Agritourism Ideas

Today we have Dr. Dawn Thimany from Colorado State University on the show with us to talk about CSU's brand new Agritrouism Management Certification program. We hear about the practical ways this certification will prepare someone for entering the world of Agritourism or how it will take their operation to the next level.

Aaron and Farmer Alma going to give us an update about some really exciting new products they have developed since we had them on the show back in 2016. And they have been busy. Get ready to sing along with Farmer Alma and don’t miss the end of the podcast to hear about a brilliant idea that combines technology with education and includes powerful marketing benefits mixed in.

Today we talk with Kent about the advantages and disadvantages of having a very large corn maze as your main attraction.

Today we have Daniel Russo from Calico Cottage and we are talking fudge! We all know the power of making homemade food in view of our guests to see and smell. Calico Cottage has proven to be a great turnkey and profitable addition to Agritourism Venues from all over North America and beyond. They have been around for over 50 years and are the gold standard for the most delicious fudge anywhere.

Today we talk with Susan Dell'Osso of Dell'Osso Family farms out of Lathrop CA. This venue has it all included a location that most of us could only dream about but they have taken full advantage and have some really creative things to draw the over 250,000 people every October!

Today we have talk with Justin from My Pass Tracker.com about the use of season passes at your venue. The benefits of having season passes and how my pass tracker will help you manage what can sometimes be an administrative nightmare.

Today we have Hugh McPherson from Maize Quest on the show with us again. Hugh is one of the more sought after Agritourism speakers on the maze conference circuit and runs a very successful venue of his own that includes many different facets of Agritourism including a huge fall venue, a U-pick operaion, a winery, CSA, and more! He recently spoke at NAFDMA on the topic of Social Advertising Decdoded. The response was overwhelming so he has turned this into a course that is available to everyone. I am huge believer in the course material and strategies that Hugh presents and I think you see why I am excited about this content as you listen to this interview with Hugh

We talk with Michael Mayfield from Mayfield Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch out of Athens TN.

Today we have a conversation with Steve Cooper from Coopers CSA Farm out of Zephyr Ontario. We talk about how his CSA operation got its start, how and why he added other Agritourism activities and some lessons he has learned along the way.

Today’s guest is not only an Agritourism owner but is also the co-host of a popular TV show that is all about small towns in rural America. We are talking with Rodney Miller from Buford corn maze out of Buford GA. We talk about his interesting life journey, and what I think has been a huge key to his Agritourism success.

Today we are talking with Robert Foster from Cedar Hill Farm out of Love Mississippi. We talk Paintball, Laser Tag, Civil War reenactment, and how he has dramatically increased the number of guests he can handle for his haunted venue.

Today we are talking with Dan Baumgardner from Adams County Winery. We have had venues on the show before that have added a winery to their operation but this is the first time we have had a venue on where the winery is the centerpiece of their agritourism business. We learn about how they added other attractions and services to their winery business over the years to get more guests out to their farm each year.

Today we are talking about gemstone mining with Rob Houchens from Cold River Mining Company. This is one of those centerpiece activities that will help your Agritourism venue to stand out from the competition and has the potential to help significantly increase revenue. This is an activity like the corn cannon or jumping pillow where onlookers can’t help but join in as they see what is being found and the fun being had.

Today, Matt and Shelley Colson from Country Pumpkins in Dry Ridge, Kentucky, join us on the show. Their dairy and beef cattle farm has added a successful and growing Agritourism venue to their operation. We learn about their Cotton Wagon rides, their authentic and simple pumpkin picking operation, why they price a la carte, and more.

We have Jo MacArthur from Mac Art Studios on the show with us. Mac Art studios is a great resource for Agritourism owners as they offer everything from consulting services to high quality and unique products from signs and printing to some unique outdoor games that your guests will love.

Hugh McPherson from Maize Quest is back on the show. Hugh was our very first guest on episode 1 and he joins us again today to talk about how to work effectively. Hugh is a great communicator and a serious veteran when it comes to agritourism experience. We also talk about his Agritourism Manager Boot Camp coming up soon that will streamline the way you manage employees and have a serious impact on your business and your stress level.

We talk with Jake about how they have transformed their farm in Peterborough, Ontario, into a multi-faceted escape game venue including an outdoor adventure game that will not only attract those that are looking for a great outdoor activity, but has proven to attract schools looking for creative & educational field trips for the older classes. We discuss many ideas that can bring in revenue during the off-season for your Agritourism business.

We talk with Katie about Zombie Paintball, great sponsorship ideas, and more!

We talk with Artie about all the great things Exeter Corn Maze has to offer for their guests and how he has increased attendance by 40% each of the last 4 years. Artie started his own company, Arc Innovations, and they offer affordable and quality Agritourism products that include everything from Zombie Paintball Trailers to Pumpkin Cannons, a 12-foot ear of corn photo OP and more.

We talk with Casey about their success with getting sponsors, their Scout Ag Adventures programs, how they kick off each season with a unique and exciting event, and much more!

We talk with Aaron about Spookley the Square Pumpkin, The Fairy Tale Trail, Jack and the Cornstalk and other character based offerings from Evergreen creations that bring quality entertainment and farm based education together in an exciting and professional way.

In this episode Chris tells us how she transformed her farm and her 1848 farmhouse into a B&B and cooking school destination.

Many podcast guests have mentioned the impact that NAFDMA has had on their operation. In this episode, we interview one of the staff members at NAFDMA to get details on all the great things they have to offer the Agritourism owner.

