GEORGIA CHRISTMAS TREE ASSOCIATION, INC.

TREE TALKDecember 2010 Edition

Tommy and Denise Thompson, owners of Thompson’s Tree Farm in Lawrenceville, pose with Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus. Santa visits

their farm each year on the first Saturday of December.

Published by the Georgia Christmas Tree Association, Inc. 120 Cordele Hwy., Hawkinsville, GA 31036

Volume 25, No. 4, December 2010

Table of ContentsAssociation Officers 3

The GCTA Welcomes new members 4

Membership Application 5

Notes from Executive Director 9

September Meeting Minutes 10

Financial Report 12

Managing Needle Blight in Leyland Cypress 13

Entertainment Farming and Agri-Tourism 19

How many Christmas trees 37

Advertiser Index

7G’s Farm 20

Bass Trees & Supply 7

Byron Lakewood Nursery, LLC 25

Cinco Plastics Inc. (Stands) 27

Evans Christmas Products Back cover

Kelco Industries 23

Neddie Mountain Farms, Larry Wise ( Fraser Fir) 31

Oak Pond Nursery, LLC 14

Roan Valley Tree Farm (Fraser Fir) 36

Southern Christmas Trees Nursery (Bill Murray) 21

Veldsma & Sons, Inc. 11

Wagoner’s Fraser Knoll 26

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Association Officers

President--

Chuck Berry -- 2010185 McCord St. Covington GA 30014. 770-786-1370 Email:berryplace-yahoo.com

President Elect --

Greg Smith -- 20112375 Old Kings Bridge Rd.Nicholson GA 30565 706-757-3560 Email: gjasmith-windstream.net

First Vice President --

Vacant

Past President --

Tommy Thompson -- 20121829 Prospect Rd, Lawrenceville, GA 30043. 770.513.2552. Email: tstrees-bellsouth.net

Executive Director --

Linda Wilson -- 2008120 Cordele Rd, Hawkinsville, GA 31036. 478-919-TREE (8733)Email:treefarm-pstel.net

National Director --

Gordon Hunter 201114680 Wood Rd, Milton, GA 30004. 770-475-0713 Email: gordonhunter-bellsouth.net

Northern Directors Liz Kinsey--20127171 Jot-em-Down Rd, Gainesville, GA 30506 770-887-5541

Position vacant -- 2011

Central Directors

Position vacant -- 2013

Jim Butler -- 20123850 Hwy 81 West, Hampton, GA 30228Email: jim-christmastreehome.com

Southern Directors

Rick Palmer 20116899 Thompson Pond Rd. Tarrytown GA 30470, 912-529-3702 Email: secretforest-planttel.net

Lacy Jackson 20103452 Pateville Rd, Cordele, GA 31015 229-273-5748

Webmaster: Jim Butler 3850 Hwy 81 West, Hampton, GA 30228, 770-707-0584 Email: jim-christmastreehome.com

Tree Talk Editor

Natalie Cooper, 40 Spring St, Buford, GA 30518, 404-642-1101, Email: twougaalums-bellsouth.net

Tree Talk assistants:

Advertising Sales: Denise Thompson, 770-513-2552, Email: tstrees-bellsouth.net Printing, Coy Dillahunty, 770.884.0022, Email: dillahuc-bellsouth.net

Advertising RatesFull page ---- $150.00! Page ------ 75.00⅓ Page ------ 65.00" Page ------- 45.00Rates given are for black & white ad copy. Spot color or color strip $10.00 additional. Full color ads are available at double the base price. Contracts on four or more consecutive ads are discounted 10%. New ad submission deadlines are the 1st of month preceding the issue date. For design assistance contact Coy Dillahunty, 770-884-0022 Email:dillahuc-bellsouth.net

Published Quarterly, March, June, September, and

December.

Georgia Christmas Tree Association, Inc.120 Cordele Rd,

Hawkinsville, GA 31036 Phone 478-230-3646

Email: treefarm-pstel.netVisit our web site at

www.gacta.com

Established 1961Note:

Volume numbers on this issue corrected to reflect first issue as volume 1, number 1 was printed in March 1986. Numbers were correct to 2000. No newsletter printed in 1990. Volume No.

Should reflect year but have not for last 10.

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The GCTA Welcomes new members

This is an organization of Christmas Tree Growers and lot operators organized to promote the sale of Real Christmas Trees. We maintain close contact with researchers at the University of Georgia experiment stations and at many universities in neighboring states. Membership dues are $100.00 per year with reduced rates for new members, as indicated on the application. Persons interested in joining the association can complete this application form and mail dues check to:

Georgia Christmas Tree Association120 Cordele Rd.Hawkinsville, GA 31036

Benefits Of Membership

ANNUAL MEETING - is held in September and includes visits to tree farms. You will have a chance meet and learn from fellow growers, foresters and university professors specializing in fields of interest to Christmas tree growers and marketers.

WEB SITE - membership includes a website for your farm, with links from the Farm Finder map and Member list pages of the Georgia Christmas tree association website. Members have access to an easy to use website editor, where they can upload pictures and create their own website with up to 20 custom pages. Each website includes a Map page that will show your farm location and a Contact us page, for customers to send you email without exposing your email address to spammers. If you start your own website, it will likely cost more than the membership dues and you will not have the links for people to find your website.

MEMBERSHIP DUES - support research and the promotion of real Christmas trees.

NCTA WEBSITE LISTING - When you become a full member of GCTA, part of your dues will go to the National Christmas tree association, which provides a link to your website from www.christmastree.org.

TREE TALK MAGAZINE - is published 4 times a year and mailed to members. This provides timely information of concern to Christmas tree growers. An archive of past issues of this magazine is available in PDF at the member area of the web site.

YOU ARE JUST A PHONE CALL OR EMAIL AWAY - from years of valuable experience. If we can't answer your question, we know someone who can.

An application form is located on next two pages

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Membership Application

Georgia Christmas Tree Association120 Cordele Rd

Hawkinsville GA 31036Phone: 478-919-TREEPhone: 478-919-8733

This form is available on internet at http://www.gacta.com with ability to send. If you do not have internet service mail this with your check to address above.

