Archive for June, 2009
Farm Zoning Ordinance Passed by County Commission
I am often contacted by farmers frustrated by their County Commissioners not wanting to allow them to conduct certain agritourism activities on their properties. It seems that it is easier for these commissions to want to take land out of agricultural production and hand it over to the developers rather than work with the farmers to create a sustainable farm business.
Take a look at this recent article about the Minnehaha County Commission in Oregon who unanimously passed an amendment to include provisions to make it easier for people to apply for ag related zoning uses, such as developing a corn maze, petting farm, winery etc.
As the types of agritourism enterprises expand, we often go beyond selling our crops to providing experiences for our urban friends to enjoy. From hunting, fishing, company picnics, farm lodging and even weddings, people are coming to our farms to get out of the city and enjoy our land and the beautiful scenery and habitat we own.
I certainly hope that as farmers we will educate those folks on our County Commissions about the value of keeping farm land (they call it “green space” on the east coast) in their county and in our country. Because in order to keep some family farms viable, agritourism activities have become their only option. What do you think?
Home Food Canning is On the Rise
The home food canning industry reports that the sale of Ball and Kerr canning supplies is already 50% more than 2008. This particular trend is great news for farm producers of fruits and vegetables. As agritourism farm operators who sell farm products direct to the public, it is important we understand what is happening with the “buy local” food movement and how we can capitalize on the publics desire to preserve their own food.
- People now taste the difference of homegrown food picked at the peak of ripeness
- People want to meet the farmer who grows their food
- People want to preserve the homegrown flavors and serve them year round
While many people have an interest in preserving food at home most people have never done it before. I encourage you to offer classes at your farm on canning and freezing when you are in the midst of harvest. (Often your local extension agents will assist you with these classes.) I just read about a community kitchen in San Francisco www.yeswecanfood.com where 80 people showed up to preserve local foods. Many other cities now have community kitchens where you could host your own classes if you don’t want to have them on the farm.
Sell the canning supplies, pectin, fruit fresh and other products people will need for home canning. You might want to check out www.freshpreserving.com to get more ideas about the “how to” and recipes. Educating people learn how to preserve their own foods will help you sell more product and strengthen your connection with your customers.
On Agritourism Farms – Operators Can Manage Guest Safety
Farm guest safety is one of our biggest concerns on family farms. In fact, many farms are reluctant to get involved in agritourism enterprises because of the unknown risks and liabilities. I would never let these fears stop you from pursuing agritourism enterprises, however, it is smart to do your homework before starting new endeavors.
Three of the best publications that I’ve seen telling about how to protect the public from injury, explain good sanitation practices, emergency planning and much more are available online from the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety out of Wisconsin.
The three publications are: Agritourism Health and Safety Guidelines, Policies and Procedures Guide and a Worksite Guide. All of these publications can be downloaded for free.
If you are contemplating getting involved in agritourism or currently involved, you will want to read and review these great “free” resources.
