Education Sessions
February 8th, 2026
Sunday Feb. 8th, 2026 | 8:00 – 9:30 a.m.
GENERAL SESSION
GENERAL SESSION
Agritourism 2026 & Beyond
Hosted by Bishop's Pumpkin Farm, Lewis Adventure Farm & Zoo, & DeBuck's Family Farm
In this session, we will hear from a panel of veteran agritourism operations to discuss how the industry has grown and where it is headed in the future.
Engage with the leaders from Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm, DeBuck’s Family Farm, and Lewis Adventure Farm & Zoo as they discuss:
Lessons learned over the years
Successful Best Practices
Enhancing the Guest Experience
Short and long-range plans for the future
There will also be time for Q & A from the attendees, so send your burning questions for these thought leaders to jeff@nafdma.com now and we will incorporate them into this robust general session!
Sunday Feb. 8th, 2026 | 9:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Sun & Surf 1/2/3
The Audition “Live” Personality Hiring System
Presented by Frank Price
The audition hiring process is a personality sifting funnel, to see if the potential hire’s personality fits your farm’s expectations and culture.
It’s an interview, disguised as a social transformation of new friends, fun and games.
In this session, we will facilitate a “LIVE” audition, where approx. 20 attendees will experience the actual audition in its entirety, while the remainder of the room will observe, evaluate, and rate them according to their own hiring feel and standard.
Everyone in the room will experience first-hand how valuable this process is to ferret out the right personalities for their team.
Hiring specific personalities, regardless of experience, then teaching the skills needed and placing them in positions where they will have the greatest impact and natural interpersonal success, is the key to “People” centric agritourism businesses.
Through experiencing this process from start to finish, attendees will:
Learn how the audition process is more efficient and yields far better results than traditional interviewing.
Learn how effectively this eliminates many of the Gen Z frustrations for both applicant and employer resulting from the hiring process.
Experience first-hand how individual personalities rise above to make your hiring decisions far easier and more effective.
Sunday Feb. 8th, 2026 | 9:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. |Sun & Surf 4/5
Meet Your New Best Friend – Your Procedure Manual
Presented by Erik Beard
You may not know it, but your Standard Operating Procedure manual should be your business’s best friend. A strong manual improves employee training and accountability, strengthens your defense in the event of an unfortunate incident, and can even keep you out of hot water with your regulators.
This course looks at the fundamental components of an effective SOP manual, discusses the sources you need to consider when drafting your manual, and provides some helpful tips aimed toward ensuring your manual lives up to its full potential all in an engaging and (hopefully) fun discussion format.
Sunday Feb. 8th, 2026 | 9:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Space Coast 1, 2, 3
Transforming Your Business with Strategic Food Offerings
Presented by Maureen Ballatori Panelists: Wickham Farms, Pingle’s Farm Market, Gritt’s Farm
Elevate your operation by strategically incorporating food experiences that captivate visitors and boost your bottom line. Drawing from the speaker’s authentic farm heritage and industry expertise, this panel discussion unveils how multiple agritourism farms have added creative and elevated food options and have enhanced their front and back of house operations.
Farm leaders from Wickham Farms, Pingles Farm Market, and Gritt’s Farm will speak to how food can transform guest experiences, extend visits, and generate remarkable social media exposure through photo-worthy food moments.
As a result of this session, you will be better able to:
Discover trend-aligned food options that require minimal infrastructure but deliver maximum impact
Learn practical strategies to increase per-visitor revenue through strategic food offerings
Explore case studies of successful agritourism businesses that transformed their operations with food
Understand how to create "larger-than-life" food experiences that drive social sharing and return visits
Develop an action plan tailored to your specific agritourism operation's strengths and resources
Sunday Feb. 8th, 2026 | 9:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. |Gold Coast 1/2
Employment Laws and Your Agritourism Operation: Are You Covered?
Presented by Peggy Hall
Hiring and managing employees involves a complex mix of state and federal laws that sometimes apply differently to agritourism than to other farm operations.
