants, checkers, coyotes, and quail, plus deer hunting in season. ( http://www.swansonfarms.com)

Cross country skiing combines the great outdoors, beautiful scenery, and physical fitness.

Perhaps snow is part of your natural scenery for several months of the winter. The Harris Dairy, a 500-acre dairy and tree farm in Dayton, Maine, has also developed their family outdoor passion into a profit center. The Dairy now offers a season pass to their 40 kilometers of groomed trails for cross-country skiing and sledding. The warming hut features a cozy wood burning stove, retail and rental shop, and a kitchen serving homemade soups, chili, and muffins. A working dairy year-round, the Harris Farm also features maple syrup days and a pumpkin patch - and with the skiing, it is truly a farm for all seasons! The Harris Dairy has received the Governor’s Award for Tourism Excellence. ( http://www.harrisfarm.com)

Ask yourself, Why do I live here? It may lead to a profitable business.

In Dalemead, Alberta, the Wheeler family was trying to make a living growing grain and raising hogs. They looked at their land, and one day realized that their frontage on the Bow River - one of the best trout fishing rivers in North America - might indeed be something of interest to tourists. They have now built the North Bow Lodge on the river’s edge, looking across rolling prairie to the beautiful Canadian Rockies. In the summer, they also encourage the family market to witness the bald eagles, Canadian geese, deer, partridges, beaver and other wild life in the area. The success of the North Bow Lodge allowed them to close the hog farrowing operation, and they now spend their time handling their guests, hosting small parties, and serving home style meals at the Bow Lodge as well as private catering out of their certified kitchen. ( http://www.northbowlodge.com)

If our kids like, why wouldn’t others?

Martha & Mike Foster of Cedar Hill farm in Hernando, MS started a fall season business in 1996, and saw that the audience was mainly families with young children. Looking at the interests of their own boys, they invested in the growing popularity of Paint Ball, a business geared primarily to boys and men. The farm arms their customers with guns that shoot balls of paint at game opponents, renting out the guns, protective gear, and air canisters, and selling paint balls and other accessories. They now have seven different paint ball fields on about 10 acres, and stock more than 60 rental guns, sales items, repair services, and replacement parts. A busy weekend may involve 100 players on the fields at any one time. Since the busy season for paint ball is fall through spring, this new adventure has been a nice addition to the pumpkin business -in fact, the paint ball revenues exceed their fall season, birthday parties, and country picnics combined! ( http://www.cedarhfarm.com)

As these four examples show, sometimes the opportunities can be just as simple as walking the farm and taking an assessment of your land and natural resources. Why do you live there? Is that an experience that a city dweller would gladly pay to share with you?

If you enjoy hunting, fishing, winter or summer sports, so would others. Many states are now hosting local and regional meetings to provide education about agritourism, with more hints and ideas. In the meantime, take a walk around the farm today, and see if a new agritourism crop doesn’t come to mind!

Jane Eckert is the founder of Eckert AgriMarketing (www.eckertagrimarketing.com), a full-service marketing and public relations firm that helps farmers to sell directly to consumers, diversify operations and become tourist destinations. She is also CEO of www.RuralBounty.com, a search directory for agritourism farms and ranches in North America. Jane can be reached at 314-862-6288 or you may email her directly.