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Senior Member
 
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As you know from another post, the wife and I are headed over to Ireland staying in a cottage on a Suckling Farm whatever the heck that is! (LOL) I am really looking forward to seeing how they raise livestock over there, and they sound eager to see how we farm over here! Being both dairy farmers I am sure it will be interesting.
Now for years I have always wanted to put in a small cottage on the farm myself. Nothing big, but with electricity, running water and septic so nothing primitive by any means, and then rent it out on a weekly basis. With the new road the USDA built for me, I have an excellent, out of the way, but close enough to utilities, location for it. But would anyone come?
My wife says no, as we seldom have visitors on the farm, and our friends and family rather stay over even though the house here is plenty big enough. She thinks it is silly to spend money on a cottage that no one wants to stay in. I am not so sure. I have had a few people mention that they would "love to see your farm Drawbar". I am not advertising anything here, just trying to find out if the members of Hobby Farm Forums would visit a farm like mine? Or if you wouldn't, do you think enough other people would consider it? What do you think I would need to do for activities to entice people to come as well?
Eat lamb...because 50,000 coyotes CAN'T be wrong!
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Junior Member
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| It's all in the marketing. Funny you are going to Ireland as I was just reading about (I think this is the right name) John Sawyer who wrote some famous book on Sustainability and how his family does week long "classes" and was thinking of what a great vacation that would be. You could teach all kinds of stuff about the sheep, the dairy and now the bees!! And people are coming for a vacation so it doesn't have to be very intense. If you promote the area (granted, I'd rather go to Ireland but I've never been to Maine either). Mary Ann
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New Member
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Last Login: 11/15/2009 9:03:36 PM
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actually that is what keeps stone walls standing over seas. people want to see them when they go to the UK. But what's funny is folks like Britboy did't even know what A Galloway Dyke was... (just say'n)
agratourism works when it's not overdone and when it's honest. I mean if you teach something or have a nice place to stay then it will work. BUT if you and every other farm on the block it, as in any marketing becomes useless. we have talked here of the same kind of cabin set up. However I don't know if I want to do that now with the other ventures we have.
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New Member
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| I think it could be done. I am not sure where exactly you are, but there are a couple options. One is to just rent to cabin to vacationers coming to the area. If it has a couple bedrooms and maybe a pullout couch with a small stove and frig it would be great for a family looking to just enjoy the area. Those are the types of places I look for when I travel. The option to combine a vacation with a class on sheep, general farm planning, woodlot work, etc could also be a big seller. I know if I was new to getting into sheep it I would be very interested in a three to five day intensive on a working farm. Dairy life would possibly be interesting to some, but I am not sure if it would be as easy to market as some. From my understanding your family does the mega dairies which require such an investment to get going that you really sort of have to have been born into the life or have already worked on one. Being exposed to those in college after the little 30 to 60 cow Jersey dairies I had grown up around sort of turned me off dairy life. :) Over all I think it might be worth looking into more. Can the state of USDA give you any more info?
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New Member
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Last Login: 11/15/2009 9:03:36 PM
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Trouble with workshops is the risk. I mean I'd never actually let some city boy come in and mess with cows or other objects.
On the other hand, I have attended workshops about various things and been rather upset that most of the city folks just wanted to have the company store experience rather than learn about a skill or trade.
I once paid $250 for a days lesson in stone. The group was only active in practical application for an hour or 2 and the rest of the time was spent jaw jacking about tie'n knots and other subjects unrelated to the lesson. Truth be told, most of them were just happy to get out of the city. I'm sure they told all there friends about the big stone wall they built.
if I were the teacher, I'd be laughing all the way to then bank. However I was a student and I must say that I'd like to see more people who do such projects actually do more than put on a dude ranch.
we have enough crappy teachers in public school. If such chances are to be taken then why not teach people the truth rather than just give them a place to hang out?
OR Just give them a place to hang out and give it another name.
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