General Session – Welcome/History/Overview

The Joyer family will welcome you to the farm, and provide the group with our farm’s history, current offerings and vision for the future. 

Flower Production

The garden center accounts for ~60% of the farm’s revenue. The farm began growing flowers in the 70’s when there was extra space in the greenhouse built for vegetable starts. When flower production began to outpace vegetable sales, the garden center was built in 1990. The garden center sales allow us to cashflow a lot sooner in the year with May still being our busiest month for sales.

Food & Concessions

Food is an important offering on the farm. We know it can be a main draw as we have seen it garner attention at some of your farms, and we are now working on making it a valued draw at ours. We will visit our various food locations to highlight what we offer and gain feedback on how to enhance them. We are currently building out a commercial kitchen - depending on the timeline the tour might include a finished kitchen or a work in progress.

Marketing (will be repeated on Day 2)

Our marketing plan and budget gets set in February.  This strategy allows for easy denials to overbearing marketing service sales reps. Through online marketing, direct mail marketing, social media and word of mouth, we have maintained our organic sustainable growth of the farm. Doug will discuss his decision process on where to market, who to partner with, what we say and how we want to be received by the public.

Vegetable Production

The heritage crop of the farm, as well as what and how we farm have evolved through the years.  We are the longest running pick-your-own produce farm in Minnesota. The focus for produce in the last few years has been crop timing, labor efficiency and sustainable agricultural practices.  The produce ties us to our past and allows guests to witness food production, but it has the highest labor cost to sales ratio on the farm. This session will cover how we have managed to keep this aspect of our operations as a valued part of our operations and of the community’s expectations.

Ideas Implemented (from past ALRs and Beyond)

We can all see each other’s farms in one another.  There are moments that have shaped us through NAFDMA, the Garden Center Group, consultants and other avenues.  So many ideas implemented, many more in the wings waiting for the stage. Andrew will highlight some of the biggest takeaways from all of these resources that we implemented on the farm.

HR, Labor, & Staffing

Staff are key to any business. Doug will discuss our strategies for hiring, onboarding, and scheduling staff throughout the farm.  From about 9 year-round employees to over 70 seasonal staff fluctuating through the season, it takes a lot to keep the team moving all in the same direction.

We will gather again as a group to discuss the day’s lessons and answer any burning questions.

For those of you driving yourselves during the event, we will offer a unique experience to head out into the fields to pick cucumbers with Mary. Get up early, get your hands dirty and take part in this unique aspect of the farm.

On the farm, we track a variety of metrics for fast retrieval and interpretation of the transactions, sales and guests.  Doug will walk you through our benchmarking process and discuss how it shapes day-to-day decisions and long-term planning.

Garden Center Retail Philosophy (will repeat later today)

Waldoch Farm is a provider of quality and variety, and we accomplish this by being a grower of 90 to 95% of our plant material. This breakout will discuss some of the ways the garden center has evolved in the last few decades, our learned lessons that have helped to determine the way we grow and how we sell, and our philosophy that helps to shape those decisions.

Marketing (repeated from Day 1)

Our marketing plan and budget gets set in February.  This strategy allows for easy denials to overbearing marketing service sales reps. Through online marketing, direct mail marketing, social media and word of mouth, we have maintained our organic sustainable growth of the farm. Doug will discuss his decision process on where to market, who to partner with, what we say and how we want to be received by the public.

Educational Barnyard

The animals at Joyer Adventure Farm are year-round residents.  This mainstay for visitors evolved from our childhoods in 4H to what it is now. We have over 14 species of farm animals and multiple breeds to educate and delight our guests. Conscientious paddock layouts, distance from food locations and handwashing stations to minimize health risks to guests will all be discussed on this walking tour.

Benchmarking Round Table

For those who did their homework and brought their farm’s numbers, this break-out is an opportunity for a more in-depth discussion on benchmarking.  A chance to share methods and metrics with your peers.

1st year Apple Orchard (planted in spring 2024) – Lessons Learned

Apples are a new undertaking for the family. Joe will talk the attendees through his process of research, picking out apples / root stocks, design and tour around the orchard. We planted our first 50 (standard) trees in spring of 2024 and 1,600 (high density) this spring. We are not claiming to be experts in this and are hoping for good conversation and tips to surface from those attending.

Garden Center - Creating Containers for Retail and Display

In the garden center, Kathy creates beautiful container gardens and baskets for customers to take home.  We want the beauty of the garden center to overflow throughout the Adventure. We create container gardens across the barnyard and activity areas with the same design elements we use in the greenhouse. We’ll discuss the key elements to container gardening and strategies for switching out plant material with the changing seasons.

