Resources for Farmers: Agri-Entertainment, PYO, U-Pick, Corn MAzes, Pumpkin Patches and Other direct to the consumer Farm Operations

PickYourOwn.org - Find a pick-your-own farm near you! Then learn to can and freeze!

Find a local pick your own farm here!

Looking for Resources for Farmers: Agri-Entertainment, PYO, U-Pick, Corn MAzes, Pumpkin Patches and Other direct to the consumer Farm Operations in 2020?  Scroll down this page and  follow the links. And if you bring home some fruit or vegetables and want to can, freeze, make jam, salsa or pickles, see this page for simple, reliable, illustrated canning, freezing or preserving directions. There are plenty of other related resources, click on the resources dropdown above.

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Resources for Farmers: Agri-Entertainment, PYO, U-Pick, Corn MAzes, Pumpkin Patches and Other direct to the consumer Farm Operations

Resources for Farmers

Are you interested in starting a PYO operation?  Or you are looking for information to help manage your operation better? The information below ought to be of great value to you! Start with the first link below about how to start a pick-your-own farm, and remember, you can list your farm, orchard, pumpkin patch, horse riding stables, Christmas tree farm etc, on this website for free!

Here are some of the U-pick-specific resources I've found on the internet:

How to start a pick-your-own or other agri-entertainment operation

 

 

Training, Seminars and Conferences

  • Yosemite Sequoia RC&D "Growing Your AgNature Tourism Business Workshops"
    Geno Mehalik, AgriTourism Project Manager 559-877-8663
    Free Agritourism & Nature Tourism Workshops, Tours & Classes Coming to Fresno & Tulare Counties: Yosemite/Sequoia Resource Conservation & Development Council, the University of California Cooperative Extension Fresno County, and the UC Small Farm Program are teaming up to offer a smorgasbord of agritourism education for farmers and ranchers in Fresno and Tulare counties:
    Click here for a PDF sheet about the free conferences
    Another PDF about the conferences

Supplies and management services

Pumpkin Patches and Corn Mazes

Farmer's Organizations:

Resource websites:

  • Beginning Farmers.com - provides information for new farmers and potential farmers about: funding resources, finding land, internships and jobs, production practices, marketing strategies, farmer training programs, business planning, useful publications, and lots more.
  • Library4farming is publishing a series of books on the web on all aspects of farming. Currently they have published The Yearbook of Agriculture for 1947, titled "Science in Farming". hey have in process the Yearbooks of Agriculture "Gardening for Food and Fun", "Insects" and "Seeds".

More research for farmers

Who Is The Typical PYO Customer?
 according to the University of Wisconsin

  • Age: One-fourth are over 62, and 43% are 26-45 
  • Education: Nearly 60% are educated beyond high school, with one-third being college graduates. 
  • Income: Two-thirds have annual household incomes over $25,000, and one-fifth have incomes over $50,000. 
  • Spend at the PYO: One-third spend between $5 and $10 per visit.  One-fourth spend less than $5.  One in 10 purchase $20 or more per visit. 
  • Found the farm by: Over half learned of the market through word-of-mouth.  (obviously this study was done before www.pickyourown.org! :)
  • Far far to go: Eighty percent traveled less than 40 miles to get to the farm. 
  • Want organic: Nearly half are concerned about the use of agricultural chemicals.

Newsletters

Florida Berry/Vegetable Times
Massachusetts Berry Notes
Michigan State University Fruit Crop Advisory Team (CAT) alerts
Ontario Berry Newsletter
Strawberry IPM update
The New York Berry News

Nursery Selection

Guide:http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/Berries/nurseries/index.html
Lists of available cultivars of North American berry crops and nurseries that sell them.

Publications, Factsheets, Infosheets

Minnesota Apple & Strawberry Reports
Ontario Agriculture and Food: Berry Page
PSU Small Fruits web site
Strawberry Eats & Treats - The Guide to Enjoying Strawberries
U. of Florida Strawberry Lab
U. of Vermont Berry Links

Organizations in the states and Canadian provinces that are interested in berries, small fruit, etc.

Strawberries

California Strawberry Commission
Florida Strawberry Growers Association
BC Strawberries.com - Fraser Valley Strawberry Growers Association
N C Strawberry Association
Oregon Raspberry & Blackberry Commission

Blueberries

British Columbia Blueberry Council
MBG Blueberry Marketing Cooperative
North American Blueberry Council
Wild Blueberry Association of North America

Brambles

British Columbia Raspberry Growers' Association
British Columbia Raspberry Industry Development Council
North American Bramble Growers Association
Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission
Home of the Washington Red Raspberry Commission

Cherries

California Cherry Commission
Cherry Marketing Institute

Cranberries

Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association
Maine Cranberry Growers' Association
Washington Cranberry Commission

General - United States

California Tree Fruit Agreement
Fresh Produce Association of the Americas
Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association
Michigan State Horticultural Society
Minnesota Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association
New England Produce Council
Northwest Horticultural Council
Northwest Berry and Grape Information Network
Northwest Center for Small Fruits Research
 Prairie Fruit Growers Association
Texas Produce Association
United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association
Washington State Fruit Commission
Washington State Horticultural Association

General - International

Canadian Horticulture Council
Canadian Produce Marketing Association
Fruit Growers Society of Alberta
Histoire naturelle des fraisiers
Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association
Ontario Produce Marketing Association
Queensland Fruit and Vegetable Ltd.

Resources

Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (USDA)

Cornell Fruit Resources - Your gateway to information at Cornell University, the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station & related programs.

http://www.hightunnels.org -- This website is part of a USDA-sponsored project that is testing and promoting high tunnel systems in the Central Great Plains.

National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service http://www.attra.ncat.org/horticultural.html

New England Small Farm Institute -- A private non-profit organization supporting beginning farmers and sustainable small scale agriculture throughout New England.

North Carolina Berry Agent

Pesticide.net

The Rodale Institute

Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium

The California Strawberry Commission

Growing Algae as a Commercial Crop