Project Overview
This project used a peer-reviewed manual for agritourism training and partnered with experienced agritourism operators and local tourism, marketing and business planning professionals to deliver strategies for understanding, evaluating and managing the risks associated with operating agitourism enterprises on small-scale farms and ranches. We offered a series of three workshops in two different regions of California. At the first workshops, 59 small-scale producers increased their knowledge of potential enterprises, agritourism regulations and risk management and assessed their own farms or ranches for possible agritourism businesses. At the second and third workshops, 47 participants began drafting business, marketing and risk management plans. Participants established relationships with local experienced agritourism operators and with fellow class participants through presentations, small group interaction and shared meals. At the final workshops, 28 participants, representing 25 individual businesses, completed “Action Plans” listing objectives and action steps for the next six months. Three months after the project ended, 18 of these participants participated in telephone interviews, reporting that, although only 7 had completed business plans, 17 had begun implementing business or action plans, 14 implemented new marketing strategies, 9 made changes to reduce legal risk, and 11 had ongoing contact with experienced agritourism operators or class participants.
Number of Participants: 67
PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS
There are no promotional materials available for this project.
EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS
There are no educational materials available for this project.
REPORTS & EVALUATIONS
There are no reports or evaluations available for this project.