Ecotourism and Agritourism: Possibilities for collaboration

I met Irene Lane last September at the International Ecotourism Conference. She recently launched an ecotourism website called Greenloons, and she got in touch with me to ask if she might write a guest post for The Farm Stay Project. Here are her compelling suggestions for ways that agritourism and ecotourism might be better integrated.

Michelle asked me to provide some suggestions for how organizations that promote agritourism can better cooperate with organizations that promote ecotourism considering consumer confusion about both types of tourism and the overlap of social and environmental goals.

As a manner of introduction, earlier this year I founded an ecotourism travel services company that specializes in offering independently certified, family-oriented ecotours.  I became interested in ecotourism when I noticed my own young son’s wide-eyed fascination with nature whether we traveled across an ocean or across the state.  Nothing delighted him more than visiting zoos, hiking through the wilderness, or kayaking through scenic waterways.

 

Consistently, my husband and I noticed the absolute wonder and amazement he had for the music, art, flora or fauna he saw in front of him. His wonder was almost always followed by an onslaught of illuminating questions about people and the natural world. 

These were 'teachable moments' for my son that marked his personal growth, and it occurred to me that other families might benefit from an opportunity to experience nature in a way that would be educational, inspirational, safe and fun.  In this way, agritourism and ecotourism are very similar. To answer the question at hand, there are some fundamental ways the industries can work together to promote our common sustainability goals, including:

• Incorporating farm stays into ecotourism itineraries
• Developing relationships with ecotour operators
•  Targeting promotion to urban areas including international cities
•  Promoting of the educational value of farm activities 

Incorporating farm stays into ecotourism itineraries

Earlier this month, the University of Costa Rica published a study that discussed the agritourism and ecotourism marketing efforts in that country.  Costa Rica has both strong agricultural traditions and a thriving ecotourism industry. 

The study delineated some interested examples of how cross-industry promotional efforts have helped farmers as well as ecotour operators. These examples included incorporating ½ to full-day coffee plantation, traditional fishing, dairy, and pineapple tours. Ecotour itineraries featured local guides and accommodations as well as meals made with, of course, local ingredients.  

Developing relationships with ecotour operators

With the exception of Alaska, the United States is relatively new to the concept to ecotourism and where there is chaos, in my opinion, there is opportunity.  Ecotour operators are looking to provide their customers with unique experiences in the United States that will set them apart from the traditional mass-market tourism that has existed in this country.  Therefore, it would be worthwhile for farm stay operators to contact ecotour operators (which I could help with) to see if the farm can be included as part of an itinerary (i.e. providing accommodation, providing local farm lunch, helping with some light conservation work, conducting a tasting of local farm products, attending a farm food festival).

Targeting promotion to urban areas including international cities

What is additionally interesting about the University of Costa Rica study is that the majority of agritourism visitors in Costa Rica are international visitors.  Most of the locals did not see a need to pay for a rural experience since they could visit their relatives in the countryside.  I think there is a marketing lesson here when promoting agritourism, namely to target urban populations and publications that have a critical mass of environmentally-conscious consumers.  An example in the Washington, DC region is Flavor magazine, an independently run publication dedicated to sustainable food, gardening, local farmers, and organic restaurants. 

Promoting the educational value of farm activities 

Many school curriculums are beginning to incorporate the use of a school garden into their science, health, nutrition, and math lessons.  What better way to bring these concepts to life than to have a designated farm stay school program that teaches about farm traditions and food production?

Basically, for both ecotourism and agritourism, it comes down to increased awareness and better perception of the industry’s economic, social, and environmental benefits.  Since my family ecotour destinations company, Greenloons, has launched, the site has been phenomenally received.  It’s been very exciting and proves that there is tremendous market potential for these unique, educational, and fun tour experiences.

-Irene Lane

Agritainment? Agritourism? | UVM Extension New Farmer Project

Agritainment? Agritourism? | UVM Extension New Farmer Project
Helpful article for farmers thinking about adding agritourism. Lots to consider!

Lots of news!

Farm stays have been in the news a lot lately. Whoop! Here's a rundown:

The Oregonian's Terry Richard profiles Leaping Lamb Farm and Farm Stay U.S., calling the farm stay "just what the doctor ordered."

Photo: Joan Fleischer Tamen with her son, David, feeding a goat at Apple Pond Farm. FRANK TAMEN

Joan Fleischer Tamen visits Apple Pond Farm in upstate NY and writes about it for the Miami Herald. She also quotes me and Scottie Jones (creator of Farm Stay U.S. and owner of Leaping Lamb Farm).

The Rapid City Journal's Barbara Soderlin visits Sunrise Ranch in South Dakota, which serves up organic grass-fed meats and hosts visitors in a six-bedroom lodge.

Lili DeBarbieri of Tucson Green Times talks Arizona farm stays.

Redbook's Marisa Cohen and her plugged-in family visit Stony Creek Farm (a Feather Downs farm stay) in upstate New York.

