Agri-tourism and Local Foods at Long & Scott Farms

Abstract

Long & Scott Farms, a 1200-acre vegetable farm in central Florida, celebrated its 50th anniversary in Feb. 2012. Its longevity is due in part to the innovative choices made over the last 10 years to diversify operations from a strictly wholesale producer of Zellwood sweet corn, cabbage, and pickling cucumbers to also include a local foods and agritourism oriented marketing strategy. The most successful of these alternative farm concepts is Scott’s Maze Adventures, an annual fall corn maze that has an attendance of nearly 30,000 annually in recent years. A seasonal retail farm market and café have also been established, which is a hub for the consumer supported Produce Club, providing 55 members weekly baskets of freshly harvested local produce. Other additions to the farm operations have been a catch-and-release fishing pond, and holiday and special events that include hayride tours of the farm. The farm also has a web-based presence, www.longandscottfarms.com, and social media Facebook and Twitter, as well as an online monthly newsletter that allows them to market to new audiences.