One of the most commonly cited benefits of NAFDMA are the connections and friendships made among members.  It can be hard to be in agritourism.  When attending local agriculture events, wholesale or commodity growing is the "norm."  While everyone can connect over crop failures and agriculture best practices, many farms don't manage a direct customer base.  Being able to connect with someone who understands having a customer complaint on Facebook or cleaning a bathroom after a particular busy day can provide you with the reminder that you are not alone.

The two people in the photo above, Hugh McPherson and Becky Walters, are some of the biggest supporters of NAFDMA and the agritourism industry as a whole.  I am lucky to count these two people as friends.  Who do you have as friends and supporters?  Within our organization, we have developed the Members Only Facebook group which facilitates those friendships, connections, hard-to-answer questions, and camaraderie.  Do you have someone you count as understanding you and what you do on a daily basis?  If so, send a text, make a phone call, or make plans to get together with them soon.  Knowing others understand you and your day-to-day difficulties makes life incredible.