Brightwood Vineyard and Farm

Sitting on the wraparound deck of the Brightwood Farm cottage makes you feel like you’re up in the trees. The Robinson River winds through in the valley below, and the loudest sound you hear is the cicadas’ buzz. Inside of the cottage, large windows still let you enjoy the view and the vibrant green of the summer canopy. The cottage is a very cleverly planned 600 square feet, with every nook and cranny serving some purpose. Susan and Dean Vidal designed their guest cottage around an A-frame that the farm’s previous owners built in 1974. One of the Vidals’ ideas for the farm, from the time they moved there 10 years ago, was to share the beautiful farm they had found. 

Because of their relationship with the previous owners, the Vidals didn’t want to tear down the A-frame, so they added on a kitchen and eating nook, a bedroom, two sleeping lofts, and the wraparound deck. Dean and Susan’s daughter, who is now a full-time green carpenter in Colorado, worked on the cottage addition and restoration with her boyfriend. They reclaimed American chestnut and maple from a barn to build the hardwood floors, and added green features like double-glazed windows, energy-efficient walls, and a clean-burning Jotul wood stove.

When I visit Brightwood Farm, a London couple is staying at the cottage. They tell me, “This is paradise for us. Right now our flat in London is so noisy, there’s always construction and drilling going on. Nobody can afford to move right now, so everyone is doing construction work.” They say their son, Oscar, at 17, “is usually on Facebook at home, but he loves it here.” When Susan and I walk up to the cottage, Oscar is running back from feeding the goats. He looks really happy. Susan tells me, “It’s not just the kids who love feeding the animals. The adults love it too. And collecting eggs!” Susan invites guests to help as much or as little as they like.

For breakfast, Susan gives guests a choice of a cook-your-own meal where she provides the ingredients, or a prepared continental breakfast. The ingredients, Susan says, are “really local things” -- Brightwood Farm’s own eggs and fresh berries in season, sausage and breakfast meats from the Vidals’ neighbors, muffin or pancake mix, and farm-made jam.

The farm

As Susan Vidal tells it, she and her husband Dean used to be “regular suburban people.” But after their children left home and they became inspired by a trip to French wine country, the Vidals agreed they didn’t want to stay around the congested DC Beltway forever (they used to live in Arlington, VA). The Vidals decided to buy a farm where they could grow wine grapes. A search around Virginia’s best wine-growing counties led Dean and Susan to Brightwood Farm in scenic Central Virginia, just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The farm sits on 100 hilly acres, with 35 acres of pasture where the previous owners raised beef cattle. Susan tells me: “Before, I worked as a cartographer. It was a great job. But farming is a much better fit for me than working in a cubicle. I always had trouble with that.” Dean, an engineer, still commutes to his job. 

The Vidals also enjoy the help of a few interns who come to them through ATTRA (National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service) and WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms). The interns live on the farm -- either in a three-year-old insulated, four-season yurt with a woodstove, or on a tent platform.

Although the Vidals originally set out to make Brightwood Farm into a winery, they quickly realized that they wanted to do much more than just grow wine grapes. From the beginning, the Vidals have grown their farm through diversification -- their primary enterprises are now laying hens and berries. They also raise goats, sheep, vegetables, ducks, and donkeys. When I ask Susan how they learned to farm, she says, “We just kind of launched ourselves into it. We started everything small, and learned by doing.”

In the Vidals’ first few years of farming, they grew an acre of pumpkins following Virginia Cooperative Extension’s recommendations for pumpkin cultivation. Brightwood Farm was not organic then, and Extension’s guidelines involved regular spraying of synthetic fungicides and pesticides. As Susan explains, “The sprays kept the pumpkin leaves nice and green, but the fungicides dripped down into the soil and killed the soil microorganisms. Our yields decreased each year as soil fertility declined. You can kind of prop up the production if you keep adding more fertilizers, but we didn’t want to do that.” The Vidals transitioned Brightwood Farm to a certified organic farm in 2007.

True to their diversification strategy, the Vidals currently grow five kinds of raspberry and four varieties of blackberry. The Vidals grow diverse plant varieties to improve their chances of getting good yields despite attacks from insect and disease -- certain varieties might be more resistant to one pest, while another variety is resistant to a different pest. The Vidals also look for plant varieties that thrive without chemical inputs. In addition to the berries, the Vidals raise a diverse collection of vegetables. They grow some vegetables at Brightwood Farm, where they have a shade house that holds salad greens much of the year, and a hoop house for growing warm weather crops. They grow the bulk of their vegetables (which mostly go to restaurants) on 10 acres of a neighboring property. 

Brightwood Farm is also a small winery, just as the Vidals originally planned, but the wines they make are different than what you might expect. Susan tell me, “We’re still working on the grape part. It’s a challenge doing grapes organically. In the meantime we started making blackberry, elderberry, and elder flower wine ... We do dry wines, so they’re not the run-of-the-mill fruit wines, either.” After Susan offers me samples of their wines, I can vouch that Brightwood Farm’s fruit wines are not only unusual, they’re also really delicious.

Dean Vidal makes all of the wine for the farm in 15-gallon batches in the state-certified commercial kitchen in the basement of their house. In the kitchen, the Vidals and their workers also make jam and process dried herbs for tea. 

With their livestock, the Vidals choose specific breeds for their vitality and versatility -- heritage chickens for eggs and meat, easy-keeping Spanish meat goats, and they’ve recently started raising dual-purpose Tunis sheep. They look for animals that do well on average pasture, without needing much supplementary grain.

