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Whether you operate a family farm or an agritourism destination, farm signage and labels are critical to your operation. Signage is designed to keep your family, farm workers, and visitors safe and informed. If your agritourism destination contains livestock, playground equipment, machinery or food sales, signs are a necessity.

With respect to vegetable crops, recent flooding in western Iowa has created a tough situation for growers. Given the time of the year of this catastrophic event, there were no vegetable crops standing in the field, however, water/runoff from surface waters such as rivers, lakes, or steams could have overflowed and run into fields. This water most likely could contain chemical and biological contaminants that may be harmful to the health of humans and animals.

In prior newsletter issues, we highlighted the first two steps a business must do to provide excellent service to its customers. Those steps are “Make it Your Own” and “Make it Personal”.  

Step 3 is “Make it EFFICIENT”.

The 2018 season has ended and I wanted to share a few frequently asked questions, problems, concerns, and trends that I am seeing.  Rather than waiting until next year to address these issues, it seems easier to do so while the year is still fresh in our minds. 

When using social media to advertise your business and products, there is power in pictures. Customers cannot touch or feel what you have to offer. Words and photos are the only way to promote your agritourism destination and persuade people to visit your farm and buy your products.

You have probably heard the old proverb, “One bad apple can spoil the whole bunch.” Although the meaning of the proverb is directed at things besides apples, it is based on a true fact for many fruits and vegetables. The storage location and temperature, quality of the product and what they are store with makes a big difference in their storage life. This is due primarily to a plant hormone ethylene, sometimes referred to as the “ripening hormone.” It is a colorless, ordorless gas that is naturally produced by plants. It functions as a plant growth regulator and triggers specific events, such as ripening. As the fruit ripens, ethylene causes cells to degrade, fruit to turn softer and sweeter, leaves to drop on plants, and seeds or buds to sprout.

How can you add value to your business so customers will select you over others? What differentiates you from your competitors? The first step for any business is to make it YOUR OWN. Begin by defining your business’s unique customer service culture. Many businesses skip this step – but it is the most important! Everything you do for your customers should result from the business culture you strategically decide to create. This is not your mission statement, nor your marketing plan; but it influences both of those. Your customer service culture is the impression you want in a customer’s mind the instant they hear your business name. 

Most gardeners anxiously await planting season and often get over zealous. Either the garden ends up larger than planned or more tomatoes, potatoes, and zucchini are planted than are actually needed. It is similar to going to the grocery store when you are hungry – you end up with more than you intended. Another situation may arise that the crops over performed, also leaving gardeners with a surplus. Although some of the excess may be shared with neighbors, friends and family, much goes to waste. According to AmpleHarvest.org, the amount of garden produce that goes unused in the United States could feed 28 million people. Make this year one that you intentionally plant extra and/or plan to give your surplus to help feed the hungry in your community.

Iowa tourism is a growing business. According to 2016 research released by the Iowa Economic Development Authority, state tourism revenues exceeded $8 billion, with communities and businesses across the state trying to carve out a piece of the pie for themselves. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is ready to help. Tourism specialist Diane Van Wyngarden serves all 99 Iowa counties. 

One of our main goals for the Visit Iowa Farms Program, and all of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, is to help connect your needs with Iowa State University research and resources to help you make sound business decisions. The Visit Iowa Farms Program is a project of ISU Extension and Outreach Value Added Agriculture Program. The Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC) is also housed under the ISU Extension and Outreach Value Added Agriculture Program umbrella. AgMRC is a national information resource on value added agriculture and has a wealth of resources that are useful to your farm and agritourism businesses. Click here to learn about a few of our favorites.

Utilize these tips to improve the marketing strategy for your business or agritourism destination. 

Whether you are gearing up for a busy fall season or are open other seasons of the year, it is always a good time to be thinking about safety on your agritourism destination. Establishing proper safety protocols can help ensure that you are doing all you can to protect the visitors on your destination.