New Connections

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.

RECENT ARTICLES

By Christine Hawks • September 28, 2026
Yes, 💩happens…literally! Petting zoos, riding stables, restroom trailers, porta-potties, and did you just say corn maze?!? Eww! But, remember you, yes YOU, make the good 💩happen!
By Suzi Spahr • September 28, 2026
As NAFDMA staff, we know you are in the true thick of fall season in the Northern Hemisphere. Things feel tough, you are worn down, and if one more customer asks *that question* again, you feel as if you are going to lose your mind. It can be helpful at this point to remember where you started vs where you are now. YOU have done the hard work to create a beautiful space for customers to truly make memories. And if you can transform a farm into a place of memories, you can weather whatever storm (literal or figurative) that comes your way. In life, we all start somewhere and use our individual skills, hard work, and imagination to make the world a better place. Just think about how far you have come already...and where you can go. We see you, and we see every bit of the enchantment you create and the exhaustion it causes. YOU are amazing. Photos courtesy of DeBuck’s Family Farm and Lynd Fruit Farm .
By Suzi Spahr • September 18, 2026
Every great experience starts with someone saying, “I have an idea.”