Brightwood Farm’s 120 laying hens live in a movable house that allows Susan to easily shift the hens to fresh pasture as soon as they’ve clipped short the grass in their current spot. Susan says, “We generally go for the older, dual-purpose breeds, because after they stop laying they become stew hens.” The Brightwood chickens’ breeds have wonderful old names like Speckled Sussex and Buff Orpington, some of which are rare breeds that farmers like Susan are trying to bring back from endangered status. Susan also enjoys raising her own chicks. She tells me, “We have to buy in purebreds some years because we have no way of selecting the best layers. But this year, I’m looking for broody hens that want to sit -- I’m looking for volunteers!”

The Vidals’ Spanish meat goats also have a remarkable lineage. Spanish meat goats, now rare, are descendants of the goats brought to America by early settlers, mainly the conquistadors and missionaries of the Southwest. These Spanish goats were abandoned or escaped their farms, and lived in the wild for many generations before being re-domesticated. As a result, they are easy keepers, and great moms - they have very little trouble kidding and nursing. Spanish goats’ mixed heritage also means the goats come in different colors. As Susan says, “It’s fun when they’re born ‘cause you never know what color they’re going to be.” The goats have a furry, friendly guardian dog, named Athena, to protect them from predators like coyotes. Each group of animals on the farm enjoys the protection their own guardian dog. Susan says fondly, “We couldn’t do it without the dogs!”

The Vidals originally brought donkeys to the farm to protect the livestock from predators. “But,” says Susan, “They were hard on the little goats.” The Vidals now rely on the three donkeys for fertility. “Since we’re organic,” says Susan, “We rely on non-commercial fertilizers. And, the donkeys like the guests and the guests like the donkeys.”

 The Vidals sell their produce, wine, meat, and eggs at two very different farmers’ markets, Charlottesville (where there are around 100 vendors and Brightwood Farm sells wine, jam, and meat), and the more local Madison farmers’ markets (where there are only 8-10 vendors, and the customers mostly ask for vegetables.) The Vidals also sell to restaurants through a Virginia-based company called The Fresh Link, whose tagline is “Family Farms to City Plates.” Twice a week, the Vidals post information about what produce they’re offering to The Fresh Link, where the information is made available to restaurant chefs, who order the exact kind and number of heirloom tomatoes and free-range eggs they need.

If you go:

The Brightwood cottage sleeps up to four on one queen bed and two twin loft beds. Rates are $110/night weekdays and $155/night on weekends, double occupancy. Additional guests are $20/person, per night. The farm is two hours from Washington DC and 45 minutes from Shenandoah National Park. Farm activities (for guests who are interested) include feeding goats, sheep, and donkeys and collecting eggs. Guests are also welcome to swim in the Robinson River and walk on trails that wind through the farm’s “back 40.”

(540) 948-6845
svidal@hughes.net
www.brightwoodvineyardandfarm.com

Dean and Susan Vidal
1202 Lillard's Ford Rd.
Brightwood, VA 22715

Mitchell Farms Agritourism

AGRITOURISM ON MITCHELL FARMS from Daryl Jones on Vimeo.
Really well done agritourism video. I love this quote: "This beats the punk outta growing soybeans and peanuts that you have to give away over in Alabama!" Folks told this farmer that no one would come to his middle-of-nowhere farm, but come they do.

Interview with Don Greene of Harvest Hosts

Kim and Don Greene recently started a website called Harvest Hosts. The site is based on a concept the Greenes brought to the US from Europe. The idea is to build a network of farms and wineries that agree to host RVers for free for up to 24 hours. RVers buy a membership to gain access to the network. Don Greene kindly agreed to answer some my questions. Here's our interview:

Q: Could you briefly explain the concept of Harvest Hosts?

A: Harvest Hosts is a new, fun way for RVers to get off the main track and visit new places in more rural environments. We have put together a list of farms, wineries and other agricultural producers (orchards, lavender farms, llama and animal ranches) that not only are RV friendly, but feel that the RV traffic is so important to them that they are willing to let members stay overnight just for making the effort to visit them.

These farms, wineries, etc are the Hosts for the evening. Members can stay for a maximum of 24 hours, unless members and Hosts work out a different agreement. We want to provide additional opportunities for RV owners to explore and enjoy the rural areas of America. Now, with Harvest Hosts, members can spend the night, parked for free, in the farmlands across the country, while supporting small mom & pop, family run operations.

There is no obligation to buy anything from the Hosts, but we hope that if the Host is offering something for sale that members like -- food, fresh fruit and/or vegetables or wine, that members will support them by making a purchase.

Q: What should farmers expect when hosting RVers? What should RVers expect when staying at a farm or winery?

A: All Harvest Hosts members agree to abide by our Code of Conduct. The Code is explained on the Harvest Hosts website, its basic point is that members will be “good neighbors” with the understanding that they are invited guests and that these overnight stops are not to be treated as a campground. The farmers also expect members to be traveling in self-contained vehicles – they are not providing water, electricity, sewer or trash.

The farmers hope that if you like something that they have for sale that you will support them with a purchase, but there is no obligation to do so. Farmers understand that every visitor can spread the word about their business and they are excited to have the RV community as customers.

Q: On your website, you say that you got the idea for Harvest Hosts while traveling in Europe. Could you say more about the European networks? Do you find them in most of the European countries?

