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LinkedInPosts Tagged: Modoc
Hadwick Family Farm Pumpkin Patch Offers Modoc County More Than Just Pumpkins
In 2016, Heather and Bryon Hadwick attended the Agritourism Intensive training, a signature course of the UC ANR Agritourism Program. Heather had been wanting to start a pumpkin patch, Bryon wasn't so sure. When they learned that an Agritourism Intensive was coming to Redding, they saw an opportunity to learn more about what it would take to start an agritourism enterprise and hear from experienced agritourism operators. Six years later, the Hadwick Family Farm Pumpkin Patch has become an October tradition for families from Modoc County and beyond and a launching pad for community engagement and education.
They knew it wouldn't be easy, and it hasn't been. To start, Heather and Bryon both work full-time off-farm jobs. They designed the business to be manageable part-time by the two of them with help from their children, who are now teenagers. Having enough time is only one of their obstacles; they also have to contend with insurance limitations and unpredictable weather. As with all agritourism operations, liability is a major concern. The Hadwick's only found a few insurance companies nationwide that would cover a pumpkin patch. In many ways, the activities that they offer at The Patch, as it is commonly called, are dictated by the insurance costs. For example, they wanted to offer tractor rides, but they would have to charge far more than they were comfortable with to offset the increase in insurance costs.
And then there's the weather. The pumpkin patch is open 3 to 4 weekends a year in October. Modoc's unpredictable weather makes it nearly impossible to project the season's earnings in advance. October has brought snow, rain, and 80-degree weather. Last year, in 2021, they were rained out every single weekend. While enough visitors showed up in their rain gear to keep the business from losing money, the experience made them question whether or not they wanted to keep it going. They moved forward with opening again in 2022, welcoming more visitors on opening day than the entire 2021 season.
Navigating business decisions amongst the limitations and uncertainties of time, insurance, and weather is no doubt challenging, but clear goals and metrics to monitor progress towards reaching those goals have helped guide the Hadwicks. Community is The Patch's founding principal. As Heather puts it, “We see the pumpkin patch as more of a community service. As long as we are in the black, we're good and will keep it going.”
The pumpkin patch itself is geared towards local families, with a keen eye on keeping prices accessible. For the first time this year, pumpkin prices were raised to offset the business's rising operating costs (for one thing, the cost of their insurance doubled this year). Entry remained $5 and includes all activities. Part of these proceeds are donated back to their local FFA chapters. “Our goal is to keep it at $5. We want it to be affordable, most families spend 2 or 3 hours at the Patch.” Heather adds, “There isn't a lot you can do these days for that long for $5 a person.” So when it comes to adding activities like tractor rides that would raise the cost too much for local families, the Hadwick's opt to keep things affordable.
In addition to keeping prices as low as possible, The Patch frequently lends their space to community groups and partners with local businesses. Floral arrangement classes, facepainting at the farm to promote a new cosmetologist business, cancer awareness walks, and frequent collaborations with the local FFA are a few examples of how the Hadwick's use their space to support community efforts and provide agricultural education. Hadwick Family Farm also hosts field trips for schools from Modoc, bordering counties and Oregon schools.
While community collaborations are in line with their business's mission, it also helps with getting the word out, saving them money on marketing. “We are mostly word of mouth. We've tried different advertising venues and word of mouth and social media seem to work the best for us,” according to Heather.
In 2021 and 2022, the UC ANR Agritourism Program partnered with UC Cooperative Extension Modoc County and local nonprofit Modoc Harvest to hold a series of workshops, funded by a USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program grant, for area farmers and community members to explore agritourism opportunities and generate interest in expanding Modoc's agritourism offerings. To supplement a workshop about hosting on-farm events, Hadwick Family Farm Pumpkin Patch hosted their first farm-to-table dinner as a fundraiser for Modoc Harvest. With little agritourism, such as on-farm events, taking place in Modoc County at present, the county does not have a framework for regulating activities, other than the statewide guidelines for farm stands and farm stays. As interest in starting agritourism enterprises increases in Modoc County, UCCE Modoc County and the UC ANR Agritourism Program will work with county regulators and other stakeholders to develop guidelines that clear a path for farmers and ranchers that are interested in expanding their offerings.
In agritourism it is often beneficial to have multiple agritourism enterprises within close proximity that can collaboratively market their businesses and attract a greater number of visitors. Hadwick Family Farm Pumpkin Patch provides a look at an operation that has achieved success by marketing to their local residents and creating community partnerships in the absence of an agritourism network.