In this session, you’ll learn about the primary employment laws and how they apply to agritourism, how to identify applicable state laws, and how to use an employment checklist to maintain compliance on your operation.
Sunday Feb. 8th, 2026 | 9:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Gold Coast 3/4
Service Provider Roundtable
Presented by Melissa Hunt
If you are a service provider, educator or government representative in the agritourism industry - join facilitator Melissa Hunt as we come together to discuss relevant topics, questions and ways to better inform our farmers. This has proven to be a valuable session for all involved.
Sunday Feb. 8th, 2026 | 9:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Universal C1/2/3
Best Practices of Agritourism Layout and Design to Maximize Business Success
Presented by Randy White
Join Randy White, a consultant with over 3 decades of experience assisting farms with all aspects of design and operations, for an insightful session on maximizing the guest experience, revenues, and profitability with the best practices of layout and design.
This session will cover all types of agritourism venues, including, but not limited to, festival grounds, farm markets, u-pick, and wedding/event venues.
Design areas will include master plans, guest circulation, food & beverage concessions, safety, play areas, admissions, parking, animal areas, attraction placement, retail stores and areas, back of house, signage and wayfinding, and others.
Sunday Feb. 8th, 2026 | 9:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Universal D1/2/3
Create Your AI Marketing Assistant In Less Than An Hour
Presented by Dale Bertrand
AI marketing assistants can unblock your creativity, automate tedious tasks and reduce your workload. But how can a non-technical agricultural marketer build their first AI assistant?
Join 20-year AI veteran Dale Bertrand as he demonstrates how to create your own AI marketing assistant in less than one hour using ChatGPT.
He will show you how to automate routine marketing tasks, content ideas, and visuals—without writing a single line of code.
You’ll walk away with a ready-to-use AI assistant built around your unique marketing challenges.
Bring Your Computer!
Sunday Feb. 8th, 2026 | 9:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Universal E1/2/3
KEY MANAGERS ONLY SESSION Live Leadership Coaching
Presented by Michael Diettrich-Chastain
This workshop is designed for KEY MANAGERS ONLY who want to strengthen their influence, communicate more effectively with senior decision-makers, and lead with confidence from wherever they stand in the organization. Through interactive discussion, real time Q&A and live coaching, attendees will be given the strategies, tools, models and methods to increase their influence and impact.
Please note that this is a closed session, not for owners.
Learning Outcomes:
Learn how to build trust and influence, regardless of title
Learn communication strategies that will help increase motivation and buy in
Develop a personal leadership plan that you can take with you and put into action
Sunday Feb. 8th, 2026| 1:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. | Sun & Surf 1/2/3
Build a Brand that Attracts Raving Fans
Presented by Erika Tebbens & Tricia Phelps
In this highly-interactive, hands-on session you'll learn how to build a meaningful brand and communicate it effectively, so you can reach more “raving fans”, make more sales, and leverage the most powerful marketing of all – word of mouth.
You’ll be expertly guided through workbook exercises that help you:
Define your unique and powerful brand story
Identify who your ideal customers are
Craft messaging and marketing that speaks to them and gets them telling their friends
Sunday Feb. 8th, 2026 | 1:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. | Sun & Surf 4/5
KEY MANAGERS ONLY SESSION Leading From The Middle
Presented by Mary Temple
This session is for Key Managers Only - Not for owners.
Leading from a middle management position can be frustrating - managers sometimes feel trapped between the direction from "above" and the wishes and desires from "below."
Rest assured there are communication and leadership tactics that can help middle managers lead with more confidence, achieve the desired results and engage staff members.
Here are some key takeaways you can expect:
Learn some key ways to influence upper management decisions
Learn how to effectively communicate to streamline your idea presentations
Use your power of positive influence to help staff members buy into the operational "big picture"
Use the language of accountability to grow a "can-do" culture
Sunday Feb. 8th, 2026| 1:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. | Space Coast 1,2,3
Next-Level Retail Merchandising
Presented by Angie Eckert
Join Angie Eckert as she explains the practicalities of visual merchandising through her own extensive experience, and get creative while building your own display during this hands-on interactive workshop.
