Farmers who want to attract tourists to the farm don’t need to dream up their own unique plan, an Alberta Agriculture employee said during the recent Growing Rural Tourism conference in Camrose. They can steal great ag tourism ideas from around the world.
“You need to get out and see what’s going on,” Bill Reynolds told those attending a Hitch Hiker’s Guide to Ag Tourism session on successful agriculture tourism ventures.
Sharon Stollery, also with Alberta Agriculture, said many urban residents no longer have a direct connection to agriculture with a relative on the farm, but they still want to make a connection to their rural roots and visit farms.
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“We know people have a nostalgic feeling for their heritage,” she said.
One of the biggest trends is “togethering,” where groups of people get together for a day or a weekend retreat to quilt or scrapbook.
People like to get away, often to a rural area, where they can spend time together doing a similar project. Companies also want a place where they can get away for a company picnic or meeting.
Family togethering is also a trend that farms can tap into, she said. Instead of catering to businesses, farms can attract families by holding Easter egg hunts or family picnics.
Another trend is for fun, games and nostalgia. Some agriculture tourism destinations look at the assets already on the farm.
One farm turned its existing grain silo into a children’s discovery playground with stairs inside and outside. It also turned an old John Deere tractor into a kid’s play toy.
“We have the assets that people don’t have access to any more,” Reynolds said.
Some farms have turned bits of old scrap iron into a water playground while others have built oversize barnyard sculptures of cows, chickens and eggs to amuse children.
“Most people on farms are very inventive,” he said.
A farm in Nebraska holds pig races to entertain the crowd while others offer scarecrow-stuffing contests.
“It’s simple and nostalgic.”
The Adams Family Farm in Vermont features themed tea events where visitors wear hats and learn about tea rituals and the history of tea. Cowboys converge on the main street of Bandera, Texas, every Saturday afternoon to ride horses, do rope tricks and play cowboy music.
There is nothing about Bandera that Alberta towns couldn’t copy, Stollery said. Tourists visit because of its Cowboys on Main Street event.
Tourists also like to go to places that are visually appealing and have fun contests. A citrus festival is held in France where oranges and lemons are turned into beautiful sculptures.
In Ontario’s Northumberland County outside Ottawa, a self guided driving tour called the Rural Ramble hosts an art competition where round bales are turned into works of art at the side of the road.
A Vermont town has turned the famed Spanish Running of the Bulls into the Strolling of the Heifers, where city kids learn to lead a heifer through main street during a parade. It also holds a Funky Heifer sculpture contest.
“These things are visually appealing to people,” said Stollery, who thinks there are probably enough round bales in Alberta to copy the bale contest.
Having dinner on the farm is also a growing trend. Reynolds said it can be as easy as serving food that Grandma used to make or can be an upscale, organic meal.
There are plenty of people with money who want to make the connection between their food and the farm, he added.
Quebec is home to several flavour trails where groups of farms and food producers map out a tourist route that passes cheese makers, chocolate shops, cider houses and farms that grow hothouse tomatoes. All are open to tourists.
Stollery said the trend is to cluster or connect the dots to make it easier to make day trips to a number of farms.
Lori Toker of Bonnyville, Alta., said she attended the session to find out what else could be done on her saskatoon berry orchard to attract families.
“We have a bunch of old farm machinery on our farm,” said Toker, who didn’t think it would be difficult to create a children’s playground to entertain kids while their parents picked berries.
Toker also liked the idea of kids being able to stuff their own scarecrows or have bale art competitions.
“I want more ideas to attract people to our saskatoon berry farm.”
