Jane Eckert Talks AgriTourism Today » Agritourism Marketing

American Agri-Women TV Show Now on RFD TV

Jane — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:24:21 +0000

Farm women are making a difference from coast to coast and now you can hear from them directly. RFD- TV will begin airing 13 shows produced by American Agri-Women (AAW). The shows will air on Tuesday, at 9:30 p.m. EST and be repeated each week on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m EST. The goal of the show is to bring programming to farm and ranch women throughout the country.

The show will cover such topics as: educating future consumers, accessing farm credit, managing risk through crop insurance, ag labor needs, entrepreneurship and many more. For a complete show listing by week and topic CLICK HERE. The show next week will feature the topic Agritourism and Eckert AgriMarketing was pleased to participate. Be sure and tune in for this agritourism segment September 7 & 8. The agritourism perspective will be provided by Nancy Patterson from Indiana, Brenda Renyer from Kansas and by Jane Eckert. Both Nancy and Brenda manage successful agritourism operations.

The AAW is the national coalition of farm, ranch and agribusiness women, with 59 affiliate state and commodity organizations nationwide. Their annual conference this year will be held November 10-14 in St. Louis, MO.

Agritourism operators throughout North America are now gearing up for a tremendous fall season of apple picking, pumpkin picking, corn mazes and plenty of fall activities not to be missed. For a listing of agritourism operators by state or province go to www.ruralbounty.com

Crop Mobs Begin To Grow

Jane — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:50:03 +0000

Have you ever heard of crop mobs?

Until recently I was not aware of this phenomenon that is popping up all over the country. But an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, opened my eyes to this recent trend. Basically a crop mob is a group of people pulling together to help accomplish tasks on small farms. Typically this happens at the beginning of the season and some of the chores include pulling weeds, patching up fences and planting crops.

Crop Mobs started in North Carolina over a year ago and have been expanding across the country. So who participates is in a crop mob experience?

Crop mob volunteers consist of a wide variety of people who want to help small farmers and learn farm chores. A lot of these people are city dwellers who are looking for a different experience. Many consumers are making very proactive choices in eating locally grown food and this experience lets them get their hands dirty and see firsthand the hard work involved in growing this food. Some of the volunteers are people who are looking to start their own farms and desire a real hands-on experience to see just how much work it does require to be a farmer. The best part for the small farmer is crop mobbers work for free and for many small farms that can mean the difference of losing or making money with the crop.

The word about crop mobs is growing so quickly because of the Internet. Crop mobbers are using a variety of techniques to get the word out about what farms they will be helping and how others can sign up to volunteer. Right now, crop mobs use social media and e-mailing as their main method of communication.

So does your small farm need an extra hand? You might be surprised at the people willing to help you perform your ordinary farm chores. The crop mob experience could be a great marketing technique to expand the customer base! By offering this experience for your customers to learn how the farm works could spike an interest. People like trying new things and this could offer a great learning experience that would also increase your farms productivity and bottom line.

Win a FREE $17,500 Farm Wedding Package!

Jane — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 19:41:34 +0000

Does this offer sound to good to be true? Well, the Today Show is not the only place that has made an offer to have a prospective bride’s dream come true. Seven Sycamore Ranch in Ivanhoe, California just recently announced a FREE $17,500 All Inclusive destination wedding package contest.

Kelly Maxwell, wedding coordinator, at Seven Sycamores came up with the idea for the contest and convinced her other local wedding suppliers to partner in giving away this package. The prospective bride and groom not only receive the beautiful Seven Sycamore outdoor venue for their April 2011 nuptials but also receive the bridal gown, decorated cake, wedding photographer, flowers, DJ, party rental fixtures, full catering for the event plus a romantic night at a local B & B. Another words – the wedding will be FREE to the couple.

Entries are now being accepted through May 31, and the winner will be announced at the ranch on June 19. There is one catch – you must be present to win. Kelly, and all the service providers will be on the ranch that day available to answer any questions regarding wedding planning and to show their services.

Bridal industry experts now tell us that having your wedding on a farm has become a top trend for prospective couples in choosing the site to hold their nuptials. By the way, I have been to Seven Sycamores and am very impressed with how they have created a magical place to have a wedding in the midst of a large, fragrant orange grove.

If you would like to check out the details for the FREE $17,500 Farm Wedding Package just CLICK HERE.

Otherwise, if California is not a convenient location for your wedding then visit www.ruralbounty.com. This is a farm and ranch directory that shows all types of agritourism activities available on farms today - including weddings.