In this session we will cover:
Effective merchandising techniques for food and gift items
Creating themed sections in-store
Experiential retail ideas
Display fixtures for all budgets
Sunday Feb. 8th, 2026 | 1:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. | Gold Coast 1/2
Safety & Legal Prep - Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst - Waivers, Signage, Documentation
Presented by Sara Mazzolla, Joan Allgaier, and Kim Ayers
Managing risk means being proactive and prepared. This session will answer your questions about liability waivers and why you should use them.
We will review best practices for preparing, using, and tailoring liability waivers for your needs.
We will explain the utility of signage around your farms – what your signs should address and where they should be posted.
We will discuss documenting your best practices and record retention, so you can produce evidence if a claim arises.
Attendees will learn how to improve their overall risk management strategy.
Sunday Feb. 8th, 2026 | 1:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. | Gold Coast 3/4
Taking Back Control - Building Resilience in your Life and Business
Presented by Marshal Sewell
Taking Back Control is a practical workshop designed for farmers, ranchers, agricultural families, and ag professionals who want to explore proactive support for their mental health and wellbeing through resilience building and risk management.
Rooted in the science of resilience and hardiness, specifically the 3 Cs of “Commitment, Challenge, and Control”, this 2-hour session blends personal reflection with hands-on tools to help participants manage stress, uncertainty, and risk in everyday farm and ranch life.
The workshop will offer a practical introduction to key resilience concepts, personal wellbeing assessment, and management strategies to reduce mental load and find peace in business, family, and personal decision-making.
Participants will leave with a personal action plan and refreshed perspectives on resilience.
Sunday Feb. 8th, 2026 | 1:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. | Universal C1/2/3
Hosting Successful & Profitable On-Farm Flower Workshops
Presented by Lyndsay Biehl-Mercer
Hosting a flower workshop sounds dreamy—until you realize there’s way more to it than just handing someone a vase and a few stems.
In this hands-on, informational & experiential session, I’ll guide attendees through designing and executing a successful, profitable flower workshop on their farm.
We’ll get our hands dirty, walking through real-time design demos, planning frameworks, and the behind-the-scenes logistics that make it all work.
Attendees will walk away with:
A clear workshop flow from sign-up to clean-up
Tips for pricing and profit planning
Marketing strategies to fill seats with the right people
Design mechanics and hands-on creation of beginner-friendly floral projects
Printable workshop prep checklist
A serious boost of confidence to host their own workshop!
Sunday Feb. 8th, 2026 | 1:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. | Universal D1/2/3
Beyond Prompting: AI-powered Visuals for Agritourism Marketing
Presented by Dale Bertrand
AI can help you translate creative ideas into visuals for social media, websites, and event displays. This interactive workshop invites agritourism marketers to explore how AI can fuel the creation of eye-catching marketing visuals.
Join 20-year AI veteran Dale Bertrand as he reveals his process for integrating AI tools like ChatGPT, Canva, Ideogram and Napkin.ai for visuals that capture the unique spirit of your farm experiences.
You will experience a mix of demonstrations and hands-on learning.
Sunday Feb. 8th, 2026 | 1:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. | Universal E1/2/3
The Experience Economy INSIDE Your Business
Presented by Chris Roehm & Hugh McPherson
More focus. More balance. More margin.
Guests walk away smiling—but you walk away wiped out. This session is about designing the owner, family, and team experience with the same care and intention you bring to your guest experience.
We’ll unpack how to build a business that works for your life, fuels your team, and runs with more rhythm and a lot less stress.
Fewer fires. More margin. Way more fun to run.
Education Sessions
February 9th, 2026
Monday Feb. 9th, 2026 | 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
KEYNOTE SESSION
KEYNOTE SESSION
The Cube of Creativity: Why Adding Constraints Sparks Innovation, Action, & Builds Agritourism Business
Presented by Andrew Davis
We all need bigger marketing budgets, more resources, more time! You'd love more farm staff, fewer administrative headaches, and better activities to attract visitors.
