Ohio Farm Bureau's legal team created the guide to help members better understand the laws, regulations and risk considerations that come with opening their farms to the public.
Key Points
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Cecil Rapp remembers it well.
Bedford Falls Christmas Tree Farm, a cut-your-own enterprise in Lockbourne, opened for business in 2020. To say traffic was slow in those early days for Cecil and wife, Melissa, would be an understatement.
Then came a Columbus family with three kids who hadn’t touched grass in months as the pandemic wore on.
“They’d already cut down and bought their tree,” Cecil recalled. “It was tied on top of their car. They kept apologizing because their kids were running back and forth around the trees. They’d been cooped up all year, and we didn’t mind at all.”
Welcoming the public in to learn a little bit about farming, while having a “Hallmark Movie” Christmas tree experience, was one of the reasons the retired couple started their tree farm by planting the first seedlings in 2014.
“Sometimes the only time families ever visit a farm is to find their Christmas tree,” Melissa said.
In the years since they opened, the operation has expanded; they offer pre-cut trees, free hot chocolate and cookies, and a small gift shop. The couple and their nephew, Gary Cooper, who is a partner in the Christmas tree operation, are no longer lonely on their sales weekends in late November and early December.
As they plan to expand further in the years to come, they anticipate leaning on the expertise of Farm Bureau more than they have in the past.
“We’re very small, but there are resources I know we haven’t taken advantage of as Farm Bureau members,” Melissa said.
One of those resources is the brand new Ohio Farm Bureau Agritourism Guide.
The organization’s legal team created the new guide to help members better understand the laws, regulations and risk considerations that come with opening their farms to the public.
Agritourism has become a popular way for farm families like the Rapps to diversify their businesses, create new sources of income and connect consumers directly with agriculture. From Christmas tree farms, u-pick orchards, farm markets, corn mazes and farm stays, agritourism can take many forms and bring different considerations for each farm.
The new Ohio Farm Bureau Agritourism Guide brings information and resources together in one place to help members better understand agritourism and make informed decisions for their business.
“As interest in agritourism continues to grow, this guide gives our members practical information to better understand the responsibilities that come with opening their farm to the public and what venture may be right for their business,” said Leah Hetrick, director of legal education and member engagement for Ohio Farm Bureau.
Ohio Farm Bureau Agritourism Guide topics include:
Now heading into their seventh season, the Franklin County Farm Bureau members are making plans to expand their agritourism offerings year-round, a dream Cecil has had for decades and Melissa “caught” along the way.
“She’s running the ‘office’ and I’m running the ‘labor,’” Cecil said. “I don’t know what’s going on inside and she doesn’t know what’s going on outside.”
But with the help of Farm Bureau and the new Agritourism Guide, they’ll both have the resources to safely enhance the public’s experience wherever their visit takes them at Bedford Falls.
What’s Next
The agritourism guide is an exclusive member benefit, available online through Ohio Farm Bureau.
Ohio has more than 100 Christmas tree farms. To find one near you, the Ohio Christmas Tree Association has a directory at ohiochristmastree.org.
Listen to an Ohio Farm Bureau Podcast with Ohio Farm Bureau Director of Legal Education and Member Engagement Leah Hetrick, who developed the guide.
Ohio Farm Bureau’s legal team created the guide to help members better understand the laws, regulations and risk considerations that come with opening their farms to the public.
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