The Proposal

This morning I received an exciting phone call from a really good friend of mine informing me that last night she got engaged. This obviously is wonderful news! During my bus trip today, I had a lot of time to think about this and how it applies to our West Virginia farmers. How many of you have been looking to take the next step in your farm or business, but have continuously talked yourself out of it? What are you waiting for? Sometimes, we have to jump and take that next step in order to be successful. This three day bus tour has opened my eyes to the importance of keeping your enterprise fresh and reaching out to customers. I "propose" that if you have been thinking about taking that next step in your business, that you do your research and jump into that next stage. Often times without risk, there is no reward.

With that said, I had another full day on the road. First stop was Linvilla Orchards. This operation has a lot to offer its customers. When I stepped off the bus, I was greeted by a red dog mascot. They often use things such as this to entertain kids. There are four owners within the business, and their many talents shine through on their farm. One of the sisters has an art degree, and it truly shines through on all the displays, as well as the playground. The family has had their share of challenges. They recently had their octagonal barn burn down. It is the family's desire to rebuild this unique symbol of their farm. The farm has a garden center, market, and many other things to offer. The media coverage they get is incredible! They often are featured on their local news stations. Remember: Advertising is powerful!

My second stop of the day was Milburn Orchards. I was really impressed with their "Barn Buddies." They had several goats and had built ramps for them to play on. They offered the quarter machines to buy corn and feed the animals. They had a nice walking trail that created boundaries for kids to stay in. The "Boo Barn" was also a feature of this farm. Haunted barns or trails are often to scary for small children. The "Boo Barn" allows children to walk through a haunted barn without as much scary stuff. For example, within the barn they have fake stuffed spiders and bats. I loved that they had a "School Tour Store." Kids on school tours often only have five dollars to spend. The problem is, if they do not understand money, they pick up more expensive items. So, what if there is a store with only five dollar and under items. This helps to eliminate the children choosing items outside their budgets. The trash cans on the farm were extremely cute! They were painted like Holstein cows, and then had either udders or cow faces on the lids. They said, "Keep our farm udderly clean." This encourages visitors to throw trash in the cans. Little touches often mean the most!

Richardson Farm had the most updated facilities on the tour. They had only been open a short time. They provided a grocery store style atmosphere, but offered fresh products. They also have an on site greenhouse. One thing that is incredibly impressive is they make their own ice. They have huge a huge ice maker machine, which supplies all their produce cases. They also raise turkeys each year and have their own deli.

The final stop of the bus tour was Weber's Cider Mill. I liked this stop, because the moment you walked into the market you just got a good country feeling. The children playground was also impressive. Straw or hay mazes seem to be a popular agritourism activity. They built a bridge over their hay maze to make it easier for parents to monitor children while they were in the maze. I also had the opportunity to explore their cider manufacturing facility, which was very impressive.

I am now back in Baltimore! The tour was very enjoyable and educational, and I am looking forward to seeing what the rest of the conference has to offer. I have had great conversation with people from diverse backgrounds. Agritourism can be successful! Whether you have 5 acres or 500 acres, this can work for you!