Retool Agritourism Operations

More and more producers are recognizing the inherent opportunities in agritourism and farm-based education. They see it as an extended growing season, where visitors yearning for a bucolic getaway are ripe for the picking. And while many farm operators started in agritourism as an opportunity to supplement their farm income or to avoid putting all their eggs in one basket, many are using their farms as a form of place-based learning that connects visitors to the vital role that agriculture plays in daily life. 

Recently, an agritourism operator said it best when he told me, “While educating visitors about local foods, I see light bulbs go off when they begin to realize the role their decisions as consumers play in the community, economy, environment and even our heritage.”

Agritourism is the practice of making farms travel destinations, and current travel industry trends are a natural tie to agritourism. The pandemic ushered in a shift in travel preferences; travelers are taking an increased number of shorter, family-oriented staycations within driving distance of home and planning those trips at the last minute. As opportunity knocks, agritourism operators find they have the perfect ingredients to answer the door and help visitors connect to unique pastoral adventures.  

As with other businesses, agritourism operators’ experiences throughout the pandemic have not all been the same. Those operators able to pivot to creative marketing and alternate delivery systems have been able to thrive during this period. Others without the space and resources to comply with the pandemic restrictions have had to close for the season or shutter their operations indefinitely. Others have found, that in trying to keep their heads above water this season, they have discovered more efficient practices that will help improve operations in the long-run, such as online booking with contactless pick-up/delivery, webpage and social media marketing, virtual farm tours, or simple ideas like assigning limited spots for U-pick so that the area gets picked more thoroughly.

The new reality created by COVID-19 has certainly underscored that as far as small farms go, creativity, perseverance and resilience are the keys to bouncing back from the pandemic and other economic disruptions. Agritourism operators must continue to embrace the short-term staycations phenomenon, while also looking to retool their operations for the long haul. In this regard, some operators are finding success in a new paradigm for how they offer agritourism as a product – one that helps overcome many of the disadvantages they face as individual producers, while simultaneously overcoming the geographical and infrastructure challenges that many rural areas face.

Agritourism operators are increasingly recognizing that agritourism business is a shared business – the more there is to do and see at a regional destination, the more attractive the destination becomes. This leads to longer visits and greater visitor spending. A win-win model of “co-opetition,” with agritourism operators working cooperatively while engaging in friendly competition with their peers and other local small businesses, may be the key to long-term success. Creating a cluster concept where individual agritourism operators work collaboratively to build on their unique strengths to create unique travel destinations can be a strong magnet to pull visitors to a good value destination, effectively shifting visitors from unplanned to planned agritourism events.

The co-opetition, cluster, or farm trail model, whatever you want to call it, lends itself to community planning and coordination to put on high-quality regional events with uniform branding to create or reinforce a regional identity or differentiated locality. By working cooperatively, operators can harness the power of synergy to offer year-round adventure and experiences. This allows operators to capitalize on short-term windfalls, while also having a long-term strategy to capitalize on the new golden age of travel. Of course, there also is the added benefit of commiseration and mutual support when working together.

Creative ideas for agritourism activities are unlimited, but agritourism is not for everyone. Before implementing a new or expanded farm adventure or deciding if working as part of an agritourism cluster is right for you, you will need to analyze the fundamental business competencies required to successfully manage the dynamic between operating your farm and operating a tourism enterprise on your farm. Be sure to consider the following critical questions before jumping headfirst into any agritourism enterprise:

• Assessing your agritourism potential: What experiences can I offer visitors that will make my operation unique and profitable while meeting customers’ expectations?
• Location: Does my region have the necessary characteristics to draw people to the area? Does my farm have the necessary resources or characteristics to draw people to this enterprise? Do I have the appropriate personal characteristics for this business?
• Visitors’ needs and preferences: Who is my target market and what products, experiences, amenities and standards are they looking for?
• Financial feasibility: Is my proposed enterprise economically feasible? What are the potential returns relative to the costs from this investment? Are there considerable upfront costs? Do I have the necessary financial resources to make this successful? Will I be able to generate enough cash on a regular basis to pay daily operating expenses? How does the proposed enterprise affect my whole-farm income?
• Market feasibility: Can I deliver this product at a reasonable cost? Can I attract enough visitors to my enterprise to make it profitable?
• Marketing strategy: What do I want customers to think of when they hear my business’ name? What is my unique marketing position or advantage? How will I let potential customers know that I am in business?
• Legal liability: What regulatory and liability risks will I incur from the proposed enterprise? Do I understand how to effectively manage these new risks?
• Hospitality and visitor management: Do my employees and I have the people skills to deliver a good agritourism product? Do I understand how to manage the visitor experience so they become repeat customers? Am I open to listening and responding to visitors’ feedback? Can I pivot easily to accommodate environmental changes?
• Partnerships: Who else will I work with to create an attractive regional destination that visitors will want to visit? Can my farm be a valued regional partner?

WVU is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer -- Minority/Female/Disability/Veteran.
In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, and reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs).
The WVU Board of Governors is the governing body of WVU. The Higher Education Policy Commission in West Virginia is responsible for developing, establishing, and overseeing the implementation of a public policy agenda for the state’s four-year colleges and universities.
Reasonable accommodations will be made to provide this content in alternate formats upon request. Contact the WVU Extension Service Office of Communications at 304-293-4222.