Agritourism has proven to be one successful form of on-farm diversification, and it is a wonderful opportunity to increase your on-farm revenue. But, it's not for everybody. You need somewhere to start, and that place is right here.
Throughout this site you will find information that will walk you through the process of starting an agritourism business, the resources available for your business, developing a business plan, and letting the public know what you have to offer. A great place to start would be to download your own copy of our own Oklahoma Agritourism Resource Manual.
However, if at any time you would prefer to have an Agritourism Coordinator visit with you directly, please do not hesitate to contact your respective agritourism coordinator. An agritourism staff member will come to your farm and help walk you through the process in a one-on-one environment and discuss the pros and cons of agritourism, as well as evaluate the resources that you have on your farm.
Jeff Weeks, Eastern Oklahoma Agritourism Coordinator, 405-488-7532, jeffery.weeks@oda.state.ok.us
Lori Coats, Western Oklahoma Agritourism Coordinator, 405-420-9242, lori.coats@oda.state.ok.us
You must enjoy interacting with the visitors who will be on your property.
When people visit your farm or ranch, YOU and your family will be the "face" of this business. Vistors to your farm want to interact with the farmer, they want to get to know you, your family and your property.
You are not selling your crops - you are selling an experience! A huge part of the experience you are selling is YOU! You must have a passion for what you are doing and be willing to share that passion with your guests.
Are you willing to learn new skills? You know about production agriculture. In an agritourism business, you must be willing to branch out and learn about marketing a business, maintaining a website, writing a press release, training your staff for hospitality, developing databases of customers on the computer, and many other things that aren't involved in the day-to-day business of production agriculture.
Can you give up your privacy? You have to be good natured when a crowd of people is lined up to use your bathroom, wandering through your barn, climbing on your equipment, or knocking on your front door. You have invited them there, and you must be "happy" to have them once they arrive.
Can you devote the time necessary to start a new business? There is an incredible opportunity in agritourism, but it does not happen only by sticking a "welcome" sign on the front gate. You must devote time to developing and promoting your new business. Production agriculture may take all the time and resources that you have - can you delegate those duties and devote time to developing another enterprise?
Assess Your Resources. Look at your property and the existing infastructure for ideas of where to naturally begin. Take a second look at barns, empty farm houses, lakes, rivers, ponds, silos, empty fields, scenic areas, gardens, historic buildings, wildlife, farm animals, antique equipment, open areas with access to starry nights.
Things to Consider:
Keep it authentic. Don't stretch to offer something that is completely outside that which you typically do on your farm or ranch. Offer an activity that is true to your farm that you are comfortable doing. Your guests are in search of an authentic experience.
Start small! When you begin your business, you will likely come up with lots of ideas of things to do at your new attraction. Sometimes that can be very overwhelming. We encourage you to take one or two ideas and develop them. As you perfect and implement one idea at a time, your customers will let you know what your next step should be. You might also consider starting with a seasonal operation so you can get your feet wet only a few weeks or months out of the year. This may be the best way to "test the waters" of agritourism and decide if you are ready for a year-round business.
Who Do You Want on Your Farm? How many people do you want at your farm at one time? Where will they come from? Who will they be? What is their lifestyle like? Will the activities you offer attract families, school field trips, senior groups, international guests, overnight guests? What is the lifestyle and expectation of that audience? Know who your customer is and build your concept around what that customer wants and needs.
Consider your Competition. Look around your area to see what others are doing and what they are offering. Two farms close together can both be successful. Consider ways you can differentiate your offerings, or if you do choose to offer the same services or products be sure that you do it better or create a different experience so customers know why they should choose your farm.
Develop a Business Plan - Follow this link to find a list of resources available for business plan development in Oklahoma. Writing a good business plan can be overwhelming, but you don't have to do it alone. There are several good resources that will assist with business plan development.
Funding Opportunities - Follow this link to find a list of loan and grant programs that apply to agritourism destinations.
Take Part in Educational Programs - Contact us at the Oklahoma Agritourism Program and get involved in the educational workshops, conferences, and events that we host each year. We can also schedule a time for an agritourism coordinator to visit your farm and bring resources directly to you. To do this, click the "Add Your Farm" button and send us your information. We are looking forward to helping your ideas become reality and watching your business grow. Click here to find out more about the programs and services that we are currently offering.
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