The Rural Voice, 1995-04, Page 61Opportunities
to tour operators (Perth has created
colourful posters that urge tourists to
"Get out of town"). Similar programs
in the U.S. have led to 500-600 farm
tours a year.
"People are always looking for
interesting things to do," said Kelly
Nicholson, Agri -Tourism co-
ordinator, who chaired the workshop.
Linda Knechtel, who with her
husband Gerry runs The Best Little
Pork Shoppe at Shakespeare,
retailing whole -hog sausage from
their own farm and other specialty
pork products, was one of the farmers
taking part in the tours last year.
"The rewards are enormous. The
workload is enormous. It's like
getting ready for company coming,"
she said. "Dusting the pens in your
pig barn sounds silly but we have had
people go straight from the farm to
the theatre." (She advises them to
take a walk in the park beside the
Avon River to air out before they go
into the theatre.)
People, including their
veterinarian, warned the Knechtels
about opening their barn for visitors
but when they asked what diseases
the pigs were likely to catch from
urban residents, no one coul think of
any. "I can't think of another pig
farmer who's going to pay to go into
my barn," she said, so the likelihood
of transmitting swine diseases is
small.
The enjoyment comes from
introducing people to the real world
of agriculture, she says. "I can't tell
you how wonderful it is to see people
begin to understand," she said. "The
opportunity you give them to come
onto your farm opens up a whole
new world for them."
And getting more people to know
about agriculture is very important,
she said. "If we're going to survive
animal welfarists and everybody's
reasons for not farming, we have to
get the word out."
John Hicknell of Emusing Acres
said the tours were an opportunity for
him to "tell people why I'm doing
what I'm doing" in raising emus. Not
just city people, but other farm
people, are interested in what he is
doing, he said. The emu industry
needs publicity at this time in its
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APRIL 1995 57