CRAWFORD COUNTY, Ohio – Despite the cold and rainy weather, over 230 people attended the Crawford County Farm Hop on April 26. This was the third Crawford County Farm Hop in two years.

“We did a farm hop last April and we did another one, in believe it was August or September, just to kind of test two different cycles of the year,” Scott McKnight said. “We definitely had better engagement and better attendance in the one in April.”

The event focused on interacting with local farmers through a participatory agritourism activity. It came about through the efforts of Scott and Lydia McKnight, owners of Abundantly Blessed Farm.

The couple wanted to get products from their boutique lavender farm directly into consumers’ hands. The couple turned to other farmers in Crawford County to inquire about creating product awareness in the community and selling directly to consumers.

Scott noticed that most farms in the community developed a product and sold it to another business, using the business-to-business model. Farmers raising grain or raising animals sold directly to either a grain storage company or a meat processor, McKnight said.

He and Lydia were looking for another way to sell their products. “We appreciated the business-to-consumer model where we’re able to make our goods and sell them directly to the consumer,” he said. “Ultimately, we get to keep a larger chunk of the profit margin, and our customers build a relationship with us, and we get to build a relationship with them.”

The pair found that even farms that sold directly to consumers didn’t know how to connect with customers, and many didn’t even know their ideal customer.

“You really have to know who your ideal customer is to market and sell to them,” Scott said. “Because you can’t sell to everybody, and if you’re trying to sell to everybody, you’re essentially going to sell to nobody.”

In their search, the McKnights turned to agritourism to bring customers to area farms.

“We were looking at different ideas from farms in and outside the state – there were a few smaller entities, one in Canada, that did this farm crawl event,” Scott said.

Building on the crawl concept and the time of the event, Easter, Scott turned the Crawl into a Hop. “The name kind of stuck,” he said. “It’s been a good opportunity for us, and the farms we’ve partnered with to invest in this community.”

Five stops were part of the Hop, and people could visit the farms any way they wanted. “Most people started closer to their home and worked their way backwards,” he said.

Abundantly Blessed Farms, The Market and Cafe at Pickwick Place, Paynter Family Organic Farm, Brandywine Creek Farm, Gracie’s Botanical, Rus-Men Farms, Chicory Girl Wellness, The Ohio Flower Girls, and the Bucyrus Public Library Seed Library were all represented on the Hop.

While visitors were encouraged to take part in activities, producers were trying to sell their products too.

At Abundantly Blessed Farm, visitors got the chance to interact with the farm products. “Participants got to feed chickens, create a lavender sachet, and enjoy toxin-free products produced on the farm or sourced through reliable vendors,’ Lydia McKnight said.

Local products included honey, maple syrup, loose leaf tea, and Smith Acres Produce lavender vanilla popcorn. In addition, Grace Hand with Gracie’s Botanicals offered dried flower arrangements, and Wayside Christian School Robotics Club provided freshly grilled all-beef hot dogs and bratwurst from Rus-Men Farms.

Mendy Sellman with Rus-Men Farms offered frozen meats from their farm, including hot dogs, bratwurst, steaks and more. Eggs, jams, jellies, syrup and honey were also available. “They also invited participants to see goats and chickens in the nearby barn,” Lydia said. 

Samantha Tanner with Brandywine Creek Farm allowed guests to interact with a snake, possum, porcupine, flying miniature squirrel and more animals. Rachael Dornbirer with Chicory Girl Wellness had loose-leaf tea available to taste.

The Market at Pickwick Place had field tours, activities, and offered locally sourced products for sale. Haley Fannin and Hannah Stuckey, of The Ohio Flower Girls, helped guests create a tulip arrangement with flowers fresh from their greenhouse at the Market.

Adam Paynter with Paynter Family Organic Farm gave guests a chance to feed cows and see pigs, chickens, and turkeys on his farm tour. His market trailer sold organic hot dogs, bratwurst, steaks, chicken and ground beef.

A stop at the Bucyrus Public Library’s “seed bank” allowed visitors to get five free packets of flower, fruit, herb and vegetable seeds. “The seeds were donated or purchased through local vendors with an emphasis on Ohio native seeds,” Lydia said. “The Earth, Wind and Flowers Garden Club was present to highlight the seed bank and discuss other gardening initiatives in the area.”

Farmers and producers who participated in the Crawford County Farm Hop saw the financial benefits associated with the event. Many increased their single-event sales by two to three times during last year’s Hop.

“It’s definitely been beneficial getting people engaged and getting them present at the farms,” Scott said. “We have found, as it’s true with most retail operations, if you can connect with the producer, you tend to have higher sales.”

Scott wasn’t sure if there would be a fall Hop this year. “I don’t know that we will,” he said. “We’re looking at some other options for we can how we can continue to grow this idea in the community.”

Lydia was pleased with the turnout. “Expectations were met,” she said. “We feel like guests had a positive experience. Guests traveled from two-three counties away, though most were from the Crawford County area, which should be positive for future engagement.”