Dues: select the dues box that applies to your operation$25 new member or have not sold any trees$50 after first year selling trees$75 after second year selling trees$100 after third year selling trees

Farm or Company name:____________________________________Last name:______________ First name:______________________ Spouse:__________________________________Street: City:_____________State: ______ Zip:____________ Home phone:__________ Farm phone:___________Mobile: _______________ Your email:__________________________________________________________Your Web site URL: Are you a National Assoc. Mbr:   Farm Address:__________________________________________Farm County:__________________ Farm City:______________________Information below is for Choose and Cut Listing and web site.Complete if you desire this advertising.Directions to Farm:

Select the tree varieties that you have for sale?

Continued on next page

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CypressLeylandMurrayBlue IceCarolina Sapphire

CedarRedDeodarBurki

PineVirginiaWhiteSpruceSand

FirFraserBalsamCanaanConcolor

SpruceBlueNorwayWhite

OtherGreen GiantCryptomeria

Select other sales and services that apply to your operation?

If you have other trees, sales or services not listed above, list them in comments below.Comments:

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SellBalled or potted treesWholesale treesGarlandJams and jelliesPumpkinsWreathsTree StandsSnow flocking

Offer or sellHot ChocolateCiderBoiled peanuts

ServicesHay rideLighted fieldGift shopTrain ridePetting zooMazeField toursAccept charge cards

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Association President’s Letter As always, I hope that your selling season is going well. It is hard to believe that

it is already half over and headed down the home stretch. I have heard mixed comments

as to how the 2010 season is panning out. I have received word that some are up in

sales and some are down. We are running fairly close in line with 2009 which is ok

considering the battles the “real tree” industry is still facing.We had a great showing at the Georgia National Fair in Perry again this year. A

big “THANK YOU’ goes out to Paschal and Judy Brewer for their hard work with the

contest. With over 40 trees entered, the GCTA was well represented at the fair. As

always, there is room for more. So keep the fair in mind for next October and begin now

grooming your “perfect” tree for the contest.“Real trees” are in the Capital and at the Governor’s Mansion again this year. I

spoke with someone at the Georgia Building Authority and was informed that they now

have a team in place that actually searches for the state Christmas trees. Both trees this

year were harvested from a resident’s yard. I hope to pursue this further next year in

hopes of getting trees in the state facilities that have been grown on Georgia Christmas tree farms as was done in past years. We need to keep our product in front of as many

people as possible.

Over the last several years, the Governor has hosted and agricultural awareness

week during January or February. If this event continues with the new administration, I

would like to see us participate as an organization. I will let you all know if this will be occurring and any help that might be needed for us to make a presence.

In reference to our statewide marketing efforts and the grant monies we have

received, the four 14’ x 48’ billboards were installed in late October and will remain up

until the end of the year. I have had several people tell me that they have seen the

billboards while traveling the state. As part of the 2010 grant, we will be developing a new full-color “choose and cut” guide similar to the one used by the Georgia Farm

Bureau’s Certified Farm Market Program. We have already received the money for the

printing and need to spend it as soon as possible. As soon as Christmas is over, you will

be receiving a survey of the information needed for the guide. Please complete the

survey promptly and return it so that we can compile the information and have them printed. Each member will receive an allotment as will the Welcome Centers across the

state. Anyone wishing to receive extras can request them as well. Once the guide is

complete, we will then focus on the “Story of the Georgia Christmas Tree” video, which

is also part of the 2010 grant funding.

Trees for Troops was also a huge success again this year and I am sure all of our military families that received a tree as part of the program are greatly appreciative of

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the gesture. Thanks to everyone who donated trees, the farms who hosted a pick-up

point, and to Greg Smith for his continued dedication to the program. I know it brings

many smiles to children and families that we never get to see, and that is what the

season is all about.

I hope each and every one of you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Be safe and happy planting come January and February. Feel free to call me with

any questions, concerns, or ideas. 770-602-6003

Notes from Executive DirectorLinda Wilson

Many of you opened this last weekend. From what I’ve read on Facebook, you seemed to

be doing well. We have already had many calls to the Association looking for a farm near them. I have had two calls from families in Florida headed this way to buy a tree. I

think it’s going to be a good season.

Our family is still busy putting out decorations, getting the hay for the wagon, looking

for hot chocolate on sale and thawing out the turkey. We have been very busy since September in preparation for opening but somehow it always comes down to the last

few days. Company is on their way (volunteer workers) and the cash register is open.

The trees are as pretty as they ever will be. They are tagged and ready to be in some

family’s home for Christmas.

As we sit down to Thanksgiving dinner this week, I am reminded again of all my

blessings. One of them is being able to do this every year and meet such great

customers. I look forward to seeing them again every year. Also, I am grateful for the

privilege of getting to know all of my fellow tree growers. You are a generous, hard

working group.

I wish you all great sales and lots of joy doing it.

Linda Wilson

Executive DirectorPS Don’t forget to pay your dues

Please note our new GCTA phone number is (478) 919-TREE (8733)!

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September Meeting Minutes

Georgia Christmas Tree Association, IncSeptember 18, 2010

Fall meeting

After a farm tour in the morning, the membership met at the Calvin Center. The

meeting was called to order by President Tommy Thompson. Dr. John Frampton

discussed experiments his department is conducting with Fraser Fir and Virginia Pine

using vegetative propagation (rooting cuttings). He was followed by Dr. Dennis Hazel

who spoke on the experiments his department is doing with the use of herbicides,

They discussed an upcoming event they are planning. It is to be held at the Calvin

Center, May 22-25, 2011. It will be titled ‘Southern Regional Christmas Tree

Conference’. It will include workshops on grafting, ground cover management, GPS

mapping of your farm and one specifically for new growers.

Judy Brewer announced the times that farms could submit their trees for judging at the

fair. She also asked for volunteers to sign up to man the booth.

After lunch, Chuck Berry introduced Dr. Mark Czarnota who discussed the use of

herbicide selectivity. He had a slide show to demonstrate the different strengths and

application methods.

Chuck Berry gave a gift certificate to Tommy Thompson for serving as President for the

last two years.

Linda Wilson asked and received a motion to accept the minutes from the previous

year’s business meeting as well as the financial report submitted. She also reminded

members that we pay $20/member to NACTA. This allows their name and information

to be listed on the National website for additional exposure. She said anyone who has

not paid their dues by June 15 of the following year (or indicated they will be paying at

the meeting) will not be included in the 2011 listing. Greg Smith gave a report on Trees

for Troops. He will be organizing the pick up/ drop off sites again this year.

