Agritourism

Charles Ramos7 said:Maybe they have all-inclusive packages where meals are baked into the price, and they just don't have the setup (or the register system) to handle walk-ins. Nothing too unusual, really.🤷

By the way, even a small farmstead looking to start something like what Harold Jackson32 is planning wouldn't be able to offer food service to non-guests unless they actually opened a restaurant.

Alright, let me try to wrap this up:
So, you're telling me someone running a hospitality business can't serve customers because of some cash register issue? Doesn't that sound just... unbelievable?
Plus, we're talking about a little roadside motel here; people pull over when they're hungry or thirsty, plain and simple.
I'm no legal expert on what's strictly allowed under the law, but the whole idea that they won't provide meal options feels really strange to me.
They have a full restaurant and a terrace too (unless, I suppose, there's some rule about registering outdoor seating separately).

Jamie Davis17 said:Alright, let me try to wrap this up:
So, you're telling me someone running a hospitality business can't serve customers because of some cash register issue? Doesn't that sound just... unbelievable?
Plus, we're talking about a little roadside motel here; people pull over when they're hungry or thirsty, plain and simple.
I'm no legal expert on what's strictly allowed under the law, but the whole idea that they won't provide meal options feels really strange to me.
They have a full restaurant and a terrace too (unless, I suppose, there's some rule about registering outdoor seating separately).

Actually, it doesn't sound that crazy. Go to any hotel that offers packages, and the main dining room is strictly for guests—there isn't even a way to ring up outside customers. I've honestly never seen anyone from outside the hotel eating in those dining areas anywhere in the world. Besides, they probably wouldn't be able to handle ala carte orders anyway since everything is pre-planned on set menus. Some larger hotels have separate ala carte restaurants nearby where outsiders might be able to eat, though usually only with a reservation.

Legally, they could probably register it as a separate entity, but maybe they just don't have the space and can't risk hotel guests waiting for a table. 🤷

I'm not taking sides here, I'm just guessing what the situation might be.

Charles Ramos7 said:Actually, it doesn't sound that crazy. Go to any hotel that offers packages, and the main dining room is strictly for guests—there isn't even a way to ring up outside customers. I've honestly never seen anyone from outside the hotel eating in those dining areas anywhere in the world. Besides, they probably wouldn't be able to handle ala carte orders anyway since everything is pre-planned on set menus. Some larger hotels have separate ala carte restaurants nearby where outsiders might be able to eat, though usually only with a reservation.

Legally, they could probably register it as a separate entity, but maybe they just don't have the space and can't risk hotel guests waiting for a table. 🤷

I'm not taking sides here, I'm just guessing what the situation might be.

Actually, I have—and I used to work in the tourism industry myself.
The hotel I’m talking about... it wasn't packed or anything; it wasn't even full.
But seriously, have you really never eaten at a hotel without actually being a guest there?

Charles Ramos7 said:Actually, it doesn't sound that crazy. Go to any hotel that offers packages, and the main dining room is strictly for guests—there isn't even a way to ring up outside customers. I've honestly never seen anyone from outside the hotel eating in those dining areas anywhere in the world. Besides, they probably wouldn't be able to handle ala carte orders anyway since everything is pre-planned on set menus. Some larger hotels have separate ala carte restaurants nearby where outsiders might be able to eat, though usually only with a reservation.

Legally, they could probably register it as a separate entity, but maybe they just don't have the space and can't risk hotel guests waiting for a table. 🤷

I'm not taking sides here, I'm just guessing what the situation might be.

I guess I might have missed out on some travels then, because you actually have a perfect example right in Saint Martin:
there’s a restaurant there that serves both the hotel guests and people just passing by on the road. In fact, they aren't even customers of the spa itself...

Jamie Davis17 said:Actually, I have—and I used to work in the tourism industry myself.
The hotel I’m talking about... it wasn't packed or anything; it wasn't even full.
But seriously, have you really never eaten at a hotel without actually being a guest there?

Those kinds of hotels, especially when they're right near a National Park, really focus on their specific guests. They plan their meals around them and probably don't even bother with an à la carte menu.
That’s nothing unusual. It’s totally possible they’re even registered specifically for that kind of business model.
We stayed in this little boutique hotel in Aosta that operated exactly the same way.

Jamie Davis17 said:Actually, I have—and I used to work in the tourism industry myself.
The hotel I’m talking about... it wasn't packed or anything; it wasn't even full.
But seriously, have you really never eaten at a hotel without actually being a guest there?

And my colleague amberskipper3 replied, saying of course I ate and that it’s possible if that's the concept from the start—which clearly isn't the case here.

amberskipper3 said:Yeah, sure...
All that sounds great on paper, but once you step outside the National Parks, finding local guests is incredibly rare.
Really rare.