Yeah, we'd all love to see bigger crowds and higher ticket prices for your farm experiences! We're all stressed out, overworked, and doing more with less in our operations.
Maybe, instead of fighting all these constraints, we need to embrace them.
It turns out that agritourism operations that embrace constraints fuel visitor growth, evolve fast, and deliver outsized marketing results while commanding premium prices.
The truth is that constraints breed the creativity that attracts more customers!
In this exhilarating keynote session, Andrew Davis will discuss the Cube of Creativity—four creative constraints you can add to any agritourism project to drive better outcomes faster.
You'll walk away ready to apply intelligent constraints to your family farm's marketing efforts—limitations that result in more visitor attraction, less burnout, and the ability to charge premium prices while creating memorable experiences for both new and established operations.
Are you ready to embrace the constraints?
Monday Feb. 9th, 2026| 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. | Sun & Surf 1/2/3
BUSINESS OWNERS ONLY SESSION. Enhancing Employee Autonomy & Engagement
Presented by Kirsten Ramos
This Session is for Business Owners Only
As business owners, we want all our employees to take the same pride and initiative that we do every day on the farm. By creating an environment that empowers our employees to take ownership of their responsibilities, encourages them to effectively communicate their ideas, and enables them to be the shining examples of the farm’s core ideals, we’re effectively instilling the value, trust, and motivation to help retain our exceptional employees and keep them coming back over the next several seasons.
Key takeaways to include:
Foster ownership – empower employees to take pride in their responsibilities as if the farm were their own.
Model core values – ensure daily actions reflect the ideals that define the farm’s culture.
Encourage initiative – create space for employees to step forward with ideas and solutions.
Promote open communication – value employee voices and make it easy for them to share perspectives.
Create a supportive environment – provide guidance and resources so employees feel set up for success.
Monday Feb. 9th, 2026 | 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. | Sun & Surf 4/5
Using the Concierge Approach for Incident Reporting
Presented by Robert Bosken
Learn from first-hand experience how we created a successful program to personalize our Incident Reporting process using a “Concierge” approach.
We’ll discuss how our Incident Administrator, or “Concierge” utilizes the 3 R’s to personalize our intake process for injury reporting.
Results = Convenience, Knowledge & Planning
Resources = What tools are available when roadblocks occur
Resolution = Crossing the finish line and celebrating success
By participating in this session, you will come to understand ways to best improve upon your timely intakes, follow-ups, claims reviews & relationships with your carriers, and how to best gain closures and settlements with signed releases.
Monday Feb. 9th, 2026 | 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. | Space Coast 1/2/3
Digital Doppelgänger(s): How Savvy Farms Are Augmenting Their Unique Talents Using The Magic of AI
Presented by Andrew Davis
Artificial Intelligence feels like magic.
Draft a smart prompt, and presto! - ChatGPT conjures up your farm event descriptions, crafts your visitor emails, and devises your social media strategy. You can even commission Google's Gemini to respond to intricate customer inquiries about your seasonal offerings!
AI is truly awe-inspiring. But most AI-generated farm content, emails, and marketing strategies are generic at best - and nonsense at worst.
That is - until you start building your Digital Doppelgänger.
Your Digital Doppelgänger is your AI-powered creative collaborator. Your virtual twin. They're your brainstorming partner, confidant, writing counterpart, and strategic advisor for your agritourism business.
Your Digital Doppelgänger isn't just AI. They are IA - Intelligence Augmentation. They don't replace your farm marketing skills. They enhance your unique agritourism talents. (Of course, they have the power to destroy too.)
In this exhilarating breakout session, Andrew Davis (and his Digital Doppelgänger) will show you how to build your very own AI-powered creative collaborators. He'll show you the four-step iterative process one savvy marketer uses to augment their unique writing style, saving 39 valuable working hours. You'll even witness AI's power to destroy trust and learn the only way to avoid it.
Most importantly, Andrew will demonstrate how AI can make YOU more valuable than ever in attracting visitors and commanding premium prices for your farm experiences.
So, are you ready to create your first Digital Doppelgänger?