In regions like Modoc County that do not have a developed agritourism industry, businesses like Hadwick Family Farm Pumpkin Patch, can serve as proof of concept for the potential viability of agritourism. The Hadwick's success, challenges, and insights can help inform other potential agritourism operators in the area as well as regulators. By taking a chance on opening the only pumpkin patch, and one of the only agritourism operations, in 100 or so miles, the Hadwick's are engaging and educating their community, and possibly leading the way for agritourism in Modoc County.
How to Use Airbnb to Add Value to Your Small Farm or Ranch
Airbnb experiences are a relatively new program to Airbnb guests. People from around the world are offering tours, classes, shows and more to people wanting to “experience” new things on their travels. In California, hosts are offering horseback riding, cooking lessons, farm tours, and art lessons to name a few. Hosts get their own page on Airbnb and set their calendar to offer experiences. Airbnb handles payment processing, customer service, and up to $1 million insurance. There are a few things like rock climbing and scuba diving that the insurance doesn't cover so make sure you read the fine print.
A host can choose to participate in the traditional Airbnb program hosting overnight guests, trying out the new experiences program, or both on their small farm or ranch. When starting either program, I suggest that you aim for clean, comfy, and simple. Advertise what you can reasonably accommodate and guests can always ask you questions and you can always offer more if the opportunity arises. I find that guests like to be pleasantly surprised rather than disappointed. I have a full time job off the ranch so I offer a clean, comfortable private bedroom and bathroom and have snacks, bottled water, coffee and tea available for guests. I have a collection of hiking maps, restaurant menus, area maps, and local suggestions that guests can look through when they arrive. The space is self-sufficient in case guests arrive when I am at work, so they can immediately make themselves at home.
Over the last couple of years I have raised chickens and quail, raised a steer, cut firewood, and entered into a rangeland restoration project involving cutting down juniper for essential oils. I grow a good sized garden and have canned, dried, and frozen a lot of local produce. Airbnb guests have had the opportunity to ask questions, see new things, and even participate in the regular activities at my homestead. Airbnb guests have helped to bucket feed my 1000 pound steer, weed the garden, and even split firewood just for the experience. When I am able to offer these experiences to guests, I receive really favorably reviews and have often been a “super host” which is a rating based on number of guests and favorable reviews.
One of the reasons my Airbnb has been so successful is that I am one of the only places in my area that allows pets. I have a dog myself and I have found that more and more people traveling these days are looking to travel with their pets. Not only allowing pets but providing dog dishes, pet treats, and dog friendly hikes nearby has also given me an edge. I also try to make accommodations for kids and small families traveling. Although my space is not very large, it is comfortable for a couple traveling with a small child or two. This flexibility targets some of the fastest growing traveling populations. I encourage you to find your hosting niche - do you offer an amazing view, can guests pick fresh fruits and veggies from your garden, or do you offer a rural escape from the city?
I set my price about the average of room rates in Modoc County, $60 per night. The room was full roughly six months out of the year last year, which was plenty of business for me. If I wanted to work harder I probably could have, but Airbnb generated a net income of about $6000 in 2018. In more populated areas where lodging rates and guest interest is higher, I would predict larger income generation. Make sure to check and see if local lodging taxes apply in your area; Airbnb can help you find this out. In Modoc County there are no additional taxes.
Although Airbnb makes it easy, I still had some adjusting to do in sharing my house with complete strangers. The way my house is set up, there is a private entrance into a mudroom that leads to a private bathroom and bedroom for guests. Even though this is a private area of the house, it is still attached to the main house and the kitchen and living room are shared spaces. For my peace of mind and safety I do not use the automatic booking option on Airbnb. Automatic booking was not an option when I started and I feel more comfortable renting to people who are willing to write a short note or story about who they are and why they are visiting. I have denied requests for staying if someone writes a one word message or uses poor language. Using this system, I have had very few guests over the past four years that I would not invite back and I have never had a situation where I felt unsafe.
One of the things I get asked about really often is liability insurance and policy coverage through Airbnb. Although I have never had to file a claim (and hope I never have to) Airbnb has a pretty robust insurance policy of a million dollars for hosts. I choose to add extra insurance costing $12/month on my home owners' policy and feel comfortable with the coverage. There is also a million dollar policy on Airbnb experiences that covers almost everything you might want to do with guests. Even if you never thought of taking people into your home, Airbnb experiences might be a great way to offer tours of your property, take people on a favorite hike or teach them a new trade or craft.
Airbnb has provided many benefits for my homestead over the past four years from making new friends, educating the public and generating income. If you have ever thought about becoming a host for overnight guests or the new experiences program, I suggest you give it a try. Finding your hosting niche and telling your story will help you get more guests while also bringing interest to your property and community.
Follow Up: Pre-emergence Medusahead Control in the Intermountain Region
Last year about this time, I posted a blog regarding an ongoing trial investigating various...
