Internet on course to boost farm holidays

Yorkshire Forward passed on £20,000 from the Rural Development Programme for England towards a training programme which has now been organised by the business federation, Farm Stay Yorkshire.

All the courses and advisory services involved are open to anyone who has a farm or smallholding which takes in residential guests, whether self-catering or B&B. About one farm in 20 does.

One course is focused on making better breakfasts – and selling the guests lunch and supper, too. A second is about developing from just letting rooms to selling holidays, including a range of “farm experiences”.

Angela Baines, who has organised the latter, said this week: “There is a real niche market opening for ‘experience’ days or breaks. Just look at the popularity of programmes about the countryside, such as Lambing Live and A Farmer’s Life For Me. Customers are looking for new hands-on experiences, which are often given as presents. This could be a winning combination for farmers.”

Everyone Wants To Be A Farmer – How To Tap Into The Farm Experience Market will be delivered on Wednesday, May 18, at the Yorkshire Wolds Cookery School, Southburn, Driffield, for £60 a head, plus VAT. Speakers will include Sophie Howse, from Red Letter Days, organisers of experience gift packages, and farmers who have organised experiences involving sheepdogs, lambing and tractor driving.

Brilliant Breakfasts & Easy Outstanding Suppers, at £50, plus VAT, will run on Thursday, May 12, at The Cooking School, Dean Clough, Halifax – “aiming to fill you with fresh ideas for delicious breakfasts and how to prepare chilled or frozen suppers that can be served in your B&B or sold to self-catering customers”.

Resident chef Matthew Benson-Smith started serving breakfasts at his parents’ B&B, in Bridlington, and has since cooked for world leaders including John Major, when he was PM, and Bill Clinton, when he was US President.

He said: “I will be encouraging B&B owners to use locally-sourced ingredients. They should try to give their guests a sense of place.”

For £160, and VAT, businesses can organise a visit and report on Farm Interpretation from David Thompson, regional education co-ordinator for the organisation Farming & Countryside Education (www.face-online.org.uk). His angle is to help farms develop interest for visitors.

He said: “Walks and trails are great and can be made more interactive by providing signage and information packs on the natural habitat, crops, wildlife and conservation measures.”

To book on any of these, or the podcast production project described in the panel, call Barbara Huddart on 01668 283044 or email [email protected]/

Rosemary Hyslop of Rathmell, Settle, Farm Stay Yorkshire director, said: “We are all very excited about the opportunities to improve our businesses.”

Promotional podcasts

A FOURTH project in the programme is called the Promotional Social Marketing Campaign.

The idea is to create five podcasts, for use in marketing by internet, focusing on Yorkshire towns or attractions and some of the farm-based accommodation nearby. Participation costs £150 plus. Booking required by April 4.

The tutors are radio and TV professionals Jane Markham and Bill Broomfield – see www.podcats.co.uk. Results will be posted on YouTube for linking into individual farm websites.