Have you ever thought about making your farm a pick-your-own operation? Well, before you start there are a few things you will need to consider, especially since a pick-your-own can be more work than harvesting your own produce …
1. – Do you enjoy customers being on your farm? Visitors need to be managed and cleaned up after.
2. – Do you enjoy talking about your farm? This is your opportunity to educate and connect the consumer with the producer.
3. – Are you realistic? Start out by only offering one or two crops. Do not try to provide a full season of crops from June to October – that would be exhausting!
4. – Can you handle lines of people? Evaluate the layout of your farm.
5. – Do you have restroom facilities? Checkout port-a-pot rentals.
6. – Is there adequate parking? More layout evaluation.
7. – How much product can be produced? You might want to have some pick-your-own and some you pick.
8. – What else do you need: tables, chairs, cash register, scale, tent, etc.?
9. – Determine pricing, the hours and days of operation, and how to address theft.
10. – Promotion will be needed – social media, advertising, signage.
Ready to take the next step? Some suggestions to help you succeed …
- Welcome the public on the farm.
- Start small and grow with experience and sales
- Produce good quality products.
- Utilize season-extending techniques to offer products over a longer time period
- Manage your costs carefully.
- Train and manage employees.
- Utilize standard operating procedures to illustrate what you expect from public interaction.
- Manage farm safety and liability.
- Supervise the customers.
- Provide excellent customer service by anticipating and meeting customer needs.
- Promote the pick-your-own with clear communications to customers.
- Allow employees to tell the farm story directly to the customers.
- Commit to a long term venture.
- Be willing to accept higher levels of crop damage from visitors in your fields.
Finally, remember, there are many online resources available to guide you through the process. Good Luck!
Information gathered from the Agritourism Collaborative.