Integrating animal experiences and farm tours
On April 24th, several farmers from around the region gathered to tour local business Sawdust Hill Alpaca Farm. This Dirt Talk Farm Walk event was organized by WSU Regional Small Farms in conjunction with the Kitsap Agritourism Coalition. Farm owners Steve Hogg and Candace Ladley opened up their farm to show their unique business model.
The class started with a tour of the farm, much like they would give to the public. While touring, Steve and Candace shared the history of how they started their business-with just a few aplacas-and how it grew into what it is today. They spoke about what it takes to raise and keep alpacas, including housing, predation control, feeding, and health, demonstrating how storytelling can educate the public about local agriculture.
The tour included plenty of time to interact with the alpacas, which is what customers value the most about the tour, highlighting for participants the opportunity to use animal interaction in their agritourism business model. The tour ended with a visit to the farm store, which sells many different items made with alpaca wool, bringing the tour full circle from animal to the high quality products they can produce.
Beyond providing a tour that all their customers receive, Candace and Steve explained their reasoning behind certain business choices, such as hosting larger gatherings or giving tours by appointment only. Participants were able to ask specific questions relating to their own agritourism businesses and goals.
This class is the first in a series of Dirt Talk Farm Walks focused on agritourism in Kitsap County. Keep up to date on upcoming classes by signing up for our newsletter and checking out our events page.