Episode 311: Managing Visitors to Your Farmstead

Today, I will review five things to consider regarding visitors to your farm or homestead s that you can navigate this slippery slope with grace and humor.

Thursday at 7pm - Live with the Holler Neighbors on Youtube: https://youtu.be/nhm-S4xbDuA

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Stump the Sauce

• From Hunter: When to Work With an Established Vendor on Website Redos

What’s Up in the Garden

• Green beans and beets are up
• All tomatoes and peppers are out - tomatoes have their first tiny green tomatoes which means hopefully four more weeks until harvest
• Rapidly seeding things all over the garden spaces in hopes of more production - we have fallen behind due to a fencing issue
• Lettuce is about to bolt and I have not organized my lettuce growing rotation very well to keep us in greens (luckily the chard will save my butt)

Main topic of the Show: Managing Visitors to Your Farmstead

1. Learn to say NO
2. Set Up Touring Hours That Work For You
   1. Agrotourism
   2. Rental cabins
   3. “fun “ projects
   4. Petting zoo
   5. Seasonal fin like pumpkins or baby chicks
   6. Classes
3. Consider Visits as a Profit Center
   1. Clear Objective
   2. Many Inexperienced Hands Make Longer Work
   3. List what you will provide vs what they need to bring
   4. Treat it like a workshop
4. How to Set Up Farm Work Days
   1. Ongoing weekly schedule
   2. Usual versus New tasks
   3. Clarity of expectations on both sides (what they provide vs what you provide)
   4. Hands-on training
   5. Reality of the farm vs romanticized idea
5. Internship Programs vs Farm Day

In the end, wether you decide to allow visitors or helpers to your homestead or farm or not is your decision and people who become pushy about visiting are probably not the kind of people you want. On the other hand, inviting people in to see what the lifestyle is like, or to learn a bit about what you do can be great for business - both from a tourism profit standpoint and to sell what you produce. But be mindful of the roi on your time for tours, visits and helpers - many time the help that comes is more work than doing the task for yourself would be and at that point you are providing a training service - which can be great because then folks learn how much work all this growing food stuff is and are more understanding of the farm to table price point.

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

Advisory Board

• The Booze Whisperer
• The Tactical Redneck
• Chef Brett
• Samantha the Savings Ninja

 

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