Planning for Conflict in Agritourism

The old saying, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," should be your guide when planning -your agritourism activities. By considering various aspects of potential conflict as you think about what agritourism activities to offer and develop your business plan, you can save yourself from potential conflict in the future. It is often easier to stop something from happening than to repair the damage after it has happened. Things can escalate quickly, so it is important to be prepared!

Who is Affected by Conflict

To start, think about why conflict arises. Conflict can result from people having competing interests. It can occur when people identify diverse ways to reach a goal. It can also arise when people have conflicting values and feelings, but often, conflict arises because of a lack of communication, misinterpretation, and a fear of the unknown.

Conflict means different things to each of us based on our past experiences. While developing your plan, consider how your new venture and how you approach the situation might impact your community, leading to potential conflict. Your business plan should address how your new venture will affect your family, staff, and farm visitors. It should also address how it might impact local officials, volunteers, neighbors, the police and fire department, and surrounding businesses.

Your plan should include a communication strategy for each stakeholder group. The strategy should outline who you will speak to, their potential concerns, key information you want to share, when you will engage with them, and how you will keep each group informed as you move forward with your plans.

Potential Areas of Contention

When customers visit your farm, you represent the farming community and have an opportunity to educate them about where their food is coming from and agricultural best practices. At the same time, you are now open to criticism and scrutiny for all your on-farm practices. Educating your staff and following best practices can minimize public criticism and potential conflicts. When developing an agritourism business plan, you should address several factors to minimize potential future disputes. Factors to address include pollution, legal requirements, animal handling, staffing concerns, and other nuisance issues. It is important to follow the laws and regulations that apply to your operation. 

Pollutants

Noise, odor, and pollution are significant concerns, affecting visitors and neighboring properties. Regardless of how strict local ordinances are on these pollutants, you should ask yourself if there are additional limits you should establish to ensure you put your best foot forward and maintain good relationships with neighbors. Being aware of and minimizing nuisance impacts, such as noise and increased activity, is essential to maintain good relationships with the local community and avoid conflict.

Laws and Regulations

Your local zoning office is one of the first stakeholders you should engage with. Understanding local zoning and land use regulations is critical to ensure compliance with laws and to identify any restrictions that may apply to agritourism operations.

Animals

If you have animals at your agritourism farm, you should ensure they are kept in humane and ethical conditions, adhering to all relevant animal welfare regulations. Following proper housing, feeding, and biosecurity practices can minimize potential backlash from animal activist groups. As with any other agricultural operation, you should have a manure management plan in place to ensure appropriate disposal and utilization of animal waste, preventing environmental contamination, reducing odors, and complying with local agricultural regulations. If you are planning a petting zoo, you can find more information in the article: "Agritourism Diversification: Petting Zoos on the Farm".

Boundaries

Clearly defining property boundaries helps prevent disputes and ensures that activities and visitors remain in the appropriate areas. Proper signage will ensure that visitors are aware of where the property lines are, and which activities are allowed in specific areas of your farm.

Safety

Traffic and road access must be addressed to accommodate increased visitor numbers without causing congestion or safety issues. A conversation with your local police and fire department should be on your pre-opening checklist. By proactively engaging with police and fire departments, you can ensure compliance and create a safe environment for your visitors, staff, and farm assets.

Insurance

Your planning should also include a conversation with an insurance agent who understands your agritourism activities and business goals. A new farm enterprise can introduce potential risk of injury or loss to your staff, farm visitors, farm assets, and family. Standard agricultural insurance usually does not cover the unique risks associated with hosting visitors, such as liability for accidents, property damage, and health issues related to activities and facilities. This preemptive measure reduces the likelihood of disputes arising from incidents since the insurance policy should address claims efficiently and fairly. Furthermore, robust insurance coverage demonstrates your commitment to safety and responsibility, which can enhance trust and cooperation among staff, visitors, and regulatory bodies, fostering a more harmonious operational environment.

Accessibility

If your farm is open to the public, you must ensure that your public operations and events are accessible to visitors with disabilities. The required accommodations will vary based on the specific activities and nature of your farm. For further details, refer to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). For additional insights, look through our article, Creating an Inclusive Agritourism Experience. Many operators seek guidance on managing visitors' service animals. To learn more, please read our article, Service Animals on Agritourism Operations.

Staff and family

Existing staff and your family will want to know how new agritourism activities will impact workload and the need to acquire new skills or take on additional responsibilities. Some workers may be apprehensive about meeting their personal needs and how these needs may conflict with the new work requirements. They may need training related to guest interactions, event planning, and maintaining visitor facilities. They may also need additional training to handle customer conflict, safety protocols, and educational activities.

By carefully considering these factors, an agritourism plan can balance the needs of the staff, family, business, visitors, the local environment, and the community. If you face uncertainties or complex legal matters, seek legal counsel to mitigate damage or losses.

