 |
On-Farm Sales & Agritourism
On-Farm Sales | Agritourism
| Community-Based Farm Tourism
|
 |
|
Hidden Meadows Farm in West
Greenwich, R.I., a member of the state FarmWays agritourism
campaign, hosted the public during a Thanksgiving weekend of
on-farm activities. The farm sells Christmas trees and value-added
products. – Photo by Jo-Anne Pacheco |
 |
Community-Based Farm Tourism
Farmers considering ways to put themselves on the map, literally,
might team up with state or regional agencies to promote rural economic
development through farm-based tourism activities. In many parts
of the United States -- not just traditional vacation destinations
like Hawaii or New England -- tourism can make a significant contribution
to local economies, and attractive, well-managed farm operations
can do a lot to draw rural tourists. Explore local government, quasi-government
and business connections to participate in local festivals, get
listed in state tourism brochures or be featured in regional public
outreach campaigns.
In Minnesota, the nonprofit Renewing the Countryside organization
used a SARE grant to promote local foods-based tourism. Working
with groups like the Minnesota Bed & Breakfast Association and
the University of Minnesota Tourism Center, RTC developed a promotional
campaign called Green Routes. Printed maps and an online directory
(www.greenroutes.org) guide
visitors to farmstands, craft shops and other rural destinations.
“There’s a lot of interest in and support for ‘green’
travel, and farmers are a big piece of that,” says RTC’s
Jan Joannides.
Similar efforts are underway in Rhode Island, where the Rhode Island
Center for Agricultural Promotion and Education launched “Rhode
Island FarmWays,” a campaign to highlight farms as tourist
destinations. The goal, says Center Executive Director Stuart Nunnery,
is “to help showcase Rhode Island’s farms as places
of significant beauty, culture, ecology and history. Those farms
are crucial to maintaining Rhode Island’s quality of life.”
With help from a 2004 SARE grant, Nunnery and colleagues have held
professional development workshops for farmers, provided grants
to help producers initiate farm-based tourism activities and created
a Website listing farm-based attractions statewide. The Rhode Island
Center also negotiated a $250,000 loan package with the state Economic
Development Corp. to provide small loans to farmers to develop or
expand agritourism and direct marketing activities. Finally, the
team is focusing on streamlining the regulatory process by which
farmers can set up farm stay or bed & breakfast operations.
“Our farms have a variety of untapped assets that can create
products and experiences for visitors,” says Nunnery. “They
could be walking trails, historical features, wildlife, heritage
livestock, horticultural diversity or just a spectacular landscape.
We have farms with beautiful grasslands preserved by conservation
easements. One of the farms we’re working with has ancient
settlements and artifacts being excavated by university archaeologists.”
If you’re interested in on-farm sales and agritourism, consider
the following.
 Check
your local extension office for information about how to construct
sales stands, small market buildings and produce displays. From
building materials to permits, establishing a stand can prove
expensive.
Social
skills and a scenic, clean, attractive farm are crucial for success
in agritourism and can overcome a location that is less than ideal.
Farm
visitors may interfere with main farm activities and pose a liability
risk. Consult your insurance adviser to ensure adequate liability
coverage.
In the
tourist business, you are never really off-duty. Expect late-night
calls and working holidays.
State
departments of agriculture often offer assistance in setting up
farm festivals and similar activities. State tourism bureaus also
can offer a wealth of ideas and information.
 Top
|
