Ep. 004 Diversifying Farm Income with Agritourism

Running a small farm means constantly thinking about how to keep the business resilient, and for a growing number of farms, opening the gates to the public has become part of that strategy. In this episode of CNG Field Notes, we talk with Jason and Larry of McLawland Farm, who’ve steadily built an agritourism operation that supports their farm year-round. They’ve added u-pick berries, figs, and flowers, photographer partnerships, workshops, Airbnbs, and more – not all at once, but piece by piece, in ways that fit their scale and capacity. If you’ve ever wondered what it actually looks like to bring people onto your farm in a way that’s organized, profitable, and aligned with your values, McLawland Farm offers an incredible case-study.

2:35 - Origin story of McLawland Farms

5:21 - Why did they choose blueberries at their initial crop?

7:10 - How did they find their farm?

8:58 - Quick overview of what McLawland Farms looks like today

13:31 - How did they think through laying out their farm initially keeping agritourism in mind?

17:58 - What was the experience the first time folks came out to the farm? What went well, what didn’t?

24:05 - Explaining the concept of a booking system for their u-pick operation

30:49 - Explaining their U-pick flower operation

53:32 - How did they start incorporating additional agritourism offerings?

1:01:16 - Why did they choose to certify their U-pick operation?

1:06:41 - What advice would they give to folks looking to start offering agritourism experiences on their farm?

1:12:12 - What advice would they give their year-one selves?

1:13:55 - How do they hope to see McLawland Farms grow in the next 5-10 years?