Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
will soon tell you that give a motorist a field and let them park of their own
accord and you will have a disorganized parking calamity on your hands.
Toilets
Toilets are essential and a farmer will need to erect temporary toilets on the farm.
There are numerous sources to rent temporary toilets, but they are essential.
Signage
A PYO farm must have clear and large directional signage to guide people
around the farm and to get them to go where the producer wants visitors
to go. Some farmers use tractor trailers to take people to the picking grounds.
A trailer with straw bales can be a fun experience for city folk.
Entertainment
Children soon get bored, and for safety reasons a farmer does not want chil-
dren running uncontrolled around the farm. Therefore children's entertain-
ment is essential to allow parents to pick without concern. This entertainment
could include a petting zoo, face painting, maize maze or other farm-related
activity.
Picking instructions
Most people have no idea how to pick fruit and vegetables and left to their
own devices they will often pick unripe fruit and damage plants. A success-
fully operated PYO unit needs to provide the right advice if plants are to
remain undamaged after the picking process. The best PYO instructions
should be communicated with simple diagrams. These can be placed on leaf-
lets and a phone app to help the picker.
In the USA, the main PYO crops and seasons are as follows,
1
although
this will vary depending on the season and location and should be checked
with the local State Association:
•
March-April: asparagus;
•
May-June: strawberries;
•
June-July: cherries;
•
June-August: blueberries, blackberries;
•
July-September: peaches, figs, tomatoes, green beans;
•
July-October: raspberries;
•
August: figs, autumn raspberries start, early apples;
•
September-October: apples and grapes;
•
October: late apples, pumpkins;
•
December: Christmas trees.
Marketing online
Online communication is essential in the PYO industry. This is where the
consumer goes for information on when, where and how.