Garden Center Retail Philosophy (repeated from earlier today)

Waldoch Farm is a provider of quality and variety, and we accomplish this by being a grower of 90 to 95% of our plant material. This breakout will discuss some of the ways the garden center has evolved in the last few decades, our learned lessons that have helped to determine the way we grow and how we sell, and our philosophy that helps to shape those decisions.

Drone Demo

The farm is adopting new tech! We now have an EAVision J100 spray drone to use for our spraying program. Bear Bouwman from Agri-Spray Drones will be joining us to talk about drones and their future in Agriculture. We will also demo our drone in one of our fields.

Jeff Joyer’s Ideas – Wetland Project – Real Estate or Land

When Mary and Jeff bought her grandfather’s farm in 1982, there was a concerned uproar from the extended family. The family farm was being bought by a Real Estate agent, there was fear for the legacy of the family land. Jeff and Mary worked through 14% interest rates, multiple recessions, and many land deals to keep the farm in one piece. Jeff will talk on how a savvy real estate mind can aid the farm’s long-term vision and new non-farmland ventures. 

This is the last chance for an on-site Q & A, as well as to discuss anything you think we could do better.

In this session, you'll meet the family and team behind Pinehaven Farm and Mid Minnesota Entertainment while exploring our rich history in agritourism, which began nearly 75 years ago. You'll gain insight into the unique layout of our farm before embarking on a guided tour. Additionally, we will discuss our financial strategies, marketing practices—including how we gather and create content—and our human resources approach, covering staffing, labor management, and scheduling for nearly 600 employees.

Back of House Haunt Tour and Photo Op Design and Creation Experience

Join us for a tour of our "Actor Hangout," where 170-200 actors check in and prepare for their performances each night. Explore the makeup booths and stroll through our costume distribution area. After the tour, discover how we design and create the vibrant, immersive photo ops and set pieces found throughout the farm and in the haunted hayride sets. Handmade in our workshop using a variety of tools and online programs, we will guide you through the entire process, from the design phase to the cutting and shaping equipment, to the protective hard coat and painting techniques employed for a polished finish.

In this session, you will explore the various revenue streams at our farm, including strategies for ticketing and admissions, food and beverage operations, and retail sales. We will also cover beer garden sales, vendor partnerships for both daytime and nighttime attractions, as well as field trip operations and corporate event packages. Join us to gain insights into our diverse operational strategies and sales techniques.

Benchmarking Round Table

For those who did their homework and brought their farm’s numbers, this break-out is an opportunity for a more in-depth discussion on benchmarking.  A chance to share methods and metrics with your peers.

1st year Apple Orchard (planted in spring 2024) – Lessons Learned

Apples are a new undertaking for the family. Joe will talk the attendees through his process of research, picking out apples / root stocks, design and tour around the orchard. We planted our first 50 (standard) trees in spring of 2024 and 1,600 (high density) this spring. We are not claiming to be experts in this and are hoping for good conversation and tips to surface from those attending.

Garden Center - Creating Containers for Retail and Display

In the garden center, Kathy creates beautiful container gardens and baskets for customers to take home.  We want the beauty of the garden center to overflow throughout the Adventure. We create container gardens across the barnyard and activity areas with the same design elements we use in the greenhouse. We’ll discuss the key elements to container gardening and strategies for switching out plant material with the changing seasons.

Take a ride out to our farm fields where you will learn about the variety of crops grown on Pinehaven Farm. We will discuss our field preparations, planting practices, fertilizer and herbicides used, and finally the varieties of Pumpkins, Zinnias, Sunflowers, and Cosmos that we plant.

Now is your chance to ask all the questions! Our team and anyone you met throughout your day at Pinehaven Farm will be available to answer questions. No questions left unanswered before we enjoy dinner on the farm and wrap up the day.

As a business owner, Mary’s goal was to keep the opportunity alive to maintaining her grandparents’ homestead and parents’ business with the hope that it could provide opportunities for her family in the future. Now three of her sons make their livings on the land she grew up on. The landscapes throughout the farm are filled with her passion for plants and she has instilled a passion for preservation and cooking in all six of her children.

Grandpa Joyer Jeff is the farmer’s husband, and has had an extensive career in real estate. His savvy real estate mind has allowed the family to retain all the ancestral parcels and even grow the acreage the farm currently uses. Jeff’s shop dreams have now been realized with the ‘Senior Center’, where he is able to create and tinker with projects for the farm.  The new heated workspace means no more farm projects taking over his garage.

With a passion for plants and animals, Andrew sees how the farm can be our guests’ connection to both. From providing everyone the plants and resources to make their yards beautiful and dining tables delicious, to managing the barnyard for families and guests to have an authentic interaction with farm animals, Andrew strives to help the farm make those connections with our guests.