Monday Feb. 9th, 2026 | 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. | Gold Coast 1/2
Content Strategy - Why You Should “Build in Public"
Presented by Adam Stoker
In today’s digital world, audiences crave authenticity more than ever—and for agritourism businesses, that’s a huge opportunity.
This session explores the rising trend of “building in public”—a transparent, behind-the-scenes content strategy that invites your customers into your process, not just your product.
Learn how showcasing your journey—from planting and production to the unpredictable day-to-day of farm life—can forge deeper emotional connections, humanize your brand, and build lasting trust with visitors.
Whether it's an unpolished video of the goats escaping again or a candid story about your family’s commitment to sustainability, we'll show you how pulling back the curtain creates more powerful owned media and cultivates loyalty that lasts far beyond the farm gate.
Monday Feb. 9th, 2026 | 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. | Gold Coast 3/4
Income Tax Savings When You Need It Most - How a Cash Balance Plan Can Give You BIG Tax Deductions and Make Your Farm Succession Plan Better
Presented by Chris Roehm
Farmers often have the biggest income tax bills in the 3-5 years before they retire.
In this session you will:
Learn how Cash Balance Plans can allow you to sock away $100,000, or more, per year, pre-tax
Understand why you should fill your retirement plan bucket before shifting income to your successor
Gain an understanding of the Backstage View: Customizing the Design, Implementation and Administration
Be able to forward this information to tax advisors: Cash Balance Plans are way more flexible than you may think
Monday Feb. 9th, 2026 | 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. | Universal C1/2/3
Opening the Farm Gates: ADA Accessibility for Agritourism Guests
Presented by Jackie Schweichler
In this session we will cover how the ADA applies to agritourism, the general requirements for businesses, and a variety of ways in which your operation could be made more inclusive and accessible to your guests.
A large portion of the session will focus on service animals and emotional support animals, including definitions, appropriate fees, on-farm standards, and how to approach guests accompanied by dogs.
Along with the above, we will touch upon other aspects of ADA compliance including the following:
Physical Barriers / Structures and pathways
Digital Accessibility (Website/Social Media)
Paying for ADA Updates & Tax Benefits
Dispute Resolution
By the end of this session, you will have gained the understanding of the information needed to create a checklist for ADA compliance, and ways to best implement them into your operation.
Monday Feb. 9th, 2026 | 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. | Universal D1/2/3
Designing with Purpose: Rethinking Farm Layout for Impact and Profit
Presented by Jeff Greenwood
Unlock the full potential of your farm by designing with purpose. In this dynamic session, agritourism expert Jeff Greenwood returns with new strategies and real-world examples to help you reimagine your layout from your guests’ perspective.
Move beyond surface-level tips and dive into how guest behavior, movement patterns, and emotional influences shape the visitor experience.
Whether you're fine-tuning an existing setup or planning a complete redesign, you’ll gain the insight and practical tools needed to create a farm environment that’s not only more engaging but also more efficient and profitable.
Monday Feb. 9th, 2026 | 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. | Universal E1/2/3
The Dreamer, The Realist, and The Critic: Disney’s Ingredients for Impactful Teams
Presented by Erika Bayh
Walt Disney’s famous creative process for expanding new ideas is more than just an effective brainstorming tool—it’s also an important reminder of how strong teams are built. Whether you are a dreamer, a realist, or a critic, your voice is needed, and your input helps drive an idea, or an organization, forward.
Participants of this workshop will explore the benefits of the “dreamer, realist, and critic” approach, and will assess their own team’s opportunities for growth.
Monday Feb. 9th, 2026 |11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Sun & Surf 1/2/3
Optimize the Customer Experience - The Rest of the Story
Presented by Mary Temple
Face it, during peak seasons it can be a hassle for your customers to find a place to park, wait in the entry line, wait again for events or food and then trudge back to the car after a long day. Tired, fussy kids and short tempers can dampen even the fondest memories made at your location.
