Seasonal Business – Hugh McPherson

31 Dec 2024

Quote from The Rock – Beginning of the End Part 2

Agritourism, Maize Quest Corn Maze & Fun Park, Seasonal Business

His job is to be ripped. Our jobs are much different, but we often end up keeping similar hours. Watch the full post from The Rock above on IG. Hey Gang, Dwayne Johnson, a.k.a. The Rock, captures a focus on his way out of the gym in the post above. While quoting his friend, he says, "I don't HAVE to work out, I GET to..." Massive Thank You from me for your friendship, business, interactions, emails, calls, and texts throughout 2024. Working with you, for you, and beside you in business is an absolute pleasure. Agritourism is a big family. The society of…

28 Dec 2024

The beginning of the end – Part 1

Agritourism, Maize Quest Corn Maze & Fun Park, Seasonal Business

Writing down wins and frustrations makes directing your improvements for next year much easier. Hey Gang, It really hits me at the end of the year. It's that momentous feeling of time passing, of a cycle being completed, of one more crack at the bat, of a closing or ending. In our Fall-focused businesses, November is clean-up and recovery, December is recuperating and family time, and the week between Christmas and New Year's, for me, is reflection, so this blog is the "beginning of the end." Duke Ellington said, "I don't need time, I need a deadline." New Year's is an elegant…

14 Dec 2024

It was risky, but I tried it and made $1.61.

Agritourism, Maize Quest Corn Maze & Fun Park, Seasonal Business

Pictures of "The Roost" Hey Gang, It's the off-season for us "Fall-focused types" or hammer-down time for you Christmas tree people, but either way, it's time for the most exciting topic: Accounting! In my collegiate years, Accounting 101 at Penn State was one of the first televised courses, meaning it was a live video feed of the professor in some undisclosed location broadcasting old-school through wires to dozens of classrooms. Now, accounting might be one of the most boring classes, to begin with, AND it was remote (before that was ubiquitous, kids), AND it was, for me, HARD. At one point, I was…

02 Dec 2024

I’ve nothing to share.

Maize Quest Corn Maze & Fun Park, Seasonal Business

White space or purposefully nothingness, sometimes otherness is just as good. Hey Gang, Sometimes, I sit down to write or brainstorm and... nothing. It’s not that I don’t care or that the ideas aren’t there—it’s just that after a wild fall season, my brain feels like an empty field. And you know what? That’s okay. You know, fall on the farm is intense. Sure, it’s families laughing in the corn maze and kids chasing each other through the pumpkin patch, but it's also late nights ensuring everything is running smoothly. It’s rewarding and exhausting all at once. When the season winds down, I find myself in…

26 Sep 2024

A distinct lack of perfection.

Family Business, Maize Quest Corn Maze & Fun Park, Seasonal Business

Perfection isn't found in the ordering of all things. Nature's perfection is specifically uncovered through exploration, scanning the scenic views, and then getting closer to each element. The world, in all its beauty, is chaotic. While an individual flower might be nearly perfect by itself, it's in a field of buzzing, humming plants, with each plant working hard to survive, but to survive only by itself. The individual strives for perfection, yet the grand plan can only be seen from afar. In this way, the farm offers a distinct lack of perfection. Each apple tree is wildly different from the other, each apple's flavor seeking…

10 Sep 2024

Seasons change and life is perishable.

Family Business

Jane Wettsone, 1942-2024, pictured above on "Tootsie," her Hafling-Cross draft pony on their "Century Ride" and with my kids who are likely making silly drawings & stories for their Gran. She was as good a mother-in-law as one could hope for. In fact, Jane Wettstone canceled out all the mother-in-law jokes I'd heard growing up, and she passed away last week unexpectedly. Cherries are gone. Blueberries are gone. Peaches are gone. Nectarines are gone. Apples are here. Pumpkins are here. Over and over, the seasons change, year after year. My mom, Gail McPherson, died back in 2005, and it was profoundly sad. It led…

16 Jul 2024

Beat the heat with Peaches & Family Fun – Some ideas for ya.

Maple Lawn Farms, Seasonal Business

Hey gang! Summer is in full swing at the farm, and that means it's peach season! There's something truly magical about biting into a fresh, juicy peach that makes you think of sunny skies and lazy afternoons. But peaches aren't just a treat for the taste buds; they're packed with healthy hydration. Here's more from the sweet world of peaches and how they can help you stay cool on a hot day. Some REAL peachy goodness... Peaches are not only delicious but also incredibly nutritious. Here are Farmer Hugh's Top 3 Peachy Facts: Hydrating and Low in Calories: With a high water content, peaches are…

29 May 2024

ALR report part 1 – Gritt’s Farm is a bunch of quitters.

Agritourism, Maize Quest Corn Maze & Fun Park, Maple Lawn Farms, Marketing Tools, Seasonal Business

Strawberries, donuts, cinnamon rolls, sweet tea, and blueberry cake for a light, healthy mid-morning snack between sessions at Gritt's ALR. Many of us came to learn more about the food service and the Gritt's Team, led by Stevie, delivered. Hey Gang, At these kind of events you hear presenters going on about all the things they do, but Greg Huber took me aside on a NAFDMA bus tour and reminded me to ask, “What’s the story behind the story here?” The weather was picture-perfect for nearly all of our two-day, three-night NAFDMA ALR in Charleston & Buffalo, WV. We rolled in the…

08 May 2024

The space between.

Family Business, Seasonal Business

Stars shine in the night sky, but most of space is...well... space. It's empty. Hey Gang, I've just had the joy of my daughter's graduation, a pinnacle experience for us as parents and a huge achievement for Annie. We left Annie with her friends to enjoy a week of relaxation and 'lasts' as she wraps up her college experience. Our weekend ended with the U of M theater department's senior showcase, a performance in preparation for the theater grads to perform on Broadway in front of booking and casting agents. Again, highlight reel moments, celebrations, and applause excited me to get started with…

30 Apr 2024

Working IN and ON.

Family Business, Maize Quest Corn Maze & Fun Park, Maple Lawn Farms, Seasonal Business

Sometimes you gotta climb down in the pit and do stuff... Hey Gang, As a business owner—and farmers are business owners, by the way — it's important to recognize the difference between working IN your business and working ON your business. Working IN your business refers to daily tasks: Plant trees Fix sprayer boom Replace well tank (#myyesterday) Kill weeds in Fun Park Working ON your business refers to daily tasks: Test new pie recipes for the season Plan marketing for your next event Start recruiting staff for the season (#myLastFriday) Shore up supply chains for food items Balancing your time…