Honestly, even the National Parks aren't being tapped enough if you ask me... I mean, around here, people just don't seem to know how to sell anything unless it's water—you know, the ocean, waterfalls, and that whole bit. And when it comes to agritourism, I'll say it again: in my opinion, the real issue is the marketing and the fact that the local folks are lagging behind... though I suppose the root of that problem goes pretty deep into the fabric of this entire society.

cosmicviper10 said:Honestly, even the National Parks aren't being tapped enough if you ask me... I mean, around here, people just don't seem to know how to sell anything unless it's water—you know, the ocean, waterfalls, and that whole bit. And when it comes to agritourism, I'll say it again: in my opinion, the real issue is the marketing and the fact that the local folks are lagging behind... though I suppose the root of that problem goes pretty deep into the fabric of this entire society.

That’s a completely baseless and totally arbitrary take.
Both in the Hilly Region, USA and the Mountainous Region, USA, there are plenty of young, educated folks who are looking for work and would jump at the chance to get into agritourism. You only have to look at the unemployment stats to see it.
Take the town of Otočac, for example—I personally know at least 20 people there, from college grads to high school grads, who are out of work and can't seem to launch anything given the current climate.
The reasons?
messy land records
local officials just not giving a damn
overly complicated banking red tape
etc
etc

I think there’s a bit of confusion here regarding terms. I’m assuming we’re talking about an actual agritourism farmstead rather than just renting out rooms and running a rural restaurant—there's a massive difference between the two.

Running an agritourism setup isn't really a career path for a young guy with a degree. It’s definitely not a "one-man show"; at its core, it’s a family business.

To truly launch an agritourism operation, you first need to be a farmer living on the land, actually producing the food you intend to sell... Sure, you could try to skip those steps, but then you're basically just running a Zimmer Frei.🙂

Charles Ramos7 said:I think there’s a bit of confusion here regarding terms. I’m assuming we’re talking about an actual agritourism farmstead rather than just renting out rooms and running a rural restaurant—there's a massive difference between the two.

Running an agritourism setup isn't really a career path for a young guy with a degree. It’s definitely not a "one-man show"; at its core, it’s a family business.

To truly launch an agritourism operation, you first need to be a farmer living on the land, actually producing the food you intend to sell... Sure, you could try to skip those steps, but then you're basically just running a Zimmer Frei.🙂

Look, I don't know what everyone else was getting at, but I was specifically talking about younger folks—people with at least a high school diploma—who live on rural estates, farming or running small local businesses.
Or they might own the property but end up working low-wage jobs or under-the-table gigs at private companies.
But why on earth would agritourism *not* be a job for a young, educated person?
Everywhere I've traveled to visit these kinds of estates—whether it was in California, the Mountainous Region, or over in Canada... everywhere, the owners were actually younger people with at least a high school education, and honestly, super often they had college degrees too.

When I say this isn't a job for a young, educated guy, what I really mean is it's not a one-person show—you need the whole family backing you up.

If your parents are retired, or if the kids are too small—or if you don't have any kids at all—running an agritourism farm is going to be an uphill battle. Honestly, my grandma could run a place like Zimmer Frei.

In this line of work, there’s a logical progression: you start as a farmer first, then move into tourism. You can't just call yourself a "manager" when you don't even know how to milk a cow. Or better yet, if you don't even own a cow, it isn't a real farm in any meaningful sense.

Charles Ramos7 said:When I say this isn't a job for a young, educated guy, what I really mean is it's not a one-person show—you need the whole family backing you up.

If your parents are retired, or if the kids are too small—or if you don't have any kids at all—running an agritourism farm is going to be an uphill battle. Honestly, my grandma could run a place like Zimmer Frei.

In this line of work, there’s a logical progression: you start as a farmer first, then move into tourism. You can't just call yourself a "manager" when you don't even know how to milk a cow. Or better yet, if you don't even own a cow, it isn't a real farm in any meaningful sense.

I couldn't agree with a single word of that. Not one.
Look, if you’re using the term "farmstead," you already know what we’re talking about. It implies an actual estate—a real operation where one lone person isn't just grinding away doing every single task themselves. That setup is honestly pretty rare these days, though you still run into those outliers. When they actually do have a proper crew running things, that's when they start bringing on seasonal help or extra hands to keep the gears turning.
That whole "logical progression" where you supposedly have to be some kind of hillbilly just to get into agritourism is honestly ridiculous.
Look, if you actually want to get into agritourism, you don't need to know how to milk a cow. Seriously. People make this huge deal out of it, acting like you need to be a full-time ranch hand just to host a weekend getaway, but that's just nonsense. You can run a killer business without ever getting your hands dirty in a barn.

