Every small town deserves to be a success. Surely, it is not an easy task since many critical factors comes into play, including funding and creativity.
Agriculture, not tourism or oil, is resoundingly Saskatchewan’s largest industry. One can never fail to be amazed at the rolling fields of various commodities as one crisscrosses anywhere in the province for work or recreation.
While well-established cities may have greater revenue collection and a wider base of competing resources, small towns must devise strategies in the face of mounting challenges such as ever-increasing limitations to scarce federal, provincial and community resources. Here’s hoping that this article can stimulate some creative and innovative ways of helping small towns across Canada succeed.
Hello Agritourism! (agriculture + tourism)
Tourism usually conjures up visions of blue waters, white sandy beaches, and radiant sunshine somewhere in Mexico, the Caribbean or Hawaii. However, more and more the very concept of tourism is rapidly changing like so many other industries. The concept of agritourism is nothing new. Success or failure depends on sustainable business and marketing plans that ensures it is well promoted in urban areas (cities). I believe a well-conceptualized agritourism strategy can be a boon to both urban and rural folks. Urban folks may surely fork out the cash (or visa) for an experience that will help relieve them of their stress and daily challenges of city life. At the same time, it can provide an eye-opening experience to the city folks that life in small towns … hmmmmm … is not so “boring” after all!
While many small communities are being taken over by corporate entities, and small family-owned-and-operated farms are going by the wayside – yet, small towns still have to creatively remain competitive and survive the onslaughts. Tourism is an ever-expanding global phenomenon and urban dwellers are always seeking new intuitive experiences. Small towns can take advantage of these opportunities and keep the money in their backyards, or bank account.
Actually, agritourism is nothing new. In parts of Europe and the United States this form of business has been around for quite sometime. “Farm Stay” is promoted in Europe, where visitors can stay on a working farm while on a holiday or vacation.
Agritourism provides additional experiences that one cannot have by going to the “EX” (Summer Exhibition in Saskatoon, for example) every year. For many small towns this can be a huge boost to developing supplemental incomes for farmers and their respective communities.
The Alabama Cooperative Extension System, one of the leading communities in the forefront of agritourism defines this revenue sector as: “Agritourism is a commercial enterprise at any agricultural site, including horticulture and agribusiness operations, conducted for the enjoyment of visitors that generates supplemental tourism income for the owner.”.
Here are some ideas that you may find suitable, or do-able for your small town. It is quite possible that you may know of some other activity which is not even mentioned in this list:
• Farm tours
• Holiday visits/tours
• Farm visits and stays
• Hay rides
• Roadside stands & markets
• Barn dances
• U-pick operations
• Photography/painting
• On-farm sales
• Camping & picnicking
• Festivals & fairs
• Mazes (corn, hay)
• Agriculture-related crafts/gifts
• Habitat improvement projects
• Guided crop tours
• Bird watching
• Garden/nursery tours
• Wildlife viewing
• Winery tours
• Hunting dog training & competition
• Historical agricultural exhibits
• Trap & skeet shooting
• Exotic animal farms
• Fee fishing
• Farm skills/farm work
• Fee hunting
• Petting zoos
The success or failure in organizing any or all of these activities will depend on strategic planning and execution. It may take up to three years of planning before the first activity, or group of activities, can be implemented.
Like many farms south of the border, farm incomes in Canada and their respective communities (small towns included) are slowly being eroded, including less federal funding, poor or lowered prices for production and ever-increasing operational costs. The people in charge of small town management and survival cannot leave anything up to chance, since change is slowly creeping up on all of us. Agritourism provides the opportunity for diversification and alternative additional income. Like anything else, a small start to agritourism is better than no start at all. Also, one needs to consider that while you may be procrastinating on getting the idea off the ground – another small town is perhaps already adapting and getting it done!
Farm-dependent communities and towns must devise strategies to increase incomes outside of traditional agricultural sources. Tailoring of activities is advisable since the list can be very broad and not all activities is suited for every community.
Having a farmers’ market in the midst of the city is not even close to the experiences and benefits that agritourism would provide. People travel all the time, especially during the summer months. Small towns need to develop and promote themselves and the concept of agritourism in the cities so that they can capture some of that tourist dollar which would be spent anyway.
Eduagrihistorical (education + agriculture + history) tours would fill desire to know of one’s roots as more and more city dwellers desire to know how our ancestors lived and functioned without all the trappings of modern life. Is it possible for small towns to partner with major corporate entities, federal and provincial assets to market agritourism across the province? Even across the country?
As a small town, if you were to consider an agritourism addition to your local economy – what would you consider to be your greatest product, or attraction, or what can you develop to become your greatest leverage?
Perhaps, there is need for a new breed of agripreneurs (agricultural entrepreneurs) who can tap into this developing market, make financial sense to farmers, and use this as an educational tool for visitors from the non-farming sectors of the country. Is it even possible to develop this concept into a critical mass-tourist market and trend?
Perhaps, some small towns may consider hiring a business consultant to research and develop the business and marketing plan for them to enter into this critical market with confidence.
Actions Needed Now. Any small town not involved in developing sustainable, non-traditional sources of additional income for the community they serve needs to take action immediately to do so. To gain traction in agritourism you would need to consider developing a database of currently available attractions (if any), or a desired database of attractions that can be part of your development strategy. Consideration must also be given to connecting with associations across the province, or country, among other things.
A pursuit of agritourism would provide healthy benefits for all parties concerned: Increased revenues for farmers, other businesses, taxes for the respective small town; and an amazing experience for the tourist who will promote it on Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, and all other social media outlets.
The benefits of small town agritourism far outweighs the investment.
https://fastrac8.wordpress.com/2016/07/27/best-innovative-secrets-of-small-towns-success
