By Nancy Mann Jackson
For years following the Industrial Revolution, Americans seemed to be enamored with cities and largely unimpressed with farms and agriculture. However, as the local food movement grows and Americans become increasingly interested in the origins and safety of their food, farms have once again become revered locations, and farmers are now respected professionals. After generations of Americans have spent their lives in cities, with supermarkets and restaurants as their only sources of food, farms and farming carry an air of mystery and intrigue as well.
Capitalizing on Americans’ growing interest in agriculture, a number of working farms have begun opening to the public. Not just for school field trips or to sell Christmas trees in December and pumpkins at Halloween, some farms have established meeting space and designed programs for adults as well, offering unique, back-to-nature venues for meetings and events.
Meeting at a farm “gets people completely out of the usual work environments,” says Sandy Kiel, of Sacred Clay Farm in Lanesboro, MN. “This provides an opportunity to relax, think more clearly, think out-of-the-box and get down to business. It also gives participants a place to take periodic mind-clearing breaks.”
Quiet and free from the distractions of meeting in an office or hotel, farms offer a chance for your group to breathe some fresh air, stretch their legs and clear their heads. They’re also likely to learn something new or experience something they never have before. Meeting at a farm is “fun, different, effective and important,” says Sheli Armstrong, Director of Events at New Mexico’s Los Poblanos Inn and Cultural Center, located on an historic 500-acre ranch that includes a lavender farm and an organic farm where 75 varieties of organic produce are cultivated. “With cell phones, Blackberrys, iPods, DVDs, Blue Rays, big screens, video games and Twittering, it’s an enriching escape to get your hands into the ground and some soil under your fingernails.”
Finding a Farm
No matter what region you’re considering for your next meeting or conference, chances are there’s an interesting farm nearby. Even farms that don’t advertise space for meetings and events are often willing to work with groups to make arrangements, and these days there are plenty of bona fide farms located inside major cities. For instance, Natural Home magazine recently published its list of top 10 urban farms, which includes sites in Kansas City, MO, Brooklyn, NY, Detroit, Philadelphia, Boston, Santa Cruz, CA, Albuquerque, NM, Birmingham, AL and Chicago.
Every farm has its own specialties and its own personality, so every farm meeting is unique. For instance, Earthrise Farm in Madison, MN, offers two meeting spaces: The Honeycomb Center Peace is a permanent, circular tent-like structure available for small meetings and overnight accommodations, and the Earthrise Schoolhouse, a restored 1917 school that has been relocated to the farm and is available for meeting groups.
Randolph Farm, a 416-acre agricultural learning center affiliated with Virginia State University in Petersburg, VA, includes more than 3,000 square feet of indoor meeting space and adjacent production areas. The university farm hosts about 5,000 visitors each year for numerous annual events – field days, workshops, farm conferences and professional training.
While some farms may be available only for off-site events such as receptions or one-day workshops, others, like Los Poblanos, offer overnight accommodations as well. And Sacred Clay Farm features an inn with five guest rooms, each with a private bath. The farm also offers a variety of meeting space on its 100-acre property, ranging from indoor space around a stone hearth fireplace to a conference room in the woods and a garden meeting room.
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Making a Statement
Not only are farm meetings interesting and unique, they can also be catalysts for educating your group about food sources or igniting discussions about timely social issues. “People have gotten so far away from understanding where their food comes from and how superior fresh, pesticide-free food tastes,” Armstrong says. “Also, people have become much more interested and knowledgeable about food and what they put in their bodies. The popularity of cooking shows, farmers markets and natural food stores like Whole Foods has had a big impact. Sometimes it’s driven by the taste of the food and sometimes it’s health driven. But after awhile, people recognize the trickledown effect of eating fresh food and how it can help local economies, make their kids healthier, lower food transportation costs and help the environment.
“Many of the challenges we face together in our communities and as a nation can be addressed at [working] farms,” Armstrong continues. “There are issues of our health, the environment, water usage, open space, supporting local business, sustainability, family and getting back to the basics. For groups addressing or being exposed to these issues, there are many lessons to learn and parallels to be drawn within their own organizations.”
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Enjoying the Earth
Farms that offer meeting space usually provide a variety of activities for groups to enjoy while meeting on the property. There are almost always opportunities to get your hands dirty in the garden or helping with the animals, but for attendees who prefer to stay clean, there are plenty of other options. At Los Poblanos, for instance, groups can enjoy educational tours, cooking classes or demonstrations, farming or gardening activities, lavender distillation demonstrations and talks by experts. Los Poblanos also prepares meals using ingredients from the farm or other local farms, and guests can schedule spa activities using lavender oil or spa products made on-site.
At Cypress Cove Farms in Red Bay, AL, guests can learn about a variety of topics, from the environment to the agricultural history of the early 1900s. For instance, the farm features a working gristmill, antique tractors and blacksmithing demonstrations, and a replica of a 1900s-era saw mill is under construction. The farm also includes six miles of nature trails with a bird sanctuary and a butterfly garden under construction. Other features coming soon include an old-fashioned general store and a replica of a whiskey still. At Sacred Clay Farm, guests can roam the farm’s 100 acres, including groomed hiking trails and a trout stream noted for excellent fly fishing.
Get your group down on the farm!
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