Rob Petry says to be away of land conservation breach claims made by our local tax

assessors. His local board said he had breached the conservation contract by selling

Christmas related items on his farm. He is fighting it but wanted to warn everyone to be

aware.

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Sarah Murray wanted to remind everyone that this was the 500th year of the decorated

Christmas tree. Chuck asked for volunteers to replace Gordon Hunter as the National

Director. Earl Worthington nominated Chuck Berry. He agreed to serve. Greg Smith

will serve as President-elect and Lacey will continue as a Southern Director. It was

voted to approve the slate.

Bill Murray showed a sign that he will be displaying that read “Real Christmas trees are

made in America by God not made by OPEC Oil”. Tommy Thompson asked that we

adopt Bill’s motto. It was approved with the Board of Directors to discuss the exact

wording and use.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:00.

Respectfully submitted,

Linda Wilson

Executive Director, Georgia Christmas Tree Association, Inc

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Financial ReportLinda Wilson

Cash Flow - YTD:2 1/1/2010 through 11/30/2010 Category Description 1/1/2010- 11/30/2010 INFLOWS Dues 8,537.00 Grant Money 7,288.32 Meeting Income 2,517.00 Sales Ads 2,970.00 Subscription 12.00 TOTAL INFLOWS 21,324.32 OUTFLOWS Ad Sales Commission 673.00 Bank Charge 10.00 Bookkeeping 2,400.00 Corporation Registration State 30.00 Donation 100.00 Meeting Expense 2,605.59 Phones 116.96 Postage 419.36 Software 109.67 Supplies 2,183.30 tip nacta program 1,620.00 Tree Talk Editor 270.00 Webhosting 413.89 Website 103.99 TOTAL OUTFLOWS 11,055.76 OVERALL TOTAL 10,268.56

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Managing Needle Blight in Leyland Cypress

Unedited NCSU Christmas Tree Note Draft – To Be Reviewed

Leyland cypress has quickly grown in popularity on choose ‘n cut farms throughout the south and has eclipsed production of many more traditional species such as Virginia pine and white pine in some areas. Leyland cypress is prone to several fungal diseases including Seiridium canker, Botryosphaeria canker, needle blight, and several root diseases. The canker and foliar diseases can be spread through cultivation practices such as shearing damp infected trees, which can spread spores of the fungus to other trees resulting in potentially significant damage and financial loss for growers. In site surveys for disease on farms in North Carolina, only needle blight was found on a regular basis and Georgia growers recently identified it as their most significant cultivation issue. Many growers have experienced mild to severe infection on their Leyland cypress, and in some cases trees had to be destroyed.

The name of this needle blight pathogen has changed several times there is evidence that it may be caused by more than one fungus. Passalora sequoiae is the current pathogen name. Earlier names included Cercospordium, Cercospora, and Asperisporium.

Historically, disease management recommendations for controlling needle blight involved the application of foliar fungicides applied when new growth was emerging and continuing at regular intervals throughout the entire growing season. Few growers are able to maintain or can afford, such a rigorous treatment regime. However, close observation of spore production over the growing season and treatment trials at several North Carolina farms have demonstrated that needle blight can be managed such that damage to foliage is light. If treatments are applied early, limiting the number of new infections, infected tissues may even green up before the end of the growing season. Additional fungicide applications in mid-summer may be necessary to treat any new infections that develop.

Needle blight is capable of causing new infections on the tree throughout the growing season. In the spring (about mid-May to mid June), fungal spores are produced on needles and secondary lateral branches that were infected the previous year. The spores are then windblown or splashed by rain or carried by shearing tools to multiple new sites within the same tree or neighboring trees. Reddish-brown lesions of dying tissue

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develop on infected twigs. Infected needles turn yellow and eventually brown (usually observed in August-September). The fungus will reproduce inside these lesions and infected needles by producing more spores. These spores are then capable of causing another round of new infections on the tree. Spores also continue to be produced in the older lesions, in turn causing more new infections. This results in a snowball effect of spore production, leading to high populations of the fungus by mid summer. The production of spores continues into November, but whether or not these spores are causing new infections this late in the season is unknown.

There is a delay between when infection occurs, and the development of visual symptoms on the tree. Although we do not know for certain how long it takes from infection to symptom expression, observation suggests that it takes about two months for tree symptoms to develop. In other words, new lesions that appear in August are most likely from infections that occurred back in June. The key to successfully managing this disease is to limit the number of new infections in the spring, thereby reducing the population of spores and new infections later in the summer. This is done by carefully scouting the trees beginning in mid-May, looking for signs of fungal sporulation on old, infected tissue from last season. Fungicide applications should be initiated when sporulation is first observed. This process is repeated again in early to mid August, scouting old infections, as well as looking for new lesions that have developed in the current season.

Confirming the Presence of Needle Blight:

Symptoms visible without magnification: Passlora needle blight usually first infects the interior lower foliage and with time spreads both outwards and upwards. For early symptoms, look first for discoloration on lower branches. Symptoms can range from yellowish to reddish to brown foliage and on severely-infected branches foliage loss. In general terms, symptoms include: defoliated secondary lateral branches and tan to reddish-brown areas (lesions) along with needle browning in the interior, lower portion of tree. The tips of the affected twigs will be green.

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Figure 1. Early signs of needle blight on lower branches. Mostly yellowing and tips still green.

Diagnostic Symptoms Visible with a Hand Lens: If you have a good hand lens, more effective scouting can be done as follows: Begin scouting in late June.

∞ Examine lower, interior branches∞ Look for abnormal or damaged tissue on last year’s growth∞ Look for dark, raised “bumps” on dead tissues∞ Look for greenish-gray tufts of spores

For late-season scouting:∞ Examine lower to mid, interior branches∞ Look for abnormal or damaged tissue on past and current year’s growth∞ Look for tufts of sporulation in dead tissues

The often olive green tufts emerging from infected (discolored) needles and secondary branches are the structures on which the spores are produced. The presence of these fungal tufts does not confirm that fungal spores are present (which requires laboratory confirmation), but it will tell you if the fungus is active and spore production is likely to be occurring.