A: France and Italy have the most expansive networks, while Spain and Switzerland have newer networks that are still be developed. Great Britain has a network offering overnight stops at Pubs.

France’s network, France Passion, is the granddaddy of the farm/winery stopover networks now in its 17th year with 1,400 farms and wineries participating.

Q: Why do you think the program has been so successful in France?

France has a motorhome/rv culture that matches and maybe even exceeds ours here in the USA. Per capita, I think that the French might even have more RVs than we do.

Q: What has been the reception to Harvest Hosts so far, with both Hosts and RVers?

We are very hopeful that Harvest Hosts will be a huge success here. The feedback that we are receiving from Hosts and members has been very favorable and very supportive. The biggest challenge is just getting the word out, since it is such a new concept in the US.

Thanks for the interview Don, and best of luck!

Agritourism Article Trio

Photo: Evelyn, then 4, plays with the chickens at Willow-Witt Ranch in Ashland, Ore. Fresh eggs are available for purchase. (Jessica Garrison / Los Angeles Times)
 
On this blog, I normally list relevant agritourism articles via the Google Reader widget in the right sidebar, but a nice trio of agritourism / farm stay articles has come out in the past few days, so I decided to share them right here in the spot of honor.

•  Family vacation at Willow-Witt Ranch in Oregon, from the LA Times. Jessica Garrison discusses the farm stay idea and her family's trip to Willow-Witt Ranch farm stay in Oregon. Bonus: cute pics of kids and goats.
• Greener pastures, closer to home make Howard Ranch vacations fascinating Candace Krebs of Ag Journal explores reasons for the success of agritourism despite the poor economy.
  
• Try Agritourism in Greene County, Tennessee for Your Next Vacation Gayle Crabtree rounds up Tennessee agritourism farms.
  

Guest Post from Agritourism Australia

Pauline Porcaro of Agritourism Australia has written this wonderful guest post for Farm Stay USA. Thanks Pauline!

Agritourism in Australia

Michelle has asked me to provide an overview of agritourism in Australia, our website (www.agritourismaustralia.com.au), and how we got into agritourism in the first place; so here we go!

My interest in agritourism started teaching my tourism students about business planning and looking for new business ideas they could work on. Agritourism appeared a number of times in the forward government tourism planning documents and I had already noted a lot of agritourism in Italy where we have a holiday home. The two factors together started me reading up on agritourism on the net and I became fascinated with what seemed to be a wonderful ‘down-to-earth’ or ‘escape-the-rat-race’ form of tourism. I felt people were starting to move away from traditional forms of tourism and looking for more natural products; agritourism seemed to provide this.

There was some funding available through the International Specialised Skills Institute here in Australia to study some skills and knowledge which were not adequately developed in this country, so I applied and won the ‘Veneto’ fellowship to travel to Italy and study their well-developed agritourism system and see what we could learn from that. The journey certainly opened my eyes to what I believe is a very sustainable form of tourism, from an economic, social, and environmental point of view; a sector of tourism that has developed well due to good Government intervention, planning and funding. I transformed from being interested to being passionate about agritourism.

Some of the features of the Italian system that make it so successful are;

· They have had Government funding for farmers (up to 70% of set up costs) since 1985

· Farmers must do compulsory training before commencing, at least 100 hours, and government provide funding through training organizations to support this

· Each agritourism has a limit to how large it can grow, ensuring that the business is shared around in each region

· Farmers must continue to earn more than 50% of their revenue from farming; this protects the strong agricultural base in Italy and ensures farmers continue working their farms as well as the tourism business

· Farmers who access government funding to modify their farms for the new business must remain in business for at least 10 years; the government is obviously protecting its financial interests

· Farmers accessing funds must not be over 50 years old

· There is signage in every country town identifying all local agritourism establishments

These features have contributed to the growth of the successful agritourism industry in Italy; a country where the idea of agritourism is so ingrained in the culture that people talk about having an ‘agritourism holiday’.

On return to Australia I was obliged to disseminate my findings from the study trip and wrote a 130 page report that has been distributed to a range of interested bodies. In addition to this I felt morally obliged to do something about trying to grow the industry here. Since returning we have started our on-line agritourism directory so people can find all relevant agritourism information in one place. The website, www.agritourismaustralia.com.au is growing slowly but surely, with the state of Victoria and Western Australia already with a great deal of listings; Queensland will be next to be up and running.

Since starting late last year we have already had a couple of thousand hits from 46 different countries around the world. It has been very exciting. We believe this interest has come from using the international terminology ‘agritourism’; previously in Australia only the term farm stay was used in marketing farm accommodation. There are two problems with this, the term used in many other countries is agritourism not farm stay, secondly, agritourism is an inclusive term as it includes produce sold from the farm gate, events on farms, wineries, tours of farms etc., so it is a much broader term. Some of the farmers that have taken out featured listings with us are reporting a lot of international visits that they weren’t getting in the past; the new term is obviously working.

Australia has an abundance of wonderful tourism products on farms; the problem till now has been finding it, we hope that we are able to remedy this and we welcome you to have a look around the site at some of the great products on offer and perhaps consider a trip to Oz to experience our very “Aussie” farm hospitality and a delicious range of fresh produce.

