CPA Info #246 March 2016 Agritourism Session and Tour Evaluation Summaries from the 2016 Pick TN Conference Megan Bruch Leffew, Marketing Specialist The Pick Tennessee Conference was held February 11-13, 2016 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Agritourism sessions and operation tours were included in the event as was the annual meeting and banquet of the Tennessee Agritourism Association. Separate evaluations were distributed and collected for agritourism sessions held on Thursday and Friday of the Conference and the agritourism tours held on Saturday of the conference. Copies of these evaluations are included at the end of this this fact sheet (pages 5-7). This fact sheet summarizes the results of these two evaluations. Agritourism Sessions Evaluation Results Summary Participants were asked to rate the quality of each session attended on Thursday and Friday of the conference on a scale of Poor (1), Fair (2), Good (3) or Excellent (4). Tables 1 and 2 include session titles, estimated attendance, total responses, and minimum, maximum and mean ratings. Table 1. Thursday Session Attendance and Ratings Thursday Sessions Estimated Minimum Maximum Total Attendance Rating Rating Responses Mean Raising the Bar with Social Media Marketing 115 1 4 26 3.31 Using Content to Connect with Your Customers 64 1 4 18 3.17 Emergency Preparedness On the Farm 37 3 4 13 3.46 Give Yourself a Marketing Check-up 60 1 4 19 3.63 Employee Management Part I: Regulations 18 2 4 8 3.25 Employee Management Part II: Employee Handbooks 17 3 4 9 3.44 Maps and Apps: Mobile Media Marketing 60 1 4 20 3.45 1
Table 2. Friday Session Attendance and Ratings Friday Sessions Estimated Minimum Maximum Total Attendance Rating Rating Responses Mean Liability and Insurance Update 35 2 4 14 3.29 Adding Value to Specialty Crops through Food Processing 40 2 4 13 3.08 Secrets to Spotlighting Specialty Crops through Tours and Events 40 2 4 15 3.60 Farm Safety for Visitors and Employees 20 2 4 11 3.45 The Alstede Farm Story 44 3 4 16 3.88 Featuring Specialty Crops in On-Farm Food Service and Retail 47 3 4 14 3.71 Participants were asked to indicate whether they currently direct market or plan to begin direct marketing farm products to consumers in the next year. A total of 21 respondents (78 percent) were direct marketing or planning to direct market within one year. Of these, sixteen respondents (94 percent) indicated the sessions helped them gain knowledge/skills to increase sales revenue, reduce costs, prevent losses, increase payroll or make one-time capital purchases for their direct marketing enterprise, while one respondent (6 percent) answered no. Participants were asked to indicate whether they currently offered or plan to offer agritourism activities, experiences, entertainment or recreation such as tours, events, family fun, haunted attractions, etc. in the next year. Twenty-five respondents answered yes (96 percent.) Of these, 22 respondents (92 percent) indicated the sessions helped them gain knowledge/skills to increase sales revenue, reduce costs, prevent losses, increase payroll or make one-time capital purchases for their agritourism enterprise. Participants were asked provide feedback on how the agritourism track of the Pick TN Conference could be improved. Twelve comments were received: I would like to hear from one or two other agritourism operators, from different states, about what they would do differently if they were doing it all over again. Maybe they could share some of their hardest learned lessons and most important experiences. More speakers like Alstede who've had a successful business in agritourism. Roundtables on agritourism topics that are of most interest to members. Where to find signage and what is required to post. Where to find props and playground equipment. What regulations required for bathrooms and kitchens. Offer a broader range of agritourism knowledge, not just pumpkin patch and hay rides. Discussion on zoning - in more urban counties. More discussion on events and event planning on the farm, i.e. corporate events, educational events, wedding, etc. Trade show people should be here instead of leaving mid-afternoon. Train the Trainer/Manager Raising the Bar with Social Media Marketing could be improved by condensing a lot of the basic information and focusing more on how to create and implement a successful plan. Skim over the statistics and reasons why people use social media and give us an action plan. For the Using Content to Connect with Your Customers Session, less time could have been spent talking about mobile responsive sites and more on helpful information such as 5 Keys for Mobile Websites. 2