To verify presence of needle blight at a laboratory or clinic: 1. Collect pieces of branches that have brown or discolored needles that are still

attached, along with the bordering branch tissue that is still green and healthy-

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Figure 2. Symptoms of more advanced infestation including some loss of foliage.

Figure 3. Discolored foliage from needle blight on Leyland cypress.

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Figure 4. Tuft-like spore-producing fruiting bodies of needle blight on Leyland cypress

appearing. Collect from multiple sites (~4-5) on the tree and/or trees. Combine the branches as one sample.

2. Ask your county agent to submit the collected foliage samples to your state’s clinic. For North Carolina, it is the Plant Disease and Insect Clinic at North Carolina State University. You can submit samples directly ($30), but charges are reduced ($20) when samples are submitted through County Agents or Extension Specialists.

Initial Treatment if Needle Blight is Detected:

At the first sign of sporulation (mid-May to June):• Make 2 applications of a systemic fungicide:

– Quadris = Christmas trees; Heritage = nursery stock (azoxystrobin):use 4 oz/100 gal applied 14 days apart

∞ Rotate by making 1 or 2 applications of one of the following protectant fungicides applied 14 days after the last application of systemic fungicide:

– Daconil Ultrex (chlorothalonil) 1.4 lb/100 gal (7-10 days)– Fore (mancozeb) 1.5 lb/100 gal (7-10 days)– Kocide 2000 (copper hydroxide) 0.75 lb/100 gal (7-10 days)

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Applications should soak the interior of the tree. Visibly infected trees and those immediately adjacent to them should be sprayed.

Late Treatment Based on Scouting for Sporulation in New Infections:

At the first sign of sporulation in newly developed infections sites (August to September):

Make 1 application of:– Heritage or Quadris 4 oz/100 gal

Rotate by making 2 applications of one of the following:– Daconil Ultrex 1.4 lb/100 gal (7-10 days)– Fore 1.5 lb/100 gal (7-10 days)– Kocide 2000 0.75 lb/100 gal (7-10 days)

Planning and Managing Your Fields to Reduce Needle Blight Incidence

Like with many fungi, needle blight is promoted by moist conditions. For Christmas trees, these are conditions that increase or prolong foliage wetness from rain or morning dew or where moist air settles. These conditions include: close spacings, planting close to dense wood lines, planting north slopes, planting next to drainages, or especially combinations of these. To reduce incidence of needle blight, consider the following:- Plant species other than Leylands on north-facing slopes, immediately adjacent

to dense woods, next to drainages or water, or where moist air settles at night.- Use wider spacings for Leylands in incidence-prone field portions.- Avoid shearing when foliage is wet, especially when disease symptoms are

present.- Cut down and remove severely infested trees.- Where infestation is very visible, but only on lower branches, and where that tree

will be marketed in the coming season, trim away infected foliage thus creating a longer handle.

Colleen Warfield* and Dennis Hazel***Nursery Production & Floriculture Advisor, University of California Division of

Agriculture and Natural Resources**Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, Department of Forestry and

Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University

A Note from Coy:Don’t confuse the actual ingredient with weight of product in package. Recommendation is .75 pounds of active ingredient as listed on label. Actual ingredient is 46/47% range. This means mix of the powder should be at least 1.5 pounds per 100 gallon. Some members used the .75 lbs per 100 gal. of product a few years ago and had bad results.

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Note from the editor: I know I continue to provide articles on agritourism

each Tree Talk. I can’t help but think these articles would benefit a great

many of you. When we first started our farm we only did choose-and-cut

trees. Over the years we’ve added a U-Pick blueberry farm (my uncle

owns it next door), a petting zoo of goats and cows, hayrides, s’mores,

Santa Claus one weekend, a pumpkin patch in the fall, and year-round

field trips with local school children. We also sell at a local farmers

market and can over forty cases of jams and jellies each year to sell in our

gift shop. All of these things have without a doubt increased our yearly

sales and I continue look at more things to add. I hope you take time to

read this wonderful article from the National Sustainable Information

Service (ATTRA) as you plan for your farm in the upcoming year. If you

would like to go to this article online so you can see the links, the address

is: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/entertainment.html .

Entertainment Farming and Agri-Tourism

Business Management GuideNational Sustainable Agriculture Information Service

Katherine L. Adam

September 2004

ATTRA Publication #IP109

Introduction

Joel Salatin, innovator in small-scale agriculture and proprietor of Polyface Farm in

Virginia, has published a handbook for beginning farmers.(1) In it he offers a

perspective on an important dimension of the future of American farming—education

and entertainment. Salatin believes that opportunities for education and entertainment

are what the public currently wants and will pay for.

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While the popularity of specific enterprises—such as pumpkin patches or U-Pick

orchards—may ebb and flow, the public's desire for a "farm experience" remains. Small

diversified farms are ideally suited to agri-entertainment. Unlike the mega-hog facility

or a corn/soybean operation producing bulk commodities, the small farm can recreate

an earlier, simpler, human-scale vision of farming. The chief qualification for the rural

landowner who expects to make a living from the land through agri-tourism is the desire

and the ability to cater to tourists and meet their expectations of a farm visit.

Tourism is an important industry in many states. For example, it is the second largest

industry in New York and the largest in Arkansas. Most writers agree on three main

components of rural tourism: small businesses, agricultural events, and regional

promotion. Some state agri-tourism promoters lump direct-marketing methods such as

CSAs, as well as farm sales of such specialty crops as flowers, garlic, and Asian pears,

within the general category of agri-tourism. State-led agri-tourism initiatives work to

expand existing businesses, create new festivals and farm markets, and tie this all

together regionally to attract visitors. Federal, state, and corporate grants funded the

500-mile Seaway Trail along Lake Ontario in New York, providing advertising and

promotion of its agri-tourism enterprises along the way.

There are three agri-tourism basics: Have something for visitors to see,

something for them to do, and something for them to buy. How well you relate

the various components (through a theme or otherwise) will determine how successful

your entertainment enterprise will be. Things to see and do are often offered free, but

there is still a lot of money to be made selling to visitors. Research shows that tourists

buy mainly food, beverages, and souvenirs.