Building Trust Before You Start

Building trust within your community and stakeholders is a crucial step in reducing miscommunication. An excellent place to start is by fostering strong, transparent relationships. When people know and trust each other, it is more difficult to be confrontational. Trust reduces the likelihood of misunderstandings and promotes open, honest communication, making it easier to resolve issues constructively. You can create a foundation for a supportive community by being proactive and sharing your plans with stakeholders. Being a good neighbor can also reap rewards. You can do this by involving the community, engaging in dialogue with stakeholders, and asking for and addressing their feedback.

Ways to Connect with Stakeholders

Informing neighbors about your farm operations, including your practices, values, and goals, helps to demystify your activities and build understanding and support. It is important to let your neighbors know when you want to offer a new activity that may impact them, such as holding a music event, bigger events that may impact parking on the street, or an apple cannon. Another strategy for building positive neighbor relations is to help whenever possible, whether by lending a hand with tasks or participating in community initiatives. These actions demonstrate your commitment to being a responsible and contributing community member. Taking responsible actions goes a long way in building trust and goodwill.

Conflict Cycle

When unresolved conflict is not addressed, it can develop into a cycle of unresolved issues perpetuating further conflict. Unaddressed conflict tends to fester, leading to increased tension and misunderstandings. Over time, this can erode trust and communication, creating a negative feedback loop where each new disagreement exacerbates previous ones. This can make it increasingly difficult to resolve issues constructively. Proactively addressing issues before they can become a source of conflict, or at conflict onset, is essential to prevent them from escalating and becoming persistent problems that undermine relationships and success.

Mindful Conflict – Your Role During Conflict

In mindful conflict, understanding your role and controlling your emotions is crucial. You need to purposely decide how and when you will or will not engage. When emotions are high, it is probably not a good time to address a contentious situation.

Daniel Goleman (Goleman, 2011) described what he calls "Amygdala Hijacking" as when the primitive part of your brain takes over. When your primitive brain takes over, you may experience instinctive responses like fight, flight, or freeze. You may become defensive and argumentative. Or you may instinctively avoid conflict or fear taking action. In such moments, acting rationally is challenging, so it may be wise to step back, regain composure, and plan your response before engaging.

Recognizing and controlling your response to conflict can help prevent unnecessary escalation. Despite differences, what we all want, as individuals, is respect from others and to be heard when we have ideas and concerns. These universal desires serve as common ground for constructively finding mutual understanding and resolving conflicts.

It is, therefore, best to be proactive when conflict arises. Actions you can take include:

• Inform all involved parties upfront about plans.
• Be honest about plans and actions.
• Intervene when you see/sense a problem and address issues promptly.
• Be prepared to deal with your emotions and the emotions of others.
• Listen and paraphrase during a conversation.
• Encourage all parties to propose solutions and collaborate on finding mutually acceptable outcomes.
• Identify the next steps to move toward resolution.
• Try to end with a handshake.
• Document what was discussed.
• Follow-up on promises.

Consider Mediation

If, despite all your best efforts, you do continue having conflicts about an issue and want to avoid costly and lengthy administrative appeals or legal proceedings, consider participating in an agricultural mediation program. In the mediation process, a neutral facilitator assists all parties involved in discussing their conflicts, exploring potential resolutions, and reaching mutually agreeable solutions.  If you are in Pennsylvania and interested in participating in the mediation program, please contact Jackie Schweichler, the director of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Mediation Program. Many other states offer this program as well.

Maintaining Credibility to Maintain Trust 

Maintaining credibility involves several key practices and solidifies local trust. Begin by identifying potential sources of conflict and try not to avoid conflict when it arises. Instead, plan for it and face it head-on to find constructive solutions. Always get the facts to ensure informed decision-making, and document activities to maintain accountability. Demonstrate integrity, expertise, and competence through all your business and community practices. Be honest and transparent in all your dealings since honesty builds trust. Remain calm and intentional, especially in stressful situations. Follow through on promises and commitments to show reliability and integrity. Admit failures and address concerns openly, displaying humility and a willingness to improve. Strive for win/win outcomes, aiming for solutions that benefit all parties involved. 

Additional Resources

Rush, T. (March 15, 2018). Applying Mindfulness for Better Conflict Management, Cleveland Clinic ConsultQD.

Goleman, Daniel. The brain and emotional intelligence: New insights. Vol. 94. Northampton, MA: More than sound, 2011.

Fetzer, L. (July 13, 2023). Agritourism and Ag Safety, Penn State Extension.

Schmidt, C., H. Crissy, R. Kralj, S. Cornelisse, and J. Schweichler. (March 30, 2023). Agritourism in Pennsylvania - Legal and Regulatory Issues, Penn State Extension.

Windon, S. and M. Stollar. (March 9, 2023). Conflict Styles, Outcomes, and Handling Strategies, Penn State Extension.