Farm Tour Readiness Checklist

Are You Farm Tour Ready?

When looking at whether or not your farm or agri-location is ready for visitors and to create a County Compliant place for guests to explore, here is a checklist that we use to identify areas that need to be modified, created, changed, added or addressed.

Every County has its own Compliance Guidelines

Agritourism locations are assessed on a case by case basis, based on what the farm wants to do, the location of the venue and the scale & scope of traffic, revenue and safety. Currently, there is no one way, one rule, or one method to being compliant.  So if you are looking to get into the industry prepare yourself for that.  Here is a link to the most recent Statewide Agri-Tourism Planning and Compliance Workshop (Summer 2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbpRYmGahdM&feature=youtu.be

Here is a link to the Planning Contacts in Each County

However, local and global studies show that agri-tourism/rural tourism, outdoor/adventure activities, eco-travel and hands-on educational experiences are key to sustainable business models in isolated island locations, like Hawaiʻi.  Especially when it comes to agriculture.

Understand that agri-tourism is not production or commodity farming

Once in the agritourism industry, you now cross over to a specialty service agri-location. Even if you have both components included in your business model, these are 2 very different types of agri-business. Commonly, farm owners see the value of diversifying into the agri-tourism industry to generate revenue that comes from value added product and service but do not fully realize the capital, skill set, and commitment required to make this change.

Readiness Checklist

Here is a checklist we use when consulting for farms that are diversifying their farm templates to include a customer service and/or value added component to generate commerce. Have a look through and see if your farm can answer/address all these items. Also, be aware that these items are essential to the visitor/guest experience.  Visitor safety is generally not the same as farm safety in a manner of speaking.  Farmers tend to have a stronger wherewithal than the average everyday person and often do not notice just how much stronger and resilient they are in comparison to folks who don’t farm or are not accustomed to being on a farm day to day.

Farm Readiness Guidance: This is the exact list we follow when helping farms navigate compliance and readiness.  Listed under each are little tips to addressing & understanding each item.

• Physical Layout- What’s the plan for your tour? The actual walking and/or driving route that guests are going to be using while on your property. Where can they go, where can they not go? What can they touch? What can they not touch? This is an important part of compliance and often gets overlooked because farm owners have never looked at their layout in relation to having visitors walk all around it.
• Every location will require signage that indicates every little thing. Visitors need lots of guidance. i.e. parking, restrooms, turn here arrows, shop, demonstration area etc.
• ADA compliance for parking and restrooms is also required.

Do You Have a:

• Map of the property (that can be shown to visitors. Not blueprints)
• Vehicle & Walking Accessibility (in specific areas)
• Walking Route
• Driving Route
• Self-Guided Options
• Guided Tours (how long will the tour take?)
• What is the price point you are looking for?
• Does your tour layout provide: Touch, Taste, Smell components?
• Staffing Needs- Who will do the farm tour? Does this person like people?

Commonly, most farmers like to farm not lead tours;) However, farming mindsets are changing and many farmers enjoy educating guests just as much as they like farming.

• Labor Hours Setup-Breakdown (floating positions)
• What’s the cost/value (to you & guest) & ROI? (social & revenue)
• Safety Concerns- Again, generally speaking farmers are physically stronger than people who are not on farms every day, so safety is different for people who are not farmers;) Things like, dips in the walking area, steep hills, ungraveled uneven pathways, exposed machinery & tools etc.  These little things tend to get overlooked by a farmer but can be a danger for visitors.
  • Get fresh eyes on your property all the time.
• Restrooms- If you are doing agritourism on your property, restrooms are a good idea but may not be a deal breaker if there is access to a bathroom break location(s) throughout your tour experience.  Guests will want/need to use the restroom, guaranteed.
  • Rest Stops- do not become a rest stop unless guests are prompted or have access to buy product. You do not want to be just a bathroom break.
• Food Service- make sure you have the proper food permits before serving or processing food.
• Parking- This is a safety concern. Parking will need to be clearly identified and safe. Flat, graveled or paved, clear turn arounds, signage and enough stalls that accommodate how many visitors you anticipate or can maximize. An open field or grass on the side of the road, generally is a no go.
• Product Offerings- Many farms miss the opportunity to sell product. Consider the farm tour as the “hook” to get people to buy the products. For example, if the tour is $10 for an hour– a guest may purchase multiple items that are $10 each in 15 minutes (if there are products available to purchase).  People like to buy stuff, so don’t miss these opportunities to make money.

What are you going to tell people on the tour? There is an interesting paradox with farmers sometimes, they either have nothing to say or they have a hard time telling their story in less than 2-3 hours. We recommend you organize your farm tour script: Past, Present, Future (of the business/farm). This way there is some type of formula to help keep whoever is doing the tour on track.

• Past: Year you started your business and why you saw a demand.
• Present: The goals of your business now & what you see ahead
• Future: Plans for succession?

• Visitor Perception- What do you want the guest to “take away” from their experience? What are the values of your brand? What makes you different from everyone’s brand/farm?
• • Our Specialty is ……
  • What did they purchase from you?
  • How can they find you again? website, social media?

• Marketing Strategies- Often, business owners think that if you build it, they will come. Au contraire…if you build it and market it, they will come.  There are many ways and means to marketing. Word of mouth & Social Media are the main methods most small or beginning farmers are using. This is the most inexpensive but also most time consuming. It can help control volume and eases businesses into the brand model that they are trying to achieve or identify.
  • Supporting community & commerce- As a business & marketing tool Public Private Partnerships are vital to business success in today’s local and global economy. Having friends and partners in the community not only strengthens your brand but also provides additional exposure through various networks.

• Being a good neighbor- As far as compliance goes, this is the most important tip- Be a good neighbor. If your neighbors complain about your business, County officials will come knocking.  If your neighbors are in support of what you do, hassles will be far less.

Hope this checklist has helped guide some of your decisions and sparked ideas or concepts that you may have been thinking about regarding your venue & agritourism venture.