Running a restaurant was not on his radar when Jason Bates began farming free-range pigs, but he soon realised serving his product direct to tourists could be a winner.
Mr Bates and his wife, Samantha, produce pasture-raised pork, chicken, beef, and lamb on a small farm at Stockinbingal in southern New South Wales.
They also run a butchery and restaurant nearby in the small town of Cootamundra.
Samantha Bates serves some of the home-grown product in the couple’s restaurant. (Supplied: Jason Bates)
Mr Bates said more than half the diners were tourists, and many were keen to learn how the meat had been produced.
“It’s an awesome reaction,” he said.
“People don’t expect to be eating something and then have the farmer there serving it to them.”
Mr Bates said combining hospitality, retail, and farming had been a steep learning curve.
“It’s about getting more access to a consumer who wants to enjoy a higher quality or ethical product,” he said.
“Agritourism gets us out there, and I’m keen to grow into it and see what I can do.”
The pigs escape the heat in a mud wallow on the free-range farm. (ABC Riverina: Emily Doak)
Growing opportunity for agritourism
The CSIRO estimates that agritourism will be worth $18.6 billion to the Australian economy by 2030.
The NSW government has relaxed planning laws to make it easier for farmers to use their land for agritourism, including increasing the limit on visitors to pick-your-own produce ventures.
Councils and regional tourism bodies are also developing strategies to promote the industry.
Cootamundra Gundagai Regional Council, in southern NSW, worked with a consultant on a three-year plan to provide clear information to farmers about training and marketing opportunities.
Cootamundra Gundagai Regional Council tourism and economic development officers Casey Polsen and Leah Sutherland. (ABC Riverina: Emily Doak)
The council’s Leah Sutherland said eight local agritourism operators, including Mr Bates, took part in a recent mentoring program.
“Some of [the participants] just had the tiny little ideas, and the mentoring program took them through business planning, insurance, risk analysis,” she said.
“It was absolutely fantastic to watch these little ideas evolve into a big idea.”
Among those taking part was Sharon Elworthy, who runs an accommodation business as a side hustle to her family’s sheep and beef farm near Gundagai.
“The program helped me focus on what we needed to do to increase occupancy, explore what people are looking for in terms of add-ons, and to make sure we’re promoting agritourism more widely in our region.”
David and Sharon Elworthy turned an empty farmhouse into accommodation to give tourists a taste of farm life. (ABC Riverina: Emily Doak)
The council’s tourism and economic development officer, Casey Polsen, said the program culminated with a marketing campaign called “Welcome to the Farmily”.
“We want people to think agritourism and think that’s more than just a farm; it’s the people who are on it and the experiences you can have there,” she said.
The strategy has earned the Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council a National Economic Development Award and is being touted as a model for others to follow.