Pauline Porcaro

Guest Post for Beginning Farmers

I recently wrote a guest post for beginningfarmers.org that was published there on Monday. In the post, I define and explain farm stays, which is (strangely) something I haven't yet done on this blog. So I figured I would repost the piece here.
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Farm stays are one form of agritourism that is popular elsewhere in the world, though not yet well known here in the United States. But Americans are hungering to reconnect with farms -- and yearning for fresh air, fresh food, and authentic, affordable vacations. As the desire to support small family farms grows, so does the appeal of taking a farm vacation. Compared to other kinds of agritourism, farm stays can be personal and foster deeper connections between farmers and their guests.

What is a farm stay?

A farm stay is any type of accommodation on a working farm. Farm stays can be, but aren't necessarily, interactive. Some are family-focused, offering kids the opportunity to feed the animals and collect eggs. Others don't allow children at all, instead offering a peaceful retreat for adults. For the accommodations, guests normally pay rates similar to area bed & breakfasts or vacation rentals, although pricing varies considerably. The term "farm stay" can also describe a work exchange agreement, where the guest works a set number of hours per week in exchange for free or very cheap accommodations, such as those set up through World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF).

Possible farm stay accommodations include:

• Cabins
• Cottages
• Converted barns/outbuildings
• Farmhouse guest rooms
• Platform tents
• Tent camping
• Yurts

Should you host guests on your farm?

As with any form of agritourism, the economic and social benefits from farm stays can be tremendous, but the benefits must outweigh the costs for you. Whether or not starting a farm stays makes sense depends on a number of factors, like:

• Do you like being around people?
• Would you mind having strangers staying on your farm?
• What are the laws regarding agritourism and homestays in your area?
• What kinds of resources do you have on your farm?
• Do you already have bulidings that would work well for guest accommodations, with or without restoration?
• If not, do you have an ideal setup for camping?
• What are reasons people might want to visit your area?

Of course, the best way to decide whether or not you should start a farm stay or other agritourism operation is to talk with other farmers who have tried it.

Pennsylvania's Farm Vacation Association, Vermont's Farms! Association, and Maine's Farm Vacation Association are the best-organized state networks that focus primarily on supporting and connecting farm stays. Sleepinthehay.com is a new nationwide directory of farm stays, and Rural Bounty covers agritourism in Canada and the United States. Many of these offer free listings, at least for an initial trial period. Barbara Berst Adam's book The New Agritourism is also a good resource.

Louisiana Agritourism

Dora Ann Hatch is the Extension Agritourism Coordinator for the Louisiana State University AgCenter. I asked her to say a bit about Louisiana agritourism for Farm Stay USA. Thanks to her for the following info!

In Louisiana, farmers have been opening their farms to “city folks” for over a century. In 2008 the Louisiana Legislature recognized the potential of agritourism and introduced a bill into the legislature that would provide limited liability for certain agritourism operations. Since the passage of that bill, the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service and the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry have promoted agritourism as an alternative agriculture venture. A Web site, www.lsuagcenter.com/agritourism, was developed by the LSU AgCenter to provide resource information and a blog, www.louisianaagritourism.blogspot.com, was created to provide up to date information on agritourism attractions.

Louisianans practicing agritourism in the state are engaged in bird watching in rice fields, ranch stays, farm tours, farmers’ markets, u-pick-ems, pumpkin patches, etc.

Dora Ann Hatch, Extension Agritourism Coordinator for the LSU AgCenter, click here to email

Photo: LSU AgCenter: Steve Cardiff atop the rice combine points out to the birdwatcher on board the many Yellow Rails in the field. The birdwatcher was instructed on safe riding techniques and the combine landing was retrofitted with an additional safety support bar. Seeing a combine in action was the first for many birders.

Fraser Valley Agritourism - British Columbia, Canada Video

Fraser Valley Agritourism - British Columbia, Canada Video

Farm Stay Features, Upcoming Conferences

In a food feature for the Memphis Flyer, Sarah Christine Bolton gave a glowing report of food and agritourism in Chattanooga, TN. Bolton says that the city is "embracing artistic endeavors, sustainable business, locally grown food, and a thriving agri-tourism industry."

Photo: Working Horse Winery

Becky Gavigan of Granville Online wrote about the Working Horse Winery Inn in a recent article. The organic, 22-acre horse-powered vineyard and farm stay is an in the heart of the Okanagan Valley, in BC, Canada.

   

Photos: Joy Henkle  

Joy Henkle of whitewaterwarehouse.wordpress.com, a blog about travel, food, river rafting, and hiking in Southern Oregon, recently featured Pennington Farms. The 90-acre berry farm has an "old school" bakery and farm store specializing in berry pie and jam, as well as a 3-bedroom farm stay rental home. The pies look amazing.

Upcoming agritourism conferences and workshops

The 2010 Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism, & Organic Conference will be held in Springfield, IL from January 6-8. Thanks to the Local Matters blog for this info.

Western North Carolina Cooperative Extension is holding The Business Side of Agritourism Workshop from January 27th-28th.

The fifth Tennessee Agritourism Cultivating Farm Revenue Conference will be held in Nashville on Jan. 28-30, 2010, in conjunction with the Tennessee Horticultural Expo.