In this session we will explore proven methods to optimize the customer experience - before and after the "main event", including ways to enhance the following:
Signage
Parking
Lines for Entry/Food & Beverage/Retail
Culture of Caring
Monday Feb. 9th, 2026 |11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Sun & Surf 4/5
Technology Used at Eckert's to Manage Across Locations
Presented by Chris Eckert
Managing a farm retail operation of any scale is complicated. The ever-changing weather, crop conditions and varied events we encounter create chaos on a daily basis. When operating in multiple locations, this chaos increases at an exponential rate.
In this session, Chris will share the technology they are using at Eckert's to help make sense of the chaos.
Attendees will leave with a basic understanding of Microsoft Teams, Onenote and various website solutions as used in the daily operations at Eckert's.
Monday Feb. 9th, 2026 |11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Space Coast 1/2/3
BUSINESS OWNERS ONLY SESSION Delegating with Accountability
Presented by Kirsten Ramos
This Session is for Business Owners Only
Delegating responsibilities and authority can seem challenging and often takes patience. Assessing priorities, “front loading” accountability, and delegating to the most appropriate people can make for more efficient work and can create a happier, more productive team all-around.
Key takeaways to include:
Prioritize effectively – understand what tasks truly require your attention versus what can be handed off.
Front-load accountability – set clear expectations at the start so responsibilities are understood.
Choose the right person – match tasks with team members’ strengths, skills, and capacity.
Empower with authority – give people not just responsibility, but the decision-making power they need.
Monday Feb. 9th, 2026 |11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Gold Coast 1/2
Optimize Your Marketing Ecosystem
Presented by Erika Tebbens
Learn effective and creative ways to drive more guests to your agritourism experience, and then keep them engaged and even buying between visits.
You’ve leave knowing:
Simple strategies that often get overlooked for promotion, but are proven to boost turnout
How to enhance guest experiences to build raving fans and increase revenue
How to capture visitor information, and what to do with it after they’ve left, so they return again and again
Ways to leverage your marketing tools to keep bringing dollars-in-the-door between visits
Monday Feb. 9th, 2026 |11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Gold Coast 3/4
Guaranteeing Farm Income: An Overview of Whole Farm Revenue Protection and Micro-Farm Crop Insurance
Presented by Kylee Zdunic-Rasch & Kyle Gannon
You read that correctly! What would you say if we can guarantee a portion of your farm income in the event of a loss through a crop insurance policy?
Learn about Whole Farm Revenue Protection and Micro-Farm crop insurance as a tool to accomplish this.
The highlight of this session will be a discussion including NAFDMA members with first-hand experience of utilizing this policy, how it functions, and the good, bad, but not ugly!
Monday Feb. 9th, 2026 |11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Universal C1/2/3
Real Farms, Real Results: Social Media Design Tips Using Canva
Presented by Kellie Crye Ward
What actually makes someone stop scrolling—and start clicking?
In this session, we’ll explore Canva design strategies and real examples from farms that are turning casual followers into loyal customers through scroll-stopping visuals.
You’ll learn how agritourism farmers use Canva (and AI) to quickly design seasonal posts, product spotlights, and event promos without hours on the screen. We’ll walk through time-saving workflows, smart template use, and how AI tools can assist with layout suggestions and design enhancements—helping you create polished posts fast.
You’ll leave with:
Time-saving design tricks you can use today
Real post ideas you can adapt for your farm
Practical ways to use AI to streamline your design process
Monday Feb. 9th, 2026|11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Universal D1/2/3
Women of Agritourism: Stories of Grit, Growth & Guts
Presented by Courtney Ramsey
This highly rated session is back by popular demand. Attendees will hear directly from women navigating leadership, family dynamics, and farm operations. Courtney will facilitate an engaging conversation focused on real experiences, strategies, and challenges unique to women in the agritourism space.
Monday Feb. 9th, 2026 |11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Universal E1/2/3
Counterintuitive Agritourism Business Logic: When Too Much Business and Your Pricing Strategy Work Against You
Presented by Frank Price
The more is better philosophy doesn't often apply with experience destination Agritourism businesses. In fact, having too much business, especially if it's not the right kind or priced incorrectly, can lead to more undesirable outcomes.
