Kevin's Blog

"I am looking forward to your arrival on Halloween Night. I hope you will bring me lots of presents. You must get discouraged because more people believe in Santa Claus than in you. Well, let's face it, Santa Claus has had more publicity..." - or so thought Linus in that Charles M. Schulz classic.

How many of you are going to visit a pumpkin patch, a corn maze, or maybe Dwight K. Schrute's beet farm this fall? Or maybe go apple pickin' or syrup tappin'? (It is now politically correct to drop your 'g's!)

"There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people. Religion, politics and the great pumpkin." - Linus

All of the above seasonal staples fall under the category of Agritourism, a multi-million dollar weather-sensitive industry that peaks during the fall in rural areas across the country. As our nation's farm economy struggles, agritourism is a means for farmers to add value to their land, as well as raise awareness about the importance of agriculture. Over the last decade, agritourism in the U.S. has grown by 30 percent, making it the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry. Profits now compare favorably to those reaped by retailers at Christmas time! Maybe Macy's should consider the great orange gourd in place of the rotund red saint for its annual parade!

"You better cut it out right now or I'll pound you!" - Lucy

While we watch our investment portfolios evaporate, you wont find any economic hardship in the pumpkin patch. Pumpkins require 90-120 frost-free days to mature. As growing seasons appear to be on the increase, this warm-season annual would seem to be the beneficiary. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that the 2008 pumpkin crop will weigh in at over a billion pounds, and will harvest nearly $120 million in profits, up from $90 million just five years ago. This gourd is currently carving rings around your investment strategist! The 33% increase in pumpkin profits comes from 47,000 acres of pumpkins, down from 50,000 acres just 5 years ago. Less land use, more pumpkins, higher yield, higher profits, and more room for a corn maze, or a bed & breakfast inn!

"If you try to hold my hand I'll slug you!" - Sally

Agritourism sites are becoming a popular venue for weddings, honeymoons, and get-away vacations. Many agritourism locales have romantic bed & breakfast accommodations that provide an oasis of respite from the urban hustle and bustle. A recent article in the journal Human Reproduction reported that more babies are conceived from Oct-Dec than in any other three-month period. Although no statistical connection has been established with the increase in agritourism, it does make you wonder about all of these people 'getting back to nature.' And before you can say "Good grief Charlie Brown," don't forget that Linus was the first to espouse the sincerity of the pumpkin patch!

As the leaves turn colors and cooler temperatures begin to take hold, now is the perfect time for an agritourism venture. If you have been on such an outing, or plan to go on one, let us know! And just one word of advice before you go...

"Never jump into a pile of leaves with a wet sucker!" - Linus

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