Agricultural Tourism

Unique Niches - Agritourism in Britain and New England

Executive Summary

In March 1997 I left my positions as director of the University of California (UC) Cooperative Extension offices in Marin and Sonoma counties for a 10-month sabbatical leave. While a portion of my time was spent taking training courses to upgrade my computer, Internet, and community facilitation skills, most of my time and energy was focused on investigating farm or agritourism. My purpose was to explore the possibilities for development of this type of farm venture in West Marin and Sonoma County. I met with and interviewed 16 local people active in agriculture, interested in agritourism or active in community development prior to my trip.

I focused on farm or agritourism in England and selected states on the east coast of the United States based on my research into activities in these areas. I hoped to visit areas that were similar to our farm communities in size, scope and attitude that had developed tourist ventures on farms that were profitable. My aim was to see how these activities might be transferred to our area and to expand my knowledge of this type of venture. The terms "farm tourism" and "agritourism" are used interchangeably, as preference for use is different geographically. In England, the term farm tourism is used; on the East Coast, agritourism is used. For consistency, I use the term agritourism throughout this report except where I describe the formal title of a group or project.

I met and interviewed 100 persons active in this area. While the majority were farm entrepreneurs, some were officials involved in the effort such as tourism agency staff, park officials, producer association representatives, farming union members, and extension staff involved in agritourism.

What I discovered was that engaging in agritourism might be considered by a minority of farmers and ranchers, perhaps 20 to 30 families in Marin and an equal number in Sonoma County. However, for those who do seek to supplement their farm incomes with this type of venture, it can be very rewarding. The farmers whom I perceived to be the most successful in their operations shared a set of important qualifications: an outgoing personality that enjoyed interacting with the public, a property that was attractive and organized, a product (activity based, object, or service) that people desired, and a customer base that was available and consistent.

The other most important ingredient for success was whether or not the farm entrepreneur had the support of the local community. Those who were most successful had an infrastructure that nurtured them. In England, this support came from the National Parks bolstered by European Community (EC) grant funds for farm assistance. Along the East Coast supporters included tourism district staff, local Cooperative Extension staff with tourism and small business development expertise, and local elected officials who were aware of tourism, especially in Vermont.

We have some of these ingredients here in the North Bay farms of Marin and Sonoma: bright, outgoing people, an accessible base of potential customers, good ideas and the work power to carry them forward. Plans for integrating what I learned include conducting direct marketing workshops on agritourism in Marin and Sonoma counties; and a grant proposal to the Marin Community Foundation and other sources to fund a multi-year agricultural diversification, marketing, and educational project. The project will tie together Agricultural Summit recommendations and lessons learned within the scope of this project.

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Tuesday May 13 2008