Managing the optimal number of guests will eliminate the “root” causes of friction, chaos, discomfort, and dissatisfaction, which all lead to a reduced desire for repeat visits. Overcrowding strains human resources and accelerates wear and tear on physical attractions. Furthermore, it burns out markets and makes you vulnerable to new competitors, making it harder to sustain success over time.
By focusing on doing "better" business rather than just more business, experience destinations can create a more sustainable and fulfilling experience for both guests and staff.
Attendees will come to understand:
Why less is more
New family markets - what they want and why
Control crowds by your offering, price and ticketing strategies
Case study of farms who have effectively implemented the changes needed for success
Monday Feb. 9th, 2026 |1:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. | Sun & Surf 1/2/3
The Psychology of Pricing: Maximizing Revenue and Customer Satisfaction
Presented by Maureen Baltori
This workshop reveals the psychological principles that drive purchasing decisions at agritourism destinations. We will explore proven pricing strategies through real-world case studies from trusted institutions, giving those insights an agritourism lens.
Learn to structure pricing that takes revenue and customer satisfaction into account exploring premium experiences, strategic pricing bundles, and optimal timing for ticket sales.
As a result of this session, you will be better able to:
Understand key psychological triggers that influence visitor spending patterns
Master premium experience pricing that enhances perceived value and satisfaction
Develop strategic package deals that increase the average transaction value
Implement timing-based pricing strategies to maximize advance purchases
Apply data-driven techniques to test and refine your pricing approach
Monday Feb. 9th, 2026 |1:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. | Sun & Surf 4/5
Social Styles, Strengths Finders and The Enneagram, Oh My: How Personality and Workplace Assessments Support Team Growth
Presented by Erika Bayh
In this workshop we will discuss a few of the more popular assessment tools out there, and learn how understanding more about ourselves and our team members works to strengthen our connection and improve our communication.
We will “self-assess” ourselves from both an Enneagram and a Strengths Finders lens, and discover how both our similarities to, and our differences from, our teammates can be our greatest opportunity for growth and connection.
Sunday Feb. 8th, 2026 | 1:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. | Universal C1/2/3
Turning a Cut Flower Farm into an Agritourism Destination
Presented by Lyndsay Biehl-Mercer Panel Session Michele Brown, Marc-Andre Isabelle, Debbie Wickham
A flower farm isn’t just about growing beautiful blooms—it’s a gateway to building a thriving, experience-driven business.
In this panel session, a team of seasoned flower farmers from Wickham Farms, Brown Hill Farms, and La Belle De Coteau-Du-Lac will dig into the real side of running agritourism on a working flower farm.
We’ll talk U-picks, workshops, farm stands, photo ops, and the logistics and pricing behind making it all sustainable and profitable.
Attendees will learn:
How to structure agritourism offerings that align with your farm’s capacity
Key systems for managing customer flow, liability, staffing, and setup
Creative revenue streams beyond the bouquet - merch, events, photo bookings, workshops & more
Marketing tips to create demand and keep people coming back
What works and what doesn’t from farmers who’ve lived it
Creating boundaries with the public
This session is for anyone dreaming of a flower-filled destination farm—or for those who are already doing it and want to run it with more intention, efficiency, and profit.
Monday Feb. 9th, 2026 | 1:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. | Gold Coast 1/2
I'm Getting Sued - Now What
Presented by Sara Mazzolla, Joan Allgaier, and Kim Ayers Panelist - Scott DeBuck
Getting sued is never fun, but this seminar will go over what to do in the unfortunate event that a claim arises, or a lawsuit is served.
This session will go over the steps to take upon receipt of a letter of representation from a plaintiff’s lawyer and what to do if you have been served with a Complaint.
Attendees will learn the actions to take next.
Combined with a panel of NAFDMA peers sharing their own experiences, we will present the “dos and don’ts” by way of trivia questions to create an interactive approach to the process. Attendees will also learn the valuable lessons of preservation of evidence along the way in our game show presenting the process of litigation.
