DATE: 12/12/02 CONTACT: Rena Copeland, (803) 259-7141; rriddle@clemson.edu WRITER: Tom Lollis, (803) 284-3343; tlollis@clemson.edu Farmers, landowners look to grow crop of tourists As the movie "Field of Dreams" concludes, an endless line of automobile headlights winds its way toward an Iowa farm filled with passengers heeding a mysterious call back to the land. That inner yearning to be close to nature is not just a movie myth, according to Rena Copeland, Clemson Extension agent and coordinator for the Rivers, Rails and Crossroads Region of the South Carolina Heritage Corridor. "Surveys show that, given the opportunity to live where they wished, 35 percent of Americans would prefer the country," she said. Another 21 percent prefer either a small town or a suburb of a small city. "That's 56 percent of the people surveyed," said Copeland, who suspects that the number of people who want to at least visit rural U.S.A. must be enormous. She hopes so, anyway, because tourism tied to agriculture and natural resources is one of the tools being used to economically develop rural areas all over the state. Ag-tourism in its most basic forms, the farmers' market and the roadside stand, have been around forever. Things are changing, though. "People who once went to the farm just to buy a basket of apples nowv want to ride on a wagon down to the orchard," said Copeland. "Some parents who remember something of the farm life from their childhoods, want their children to know what it was like. Others who may have never visited the farm want to see it for themselves." For some farmers and landowners ag-tourism offers an opportunity to supplement their incomes with hayrides, mazes, animal barns and other hands-on activities. For Hayward and Dona Simmons of Allendale County ag-tourism has meant a change in direction. For John and Susan Cutino of Orangeburg County, ag-tourism offers a chance to teach others the importance of the farm. Copeland has worked closely with both families, offering advice on business plans and tips to make operations run more smoothly. In 1977 the Simmonses moved from Tampa, Fla. to Allendale County, which lies just outside the Corridor. For seven years they operated a farm in the Baldock community. "For six out of the seven years we farmed, the county was declared a disaster area," said Hayward. "The year we had good weather, we had 100 acres of tomatoes and 100 acres of cucumbers under irrigation. That year there was a trucker strike and we lost the entire first week of harvest," he said. They lost the farm, but they don't miss farming. Life has been much more enjoyable since 1985, when they became owners and operators of Lakeview Plantation, home of the Cedar Knoll Hunting Lodge, and more recently a gathering place for trail-riding horse owners. From the middle of August to Jan. 1 the Simmonses host more than 100 deer hunters, each paying as much as $1,295 for a full service three-day hunting package or $1,595 for five days. On Fridays the trail-riders come in and stay through mid-day Sunday, when hunters start the cycle all over. The riders bring their own horses. Lakeview Plantation provides a campsite with electricity and water for $10 and charges $2.50 for a corral stall, $5 per bag for stall bedding, $5 per bale of hay and a $10 fee to use the more than 60 miles of trails cut through 3,000 acres of mostly leased land. Simmons manages the habitat with wildlife in mind, especially white-tail deer. More than 5,500 deer, 750 wild hogs, 125 turkey gobblers and thousands of quail have been harvested since 1985. It was a hunter who sparked an interest in horses. "He was going to cancel a hunt because he had nobody to take care of his horses," said Simmons. "I told him to bring them on, and I fixed up a pen for them. We wound up riding every afternoon." Not long after that he and Dona were riding their own horses. A friend invited out for a Sunday afternoon ride suggested using the property for trail rides. "What's a trail ride?" was Simmons' reply. He found out by taking a trip to Plum Branch, getting there just as a ride was winding down. "I saw these people getting off the trail. They were dirty, dusty, tired and happy," he said. Two weeks later he had bought a horse trailer and he and Dona went trail riding. By the time Copeland made contact with them in 2000, the Simmonses had already begun working to add trail riding at Lakeview. She was able, however, to offer advice on trail lengths, campsite sizes, stalls and what people like, such as group meals and entertainment. In about two years' time Lakeview has had around 6,000 visitors come for a ride, many of them repeat customers. Simmons would never go back to farming. "You don't have control when you farm. It can be too wet or too dry, and both are bad for farming, but you can still ride a horse," he said. You may find out more about Lakeview Plantation and Cedar Knoll Hunting Lodge at www.lakeviewplantation.com or www.cedarknoll.com/lodge.htm. THE FARM AS CLASSROOM John and Susan Cutino, owners of Longcreek Plantation, LLC, are in the process of turning their 210 acres near North into a place to help educate both school children and adults about agriculture beginning in the spring of 2003. It's a decision inspired by their 10-year-old son, John Jr., who enjoys being around animals. "I told him that any animals we had would have to have a purpose," said John Sr. "We couldn't have animals just to have them." The purpose would be to offer an educational opportunity to school and church groups in the form of guided tours on a tractor-drawn wagon to see farm animals, some wildlife, pine trees and common agronomic crops. The Cutinos would charge a nominal fee to help develop the farm while accomplishing the educational mission. "I think we can draw visitors from a two-hour radius, but with the Internet, who knows?" said Cutino, who picked up some goats, a couple of pot bellied pigs and two donkeys, during a South Carolina Young Farmer and Agribusiness Association tour near Travelers Rest. He serves as state president for the organization. "They were rescued by the Greenville Humane Society, and we gave them a good home," he said. He's going to add some commercial pigs so visitors can see the contrast with the pot bellies. His collection will also include some dairy calves, beef calves, horses and sheep. A chicken coop houses Cornish hens and Rhode Island Reds. In a small barn are two tightly constructed boxes with glass fronts. Chicken snakes occupy one, and a rattlesnake has the other all to itself. "They will help show kids what's harmless and what they have to stay away from," said Cutino. "We started with a turtle pond for little John," said Susan. "We kept adding to it." The turtles now have frogs and ducks for neighbors. While her husband grew up on a farm in the Cordova area, Susan grew up in Orangeburg. She would never abandon the 1820s farm house they bought in 1993 to return to the city. Right across the road from the house is an old commissary, where farm workers used to come to buy drinks and food. Cutino plans to restore that as well as an old sugar cane mill that sat beside the commissary. The farm will also have a garden to both supply their dinner table and to educate visitors. Cutino plans to build a small barn to house educational displays pledged by the Soil Conservation Service, Fisheries and Wildlife and the FFA AgriScience Program. Greenhouse space is also on the drawing board. "I love it out here," Susan said. "It's perfect for our son. He's learning all the important things about life. Nothing survives on its own. You have to have the plants to have the animals, and you need animals to have the plants. Everything is linked. Other kids need to see that as well." Susan attended two agtourism workshops, and John one. In addition, Copeland encouraged them to work up a written business plan. "The plan will not only help their income, but they're in it for the right reasons," said Copeland, who is fond of saying: "If it's natural, if it's old, if it's hands-on and back-to-the-basics, it must be real. People are weary of the fast-paced, technology-based lives that we live today. We have an inner yearning to be close to nature." Copeland said that the entire state of South Carolina boasts many such places where visitors can get back to nature. They're not just along the Heritage Corridor, which stretches 240 miles from Clemson to Charleston. You can find out about many of them by calling your local Clemson Extension office or Copeland at 803-259-7141. Her e-mail address is rriddle@clemson.edu. You may also call the South Carolina Farm Bureau at 800-628-4571 for a copy of their Roadside Market Directory or visit their website at www.scfb.org. The South Carolina Department of Agriculture has a similar publication. Visit the website at www.state.sc.us/scda. END