According to Durham, NY's The Daily Mail, the Durham Agricultural Community Partnership announced a Farmer’s Forum tentatively scheduled for Jan. 28. The forum is meant to update farmers on the progress that the Partnership has made in exploring ways to strengthen local agriculture and markets. Agritourism is one of the Partnership's four primary research strands, which also include forestry, livestock, and maple syrup production. According to local farm stay host Sherry Hull of Hull-O Farms:

Every farm is unique and they each have something different to offer. My visitors tell me how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful place. They say they don’t want to leave at the end of their vacations. We have to remind ourselves of how it looks from their perspective and appreciate and experience our lifestyle through their eyes.

The Nebraska Governor’s Agri/Eco-Tourism Workshop for 2010 will take place Feb. 3 and 4 at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Kearney. The workshop is sponsored by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development’s Travel and Tourism Division, along with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and Nebraska Department of Agriculture.

Local officials in Augusta, VA are "buzzing" with talk about agritourism, according to an article by Chris Graham in the Augusta Free Press. From the article:

“The pressure on farmers is clearly there,” county economic-development director Dennis Burnett said. The county economic-development plan includes among its action points the development of strategies to help farmers grow and diversify their businesses ... “It contributes to the bottom line if we can make farming more economically viable. And at the same time, it preserves our rural landscape. It can be a win-win for everybody.”

Zoning, Location, Local Economics, Agritourism Books

Zoning

"A profitable farm preserves itself," says Prince George's County, MD Farm Bureau President Yates Claggett. The Prince George's County Council recently passed two bills that support agritourism. The first adds wineries to the county zoning code, while the second defines agritourism, and allows it in certain residential areas. Although the county can now provide permits for wineries to operate, farmers interested in selling their wine on-site still must pass an additional hurdle, as current laws do not allow wineries to obtain liquor licenses.

Fayettville, GA resident Scott Tyson is also lobbying his county to expand zoning ordinances to allow him to develop a plan for an unconventional, 10-acre farm that includes agritourism. The measure, if approved by the County Planning Department, would "create Neighborhood Agribusiness zoning in the Rural Conservation zoning district."

In Central Virginia, the Albemarle County Planning Department has been raising questions about the definition of agritourism and about what constitutes normal winery activity, in order to bring local ordinances in line with those of the state. Local winery owners seem wary of the restrictions that the Planning Department has been discussing. Issues like this always beg the question: Has someone complained about the activities of local wineries? If so, who?

What are all of the benefits and costs of agritourism to local communities? How can tensions between neighbors best be resolved?

Location

The success of agritourism relies heavily on location and marketing. For Hardin Farms in Arkansas, the construction of a bypass that routes traffic around the town of Grady has slashed the farm's customer base. Drivers passing through the area were once routed next to Hardin Farms; now, with the bypass, even drivers who had previously made a habit of stopping at the farm have trouble finding it. The Hardins are now applying for highway signs to direct traffic to the farm. Like so much else in farming, even the viability of a particular location can change.

Local Economics

Mary Morgan of the Ann Arbor Chronicle recently wrote an excellent column discussing local v. larger businesses. The column highlights the powerful effects that local politics can have on encouraging or discouraging locally-owned and community-based businesses. Ms. Morgan argues that local governments face a tension between luring large companies to an area and helping incubate homegrown entrepreneurs.

Agritourism Books

Kathy Purdy of the Cold Climate Gardening Blog recently wrote a book review of Hudson River Valley Farms: The People and the Pride behind the Produce, by Joanne Michaels. The book looks lovely, and seems like it provides some interesting commentary from farmers about agritourism. Take this quote, for instance, from Steve Osborne of Stoutridge Vineyard: "Agri-tourism is the last refuge of agriculture." I hope to check out the book soon myself.

If you're a farmer interested in expanding to agritourism, also check out Barbara Berst Adams' The New Agritourism: Hosting Community and Tourists on Your Farm.

 

Farm Stays, Diversification, Legislation

Kate Hammil compiled her choices for the "Top ten alternative lodging options" for Gadling.com. Here's what she says about Farm Stays:

When visiting a city, I generally like to stay in the city. I want to be able to step outside of my lodging directly into the fray. I want to wander all day down cobble stones streets, and then be able to totter home after a few drinks to fall asleep to the sounds of the city. But in some areas, the way of life is more rural. In these places, I want to get the full experience. Here, I want to look out my window and see rolling fields. I want to see how the people live off the land, and I want to retire each night to watch the sunset from my deck while eating food produced just a few steps from where I'm standing. In these places, I want to stay at an agritourismo.

Like a bed and breakfast, and agritourismo is family run and generally offers breakfast included in the accommodation. But an agritourismo or farm stay also offers much more. Guest will get an education in farming while immersing themselves in nature – horseback riding, wandering through fields, and learning about (or even helping with) the operations of the property.

Also, Homegrown.org, an offshoot of Farm Aid, recently highlighted farm vacations, along with this photo from Liberty Hill Farm in Vermont.
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Strength in Diversification

Recent news tidbits from throughout the USA have discussed the importance of farm diversification for long-term viability, particularly in this economy. Here are four examples:

3. Check out this 5-minute video report about Oklahoma agritourism.  The interviewees stress again and again that long-term economic viability, for farmers, goes hand-in-hand with diversification. "It's like a bathtub," says one farmer, "You wouldn't want to build one with only one leg."