Things to SeeEducational Tours

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In 1993, 14 farmers in largely agricultural Dutchess County, New York, cooperated in

creating an educational tour using "crop art" as the focal point. Their aim was to

publicize the plight of the family farmer and create a positive image of agriculture for

the next generation of urban voters and consumers. The art consisted of large sculptures

made from hay bales and other farm crops. (Different types of crop art will be discussed

in more detail below.) One of the tour's sponsors, Farm Again, is an organization that

matches beginning farmers with retiring farmers to ensure that land is kept in family-

sized agricultural production. Others involved in sponsoring the project included

Cornell Cooperative Extension, the local Farm Bureau, and the Dutchess County

tourism agency.

At the same time, Farm Again sponsored a farm tour project for school children as part

of its aim to "reinvent agriculture" in a farming community on the edge of suburban

sprawl.(3) This type of tour is part of an overall regional public education strategy,

exemplifying comprehensive organization and far-reaching goals. At the other end of the

scale, the Wachlin farm ("Grandma's Place"), Sherwood, Oregon, provides a package

deal for its specialty—school tours. They charge $4 per child, and the children get any

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size pumpkin they can carry from the field, food for animals in the petting zoo, and a 20-

minute talk on farming.

While having several tour farms in close proximity is always desirable, most farmers

interested in agri-tourism develop individualistic farm attractions. Many herb farms

open to the public include a tour of the different herbs they are growing, and may

include "nature walks" to show wild plants in their native habitat—riverbank vegetation,

scarce examples of native prairie, rock outcroppings, or natural woods. (Former pasture

land or plowed ground let go to weeds is not recommended for a nature walk.) For a

profile of an herb farm that offers tours.

Archeological sites are usually too fragile to become the focus of regular tours by the

public. However, many farms have done well with re-creations of former eras.

Historical re-creations

Creating an agri-tourism attraction on your farm can be a lot of work and must be a

labor of love. Some attractions grow out of the owners' hobby collections—old farm

machinery, log buildings, heirloom seeds, old bird houses, even a narrow-gauge

railroad. Most, however, are created new from the owner's concept—especially one that

appeals to children.

A unique Iowa "little village"

A unique form of agri-entertainment is the "little village" run by Farn and Varlen

Carlson of Stanhope, Iowa. The tiny community includes a school, general store, church,

livery stable, and blacksmithy. Appropriate artifacts fill the buildings, which are one-half

to two-thirds scale. The Carlsons hope to add a barber shop, telephone office,

bandstand, and fire station. There is an admission charge for viewing all the buildings,

and the Carlsons cater to bus tour groups. Groups can also arrange to have barbecues at

the village. Special events scheduled during the year include a threshing bee, an ice

cream social on Father's Day, Apple Cider Days in August, and a Christmas Stroll, when

the Village is decorated for the season.

Processing demonstrations

Wineries and microbreweries have long appealed to the public's fascination with how

foods and beverages are made. Other possibilities are a water-powered grist milling,

sorghum milling, apple butter making, cider pressing, maple sugaring, sheep shearing,

wool processing—all activities with an old-timey flavor.

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Crop art

Invite a crop artist to turn one of your cornfields into a work of art. It will be the talk of

the country-side and may attract national media attention (especially if an actor dressed

in a pale blue wetsuit with antennae on his head runs around and periodically pops up

at unexpected times near the artworKB]. The crop art displayed by the fourteen

Dutchess County, New York, farmers attracted thousands of visitors, including 1,000

school children, a month. Additional people came to their summer on-farm educational

programs intended to strengthen urban ties to agriculture. Many farms that encourage

school tours aim to build goodwill and long-term customers, rather than charging for

the tours.

Crop art runs the gamut from the fanciful sculptures of Dutchess County to floral

designs, from designs mowed in a field to Halloween pumpkin displays like those seen

on the Rohrbach Farm near St. Louis. Most crop art—at least in the Midwest—consists

of designs cut into standing grain crops in a field, or alternatively, designs created by

different colored plantings. Such crop art is best viewed from the air or from a raised

structure. There have also been

proposals for creating mound-like

structures with Native American

designs outlined in edible native

plants, and there are agricultural

mazes—which provide something to

do as well as see. There are a number

of full-time professional crop artists

advertising on the Worldwide Web, as

well as maze designers and

franchisers.

Madera County, California, farmer

Darren Schmall originated the "Pizza

Farm" concept, a subspecies of crop

art. One field is devoted to a circular

arrangement of crops and animals.

Pie-shaped wedges of pepper plants,

wheat, tomatoes, and so on represent

pizza ingredients. Several sections

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house hogs and cattle (representing sausage and cheese). This is reportedly one of the

fastest-growing types of crop art. Children use a coin-operated feed pellet machine to

feed the animals.

Visitors expect to pay admission to farm attractions—even to view (and photograph)

crop art. Maze operators generally charge admission. Joel Salatin advises farmers to

build a haybale observation deck with a view of the maze, so that grandparents can take

photos. Sales of food, beverages, and photographic supplies can take place here. Charge

for some things, and give something away free. "While no one is certain that providing

some activities free of charge improves the net return to the farm, they undoubtedly

increase the farmer's gross receipts through increased customer traffic."

Natural features

An outstanding natural feature on a farm may become a tourist attraction—a bluff or

rock outcropping, a waterfall, a grove of persimmon trees, a stream, or a spectacular

view. Water is a popular natural attraction; sometimes natural features of interest to a

visitor may have been overlooked by the farmer.

Festivals/pageants/special events

Special events can mean either private parties or public events. They range from offering

food, drink, and overnight accommodations to sportsmen to birthday parties, weddings,

company picnics, and Halloween festivals. To put on an annual festival or pageant open

to the public may be beyond the scope of all but the largest farm entertainment

businesses. Individual farms often participate in a countywide or regional festival, with

significant government and organizational sponsorship. A few farms are now hosting

700 to 1,000 visitors per day for their unique offerings. Farms along the road to well-

known annual festivals can find many ways to participate in opportunities created by the

increased tourist traffic.

Things To Do

Farm schools/workshops/educational activities

The educational activities offered on farms range from day classes or short-term

workshops to full-scale, accredited courses of study. Farm schools accommodate interns

or apprentices, and some charge tuition for the learning opportunity. There are also

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farm schools geared toward residential living for the developmentally disabled. Many

small herb or vegetable farms offer classes in cooking, arranging flowers, or making

herbal medicines. They depend on these activities to help build a clientele for their main

products.

