Kansas AgriTourism News
March 2007
Greetings!
Several years ago, when Carroll and I were struggling to decide "where do we go from here?", we attended a Kansas seminar. Jane Eckert presented an introduction to AgriTourism, and she provided us with a three-level guide, encouraging us to walk before we run.
- Level I
- Wagon Rides
- Sell What You Grow
- Maze
- School Tours
- Animals
- Level II
- Events
- Food Concessions
- Bakery
- Admission
- Expanded Farm Products
- Level III
- Motor Coach
- Major Shopping
- Full Service Restaurant
- Permanent Restrooms
- Major Special Events
One may never want to completely be a Level III farm;  personally, I have no desire to have a full service restaurant-though I do fantasize about gourmet dishes with a steaming Cream of Pumpkin soup on a chilly autumn afternoon.
But that's as far as this fantasy goes. And though we choose not to have a petting zoo, we do touch on the animal aspect with an educational program regarding the wildlife of Kansas which roam our prairies.
Well, I just thought this guide might be of assistance to any Kansans trying to find their direction. If I can be of any help, please call.
Becky Walters, Walters' Pumpkin Patch
Chair, Kansas AgriTourism Advisory Council
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In This Month's Issue:
Featured Destination:
Dunn's Landing; Teaming Up Weddings and Draft Horses
Harvesting from Calgary
Customer Service is Vital
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March 2007 Featured Destination
Dunn's Landing
Teaming Up Weddings and Draft Horses
The Kansas Farm Bureau describes Dunn's Landing as "one of Franklin County's premier agri-tourism attractions for weddings, family reunions, and corporate getaways."
The hostess, owner and operator is Robin Dunn, a fourth generation farmer who provides weddings and corporate events in her heritage dairy barn built in the 1800s.
Guests love the ambiance of the neatly manicured, historic farm, and delight with the opportunity to present the bride and groom arriving from Robin's 
magnificent white horse-drawn limousine. Many families enthusiastically pay a premium so their guests can also tour the stables to view Robins Percheron and Belgian Draft horses.
In 1907, Duanna Dunn, Robin's great-grandmother, purchased this farm land in Wellsville, Kansas to begin farming. Today, 100 years later, Robin Dunn owns and operates the farm, having purchased the farm from her grandmother, Verna, in 1990, and the operating rights from her father in 1993.
"I left the farm to go to college, and then I left college to go to California," Robin recalled. "There wasn't enough income on the farm for my parents and me, so I opened a landscaping business in Southern California. But I knew what I wanted, and eventually, after 15 years, I was able to buy the farm and return home."
Weddings a Specialty
Dunn's Landing is probably best known for the large number of weddings held on the farm.
The barn will hold up to 250 people. Robin provides the tables and chairs, linen table cloths, a horse-drawn limousine carriage or stage coach, plus set up and take down. Adjacent to the barn are heated, modern restroom facilities.
A reservation includes 2 hours the night before for a wedding rehearsal, plus 3 hours for setup and 6 hours for the wedding and reception. The entire package is one price, $1,450 for the first 100 guests, and $100 for each addition 50 people.
Robin does not write individual contracts, but does have a "rules and regulations" sheet that all her guests must read and sign. Upon signing, a one-third deposit holds the date. A second third is due 3 months out, and the final payment is due 30 days before the event. Payment for the caterer, if used, is due 14 days before the event.
· Wedding Business
· Draft Horses
· School Tours
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Harvesting From Calgary
Three Kansas farms received Kansas Agritourism Grants from the Department of Commerce to attend this year's conference of the North American Farmers' Direct Marketing Association, held in Calgary, Ontario.
The farms were Smoky Hill Bison Company, Assaria; Renyer's Pumpkin Patch, Wetmore; and Bauman's Cedar Valley Farms, Garnett.
"I have to admit the most exciting thing for Doug and I with each NAFDMA conference has always been the bus tours and the time between each stop," said
Brenda Renyer, Renyer's Pumpkin Patch. "It has always been a traveling classroom where so much information is shared. It's so much fun to come home and start planning for the upcoming season after these conventions!"
Linda Hubalek, Smoky Hill Bison Company, provided a list of three things she brought back from the conference and plans to implement this year:
1. Raise our merchandise and activity prices up by 10%
2. Put together an employees manual
3. Add new children's activities for our fall season
John and Yvonne Bauman, Cedar Valley Farms, agreed with Brenda regarding the pre-conference bus tours. "The opportunity to see what others are doing, and to talk with so many farmers on the tours-we've seen dozens of great ideas we want to use in our own business," John said.
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From Department of Commerce
Division of Travel & Tourism
Customer Service is Vital
by Sarah Larison
Stop for a moment and think about your favorite restaurant. What makes you keep going back to that place time and time again? Is it the food? The atmosphere? The way the staff treats you?
How does this all fit into agritourism? The one thing that I always know I will get at my favorite restaurant is customer service. I know that I will be taken care of, treated like a family member, and that outweighs any other potential negatives that I may experience.
Click here to read Sarah's article containing tips on how to provide customer service in your agritourism operation.
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