4. Agritourism speaker and consultant Jane Eckert urges farmers to consider blogging as part of their direct-to-consumer marketing plan. The importance of diversification, clearly, applies to marketing as well as crops.

1. A Georgia agritourism farm was selected to be the Bulloch County Farm Family of the Year. The family switched from traditional row cropping to growing fruits and vegetables, while also adding agritourism in 2001. "It's important," said awardee Al Clark, "There's many, many kids that the only time they see a farm is when they come to ours." 

5. Community members in S. Woodstock, VT have come together to buy a bankrupt water buffalo farm to save it from becoming a lamb feedlot and slaughterhouse, according to an article in the Rutland Herald. The Woodstock residents who united to buy the farm plan to turn it into an innovative dairy, creamery, and education center. Considering the dire situation of VT dairy farms - who are receiving $1.20 for a gallon of milk that costs $1.80 to produce - the future of a diversified dairy that offers cheesemaking classes and processes its own milk will be interesting to watch.
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Legislation

In Goodhue County, Minn., planning commissioners are trying to resolve conflicts between a winery and its neighboring residents. Because agritourism is not addressed in county ordinances, some of the winery's neighbors have complained that the winery's agritourism activities are illegal. According to an article in the Red Wing Republican Eagle,

"Commissioners say they want some authority over agri-tourism to ensure out-county areas keep their rural feel and that people remain safe. They don't want that oversight disrupting farmers who depend on selling their goods to make a living."

Because agritourism is growing and remains largely ignored in the lawbooks, I expect we'll see a growing amount of agritourism legislation, as communities seek a balance between retaining their rural character and welcoming visitors to their area.

New York news bits

Cornell Cooperative Extension recently hosted an agritourism workshop in Greene County, NY. Here's The Daily Mail quoting Sherry Hull, of Hull-O Farms, who presented during the workshop:

I'm not going to lie, [hosting guests] is hard work. And we are slaves to the weather and government. But whenever I feel stressed, I pull out one of the guest books and read the passage a little boy said years ago when he stayed at our farm. 'This may be the best day of my whole life,' he wrote.

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An article in the Star Gazette on Schuyler County, NY discusses a study on the county's agricultural economy. While the author of the study, Jim Ochterski, says that the county has a healthy ag economy, the study also suggests an action plan for county farms to do even better. One of his recommendations is "Developing and marketing authentic farm tourism experiences."

New York State farm stays: Brookton Hollow Farm

Central New York’s Finger Lakes region, named for a handful of long, skinny lakes carved out by glaciers, has become famous for its wineries, and has a rich local foods culture that is beautifully displayed in places like the Ithaca Farmers Market.

Only a few miles from Ithaca, Brookton Hollow Farm and its dry bean and grain label, Cayuga Pure Organics, have become vital suppliers of New York’s burgeoning locavore population. Not only are the farm’s beans organic, they are also far fresher, more tender, faster cooking, and tastier than most dry beans. Brookton Hollow Farm’s owners, Erick and Debby Smith, host an organic, vegetarian, 3-bedroom bed and breakfast in their lovely farm home. Guests are welcome to explore the farm’s 135 acres, walk through the meadows and along Six-Mile Creek, go birding and wildlife watching, or simply relax in a hammock or on the porch. The B&B features solid wood construction and simple décor, and is heated entirely with wood. Erick and Debby built the house in 1984 with a focus on energy efficiency – the walls are 9 inches thick, and the house is fitted with solar water heating and electric systems.

           

Erick grew up on a dairy farm in Michigan. He was so excited to plow the fields that he used to run home from school to get on the tractor. He didn't return to farming, however, until he reached his 50s, after a career teaching mathematics. Even today, Erick finds cultivating fields crops deeply satisfying: he loves the process of taking a field unsuitable for growing crops, then turning over the ground, planting, and watching the seeds come up. Debby, a photographer, has restored and reopened the historic Brooktondale General Store. In addition to providing the village with healthy groceries, the general store now acts as a vital community center. Business for the dry beans and flour has been steadily improving, with Cayuga Pure Organics selling to the local co-op grocer and Mexican restaurant, as well as farmers markets and co-ops in New York City. Still, it's hard to compete with imported organic beans from China. By cutting out the middleman, Cayuga Pure Organics has gained more control over its prices. Some larger, conventional dry bean farmers have even admitted to envying the company’s strategy of selling directly to the consumer. Erick and Debby also rent an adjacent field to an organic farmer who raises vegetables using draft horses under the name The Gardens of Earthly Mirth. After buying the farm in 1976, Erick and Debby had a u-pick strawberry operation for a few years. Finding themselves with excess space when their children left the house, the couple decided to open a B&B. They hoped to continue meeting wonderful people like those who came to the farm to pick strawberries.

If you go:
Erick and Debby offer a 3-bedroom Bed and Breakfast, weekends only, in a modern green-built farmhouse on their 135-acre dry bean and grain farm. No children under 8 except by arrangement. Rates for two are $95-125.


http://www.bhfarm.com/
18 Banks Rd
Brooktondale, New York 14817
(607) 273-5725

This and that - news updates

I've been traveling lately, so to catch up, I have a scattered bunch of articles and
blog posts to report on:

The LA Times surveyed its readers to find out their picks for their favorite underrated vacation spots. Agritourism is mentioned in the first section, on Charlevoix, Quebec.

