For many, offering a farm dinner can be a great way to diversify income and better connect with current and future customers. It can also open you up to many risks, involve different staffing, food safety and marketing plans, and probably a major farm clean-up to get ready for guests.
In 2018, UC SAREP published this guide that examines the Farm Dinner model, helps you determine whether it's suitable for your farm and gives examples and suggestions for planning, budgeting, marketing, organizing and offering a dinner or meal on your farm.
- Download guide (pdf): Hosting Dinners on Your California Farm
Here is an adjustable budget template for a farm dinner, in an Excel spreadsheet with formulas already entered.
- Farm Dinner Budget template (Excel): Farm Dinner Event
Other resources:
- "Host Dinners on Your Farm", published by University of Vermont Extension
- How to Develop Successful Farm-to-Table Dinners, by Mary Stewart, Oregon Farm Loop
- Farm Dinners: Some stories from the field - Blog post by Penny Leff, March 2016