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O'ahu Agritourism Guidebook O'ahu Resource Conservation & Development Council 2011 O’ahu Agritourism Guidebook O’ahu RC&D Acknowledgements We would like to thank Inês Meira, an intern from Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, in Portugal, for her many volunteer hours conducting research and assisting with photography and layout. In addition, we appreciate the ongoing support of the USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service, which serves as a partner in so many of our efforts, and supported our investigation into the barriers facing agritourism on Oahu. Finally, we’d like to acknowledge the following reviewers, who provided valuable feedback, corrections, and insights on the initial draft (although any errors in the document are ours alone). Robbie Kane, Hawaii Tourism Authority Kevin Kinvig, Natural Resources Conservation Service Kylie Matsuda, Kahuku Farms Tofi Mika, Jr., City and County of Honolulu David Morgan, Kualoa Ranch Lani Weigert, Hawaii AgriTourism Association Production of this guidebook would not have been possible without the financial support of the City and County of Honolulu’s Office of Economic Development and the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Mahalo! O`ahu RC&D is an equal opportunity employer and provider 2 O’ahu Agritourism Guidebook O’ahu RC&D Aloha and Welcome Agricultural tourism – Agritourism – allows farmers and other agricultural professionals to broaden their income base, while offering visitors and locals alike an opportunity for a genuine experience in a new environment. Agritourism has been practiced in Europe and parts of North America for decades, but is still relatively new in Hawaii. We are feeling our way, developing new rules and guidelines to govern agritourism, and there remains much to do and discuss and decide. This Guidebook was produced by the O‛ahu Resource Conservation and Development Council (O‛ahu RC&D) with financial support from the City and County Department of Economic Development and the Hawaii Tourism Authority. It is intended as an introduction to guide those interested in agritourism on O‛ahu through the process, from farmers and ranchers, to floriculturists and other agricultural producers interested in learning more about agritourism. We hope it is useful. Please direct any feedback or suggestions to our office at [email protected]. Mahalo! _________________________________________________________ O‘ahu Resource Conservation & Development Council 99‐193 Aiea Heights Dr., Ste. 111, Aiea, HI 96701 w (808) 483‐8600 ext 112 www.oahurcd.org 3 O’ahu Agritourism Guidebook O’ahu RC&D Table of Contents Page Aloha and Welcome ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3 Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5 Rules and Regulations …………………………………………………………………………………………………..… 7 Allowable Activities …………………………………………………………………………………………………….… 7 Permits ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………... 9 Community Considerations ..……………………………………………………………………………………….. 10 Dollars and Sense ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….… 11 Farming and Tourism: Finding the Balance …………………………………………………………………. 11 Agritourism and Your Business ………………………………………………………………………………….… 12 Sales and Marketing ………………………………………………………………………………………………….… 14 Managing Money ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 15 Target Audience and Program Structure ……………………………………………………………………….. 16 Individuals or Group Tours ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 16 Visitor Demographics ……………………………………………………………………………………………….…. 17 Drop‐In Guests or Prior Arrangement Only …………………………………………………………………. 17 Going it Alone, Forming a Partnership, or Working with a Tour Company ………………….. 19 Developing an Agritourism Program …………………………………………………………………………….. 20 Making the Experience Memorable ………………………………………………………………………….… 22 Enhancing the Setting ……………………………………………………………………………………………….… 23 Adding Value …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….… 24 Establishing Rules ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 24 Health and Safety ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 25 Program Evaluation …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 26 What’s Next?…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….… 26 Appendices …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 27 A. Agritourism Checklist ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 27 B. House Bill No. 2145, A Bill for an Act Relating to Agricultural Tourism ……………………. 