Wendy Redal, a columnist for Gaiam Life, wrote a nice overview of agritourism in a piece called Fall on the Farm: Agritourism Offers Plenty to Savor. She gives details on some Wisconsin farms as well.

The Review Lady blog gave a nice report of Smithfield Farm Bed and Breakfast in Virginia, along with musings on Michael Pollan and some lovely photos like the one to the right.

Southwest Virginia is developing an artisan network of crafts and farms called 'Round the Mountain that will be linked by a trail system, much like The Crooked Road, a wonderful heritage music trail. I love this trail idea as a way to connect people with out-of-the-way artisans and farms.

Western North Carolina farmers can apply for grants, due January 2010, via a program called Ag Options. The original aim of the grant program was to ensure the sustainability of area farms through the decline of tobacco farming. Today, the program supports the long-term viability of farms in the region by encouraging sustainable farm growth and diversification. Farms with goals to increase agritourism or utilize alternative energy are encouraged to apply.
Photo: The McDowell News

This week's news roundup

Journalist and yoga teacher Ann Marie Swan wrote a lovely article for the Salida Citizen (an intriguing volunteer-run community news site) about Colorado wine and agritourism, accompanied by nice photos of grape stomping and such.

Also, here's a short piece about Missouri wineries and agritourism.

And here's an article about culinary and agri-tourism in Tennessee, from Jacque Hillman of the Jackson Sun.

Alternative energy farm stays

Cross Island Farms, an organic, 102-acre veggie and meat farm in Northern New York, added five primitive campsites this fall.  They're also planning to install a wind turbine, according to an article by writer Nancy Madsen for the Watertown Daily Times. 

Other Northeastern U.S. farm stays featuring alternative energy include:

Apple Pond Farm and Renewable Energy Education Center, in the Catskills of upstate New York, offers a guest house rental, and has rooftop solar panels in addition to a wind turbine.  The farm is organic and horse-powered, raising sheep, goats, and veggies.

Pompanuck Farm Institute, also in upstate New York and 3.5 hours from both New York City and Montreal, is a non-profit that hosts courses, concerts, and events related to the arts, gardening, and sustainability.  The institute is located on 78 acres of fields, forests and streams, and offers personal retreats in private or shared guest houses, or primitive camping.  Some buildings are powered with solar panels.

On Warren Pond Farm, in Central New York's Finger Lakes region, is a self-sufficient, off-the-grid farm with has a water wheel, windmills, and solar panels.  The farm offers tent sites and cabin rentals on 37 acres.  The Warren family raises "morganic" heritage meats like bison, elk, and deer, in addition to grains and vegetables.

D Acres of New Hampshire Organic Farm and Educational Homestead offers primitive camping as well as private or shared hostel accommodations in a beautiful modern farm house in Central New Hampshire.  The farm is located on 180 primarily-forested acres, and has 3 acres of fruit and vegetable gardens, as well as chickens, pigs, and oxen.  The farm has a freestanding solar array that rotates to follow the sun, as well as solar hot water and a solar-powered irrigation system.  (Disclaimer: I worked as the Garden Manager at D Acres in 2005)

Nova Scotia and North Carolina

The theme of the articles I've been posting lately seems to be: you can't make a living from just farming anymore -- at least not the kind of farming in which farmers sell to middlemen who determines the price of the goods. Different strategies are in order, from direct-to-consumer sales to hosting customers on the farm for all kinds of activities.

"A tough row to hoe," by Gordon Delaney of the Halifax Chronicle Herald, discusses Nova Scotia's once booming, but now struggling, hog industry. In Nova Scotia, says the article, "Large retailers can bring pork into the province cheaper than local farmers can produce it."

It sounds much like the dairy crisis.  The cost of farmers producing the goods is greater than the wholesale price that they receive for the goods.

Photo caption: At the age of 53, Gerald Vermeulen is being forced to shut down his Canning hog operation. The lifelong farmer’s eyes fill with tears as he says: ’It’s going to be difficult for me to transition into something else, but that’s what I’m going to have to do.’(Photos by TIM KROCHAK / Chronicle Herald Staff)


From the article:

The hog industry is an example of how farmers have had to struggle to survive in a changing marketplace where large national and international grocery chains rule, and competition from cheap imported food products puts the squeeze on local farmers...There’s been a huge consolidation over the past 10 years among retail chains and other food distributors, putting the primary producer at a disadvantage in negotiation and positioning of prices, relative to the costs involved in producing food.

The article continues to analyze the food security risk inherent in a system in which only 7.2% of consumers' food dollars go to local farmers, down from 10.1% in 1991.

There is now, however, a small reverse in the trend. The local foods movement is changing consumer behavior, and some farmers are diversifying and pursuing agritourism in order to become resilient to the tough market.

Photo caption: Caroline Bishop and her father, Andrew, have branched out into alternate farming methods at their Noggins Corner Farm near Wolfville. Plastic field tunnels allow them to grow things like raspberries that normally couldn’t be grown here this time of year.