Doug started working full time at the family farm in 2008 after completing his higher education at University of Minnesota. There have been many roles Doug has filled on our family farm: assistant greenhouse grower, produce manager and event manager.  Doug’s focus  continues as the farm’s general manager, marketing coordinator, data analyst and beekeeper.

Joe, one of the brothers working at Waldoch Farm, has been full time since fall of 2020. He came back to the farm excited to grow in the business and be a part of the family legacy. With Joe coming home, the business changed a bit with Joyer Adventure Farm opening June - October instead of just for fall. Joe manages Joyer Adventure Farm and is focused on improving the agritourism side of the business.

Kathy is our container garden specialist; she creates all the containers and baskets that we sell through our garden center. She uses a living record book that she follows as recipe template for the creations each year. Our spring season starts with our popular event of Porch Parties; a plant your own container class that is put on and taught by Kathy. 

As the Produce Manager, Jacob has taken the facilitating of the produce fields. Researching and planning out the vegetable crops and fertilization schedules. He joined the farm when he was fifteen as a field hand and has grown his role on the farm throughout the last 10 years. He brings a more scientific approach and fresh passion for agriculture on the farm.

John and Sue Hastings are the second-generation owners of Pinehaven Farm, which began as a Christmas tree farm in the 1950s, established by John’s parents, John and Barbara Hastings. In 1996, John stared transitioning the farm into a Pumpkin and Fall Festival, planting his first 3-acre pumpkin patch after leaving his job as a mechanic for Northwest Airlines, with the vision of creating a business where his three children could grow up and eventually continue the family legacy. Sue, who worked for the State of Minnesota for 35 years, expertly balanced her job while raising their five children—JJ, Jeremy, Jacque, Becky, and Josh—and helping to run the farm in her spare time. Today, three of their children are actively involved in the day-to-day operations, continuing to build on the legacy established by John and Barbara.

Jeremy, the second child of John and Sue Hastings, is the owner of two attractions at Pinehaven Farm. As a child his true passion had him tinkering around the farm, leading to the creation of Minnesota's first Pumpkin Cannon and Farfel the Pumpkin Eating Dragon alongside his father at just 15 years old—both still integral to the farm today. In 2010, while working full-time as a machinist, Jeremy and a group of friends built The Dead End Hayride after a contract with the previous operator fell through, attracting 9,000 visitors in their first season and growing attendance every year since (except for the unique challenges of 2020). He took the leap to quit his full-time job in 2016 and became the fourth full-time employee of his company, fully dedicating himself to the farm's success.

Jacque is the 3rd child of John and Sue Hastings and the General Manager of Pinehaven Farm’s Pumpkin Festival. Jacque has been a dedicated team member since August 2020. Born and raised on the farm, she began her journey in management while still a Junior in high school, taking on responsibilities related to hiring and scheduling. She furthered her education with an Associate's degree in Business Management from a community college, equipping her with the skills necessary to enhance operations at the farm. Jacque now wears many hats, including HR, customer service, admissions, parking lot management, tractor driving, entertainment team management, and general event management. In addition to her professional pursuits, she enjoys reading and riding her motorcycle and has been an active member of her local fire department since she was 18. With a deep-rooted commitment to both agriculture and service, Jacque continues to drive Pinehaven Farm's success and growth.

Brent joined the farm in the summer of 2010 as a friend of Jeremy, helping bring The Dead End Hayride to life. After graduating from Tech School as a Diesel Mechanic, he worked for Caterpillar and John Deere, while also dedicating nights and weekends to build and design sets, maintain equipment, and manage seasonal staff for The Dead End Hayride. He became a full-time team member in 2012. In spring 2020, Brent expanded his role by overseeing the agricultural operations at Pinehaven Farm. During the fall season, you can find him fixing equipment, assisting wherever needed, and maintaining tractors, wagons, kitchen equipment, and walk-in freezers and coolers.

Paige came to the farm in 2012 where she worked in the ticketing office for The Dead End Hayride. She slowly took on more roles like social media, marketing, and ticketing manager before coming on full time in 2015. Paige gained much experience in the special event world by managing other special events including the Event Manager for ice Castles in Minnesota for 2 years, Colorado for 1 year, and Utah for 2 years, as well as Christmas in Color Event Manager for 2 years. She now wears many hats and can tell you almost anything about the ins and outs of The Dead End Hayride and The Great Pumpkin Trail. Even though she lives across the country, she always makes her way back each August-November to Manage Mid Minnesota Entertainment’s events.

Becky is the 4th child of John and Sue Hastings and spent her childhood immersed in farm life. After gaining experience in various roles outside of the farm, she returned in June 2022. Throughout her time at Pinehaven Farm, Becky has excelled in multiple positions and is currently transitioning into the role of Food and Beverage Manager for the Pumpkin Festival, where she is excited to bring her passion and expertise to enhance the farm's culinary offerings.