About John and Lara

John Stanley and Lara Johnson are the co-creators of the Agritourism Training Academy—bringing together big-picture strategy and practical, on-farm implementation.

John Stanley is a retail consultant and conference speaker who has worked with businesses internationally, with a strong focus on what drives visitor behaviour and sales.

John has worked in the agritourism industry for over five decades and has seen it develop over the years from farm gate sales to multimillion dollar enterprises.

John has a Master of Science degree from Essex University and in his early life taught perishable horticultural retail management at Merrist Wood College in Guildford, England.

A Nuffield Scholarship from 1976 to study horticultural and agricultural marketing in the USA launched John into his consultancy career. John interprets global retail trends to help businesses worldwide adapt to and prosper from changing economic and political situations. By identifying and

capitalizing on opportunities that change presents, John is able to show his clients how to take advantage of change to delight customers by a re-layout of their store, fine-tuning of their marketing, up-skilling of their team or re-thinking their displays and product offer.

John’s skill is such that his clients say that they cannot afford not employ John because the results he

brings them are enormous. To further help his clients John put his ideas on paper in his best-selling retail management books Just About Everything a Retail Manager Needs to Know, Think FOR Your Customer, Setting Up Shop, and Food Tourism.

John’s uncanny ability to translate economic and consumer lifestyle trends into winning strategies for his clients has made him one of the most sought-after consultants and speakers on the planet today. John has clients in 35 countries around the world and owns, along with his wife, Linda, Chestnut Brae, an award-winning agri tourism destination in the southwest of Australia. He speaks regularly at NAFDMA and the Farm Retail Association events in the UK.

He is also Chair of the West Australian Agritourism Association

Chestnut Brae was judged one of the top ten agritourism destinations in the world in 2024 by the Global Agritourism Association.

Lara Johnson brings the day-to-day, “how do we actually make this work on a real farm?” side of the Academy—turning strategy into clear, achievable offers and visitor experiences that suit your goals, your capacity, and your community.

With a background spanning outdoor recreation, retail, tourism, events and entertainment, Lara has spent her career in hands-on roles where customer experience, team capability, safety, and smooth operations matter. She has worked across program delivery, coordination, and operational leadership in recreation settings, and understands what it takes to run activities that are safe, enjoyable, and well-organised—especially when staffing, weather, resources, and visitor expectations all change at once. 

Lara is also a long-time business owner and creative director through Rapture Arts, where she has built programs, marketed experiences, managed administration and systems, and delivered accessible, inclusive classes and events. That blend of creativity and structure supports the Academy’s focus on designing farm experiences that are engaging and workable—helping businesses translate “good ideas” into practical layouts, offers, signage, team training, and customer-friendly systems. 

Qualified in adult vocational education and training (including Training & Assessing), Lara specialises in making learning clear and supportive—breaking complex ideas into step-by-step actions that people can genuinely implement. She has also worked alongside John for many years across trade shows, conferences, presentations, and client support, and has contributed to the behind-the-scenes work of both John Stanley Associates and Chestnut Brae.