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October 17, 2017

Agritourism plays growing role in region's farm economy

Contributed by Lyman Orchards The Apple Barrel at Lyman Orchards in Middelfield
By Christopher Hoffman

Agritourism isn’t just a sideline at the sprawling Lyman Orchards in Middlefield, one of the state’s largest fruit growers. The hundreds of thousands of people who flock there each year to pick their own apples, peaches, pears and berries and visit its corn and sunflower mazes are the linchpin of the 275-year-old family business, said John Lyman, the company’s executive director.

“It’s very important,” said Lyman, a member of the eighth generation of his family to farm in Middlefield. “It’s enabled us to expand our orchard and reinvest back in the orchard. “

Lyman Orchards isn’t alone. A recent study by the University of Connecticut’s Zwick Center for Food and Resource Policy found agritourism to be an important and growing part of the state’s farm economy. Taking a day trip to sample the wares at a local winery, picking fruit at an orchard or visiting a farm to purchase locally grown produce, meat or poultry all help drive agriculture in the state, the study found.

Agritourism also produces a lot of money, researchers found. The study estimates that local food sales and agritourism generated $90 million in total sales in 2015. That created about 800 jobs paying about $30 million in wages, according to the study.

Agritourism’s increasingly important role in state agriculture has not escaped the attention of the state. Department of Agriculture Commissioner Steven K. Reviczky applauds the trend not only as a boon for farms and orchards, but also as a way to restore lost connections with the land.

“As more farms look to diversify their offerings and their revenue stream, agritourism has become an increasingly important part of many farms’ business plans,” Reviczky said. “So much of today’s population is far removed from the farm, so it is critical that farms encourage visits from their neighbors and the community at large to learn about how agriculture is done and why it is so important to Connecticut’s future.”

None of this is news to John Lyman. About 20 years ago, Lyman Orchards’ managers realized the growing importance of agritourism to the business, he said. Pick-your-own, once primarily the province of home canners looking for volume and savings, was becoming an increasingly popular family activity.  The orchard decided that the best way to tap into the expanding pick-your-own market, driven by twin desires for more outdoor family activities and more local food, was to become a “destination,” Lyman said.

To that end, Lyman added popular corn and sunflower mazes, the former in 2000, the latter in 2007, and expanded its pick-your-own offerings. Berries are especially popular, so the orchard turned over more of its 1,100 acres to their production, Lyman said. That also meant a longer picking season, which now lasts five months, starting with strawberries in June, he said.

The strategy has proven a big success, with pick-your-own sales increasing a steady 5 percent a year, Lyman said. Adding to the good news is the higher margin that the orchard makes on retail versus wholesale sales. The increased foot traffic also has hiked revenue for Lyman’s other businesses, which include golf courses, a large wholesale pie operation and a retail store called the Apple Barrel, he said. While it still sells some fruit wholesale, most of the orchard’s production stays on site to be sold or turned into pies, Lyman said.

The orchard has also developed an “eco-certified” program that while short of organic, seeks to address consumer concerns about food safety and quality, Lyman said.

Turning to agritourism was all but a necessity for the orchard and may be for similar farms and orchards, Lyman said. “I think there are a couple of models that will work, but I think this is a right one for a lot of operations,” he said.

New Haven and Middlesex counties abound in agritourism opportunities. In addition to Lyman Orchards, Bishop’s Orchards in Guilford has an extensive pick-your-own operations and a retail store that sells its fruits as well as locally produced wines.

In addition, the two counties are home to wineries in Wallingford, North Branford, Clinton, Portland, East Haddam and Woodbridge that offer tastings in pleasantly appointed tasting rooms, sometimes with live music. One location, Lavender Pond Farm in Killingworth, welcomes visitors to stroll its lavender-covered grounds and buy its food, health and beauty and other products, all infused with the flower.

Christopher Hoffman can be reached at news@newhavenbiz.com

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