Susie Boyd from Boyd Orchards in Versailles, KY will kick off the conference by sharing lessons she has learned on their agritourism operation. The Boyd’s are fifth generation fruit growers. Their operation offers pick-your-own and pre-picked fruits and vegetables, school tours, fall fun (corn maze, hayrides, etc.), a gift shop and food service at the Apple Blossom Café. (Session sponsored by Tennessee Farm Fresh.)

Liability risk is always a major concern for agritourism operators. This session will provide information on the implications of Tennessee legislation for agritourism operations as well as how liability insurance can help manage liability risk.

1 bus…3 days…3 states…11 tour stops… Some of the 54 bus tour participants will share lessons learned from the first educational bus tour for Tennessee agritourism operators.

Evaluating Your Resources: A Snapshot of Your Potential

Agritourism, for some, is an opportunity to increase farm revenue. Development of a successful enterprise, however, requires a unique combination of resources. In this session, you will learn about some of the
resources needed and methods to evaluate your resources to help you determine your potential for success.

Safety and Health: Regulations and Experiences of Agritourism Operators

Safety and health are topics often overlooked - until injuries, illnesses, or other complaints occur. Many farmers may be unfamiliar with these regulations because family farm production enterprises are exempt from most, but making the transition to an agritourism/retail enterprise suddenly makes the business subject to various federal and state safety and health regulations. This session will review some of these regulations, highlight several agritourism operations' experiences with these regulations, and discuss steps you can take to minimize the losses that can result from oversights and mishaps.