Howard Taylor

Wellington Farm Park, 6771 S. Military Rd., Grayling, MI 49738 - County: Crawford

Region 3 Board Member

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How long have you been involved in farm marketing and/or agri-tourism?

This is our 10th year of operation.

What crops, attractions, services, or other offerings do you sell to consumers visiting your location?

We raise pumpkins, squash, melons, sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, gourds, Indian corn and potatoes for direct sale from the Farm market. We also raise corn, oats, barley, broom corn, sorghum and occasionally spelt for demonstration purposes in conjunction with our 60-acre living history farm. This is so we can operate the threshers, silo fillers, corn shredders broom makers etc. Of course, our major thrust is the 60-acre open air farm museum, a first person interpretive complex set in the year of 1932. Oh, if Mother Nature cooperates, we also have a Corn Maze.

What is the most satisfying thing about being in the farm marketing and agri-tourism business?

Being able to work dawn till dark at something I love and being able to first hand introduce visitors to a period of history to which they are not familiar.

Why do you think others should get involved with the new Michigan Farm Marketing & Agri-Tourism Association?

Times are changing, especially economically. It is going to become exceeding more difficult for individual, small entrepreneurial enterprises to 'make it' by themselves. Common people with common goals co-operating together to achieve common goals stand a much greater opportunity for success. Lucy says it best in "You're A Good Man Charlie Brown" as she holds up her hand, fingers extended and separated, "See these? Individually they are nothing, but when you roll them together into a fist they become a force to be reckoned with."

Any other things you would want people to know about you, your operation or your involvement in this organization?

I became involved in the creation of MI-FMAT because I saw in it an opportunity for my business to become more successful AND an opportunity for me to help others become more successful also. Individually, some will succeed, some won't. Fractionalized into splinter groups it becomes a pack of jackals and nobody wins. If working together in a dedicated organization: we are all winners!