Good job - sound system needs improving. Hard to understand speakers. I just look forward to next year being as good as this year. It will have to be super to do that. complaints or thoughts. Info was very helpful. Respondents were asked to list a key resource, information or training still needed to assist them in growing an agritourism or direct marketing enterprise. Twelve participants offered the following suggestions: Legal aspects of agritourism. Keeping updated as changes in laws occur. Funding sources for starting or improving agritourism business. We think that mini breakout sessions would be really beneficial for all the farms. The breakout sessions could be sorted according to specific targets your farm is wanting to work on. For instance, a group that wanted to add playground activities might meet with a team leader that has lots of experience with adding such activities while another group that wants to grow their concessions sales might meet with a team leader that their farm has a highly successful concession. Advertising signs and regulations. Information on diversity in agritourism. How will the State support or not support certain activities as agritourism. Information about attracting sponsorships. I would enjoy a marketing session on alternatives to social media. We have had lots of info on social media and would like to learn more about print ads, television, radio and possibly how to get sponsorships for certain things. In-depth hands-on social media training. Comparisons of actual business plans of at least some of the enterprises presented by owners. Learning and marketing crops. Google Analytics class - with the option to set up our own during the class, and another class to learn which metrics are most helpful. Project management - software and how to set it up. Videography - equipment needed and tips for producing quality videos. Provide a list of conference farm attendees - names - addresses and emails and what they do as at the farm i.e. events - pick-your-own hayrides - whatever. This would allow for later networking. Agritourism Tour Evaluation Results Summary A total of 48 people participated in the agritourism tours held on Saturday, February 13. The group visited the Knoxville Botanical Gardens and Arboretum/UT Center for Urban Agriculture, RiverView Family Farm, Deep Well Farm/Dead Man s Farm/Zombie Hunter s Paintball and Sweetwater Valley Farm. 3
Participants were asked to rate the quality of the tour on a scale of Poor (1), Fair (2), Good (3) or Excellent (4). Answered ranged from Fair to Excellent. The mean rating for the 22 responses was 3.45. Participants were asked to indicate whether they currently direct market or plan to begin direct marketing farm products to consumers in the next year. A total of 17 respondents (86 percent) indicated direct marketing or planning to direct market within one year. Of these, seventeen respondents (94 percent) answered indicated the tour helped them gain knowledge/skills to increase sales revenue, reduce costs, prevent losses, increase payroll or make one-time capital purchases for their direct marketing enterprise, while one respondent (6 percent) answered no. Participants were asked to indicate whether they currently offered or plan to offer agritourism activities, experiences, entertainment or recreation such as tours, events, family fun, haunted attractions, etc. in the next year. Twenty respondents answered yes (95 percent.) Of these, 20 respondents (100 percent) indicated the tour helped them gain knowledge/skills to increase sales revenue, reduce costs, prevent losses, increase payroll or make one-time capital purchases for their agritourism enterprise. Respondents were asked to provide suggestions on how to improve the tour in the future. Seven responses were received. Much of the agritourism tour included businesses that seemed to already have a huge amount of capital to invest and put toward their enterprise. I think it would be of more value for participants to see farms that can speak more to how they got started and were able to begin making money from their venture. The tour was diverse between operations and very organized. We saw all levels of agritourism on this tour. First year, first time and so very glad we came! Have learned so much. Very much appreciate the conference for networking and the guest speakers/topics. First one so good for me. You did great! (3) Respondents were also asked to recommend possible tour options for 2017 near the Franklin, Tennessee area. Suggestions included: Stoney Creek Farm. Behind-the-scenes tour of Opryland Hotel indoor plants. Tour of pasture-raised beef direct marketing farm. 4
