Women in Agritourism: Perspectives on Risk Management

Risk management is a vital aspect in the operation and management of agritourism enterprises. This video series highlights the perspectives and experiences of five women with different agritourism businesses on their approach to production, human resource, legal, and marketing risk management in Pennsylvania. We hope that through the telling of their experiences and perspectives that you are able to recognize different aspects of risk in agritourism businesses, understand that there are varying ways of mitigating risk, and that you are inspired to address marketing risk in your own businesses.

In Pennsylvania, agritourism enterprises are often headed by a female member of the farm family. However, there is only anecdotal evidence available that there are more women involved in operating agritourism enterprises, as the USDA does not collect data on the gender of agritourism operators. Research has shown that women have a high motivation for agritourism entrepreneurship and are more interested in diversification options and innovative approaches. At the same time, women often have a double role as operator and caregiver and have limited access to finances and networks.

Penn State Extension, with support from the Northeast Extension Risk Management Education Center, developed a video series that highlights the perspectives and experiences of women on their approach to managing risks associated with agritourism in Pennsylvania. We interviewed five women from different parts in Pennsylvania were interviewed - each is running their own agritourism business or managing parts of it.

Megan Way Coopey is one of the owners at Way Fruit Farm in Centre County, and manager of The Way Café, Bakery and Deli. She is part of the 6th generation of the Way family to operate the farm. Way Fruit Farm is a year-round destination with its retail shop, and The Way Café, Bakery and Deli as well as activities including school tours, cooking classes, and various festivals. The farm's orchard dates to 1872, beginning with apples and expanding to peaches and cherries in the early 1900s. A retail market was added in the 1970s with an expanded offering of products including sweet corn, apple cider and apple butter, and picked strawberries. Activities such as fall festivals, wagon rides, and pumpkin picking were added later and anchor their fall agritourism activities. wayfruitfarm.com

Ellie Hollabaugh Vranich is a member of the third generation of Hollabaugh Brothers, Inc., a family fruit and vegetable farm in operation since 1955 in Adams County. With the help of over 60 employees, the family operates a farm market, offers farm tours, educational classes, festivals and pick your own produce. Ellie also serves on the PA Apple Program board, the Canner Funds Advisory Board, and chairs the Pennsylvania Farm Show Committee for the State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania. Ellie is married with two children who love to spend time on the family farm. hollabaughbros.com

Kim Tait is the owner of Tait Farm Foods in Centre County. Kim's seven-acre farm and harvest shop have been a destination for visitors and locals in State College, Pennsylvania for over 40 years. Tait Farm's Harvest Shop is open year-round and offers a variety of specialty products, such as shrubs, vinaigrettes, fruit spreads and other regional artisan foods. Kim's team grows certified organic vegetables and fruit to supply the Harvest Shop and Tait's Community Harvest CSA program. taitfarmfoods.com

Kathy Raub is one of the owners of Raub's Farm Market in Northampton County. Kathy and her husband started a corn maze in 2010 as an addition to their established farm market. The family has been farming in Palmer Township for over 100 years. The farm market offers fresh fruits and vegetables along with canned goods and baked goods, which are made by Kathy on the farm. Fresh cut Christmas trees are also available. In the fall, the corn maze opens with entertainment on the weekends. Closing out the farm market season, Kathy and her employees hand craft cemetery logs and blankets to the liking of customers. raubsfarmmarket.com

Liz Wagner operates Crooked Row Farm in Lehigh County. The farm is a certified organic vegetable farm with locations in New Tripoli and Orefield and a retail farm stand at the Orefield location. The farm market offers organic vegetables, eggs, herbs and other products from neighboring farms. Liz Wagner is an advocate for local food and farmer collaborations, a Lehigh County Farmland Preservation board member and a blogger. crookedrowfarmpa.com

Through the telling of their experiences and perspectives viewers are able to recognize different aspects of risk in agritourism businesses, understand that there are varying ways of mitigating risk, and we hope that that they are inspired to address these risks in their own business. The videos focus on four risk areas:

Production and Financial Risks: Potential issues with weather, disease, and event offerings are just some examples of production risk areas that agritourism businesses must plan for and manage. Product and event pricing, a financial risk issue, is closely tied to production risk and the two should be jointly evaluated.

 "We tried you pick apples which would seem like a very natural fit because we are a fruit farm, and we know how to pick apples. But it was highly frustrating and unsuccessful. But as we've sort of wrapped our head around the logistics of having enough people to staff there, making sure that the safeguards are in place for customers, but also figuring out pricing so that is was a profitable activity but also so that people participate in it. As we have become more comfortable with agritourism and just general retail sales we were able to re-embark on you pick apples, and it was a wild success." (M. Way)

Human Resources Risks: Employees and the farm family comprise the heart of agritourism businesses. In this video, the five interviewees discuss their keys to find and retain employees and how they balance managing their business with family life. 

"Most of our people are year-round even if they're on a part-time basis. So that's been part of why we we've worked really hard to create a destination that has things going on all the time—even when it's freezing and nothing's happening yet." (K. Tait)

"It's mostly about finding people's interests and putting them in those places so that your business can shine because your employees are happy with what they're doing". (M.Way)

Marketing Risks: The foundation of all businesses, marketing includes determining what products and/or events to offer, how to price offerings, and how to communicate with potential customers.

"A lot of times, customer input really helps guide our decisions in the things we kind of offer. We'll try one thing and at that event someone will say, Hey, have you ever thought of doing this…?" (E. Hollabaugh)

"I'm really sure that it's been the social media aspects that's allowed us to really grow…. And the get word out and reach particularly a younger demographic. Which had been one of our goals." (K. Tait)

Legal Risks: This video shows our five women agritourism operators discuss their perspectives on managing legal risk from customer and employee safety to training, communication, and insurance.

"Safety has become a concern for me since we bought this property that is right on a major road." "Keeping an eye on the visitors is definitely the primary task - I feel like I spend a lot of time minding their kids--things I've never had to think about before..." (L. Wagner)

"When we do our marketing, we try to make sure to highlight anything that people might not anticipate coming from different walks of life." U-pick strawberries - bring your hat, wagon, etc." (M. Way)

This material is based upon work supported by USDA/NIFA under Award Number 2018-70027-28588.