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The maze is the “hook” that brings people to the farm. It should be proftable on its own but you can improve your proft potential by offering other products or services. The easiest way to increase gross sales is by increasing your average sale per customer. For example, if you charge $5 admission to the corn maze consider offering food or another activity. If the average customer spends just $1 more on food, you will have increased your average sale/ customer by 20 per cent.

Food sales are often a key income source. There are options when considering foodservice.

Option A – Offer commercially pre-packaged food items. These are low risk, because another commercially inspected facility has manufactured them. Examples include snack items like whole fresh fruit, potato chips, cheezies, cookies, pretzels, and

Option B – Prepare medium risk items like hotdogs, sausage-dogs, popcorn, hot cider, coffee, barbequed sweet corn, pizza slices, candy corn, ice cream, etc.

Option C – You assume the highest risk when you offer items like hamburgers that you make with raw meat. Your kitchen will have to meet strict health department regulations. But with a fully inspected kitchen you can add any hot or cold item you feel your customers might like including soup, sandwiches, home-baked cookies, pies, muffns, chili, fruit shortcake, etc.

Start with the low risk pre-packaged items then expand into medium and higher risk items as your business grows and you have the resources to meet the food and health regulations. Speak to your public health, dairy and/or meat inspector and Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) representative before offering any food. Make sure you address their concerns. No one wants a customer to get sick eating a food product at their farm. Such an incident is a liability issue and very stressful.

In Alberta, the minimum requirements for food safety education are outlined in section 31 of the Public Health Act Food Regulation. Individuals looking for recognized food safety courses have several options, including both on-line and in class formats. For online and classroom courses in your area, contact the local public health inspector with Alberta Health Services. For a full listing of courses you can contact the Environmental Public Health team at Alberta Health and Wellness at:

Health Protection Branch Environmental Public Health Alberta Health and Wellness 24 th Floor, Telus Plaza North Tower 10025 Jasper Avenue Edmonton, AB T5J 1S6 Telephone: 780-427-4518 Fax: 780-422-0914

www.albertahealthservices/eph.asp

You must provide places for people to sit down to eat. If you don’t provide seating, they won’t buy food. The seating could be outdoor picnic tables