We will review best practices for preparing, using, and tailoring liability waivers for your needs.
We will explain the utility of signage around your farms – what your signs should address and where they should be posted.
We will discuss documenting your best practices and record retention, so you can produce evidence if a claim arises.
Attendees will learn how to improve their overall risk management strategy.
Monday Feb. 9th, 2026 |1:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. | Gold Coast 3/4
BEGINNERS ONLY SESSION So, You Decided to Start with Agritourism? Now What?
Presented by Krista Duynisveld Hulshof
You’ve taken the exciting leap into agritourism—now it’s time to build your vision with intention. This interactive, workshop-style session is designed for farm owners who are in the early years of their agritourism journey (0–5 years) and are ready to turn ideas into action. Krista will guide you through essential strategies for sustainable growth.
You’ll work through a curated workbook packed with activities to clarify your offerings, focusing on your core client, telling a strong story, and begin shaping your next steps. Together, we’ll explore key topics including master planning, authority approvals, building with sustainability and future-proofing in mind, and budgeting for future design and construction.
There will be time for open Q&A, discussion, and personalized guidance throughout. By the end, you'll walk away not just inspired, but with a real roadmap in hand.
Monday Feb. 9th, 2026 |1:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. | Universal C1/2/3
Fix It, Don’t Fake It: Real Talk Strategies for Resolving Team Conflict
Presented by Courtney Ramsey
Seasonal team members ghosting mid-shift. Misunderstandings between the “lifers” and the “newbies.” Communication meltdowns between 20-somethings and 60-somethings. Sound familiar?
Conflict is inevitable on a team—especially when you mix multiple generations and short-term workers. But avoiding tough conversations doesn’t make the problem go away—it makes it worse. This session gives farm leaders and managers a simple, real-world approach to handling conflict early, clearly, and respectfully.
With a blend of practical tips, relatable stories, and hands-on practice, participants will learn how to approach tough conversations with confidence—whether it’s with a 17-year-old summer hire or a long-time peer.
Takeaways:
Use the “Tough Conversations” Framework to start hard conversations without making things worse
Learn phrases that reduce defensiveness and encourage real dialogue
Share what you learned back home with your team via the “Bonus Tools” you’ll get at the session
Monday Feb. 9th, 2026 |1:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. | Universal D1/2/3
Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm-53 Seasons and Counting
Presented by Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm
Wayne Bishop, President and Retired CEO of Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm, and his two sons, Lee Bishop CEO and Austin Bishop COO, will share some of their inside information that got them through 53 seasons and enable them to serve 400,000+ guests in 9 weeks annually. They will give you some of their real data and real lessons learned along the way.
The Farm
Who is Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm?
53 Years of Growth with almost no marketing money
Building Lifelong Guests- Don’t dig for today’s cents, build for tomorrow’s dollar
Company Culture- Becoming a company that rewards employees and how that affects retention rate & customer satisfaction
The Business
Food is an Attraction - Having a food program that drives attendance
Data Driven Decisions- Using data you already have, to prioritize your project list
Government Relations - Stop fighting your local government and become the people they want to help
The Future of Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm - Strategic Planning happens year round
Monday Feb. 9th, 2026 |1:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. | Universal E1/2/3
Your Farm Store’s Hidden Harvest: Uncovering Retail Profits in Plain Sight
Presented by Jonathan Raduns
Imagine walking through your farm store and seeing the money you've been leaving on the table. Are you ready to unlock the full potential of your farm store?
Join retail food strategist Jonathan Raduns on a journey to discover the unknown and underutilized selling spaces that are limiting your profits.
He'll give you a new pair of eyes to see your store and build powerful profit centers.
You'll go beyond just selling products to strategically cultivating a store layout that can dramatically boost sales and enhance the customer experience.
At the end of this session, you’ll be able to:
Activate underutilized selling space to increase your sales per square foot.
Evaluate the true "opportunity cost" of your current layout and turn it into a profit plan.
Harvest more sales by developing merchandising plans that adapt to your business goals and the rhythm of the seasons.