Farm Tourism: A Case Study In Florida's Orange Groves

Parks & Recreation, Sept, 2000 by Andrew II Holdnak, Lori Pennington-Gray

Aside from the orange and grapefruit groves, Knollwood maintains hundreds of different varieties of citrus, tropical plants, and trees which border a lake and five acre "jungle hammock." Over 30 different varieties are grown on the premises, including both domestic and tropical fruit. Dwyer believes that it is important to maintain a variety of species both to aid in the educational component of the operation as well as to sustain rare varieties of plants, citrus, and exotic flowers for the future.

In addition to the groves, Knollwood is home to one of the few remaining Florida jungle hammocks in the area. A hammock is an area of land that is higher than the surrounding land. Early Native Americans used these areas as campsites and hiding grounds from their enemies. This provides a great opportunity to educate the public about both native heritage and the environment. A portion of the hammock area is historically interpreted as a Native American village. Martin Twofeathers, a nationally recognized Native American artist and lecturer, gives talks on early American history and the Florida ecosystem.

Another educational stop is a freshwater lake--home to egrets, herons, snapping turtles, alligators, and other indigenous species that roam the grove. Authenticity is a major component of a visit to Knollwood Groves. Visitors are able to observe the various stages of citrus production, from picking to washing to sorting to packing, and an open-air marketplace offers varieties of oranges, grapefruit, flowering plants and other produce in season. Visitors can also find authentic Seminole crafts like the palmetto palm dolls and cypress canoes.

Knollwood Groves' association with the tourism industry is extensive. The farm is a charter member of the Florida Gift Fruit Shippers Association (1946), which ships close to two million gift boxes of Florida citrus per year and helps with advertising and promotion to tourists. Also, the grove works with the Chamber of Commerce and the Convention and Visitors Bureau to maintain communication with the local tourism infrastructure.

When asked what tradeoffs exist for a farm operation that wishes to implement tourist operations, Dwyer felt that there were two. First, instilling a responsive customer service attitude in every employee is essential, since any can be approached by a tourist at almost any time. Second, liability and risk management issues are now more important than ever, because of the number of people visiting the farm each day.

Though using tourism to help maintain a farm in an urban area is challenging, requiring one foot in a farm world and one foot in a tourism world, Tom Dwyer seems to be happy with the challenge. When asked where he expected Knollwood Groves to be in 30 years, he said: "so long as we have our health, we will be here doing the same things!"

Conclusions

Knollwood Groves is a great example of a growing form of tourism. The owners of these types of operations are real farmers who have decided to supplement their income with money from tourists who are interested in experiencing life on a farm, observing wildlife, and learning about farming and sustainable development. There is little doubt that farm tourism will continue to be an important component of the tourism mix in years to come. The challenge for farm tourism operators will be to offer high-quality tourism opportunities for a variety of segments, while at the same time maintaining the carrying capacity of the land and its visitors. If this balance can be achieved, there is no doubt that Knollwood Groves will be around in 30 years.