Farms have traditionally offered field days, sometimes sponsored by a farm

organization. Many tours are also considered educational.

Some of the best examples of farm diversification involve education. Two of the most

notable are The Land Institute (which has just received a grant to launch a 50-year

research project on perennial grains) and Heritage Farm, home of the Seed Savers

Exchange and Seed Saver publications. Launching such an enterprise takes considerable

connections, savvy, outside-the-box thinking, and dedication. It is a life's work

dedicated to something beyond just farming, and is certainly not for everyone.

Many of the farms listed in the on-line database of Sustainable Farming Internships and

Apprenticeships, maintained by the National Center for Appropriate Technology, have

elements of an educational or entertainment farm. Several plantations on the Potomac

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River, including Mt. Vernon, have been turned into educational farms. The workers on

Mt. Vernon grow 18th-Century crops and gardens, use 18th-Century tools, and dress in

period costumes.

Petting zoos/children's amusements/playgrounds/horseback riding/

hayrides

Old McDonald's Children's Village, Sacket's Harbor, is the largest petting farm in New

York. Near Watertown, on the Seaway Trail, the Children's Village was started as a way

to increase cash flow to expand a market hog and feeder pig business. Ponies, rabbits,

ducks, lambs, baby goats, calves, and piglets are sure-fire attractions for city children

(and their parents). Pony and wagon rides are part of the mix. Playgrounds and hayrides

also provide something for children to do at Pick-Your-Own farms.

Balky Farms in Northfield, Massachusetts, invites school classes to visit during lambing

season in March and April. Baby crias, pygmy goats, and bunnies are also winners.

Cheviot, Dorset, and Navajo Churro sheep, geese, peacocks, emus, oxen, Black Angus

cattle, relief heifers, miniature horses, and donkeys succeed with the more venturesome.

Tendercrop Farm in Newbury offers "buffalo viewing," while Valley View in Charlemont

hosts llama-picnic treks. More information on animal entertainment can be found in the

2004 NRCS publication Success Stories—Agritourism, Direct Marketing, Education,

Conservation, Agritainment. (Call 1-888-LANDSCAPE)

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Pick-Your-Own (U-Pick)

In the 1970s U-pick farms were at their height of popularity. Families with three or four

hungry teenagers and full-time homemakers were still common. Canning a couple of

bushels of green beans or putting a flat of strawberries in the freezer helped out the

family budget significantly. Raw materials were harder to come by than labor, compared

with today. Canning has been all but eliminated today as a home activity because it

represents a lost opportunity for the housewife to be gainfully employed, instead of

receiving nothing for her hard work (i.e., the opportunity cost of labor) putting up the

winter food supply. Small batches of gourmet recipes may be stored in the family

freezer, but more than 50% of U.S. meals are now commercially prepared and eaten

away from home. While U-pick operations can still be found, successful ones are most

likely to be part of the whole entertainment-farm enterprise mix.

U-pick offers several advantages to farmers. They are relieved of the burden of finding

and paying temporary seasonal labor at harvest time. This type of labor is becoming

harder and harder to find. The hours are long and hot; the work, back-breaking. If

people can be persuaded to pick as entertainment and get a few cents off per unit, the

farmer is way ahead. However, sustainable farmer Kelly Klober has observed, "The

whole premise of 'here we are/come out and get dirty picking our crops/then pay us

handsomely for the privilege' is a hard sell" in today's world and may depend on how

attractively the experience can be packaged and how aggressively it is marketed. Above

all, the average farmer's natural distaste for selling must be overcome and he must learn

to think like a customer.

This means, at a minimum, creating adequate parking, having restrooms, having a safe

entertainment area for small children, and working with an insurer on liability issues.

Small children are best kept away from the picking area, as they contribute

disproportionately to damaged crops and "inventory shrinkage." Attention to these

basics will help build repeat sales, a primary goal of all direct marketing.

U-pick operations do best when they are located within an hour's drive of a population

center of at least 50,000 people. This stipulation leaves out much of the Midwest,

mountain states, eastern Kentucky, and parts of the Deep South. U-pick is about selling

to families who do not have the space to grow their own seasonal vegetables in

quantities sufficient for canning and freezing. The mix of vegetables and fruits will

depend on customers' tastes (constantly becoming more sophisticated), rather than on

what can most easily be grown. Like other forms of entertainment farming, U-Pick will

be adversely affected by any dramatic rise in the price of gasoline.

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Themes for entertainment farming

Most entertainment farming depends in large part on attracting visitors from urban

centers. Your neighbors in all likelihood won't be your customers. Something about your

farm must be so distinctive that it draws people from long distances—even Canada or

Europe. Perhaps you could invite a Native American group to hold regular pow-wows on

your land; you operate the food concession and give tours of your farm dressed in a

pioneer costume. Hold a summer festival. Add a historical garden to increase the draw.

Add a gift shop, an antique shop, a lunch counter, crafts, botanical products. Add a herd

of buffalo. People will come from Europe to see a herd of buffalo or prehistoric White

Park cattle when they won't cross the road to see your prized Black Angus. Have a widely

publicized farm festival—harvest festivals with music and plenty of good food and drink,

and maybe face painting and personalized cupcakes. In the fall, public schools

emphasize the American fall holidays, in which the pumpkin plays a significant role.

Pumpkins are easy to grow, readily available, large, and colorful. Invite busloads of

schoolchildren to visit your farm.

Following the disastrous Missouri/Mississippi River flood in 1993, the Rohrbach Farm,

50 miles from St. Louis, turned a significant portion of corn/soybean acreage into an

entertainment farm featuring pumpkins. One field became a parking lot, with ample

room for tour buses. When visitors come (by busloads) to view the large, attractive, free

crop-art displays constructed by the Rohrbach clan, few leave without buying a pumpkin

or something from the farm store.

The pumpkins are, of course, not pumpkins of eating quality. Those pumpkins

remaining after the season is over are taken out into the woods to compost. One lesson

the modern farmer learns, according to Joel Salatin, is that you have to accept a certain

amount of waste and have to give something away free at times. (For a more complete

account of activities at the Rohrbach Farm, see the ATTRA publication Direct Marketing

and the Winter 1999 issue of USDA's Small Farm News.)