28 C. Supporting Organizations ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 34 D. Government Resources ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 35 E. Special Use Permit …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 37 4 O’ahu Agritourism Guidebook O’ahu RC&D Introduction Agricultural tourism in Hawaii is a small Visitors and residents also benefit from good industry with great potential. Managed agritourism programs. Visitors are often appropriately, agritourism provides farmers looking for genuine experiences that tell the with cash income that is less influenced by story of how people in Hawai‛i live day to day. weather, markets, pests or diseases, and can Those from farming backgrounds elsewhere help smooth out cash flow peaks and valleys. may be interested in the challenges faced by farmers in Hawai‛i, and the many differences Making the effort to ensure that a farm is (and similarities) between agriculture here presentable and safe to the public provides and elsewhere. added incentive to farmers to keep their fields and outbuildings in good condition, Residents may want to see where their food manage soil and water resources, and and flowers come from, understand what is ensure a safe working environment for involved in crop production in Hawai‛i, and employees. Visitors often take products follow a growing trend to learn to “know home and share them with friends, providing their farmer.” new marketing opportunities and broadening the customer base. 5 O’ahu Agritourism Guidebook O’ahu RC&D According to the Hawaii Agricultural First, understand that in most cases, any type Statistics service, the value of agricultural of tourism activity on agricultural land on tourism in the City and County of Honolulu O‛ahu currently requires (at the very least) a nearly doubled from $7.7 million in 2000 to Special Use Permit. More on this is included $14.2 million in 2006. However, during this in the Rules and Regulations Chapter. same period, the number of farms engaged in agritourism activities on O‛ahu dropped Second, consider that while an agritourism from 19 to 13, while overall farm numbers program may earn additional revenue, it will stayed the same. In 2006, O‛ahu had the also entail additional costs. More on this is fewest number of agritourism operations of addressed in the Chapter entitled Dollars and any county in Hawai‛i, yet had the highest Sense, which encourages you to take a hard earnings. Most of those earnings were gen‐ look at the feasibility of an agritourism erated from larger farm operations. program for your operation. In a statewide survey from 2006, farmers Who you target and how you structure an ranked zoning restrictions as the number agritourism program determines the scale of one challenge facing agricultural tourism. such an operation, and is fundamental to how Agricultural tourism on O‛ahu is hampered the program is shaped. This is addressed in by a lack of a City and County ordinance that the Target Audience and Program Structure permits agritourism activities without a chapter. How do you create an agritourism Special Use Permit. The time, expense , and program that is memorable, safe, and man‐ uncertainty in obtaining a permit may dis‐ ageable? This is the fun part, explored in the courage farmers from engaging in Developing the Program chapter. agritourism activities. At present, less than 2% of O‛ahu farms offer agritourism Finally, the Appendix includes a Checklist programs. Agritourism is not for every to guide you through the essential elements agricultural enterprise, but it does hold of an agritourism program, and other useful great potential for some. information. There are so many considerations when Whether you choose to develop an agritour‐ thinking about launching an agritourism ism program for your farm, collaborate with program, it is difficult to know where to other farmers in your area to develop a joint begin. This Guidebook will help you get program, or hold off on agritourism for now, your interest in the potential of agricultural started. The following chapters are equally tourism is valuable. Consider joining the important, and can be read in any order. Hawaii Agritourism Association or other They delve into the fundamental questions supportive groups (see Appendix C) to keep you must consider: Is it legal? Will it be abreast of this emerging industry, and add profitable? What does an agritourism your voice to the conversation. program look like? 6 O’ahu Agritourism Guidebook O’ahu RC&D Rules and Regulations If you are a commercial agricultural agricultural tourism, so long as it is secondary enterprise, you already know that there to the principal agricultural use and does not are many rules and regulations you need interfere with that use. to follow to operate in Hawaii. If you wish to expand your agricultural activities to The individual county ordinances establish include agricultural tourism, there are requirements for access and parking, gift shops additional considerations. or other buildings, types of permissible activities, hours of operation, etc. Unfortu‐ Allowable Activities nately for O‛ahu businesses, as of February The Hawaii State Legislature passed H.B. Bill