In this episode, we talk with the owner of the "World's Largest Corn Maze" out of Spring Grove, IL. This venue has been around for 30 years and is a great example of what consistent growth and effort can turn into. This venue has become one of the premier venues in the Midwest.

Small Farm Central has been in the business of helping farms for ten years and offer some great software and services that have been built with the farmer in mind. These services include website design help, a texting service for more direct and personal customer marketing, and a member manager product for CSA operations. In addition, he has a new book out that will be a great marketing resource for all our listeners.

Where else can you drive a bulldozer and get lost in a corn maze at the same place? Or go on a spinning ride in the bucket of an excavator and pick a pumpkin? DiggerlandUSA is a unique venue that blends together a theme park and Agritourism Venue.

We talk with Alan about some unique things he is doing at his venue including a pick your own flower maze, a trellised apple orchard, a farm game app, and even a book he recently authored that uses his farm as the inspiration.

In this episode we talk with Shawn and Chayce about planting your corn in the shape of a maze (vs cutting), the benefits of offering online tickets, and the best corn maze games on the market.

In this episode, we talk about how to execute a very successful Pig Race attraction, hosting a well structured Easter event, an interactive Christmas Tree Light Display, and much more!

We talk with Ken about many aspects of his operation. He tells us the way he keeps his pumpkin checkout lines short, a creative way to get your guests to give you their email addresses and more!

Today we are talking Shawna Hodges from Downs on the Farm.org. This unique venue combines animal therapy for kids with special needs, an animal rescue, and agritourism activities that are open to the public. Shawna discovered the need for this type of service shortly after their son Grady was born in 2008 with Down Syndrome. She tells us what it took to get a 501c3 non-profit started as well as some of the current things they have going on after relocating their family and their business from Colorado to Ohio.

In this episode, we get into the details of what it takes to start growing and selling Christmas trees as well as other related products at your venue. We also talk about the other facets of Hartland Farm's operation and how they got their start.

In this episode, we talk with Mary Jo Koehler from Vantage Vertical and Andreas Neuman from UAV-IQ on the uses of drone technology in Agritourism and Agriculture.

We talk with Rebecca and Hank about the unique things they offer at their venue near Orlando Florida. We talk about a fishing program for kids, a tree maze, corporate outings and some unique marketing ideas that have worked well for them.

In this episode, we talk with Hayden Lock who, with his father, opened up an Agritourism venue in the fall of 2015. We talk about how and why they got started in Agritourism, along with the lessons they learned getting ready to open and through their first season of operation.

We talk with Christina & Roy about their extensive horsemanship services as well as some of the other things they are doing to draw the public to their ranch in a unique way.

In this episode we talk with Scottie about her farm stay - Leaping Lamb Farm and how running out of available dates for her guests led her to start the U.S. Farm Stay Association. We talk about the value of Farm Stays as well as unique farm stays from around the U.S. and how FarmStayUS.com connects guests with farms.

On this episode we talk with Joan Allen from Long Acre Farms which is the site of the 2nd longest running corn maze in the world. We talk about their great history, about the things going on at the farm, as well as why they started a winery and are now focusing more on corporate events and weddings.

We talk with Jason about their 9 years in the Agritourism business and some of the unique things they do such as Zip Line Racers, giving away a free large pumpkin with every admission, staffing their haunted maze with volunteers and more!

Tyler & Karalee Leatherberry started their Agritourism business in 2015 in a small town in Wisconsin. We talk about the lessons they learned from their very first year in Agritourism and their plans for year two.

We talk with Mike Pinzl from Uncle Shuck's Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch and learn some of the pros and cons of leasing the land you use for your Agritourism venue. He also shares other great advice and ideas that he has learned from his 15 years in the business.

We talk with Amy about how they transformed from a sweet corn operation into a multi-faceted Agritourism destination. We discuss corporate team building, puppet shows, human Foosball, and more.

We talk Farm Camp, Sunflowers, CSA and more with Katie Donaldson from Donaldson farms and that barely scratches the surface of all they do at this farm in Hackettstown, New Jersey

We find out how Crumland Farms transformed from a Dairy operation to a place where guests can come shoot zombies with paint balls, or get locked in an escape room, or find out where ingredients for a pizza come from at the pizza farm.

Cathie talks about how their original plan of a Wild Flower Farm morphed into an agritourism business that includes u-pick berries, Farm Camp, a corn maze, a Christmas event, and more!

Today we talk Birthday Parties with Jonathan Hewitt from Red House Farm just outside of Manchester in the UK. He tells us how he has grown his Agritourism Birthday Party business into one of his main revenue sources.

We talk with Stephen about Bi-Water Farm. We talk Paint Ball, Mini-Golf, Kentucky's Great Zucchini Race, and some unique marketing tools he is using.

We talk with Ryan Wilson from DeMeritt Hill Farm about the wide variety of offerings at his venue including Mule Drawn Hayrides, Nature trails that they offer free of charge to their community, and one of the best Haunted Attractions in the country!

In this episode, we talk CSA programs, Dinner at the Farm, and more of the great things going on at Talbotville Berry Farm out of St. Thomas Ontario.

In this interview, we talk with Alexis Abare and Benjamin Selecky, co-founders of Haunted Farms of America, a great haunted attraction resource. They specialize in helping farmers create or improve a farm-based haunted attraction that fits their venue and clientele. Haunted Farms of America offers free basic memberships, as well as premium memberships.

With over 1 million visitors, numerous awards, and a huge variety of professionally executed Agritourism attractions, Saunders Farm is a great representation of what we all strive to reach with our businesses. This is an interview you won't want to miss.