THE AGRITECT

The 2024 NAFDMA Agritourism Farm Tour in Michigan provided valuable insights into various farms, including Gull Meadows, Thistleberry Farms, Bowerman Blueberries, Lewis Adventure Farm & Zoo, and others. Key takeaways included the importance of traffic control, accessibility, diverse product offerings, branding, photo opportunities, and careful planning for infrastructure and layout to ensure functionality and efficiency in agritourism endeavors.

Kennel Design Ideas Unleashed on 42 Now that you’ve learned about authorities, laws, codes and rules, set your building on the site. You can now do the fun stuff: Design the layout!   Make a list of all the spaces you think you might need and how big they should be. Think about all the operations, […]

Unleashed on 42 One of the biggest decisions is where to place your kennel building on the site? There are lots of factors to consider, but here are some of ours when we get started! Noise – this is really important to maintaining neighbourly relations, and likely your personal sanity. Depending on how many dogs […]

How to Start Your Kennel Project – Authorities Review Unleashed on 42 You love dogs, and you know there is a need in your community for dog boarding, but you don’t know where to start. In this blog, I will go over both design principles and the authorities/permits needed to get started. Starting any project […]

“My Barn has been standing for 100 years. It should be good to go!”  This is the phrase I am often greeted with when a client asks me to help them with a barn conversion. Unfortunately, this is the biggest myth about barn conversions: Why can’t I just move in and use it? While that statement may be true, we want to make sure it stands […]

What is sustainable tourism? Creating Meaningful Connection In the pursuit of mindful living and conscious consumption, regenerative agritourism emerges as a beacon of sustainable harmony, weaving together the threads of mindful stewardship, ecological balance, and agricultural heritage. In this article, we delve into the essence of regenerative agritourism, exploring its transformative potential and the profound […]

What are the OMAFRA guidelines for On-farm Diversified uses?  The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) created the “Guidelines on Permitted Uses in Ontario’s Prime Agricultural Areas” to assist municipalities in what OMAFRA feels protects “prime farmland” while providing opportunities for different income streams for farmers. It’s important to remember that it […]

Rural Reviatalization Idea #3: Trail bunkies. Grain bin conversion, treehouse, bunkie…what opportunities does your property have along the @G2GRailTrail or @@TheBruceTrailConservancy ?

“…the countryside conjures nostalgic rather than real interpretations.” “Perhaps more than any other landscape, the tended fields of the countryside symbolizes our most revered meld of man, nature, and time.” -Sally Schauman.