Last time we talked about the decision as to whether or not to add animals to your venue. I posted some questions to help you determine the feasibility for you personally. There is a ton of value, but again it may not work for everyone. From here on out, we’ll assume that you are either moving forward or have already added animals to your attraction. I’ll do my best to help you get started or refine what you already have.

Probably the first part of the process is determining the best location. Since animals appeal to a broad range of ages, it is usually best to keep them most accessible to your youngest guests. When people enter your ven...

Long lines are one of those things we consider a “good problem to have”.  Unfortunately, long lines can be a frustration for your guests and not a good way to start their fun day at the farm.  Here are some tips to keep those lines moving.

1. Good Signage

Be sure you have easy-to-read signs at your check-in area.  Not just at the cash register but in several places that can be easily seen from the lines so customers can be more prepared when it is their turn to pay. 

2. Limited Options

Keep it Simple.  Don’t have too many combo packages or options.  Studies have shown that limiting options to 3 or less is the sweet spot in situati...

Agritourism burnout can not only impact the success of your business, but all areas of your life.  It is important to take steps to ensure that you have enough “fuel in your tank” to make it through the season with a smile on your face (even if it is fake sometimes).  When burnout sets in, the negative impact will be felt all the way down to the guests that visit your venue.  Here are some tips to help avoid Agritourism burnout.

1. Delegate Menial Tasks
It is tempting to save a few bucks and do things like cleaning up trash from the parking lot, setting up the inflatables, re-stocking your concession stand.  All those menial ta...

Let’s continue talking about your traffic flow and look at the layout of your venue. Safety is a crucial factor when it comes to evaluating our policies and procedures, so we need to evaluate any safety issues when it comes to how vehicles enter, exit and travel throughout your property.

Traffic Flow

As I shared before, at one of our locations we were looking for a feasible way to redesign the flow of traffic. One of the biggest drawbacks to the existing design forced our guests to have to navigate the flow of traffic as it entered and exited the property. The entrance to our agritourism venue and the location of the farm store were both...

1. Trained Staff

I believe the first step in providing an OUTSTANDING customer experience is a thoroughly trained staff.  I believe there are 3 key areas of training: Product Training, Operational Training, and Procedural Training.

PRODUCT TRAINING.  Providing an outstanding customer experience requires a staff that is educated about your “product” and can answer questions from your guests.  If you are a farm that offers organic food, they should know why your farm has chosen to grow organic and the benefits of eating organic food.  If you sell Christmas trees, your staff should be able to correctly identify the different varieties and kn...