Mazes

Mazes are another option. In 1993 Don Frantz (a former Disney producer) created a 3.3-

acre dinosaur maze in a Pennsylvania cornfield, and later created the American Maze

Company, now producing increasingly elaborate mazes around the country and

advertising on the Internet. The success of this farm entertainment venture has inspired

a number of competitors throughout the American Cornbelt. Frantz says, "We try to

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keep them entertained for about two hours (about the length of a movie), and charge

them about what they'd pay for a movie." He recommends good crowd control, ample

restroom facilities, refreshments, and other farm products to sell. Most important is an

integrated marketing plan, which the top maze designers now all sell as part of their

design packages.

Things To Buy

The bottom line for most entertainment farms is how much you can sell—either now or

later—to the people attracted to your farm. Surprisingly, many farmers feel that even

farmers' markets are primarily useful in building a steady customer base, not in daily

sales. These potential customers will get to know you and later seek you out to meet

their unique needs. This is the principle of "relationship marketing." Sell to people who

come to know you and count you as a friend. Your farm store or gift shop should display

your farm's finest products to maximum advantage to build repeat sales.

Food and drink

Outdoor activities on a warm day will make anyone thirsty. Ready-to-eat food and a

selection of beverages are part of the experience of your entertainment farm. They can

also be a profit center. Be as creative as you can, and try to have refreshments that fit

your farm's theme.

Think of opportunities for selling cold beverages to the grandparents photographing the

maze, the u-pickers, the children who have just done 100 turns on the slide out on the

miniature haymow. On a recent visit to an herb farm, I was offered the opportunity to

buy a commercially bottled nutraceutical drink—containing St. Johnswort, valerian, and

guarana. Apple cider is a good drink for the Midwest, and people may want to buy a

gallon to take home.

Homemade ice cream, sandwiches, fresh fruit, barbecue, and roasting ears are all

possibilities for ready-to-eat food sales.

Gifts and souvenirs

There is a huge industry overseas manufacturing regional souvenirs for the U.S. If at all

possible, have your gift items represent your farm, something that is actually produced

locally. Stick to a theme, something that truly represents the uniqueness of your farm

and your region. Items for sale on an herb entertainment farm can include everything

from potted rosemary plants to a complete set of essential oils for aromatherapy. Wood

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carvings (traditionally done in the slow winter months), dolls, quilts, basketry, wheat

weavings, pottery, packets of heirloom seeds, and decorative items such as fresh and

dried flowers, pumpkins, corn shocks, and handloomed wool—as well as foods, such as

meats, cheeses, other milk products, and winter squash—are all possibilities. One

farmer realized that decorative shocks were worth more than his corn. Another sold

echinacea flowers when the bottom dropped out of the market for echinacea root.

Research by the North Central Region Extension Service revealed that wood is the

medium preferred by tourists for crafts. This research also determined that women

probably don't charge enough for the craft items they market, since men typically charge

two to four times as much.

You will need an approved commercial kitchen for any value-added food products

produced on the farm. This type of facility can cost $100,000 or more—if, typically, you

must build a separate building from the ground up. You will need access to an approved

slaughterhouse for any meat products. (For more information, see Joel Salatin's book.)

Alternatives include a cooperative community kitchen or renting a commercial kitchen.

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Cornell University is even developing a mobile commercial kitchen. Be familiar with

your state's processing regulations if you are planning to sell on-farm processed food to

the public State health departments or departments of agriculture, universities, and

business incubators can assist.

Shopping at the farm store

A 1992 study of tourists' shopping habits, conducted by the North Central Regional

Extension Services, determined that "after meals and lodging, [tourists] spend most of

their tourist dollars on clothing, crafts, and local food products. Almost 70 percent buy

gifts for future events and for mementos" (Small Farm News, September-October, 1993,

p. 3). Consider installing a convenient automatic teller machine (ATM).

Farmers must be prepared to sell themselves as well as their businesses, so image is all-

important. People want to see an attractive facility and personnel—neat and clean.

Location and appearance are the most important aspects of a farm business that caters

to the public — not necessarily price.

Remember that return customers are the key to success. Eighty percent of your business

comes from 20% of your customers, and it takes five times as much money/time/effort

to get a new customer as it does to keep an old one.

A Maine farm store

In the mid-1980s Gregg and Gloria Varney bought his parents' Maine farm after they

sold their dairy herd. The farm included excellent crop land. The Varneys' first farm

business was Gloria's yarn shop, which started people coming to their farm. This

became the impetus for the Varneys to expand their offerings at the farm store to

include their own meats (beef, veal, lamb, pork, chicken, and turkey), raw milk, and

baked goods. In 1994, with the help of apprentices, Gloria and Gregg implemented a

five-year plan to "learn how to make cheese and raise small scale animals with minimal

grain purchases." After initially hitting a wall when they realized they needed a state-

inspected cheese facility and pasteurizer that could cost $10,000, they arranged to

borrow the money from future customers, paying off the loans with food from the store.

For example, a $100 loan could be redeemed at a later time for $110 worth of farm-

raised food.

The goat-cheese operation has been a huge success, and it allows an April to November

schedule that fits in well with their farmers' market schedule and the Thanksgiving

season, giving them a break from the end of November for the next six months. In 1995

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the Varneys became 100% organic with the conversion of the dairy cow operation. They

now have more than 100 organic cows.

Their product line in the farm store has expanded, as well. Surplus vegetables go into

value-added products such as pickles, relishes, and stewed tomatoes. Other excess is

used to feed the pigs and chickens. This integrated operation is a big hit with customers,

who now have no question about where their food originates. People now come to the

farm not just to buy their food but to spend time there and let their children see the

animals.

The Varney Farm is not the only farm in Maine oriented toward tourism, and there are

regularly scheduled regional farm tours. Tickets to farm daytrip tours in Maine,

generally including two or three farms in a single county, cost $12 to $15 per person,

with children under 12 free. Lunch is extra.

e-Commerce

With a click of the mouse a worldwide audience can gain access to your information.

More and more sites featuring particular farms and selling farm products directly to

consumers are joining the organization-sponsored producer directories now on-line.

Some farm Web sites are listed in ATTRA's Direct Marketing publication.

