Edit location not available/location shows as a circle encompassing multiple states?

[zanna]

I've come across certain things such as parks that you cannot edit the location marker, but this is a first for me. The location shows a massive red circle that encompasses multiple states. I can assure you this berry farm with goats is just a farm, with a nice little restaurant, bar, and acrobatic goats who sometimes walk along a bridge above your head. I'm speaking of Westmoreland Berry Farm (https://goo.gl/maps/io8aCS8cGYH2) and the restaurant on its grounds (for location verification) is Elados (https://goo.gl/maps/YfzAL7uG6h82). Because of the broad location currently in place, when trying to upload photos directly from your phone, it is impossible. It wouldn't even give me the option after typing in its proper name. The official website lists the address as: 1235 Berry Farm Lane, Colonial Beach, Virginia 22443, but I believe the marker should be placed near to the restaurant, as that is the entrance as well as parking, and where the goats are. 

Hoping to get some help and understand why the marker location is unable to be changed with an edit?

[RPaulR]

hi @zanna

the restaurant listing needs hours, phone number, website (if the restaurant has a page on the farms website that is ok - but the added actual linked page must contain info about the restauraunt. this can all be added as a 3rd party from maps.

the farm is mapped wrongly with a service area and a hidden address.

the address needs to be unhidden and service area removed from Google My Business. this should be done by a responsible party from the farm. farms are not supposed to ever have a service area assigned AND are not allowed to have a hidden address.

generic farm related mapping info below

mainly residential farms are not supposed to be mapped. mainly agricultural farms are not to be mapped unless they have a full time staffed office onsite and they should have signage. farms with staffed retail stores onsite or tourist / visitor activities may be mapped (should have signage), during seasons where tourists do not visit they should be marked as closed (a farm with a corn maze should be marked as closed in the winter when there are no activities - even if the raise pigs all year round)

if a farm has no website (the existance of a site does not in and of itself allow a farm to be mapped) and no signage on the road (the existance of signage does not in and of itself make a farm mappable) and there is no additional info from 3rd parties that refer to a retail store or tourist / visitor activities then it should probably be deleted from the map.

many farms are considered residential and private. this is not refering to either of the listings in question. i have not looked into them in any detail.

while MapMaker was open i probably deleted about 50 primarily residential farms that were not otherwise mappable. selling some produce to neighbors does not matter (whereas having staffed stands or a staffed store for the general public does).

please do not ever map a farm or ranch unless you are sure that it is allowed as above and that an unexpected visitor will not have guns drawn (this is mostly an issue in the USA).

Stealing livestock and horses is a thing unfortunately. Even small residential farms can have millions of dollars of equipment.

[Flash]

Hello @zanna,

The circle you are seeing is an option available for businesses that have claimed their place via Google My Business.  If they have chosen to define a service area (the circle) they can then also hide their exact address if they wish to keep it private.  Using both of these options is required for service area businesses with no storefronts such as plumbers, mobile notaries, and house sitters.  In this case the farm has chosen the option but are only hurting their business by doing so, you may wish to contact them and let them know.  They can post in the GMB forum if they need advise.  Also, the restaurant would not qualify for its own marker unless it has its own phone number.

With regards to the advise on what farms can be mapped; it is fine to map a farm whether or not it has a public element to it.  For places with a public element they probably should add hours and then mark themselves as closed during the off season; but otherwise a listing on the map with no hours is acceptable for other farms.  What shouldn't be done is using the farm category to mark one's own house; a proper farm name needs to be used rather than "Sam's Farm" to try to show Sam's house.  Sam can tell his visitors "I live on the Circle L Farm".

[RPaulR]

@Flash

Are you suggesting farms that have no public element, no onsite staffed office or store and no signage belong on the map?

Those were the farms i used to remove.

Typically googling the phone numbers brought up nothing more then residential phone number directories. Streetview showed no signage. No website.

Does the existance of agricultural activities make it mappable?

Many small farms have no official name. Some farms operate as sole propriaterships and others as numbered companies. In that case are informal names allowed?

If the Freud family has a farm and locally it is known as the Freud family farm locally does it belong on the map?

[Flash]

@RPaulR,

Most of your questions are answered in my previous post, please re-read it and let me know what parts are unclear.

[RPaulR]

@Flash

Your post suggests that almost all or all farms are mappable as i understood it. 

Was this your intended meaning?

What if a farm has no official name or signage: may informal names be used? (such as Sam Ford's Farm or Freud Family Farm - these are the locally used names and would be used to announce gatherings in the local church newsletter)

For primarily residential farms is it appropriate to list the home phone number?

How do we know if the phone number was added by the farm owner by a 3rd party or not if the listing is claimed. What if a home phone number is added against the choice of the farm owners?

Phone number blanking in Google My Business can require contacting support as historically these changes were likely not to publish from the gmb interface. So this is actually a problem if they accept changes on the listing.

Does this mean every single farm and ranch should be added to the map?

Should they only be added through Google My Business or is Mapping through Google Maps fine as a 3rd party.

Does it matter if there is no 3rd party verifiable evidence of farm or ranch name - this is assuming a sign does not exist.

What if the sign says "Sam Ford"?

Is the farm mapped as Sam Ford Farm or Sam Ford or not at all?

What if a farm owner does not want to be listed?

@Flash

answer as much or as little as you want but i think that should explain my concern.