2016 Sessions Evaluation Form Please help evaluate the agritourism track of the conference and provide input for future events by completing this form or completing an online version at https://tiny.utk.edu/at16. 1. Please rate the quality of each session you attended on a scale Poor, Fair, Good or Excellent. Sessions Rating Thursday Raising the Bar with Social Media Marketing Poor Fair Good Excellent Using Content to Connect with Your Customers Poor Fair Good Excellent Emergency Preparedness On the Farm Poor Fair Good Excellent Give Yourself a Marketing Check-up Poor Fair Good Excellent Employee Management Part I: Regulations Poor Fair Good Excellent Employee Management Part II: Employee Handbooks Poor Fair Good Excellent Maps and Apps: Mobile Media Marketing Poor Fair Good Excellent Friday Liability and Insurance Update Poor Fair Good Excellent Adding Value to Specialty Crops through Food Processing Poor Fair Good Excellent Secrets to Spotlighting Specialty Crops through Tours and Events Poor Fair Good Excellent Farm Safety for Visitors and Employees Poor Fair Good Excellent The Alstede Farm Story Poor Fair Good Excellent Featuring Specialty Crops in On-Farm Food Service and Retail Poor Fair Good Excellent 2. Do you currently direct market or plan to begin direct marketing farm products to consumers in the next year (pick-your-own, on-farm retail, CSA, farmers market, etc.)? Go to Question 3 Skip to Question 4 3. Did the agritourism sessions help you gain knowledge/skills to increase sales revenue, reduce costs, prevent losses, increase payroll or make one-time capital purchases for your direct marketing enterprise? 4. Do you currently offer or plan to begin offering agritourism activities, experiences, entertainment or recreation such as tours, events, family fun, haunted attractions, etc. in the next year? Go to Question 5 Skip to Question 6 5. Did the agritourism sessions help you gain knowledge/skills to increase sales revenue, reduce costs, prevent losses, increase payroll or make one-time capital purchases for your agritourism enterprise? (Please continue the evaluation on the other side.) 5
6. How could the agritourism track of the Pick TN Conference be improved? 7. What is the key resource, information or training you still need to assist you in developing or growing an agritourism or direct marketing enterprise? Please be as specific as possible as we will use these responses to plan future events. Thank you for providing valuable feedback and for attending this year s conference. Return the completed form to an agritourism session moderator or Megan Bruch Leffew. If not turned in at the conference, either complete the online evaluation or send your form to Center for Profitable Agriculture, P.O. Box 1819, Spring Hill, TN 37174, email to mleffew@utk.edu or fax to (931) 486-0141 by February 28, 2016. 6
2016 Tour Evaluation Please help evaluate the agritourism tour and provide input for future events by completing this form or completing an online version at https://tiny.utk.edu/attour16. 8. Please rate the quality of this year s tour on a scale Poor, Fair, Good or Excellent. Poor Fair Good Excellent 9. Do you currently direct market or plan to begin direct marketing farm products to consumers in the next year (pick-your-own, on-farm retail, CSA, farmers market, etc.)? Go to Question 3 Skip to Question 4 10. Did the agritourism tour help you gain knowledge/skills to increase sales revenue, reduce costs, prevent losses, increase payroll or make one-time capital purchases for your direct marketing enterprise? 11. Do you currently offer or plan to begin offering agritourism activities, experiences, entertainment or recreation such as tours, events, family fun, haunted attractions, etc. in the next year? Go to Question 5 Skip to Question 6 12. Did the agritourism tour help you gain knowledge/skills to increase sales revenue, reduce costs, prevent losses, increase payroll or make one-time capital purchases for your agritourism enterprise? 13. How could the agritourism tour be improved? 14. Next year s conference will be held in the Franklin, Tennessee area. Please list any agritourism operations, retail establishments or tourism destinations we should consider for the 2017 tour. Thank you for providing valuable feedback and for attending this year s tour. Return the completed form to Megan Bruch Leffew. If not turned in at the conference, either complete the online evaluation or send your form to Center for Profitable Agriculture, P.O. Box 1819, Spring Hill, TN 37174, email to mleffew@utk.edu or fax to (931) 486-0141 by February 28, 2016. 7