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 Teamwork Makes It Happen
Every successful farm understands teamwork-everyone, and I mean everyone, does their job, and together we make it happen. And when it is time for harvest, we expand the team, bringing in relatives, neighbors and hired hands to help get the job done.
Ag Clusters
The same is true in agrimarketing, the work of attracting tourists to your farm or ranch, and I am seeing more and more harvest teams coming together to reap bigger rewards. Called “Ag Clusters”, these are teams of neighboring farms, bed and breakfasts, wineries and other local businesses, including those who are friendly competitors, pooling their resources to create a cluster of attractions. The cluster invites potential guests to enjoy not one, but several attractions, all in the same region or area. More attractions increase the likelihood that the guests will choose your area to visit.
 Attraction clustering is nothing new to the tourism industry. For example, if you are looking for information about a theme park, you’ll likely find that the literature or website also tells you about nearby lodging, restaurants, and other tourist attractions. As more farms enter the agritourism industry, clustering is becoming a practical and profitable way to promote agricultural areas. By combining your marketing dollars you have more resources for brochures, websites and perhaps even a part time publicist to attract the media.
“Co-opetition”
There is a new term floating around now, “co-opetition”. This may not be a word, but certainly expresses the concept of an ag cluster; if we cooperate with our competition…co-opetition…in order to expand the markets for all of us. The success of our marketing efforts today will be enhanced through greater collaboration with other growers, community organizations, and tourism partners in our region. We need to recognize that the agritourism potential is when we can expand our collective offers for the best guest experience. The bottom line is that they will be more likely to visit our communities, and to stay longer, when we have more to offer than a single business.
On the Kansas Agritourism website, you’ll find several news stories are articles about some ag clustering already occurring among the farms and businesses in the Kansas Flint Hills. Here are a few other examples of Ag Clusters at work:
 One of the long standing trails, this year celebrating their 35th year, is the Sonoma County Farm Trail, which involves over 40 farms, nurseries and restaurants participating in the “Weekend Along Farm Trails.”
From their website, www.farmtrails.org, site visitors can locate descriptive guides, area maps, directions, a listing of classes and workshops, and a specific listing of accommodations and restaurants in the area. There are also guides for visitors who want to come at other times of the year. Members all receive prominent signage identify their businesses as part of the Sonoma County Trail.
Moving north, partners just outside Portland, Oregon have created the Fruit Loop Trail along the Hood River in the area known as the Columbia River Gorge. (www.hoodriverfruitloop.com) The 35 mile long loop provides a variety of 32 interesting farm stops, wineries, restaurants and artisans. Visitors will find alpacas, bakeries, award-winning wineries, and of course, since this is the nation’s largest pear growing region, there are a number of interesting orchards and farm stands.
 Special events are an ongoing feature of the Fruit Loop Trail, an enticing reminder to their urban neighbors in Portland that the farms and wineries are only an hour away.
Transportation becomes a special feature for the Apple Hill Growers Association, located in Camino, California. This was once a fledgling association comprised of 16 original ranches. Today it boasts more than 50 farms and ranches including apple growers, Christmas tree growers, wineries, a micro brewery, Spa and vineyards.
During harvest season, El Dorado County joins the Apple Hill Growers to provide a shuttle that passes all of the farms every 15 to 30 minutes for the cost of a one-day pass. According to county agricultural commissioner Ed Delfino, "Apple Hill was the first ranch marketing effort in Northern California," Delfino says "and its success is shown by the fact that now there are farm marketing groups all over. Apple Hill is a great example of government, farmers and media working together for everyone's good." We couldn’t say it any better. Website: www.applehill.com
None of these trails sprung up on their own. They were developed by the farms, ranches, wineries, restaurants and businesses deciding that if they all pulled together, everyone would benefit. We encourage you, don’t wait for your neighbors to call you.
 Think about what you and your family might want to see and do if you were just visiting the area.
What different farms, wineries or ranches would you visit?
Where would you eat? Where would you stay?
These places could become your partners in a new trail. Pick up the phone, and set up a meeting. You’ll be growing new customers in no time at all!
Jane Eckert, a national speaker, author and agritourism expert, is principal of Eckert AgriMarketing (www.eckertagrimarketing.com), a firm that helps farmers sell products directly to consumers and develop their operations into tourist destinations. Jane can be reached by phone 314-862-6288 or you may
to email her directly.
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