Feb 2, 2016Agritainment saves Arizona family farm
Mark and Carrie Schnepf have successfully married farming and entertainment to create Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek, Arizona, one of the largest agritainment venues in the state – and even the country.
The business venture allowed the Schnepfs to keep the family farm and turn it into a legacy for generations to come, Carrie said.
“Traditional farming was just not working for us,” said Mark, a fourth- generation farmer. “We started doing some school tours and farm festivals and bringing people to the farm. It wasn’t part of a big master plan – it was just a little bit of desperation and creativity.
“It’s grown so big and we’re so well known in this area that now it’s our goal to really leave this with a legacy of preservation as a farm.”
In October 2006, then-Gov. Janet Napolitano and the Arizona Office of Tourism designated Schnepf Farms an “Arizona Treasure,” a designation that highlights premiere tourist and vacation destinations in the state.
Last year, more than 250,000 people visited the farm, situated on the outskirts of burgeoning Gilbert, Arizona. This year, more than 100,000 were expected to visit in October alone.
Since the 1990s, when they held the Country Thunder USA concert for nine years on 250 acres, the Schnepfs have slowly added other attractions. Some, such as the hugely popular Dinner in the Orchard, came from a similar event highlighted
in Sunset Magazine, Carrie said. Other ideas have been gleaned from other entertainment operations or even museums, in the case of the Farmhouse Museum. Although Mark said they have a growth plan, it isn’t written in stone.
Already the largest organic peach grower in Arizona, Mark said he plans to double his orchard to 80 acres next spring. Even then, he likely won’t keep up with demand. This year, 50,000 people turned out in May to pick their own peaches.
Also in the works is doubling the wedding venues to four from two, a boutique hotel in the middle of the peach orchard and two concept restaurants that will take advantage of the farm-to-fork eating trend.
Even the petting zoo has undergone an evolution. Instead of just interacting with farm animals, visitors now get to collect their own eggs.
The Schnepfs also track the income and expenses associated with each attraction to determine whether to keep or discontinue it. But numbers aren’t necessarily the final determinant.
The u-pick vegetable garden, for example, either incurs a loss or barely breaks even. But they continue to keep it because visitors expect that experience on a farm, Mark said.
“It’s like a grocery store with a loss- leader,” he said. “For us, it’s part of the experience, and it’s an important part of it.”
Russ Tronstad, a professor and Extension specialist in agricultural marketing with the University of Arizona, said he’s definitely seen more interest from operators wanting to get into agritourism. Many didn’t necessarily make agritainment or agritourism their first choice, but saw it as a way to keep the family farm economically viable, he said.
To be successful, Tronstad said would-be agritainers need to go in with a plan. One member of the operation, for example, should be a people person and handle customer service and marketing.
With Schnepf Farms, Carrie’s background as a former journalist serves them well in promoting the agritainment destination, said Tronstad, who has profiled the operation for various publications. Mark handles the production side of the farm.
But as Mark pointed out, you also have to integrate duties. If a camping event is planned for the Bermuda grass or alfalfa fields, for example, Mark may have to harvest early, or mow it and take a hit on the crop since the entertainment side is more profitable.
Operations also need to start small and not grow too fast. And they need to have good insurance and a strong safety plan to protect visitors from accidents and protect the operation from liability, Tronstad said.
Mark said they had a difficult time obtaining liability insurance initially, because insurance companies couldn’t understand their operation and couldn’t categorize their policy. Eventually, the Schnepfs found an agency that understood agritainment endeavors. An agency representative visits the farm annually, pointing out potential hazards and recommending safety improvements.
As part of the program, the Schnepfs post signage warning visitors of ditches and other hazards.
“It’s a matter of trying to make these people aware that we’re not an urban amusement park – it’s a real working farm and we’ve tried to make it as safe as we possibly can,” he said.
To be successful, both Carrie and Mark agree that agritainment operators must be passionate about what they do.
“When you bring so many people onto the farm and they have such a good time and it’s how you make a living – Carrie and I just love what we do and we have so much fun doing it,” Mark said.
— Vicky Boyd, FGN correspondent
Current Issue
On-farm AI: Water, farm, labor research guide decisions
Data collection tool expands farm management
Carmel Valley winegrapes: Parsonage Village Vineyard
IFTA Yakima Valley tour provides orchard insights
IFTA recognizes tree fruit honorees
Pennsylvania recognizes fruit industry professionals
Fresh Views 40 Under 40
see all current issue »