Liability

Liability issues for farms that host the public are generally resolved with appropriate

insurance. Insurance needs will vary by operation. Neil Hamilton's book The Legal

Guide for Direct Farm Marketing provides guidance on choosing and consulting with an

independent insurance agent (see Resources, below). Insurance representatives can

provide guidance on specific steps for reducing risks of your operation. A new database

on farm injuries can be found at the National Ag Safety Database site.

Specific examples of how individual farms have handled insurance needs may be found

in the NRCS publication Success Stories—Agritourism, Direct Marketing, Education,

Conservation, Agritainment. (Call 1-888-LANDSCAPE.)

Complying with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)

Modifications to allow the differently abled access to your farm attraction include the

following.

• space reserved for handicapped parking

• a farmstand with a hard packed or paved surface

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• one bathroom accessible to the handicapped (can be rented)

• a ramp to a platform that's slightly higher than the hay wagon (for

handicapped access to hayrides)

• a "long reacher" for apple picking

• raised beds for strawberry picking

• for seasonal events, a sign saying, "If you need assistance…"

• large-print signs, brochures, or audiotapes of brochures

• door openings at least 32 inches wide (to accommodate wheelchairs) and

doors able to be opened with a closed fist (knobs are out)

∞ rugs taped to the floor with velcro

Resources

Comprehensive (compact disKB]

USDA/NRCS. 2004. Alternative Enterprises and Agri-tourism, Farming for Profit and

Sustainability—Tool Kit (CD). 2500 p. To order, call 1-888-LANDSCAPE or see

www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/RESS/altenterprise/resmanual.html

Agricultural tourism business development

Agri-Business Council of Oregon. 2003. Agri-Tourism Workbook. 110 p. www.aglink.org

Cornell University Materials

• Agritourism (Resource Packet)

• Agritourism in New York: Opportunities and Challenges in Farm-Based

Recreation and Hospitality (Publication)

• Considerations for Agritourism Development (Publication)

• Farming Alternatives: A Guide to Evaluating the Feasibility of New Farm-

Based Enterprises (Publication)

May be ordered from:

Educational Resources Program: 607-255-9252

Media Services: 607-255-2080

Community Food and Agriculture Program: 607-255-9832 or 255-4413

Is a Farm/Ranch Recreation Business for You? http://ces.uwyo.edu/pubs/B1125-1.pdf

[PDF/97KB]

Hamilton, Neil. 1999. The Legal Guide for Direct Farm Marketing. Drake University

Press, Cedar Rapids, IA. 235 p.

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University of Minnesota. 2003. Building a Sustainable Business: A Guide to Developing

a Business Plan for Farms and Rural Businesses. Minnesota Institute for Sustainable

Agriculture, St. Paul, MN.

$14.00 plus 3.95 s/h; 411 Borlaug Hall, St. Paul, MN 55108; 1-800-909-MISA.

Misamail-umn.edu. Make checks payable to University of Minnesota.

USDA/AMS. 2000. Direct Marketing Today: Challenges and Opportunities. 58 p.

www.ams.usda.gov/directmarketing/DirectMar2.pdf

Order publication from: velma.lakins-usda.gov.

Articles of general interest

Adam, Katherine. 2002. Agritourism: Profit from your lifestyle. Mother Earth News.

June–July. p. 18.

Jolly, Desmond. 1999. Agricultural tourism: Emerging opportunity. Small Farm News.

Summer. p. 1, 4–5.

Jolly, Desmond, and Jeanne McCormack. 1999. Agri-tourism: A desperate last straw?

Small Farm News. Fall. p. 2.

Lyson, Thomas. 2000. Some thoughts on civic agriculture. Farming Alternatives

[Cornell]. p. 1, 4.

A substantial number of smaller-scale, locally oriented, flexibly organized farms and

food producers are taking root [to] fill the geographic and economic spaces passed over

or ignored by large … producers. These farms will articulate with consumer demand for

locally produced and processed food. Civic agriculture is not only a source of family

income for the farmer, but contributes to the social, economic, political and cultural

health and vitality of the communities in which they exist.

McCue, Susan. 1999. Successful agricultural tourism ventures. Small Farm News.

Summer. p. 1, 6–7.

SAN. 2000. Marketing Strategies: Farmers and Ranchers Reap New Profits. Small Farm

Today. May. p. 35–38.

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36

How many Christmas trees By Coy Dillahunty

The article on next page that was copied from the December 1986 Association

newsletter gives the results of a survey taken by the Extension service. This survey was

done under a funding arrangement with the Association funding the survey. The most

common question that I was asked and I expect it continues with Linda was how many

Christmas Trees are grown and sold in Georgia. If you want media exposure you will

need these numbers. For some reason this seems to be the only thing that reporters can

think of to ask concerning a farm type operation. Likely have no idea of how a farm

works. If your Executive director is contacted by the media and don’t have numbers to

give showing how much our farm operations contribute to the economy of the state, you

are not likely to get much coverage.

I tried for several years to get growers to give me this information. Response was

so limited that I finally gave up asking. This 1986 survey was not limited to association

members. All growers that could be identified by the Cooperative Extension service were

sent a survey form. This information was when the Virginia pine was the primary tree

grown. My experience was generally selling about half of what I planted. These results

show about the same figures. Linda needs something that sounds reasonable to give to

the reporters that call. We need all the news articles that we can get.

I would like to see if our webmaster can design a web site survey that would

require a member sign in to access but with no identification of member on the

information and give a place for acres of farm used for Christmas Tree operation,

Number of trees planted each year in a time frame of about 6 years, and number of trees

sold each year. This information could be very useful in marketing trees. The question

then is will the members fill in the information. It would get us a lot more media

coverage which helps to sell trees. Why Not Try and see what happens. The results

should be reported as the number of farms, average size of farm in acres, Number of

trees planted in each year, and number of trees harvested in year. Another helpful item

37

would be for each farm to include the average selling price for their trees. District,

North, South, and Central might be useful in relation to the price.

38

I think we could do this and get some valuable information that could be used in

developing more help for marketing the Georgia grown trees. I don’t think we need to

get into number of trees bought from out of state that we sell at this time. Give some

thought to this and be prepared to enter your information. Doubt that the webmaster

gets this operational until he gets over selling trees, even if he decides to do it. I haven’t

asked about that part yet.

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Georgia Christmas Tree Association120 Cordele HwyHawkinsville GA 31036

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