A Free Way to Put It on the Map
Guest Post by Sean McCart, Farm Country Hubs
When someone in Maine wants a pick-your-own orchard or a farm stand that is open today, they usually start with a search on their phone. If your farm shows up with hours, directions, and a few good photos, you’re in the running. If it doesn’t, they drive to the farm that does.
Farm Country Hubs is a free directory built for those searches. It lists farms, orchards, vineyards, and agritourism stops across the country- about 1,100 so far- each with a map pin and contact details, and most with photos and hours. Maine has 19 listed today, from u-pick berry fields in Mechanic Falls to barnyard visits in Westbrook. That is a short list for a state with as many farms as Maine has, which is the reason for this article.
Who it’s for
Any farm business where customers come to you:
- U-pick fields, orchards and farm stands
- Pumpkin patches, corn mazes and Christmas tree farms
- Maple sugarhouses
- Wineries, cideries and breweries
- Farm stays, farm dinners and wedding venues
- Farms that offer tours, classes or animal visits
A farm that sells only wholesale or online isn’t a fit, because a listing needs a real place visitors can come to.
What a free listing includes
- A page in the directory and a pin on the map
- Your own photos and your own description, in your words
- Hours and contact details you can change any time, for example, the week the strawberries come in
- Replies to reviews, plus a QR code you can post at the stand to collect more of them
There is no card to enter and no fee. Paid tools such as online bookings and a farm website exist, but they are optional, and a free listing keeps working without them.
How to add your farm (about two minutes)
- Go to farmcountryhubs.com/get-listed.
- Type your farm’s name. If it is already in the directory, pick it and claim it. If it isn’t, you add it. We confirm you own the farm, which is quickest when your email address matches your farm’s website, and your listing gets a “verified” check.
- Create a free account, then add your photos, hours, and a short description.
One tip: a photo of the actual field, stand or barn does more than a logo. Visitors want to see where they are going.
A project for your Grange
Listing a farm is easy to put off when there’s no spare afternoon in the busy season. A winter Grange meeting is a good time for it. Bring a laptop, help a few member farms add their listings, and trade photos. If your Grange has questions along the way, I’m glad to help by email.
You can see Maine’s current listings at farmcountryhubs.com/farms/maine.
About the author: Sean McCart runs Farm Country Hubs, part of Great Outdoor Hubs, a small company in Winter Springs, Florida, that builds free guides to farms and the outdoors. He can be reached at sean@greatoutdoorhubs.com.