Obviously, running an agritourism farm means owning property, but if I’m not mistaken, someone here is planning to do this just out of a weekend cottage 🤔

You don't need to know how to milk a cow? Then what does? Is knowing Microsoft Excel actually the key?
By its very definition, an agritourism setup is all about serving food produced mostly on-site.
Fine, you won't have cows—they're too much work—just some chickens, and whoever's going to deal with the backache from gardening... in the end, you can just whip up some Coca-Cola sweets for your guests. You don't even have to thaw them; they go straight into the pot 😉

Charles Ramos7 said:Obviously, running an agritourism farm means owning property, but if I’m not mistaken, someone here is planning to do this just out of a weekend cottage 🤔

You don't need to know how to milk a cow? Then what does? Is knowing Microsoft Excel actually the key?
By its very definition, an agritourism setup is all about serving food produced mostly on-site.
Fine, you won't have cows—they're too much work—just some chickens, and whoever's going to deal with the backache from gardening... in the end, you can just whip up some Coca-Cola sweets for your guests. You don't even have to thaw them; they go straight into the pot 😉

Yeah, I gotta say, I’d be pretty shocked if it wasn't Microsoft Excel—but honestly, probably a bunch of other PC programs too.
There's really no need to overcomplicate things.
Look, on most of these Agritourism spots, the owners go all out and raise their own livestock right there on the property, but honestly? It’s not like you actually need them to run the show. If you're looking to get your hands on fresh, local goods from nearby producers, it's seriously no big deal. You can find everything you need without any hassle.
The owners have everything out there—vegetable gardens, some farm animals, orchards, beehives... you name it.
The idea that an agritourism farm is just some glorified farming operation? That’s completely wrong. Seriously, it's a total misconception.

amberskipper3 said:Yeah, I gotta say, I’d be pretty shocked if it wasn't Microsoft Excel—but honestly, probably a bunch of other PC programs too.
There's really no need to overcomplicate things.
Look, on most of these Agritourism spots, the owners go all out and raise their own livestock right there on the property, but honestly? It’s not like you actually need them to run the show. If you're looking to get your hands on fresh, local goods from nearby producers, it's seriously no big deal. You can find everything you need without any hassle.
The owners have everything out there—vegetable gardens, some farm animals, orchards, beehives... you name it.
The idea that an agritourism farm is just some glorified farming operation? That’s completely wrong. Seriously, it's a total misconception.

It’s not a "wrong perception"—that’s actually how the Hospitality Law lays it out. And like I mentioned before, you don't *have* to have all that stuff on-site, but then you're basically just operating Zimmer Frei.
To be honest, there's nothing wrong with that approach; I know people who make a great living doing it. It just doesn't fit the specific menu or the whole "traditional farmstead" vibe you were talking about earlier.

Charles Ramos7 said:It’s not a "wrong perception"—that’s actually how the Hospitality Law lays it out. And like I mentioned before, you don't *have* to have all that stuff on-site, but then you're basically just operating Zimmer Frei.
To be honest, there's nothing wrong with that approach; I know people who make a great living doing it. It just doesn't fit the specific menu or the whole "traditional farmstead" vibe you were talking about earlier.

It could also look like this:

Or maybe like this:

http://www.paintball-chicago.com/

Or even this:

Every single one of these types of Agritourism setups attracts its own specific crowd.

amberskipper3 said:It could also look like this:

Or maybe like this:

http://www.paintball-chicago.com/

Or even this:

Every single one of these types of Agritourism setups attracts its own specific crowd.

1. Like, $370 for a night in an apartment that comes with an eighties-style closet, while their online store is out here selling a whole damn Coat.😲

🤣

Harold Jackson32, seriously, don't ever try to open a tourism business like that. 😁

2. This isn't really what the thread is about anyway, I guess. 😁

3. Man, now that would be a place I'd actually love to visit! 😍

Maybe look at it this way:

http://www.villabornstein.com/

But just because something is agritourism doesn't mean it's automatically a farm stay.

I think we might be talking past each other regarding the terminology. Agritourism can technically cover just about anything 🙏 (and sometimes it’s more of an information-based concept than a physical one), but there is a very specific legal definition for what constitutes a farm stay under the Hospitality Law, and you obviously can't have one without an actual farmer on site. 🙂

Charles Ramos7 said:Maybe look at it this way:

http://www.villabornstein.com/

But just because something is agritourism doesn't mean it's automatically a farm stay.

I think we might be talking past each other regarding the terminology. Agritourism can technically cover just about anything 🙏 (and sometimes it’s more of an information-based concept than a physical one), but there is a very specific legal definition for what constitutes a farm stay under the Hospitality Law, and you obviously can't have one without an actual farmer on site. 🙂

The original question was basically:

Agritourism — why is it practically non-existent, or just barely hanging on?

Charles Ramos7 said:Maybe look at it this way:

http://www.villabornstein.com/

But just because something is agritourism doesn't mean it's automatically a farm stay.

I think we might be talking past each other regarding the terminology. Agritourism can technically cover just about anything 🙏 (and sometimes it’s more of an information-based concept than a physical one), but there is a very specific legal definition for what constitutes a farm stay under the Hospitality Law, and you obviously can't have one without an actual farmer on site. 🙂

Man, this is the kind of place I’d totally splurge on if it actually fit my budget. 🙂