The Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association’s podcast series features farm destinations across Wisconsin and the bounty of specialty crops these farms produce. For several months, WATA has taken you to strawberry patches, hop yards, fields of flowers, and more.
WATA Executive Director Sheila Everhart says Wisconsin is a powerhouse in producing specialty crops from fruits to vegetables and from evergreens to peonies. These producers have an opportunity to open their farms up to the public to provide a food, recreation, relaxation, or education experience.
Cranberries
Fall is a perfect time of year to indulge in Wisconsin specialty crops. It’s a gorgeous time of year — and we’re just talking about the changing leaves. The podcast series takes us to the cranberry marsh to witness the foliage and the vibrant red berries. James Lake Farms is a family-owned organic cranberry marsh in Oneida County. Owner John Stauner grows 189 acres of cranberries, and he’s looking forward to a nice crop this year. The farm is open to the public on Saturdays in October to witness the harvest.
“Our harvest extends about six weeks,” he explains. “We start in mid to late September, depending upon the color of the fruit. Cranberries color in response to low temperatures, which we get this time of year, and also the shortening day length.”
Goat Dairy
Clara Hedrich of LaClare Family Creamery is our next guest this fall. Clara knows a thing or two about turning an idea into a thriving business model. Her experience starting a farm business, a goat milk cooperative, and an agricultural tourism destination is among the wisdom a farm can glean from joining WATA. In this episode, Clara tells us her farm’s story, and how others can accomplish a similar dream.
“If you’re thinking about adding value to your farm, depending on what you’re doing, you can always milk a few more cows… raise a few more hogs,” she says. “But stop for just a second because all those are items that you have to have additional input, additional space.”
Hedrich says instead, ask yourself this:
“Are you a people person? Would you like to share your story with the public? And if the answer is yes, give some consideration to doing ag tourism,” she says.
Canary Grass
We know fall is a beautiful time of year for a drive in the country to witness a Wisconsin harvest with a backdrop of changing leaves. Badger Farms LLC in Deerfield sweetens the deal with a stunning and historical event barn overlooking 500 acres of canary grass.
Dave Muehl says the canary grass has brought value to fields that weren’t ideal for growing crops. He adds agritourism and the special forage crop business balance each other out to keep his farm alive.
“Without the tourism aspect, we would not have been as successful,” he says. “It helps covering the overhead, having two sources of income. Having the diversification is huge.”
Listen To The Series:
The podcast series is brought to you courtesy of Specialty Crop Block Grant 23-10. WATA, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, was awarded a specialty crop block grant from USDA to promote increased demand for the sales of specialty crops and agricultural tourism experiences through the ‘Wisconsin, America’s Agricultural Tourism Destination’ campaign.
Through the Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association, you can find a network of specialty crop farmers to help you start or expand your own farm ag-venture. Learn more about how to engage with Wisconsin’s agricultural tourism industry at https://gowiagtourism.com/.