taking your farm destination to the next level southern new england agritourism business conference...
TRANSCRIPT
Taking your Farm Destination to the Next Level
Southern New England Agritourism Business Conference
March 3, 2010
Stu Nunnery, RICAPE
Goals for Today
Colleagues not competitors. Identify our common interest to generate on-farm revenues through agritourism.
Share information &experiences.
Review challenges and opportunities.
Goals for today
Identify services in the region – NEFW, CT Grown, VNE and other partners that are focused on you and agritourism.
Link our efforts across state lines to sustain farms, farmers and grow this industry.
Answer the question – “What’s next for you and for agritourism?”
New England FarmWays 2005, RICAPE 501c3 non-
profit Training, Information and
promotional hub for agritourism in RI/SNE
Subscription Service/memberships
Website, weekly newsletter Farm Site assessments Liaison work with travel and
tourism, business and philanthropic communities town councils, planning and zoning boards
Maintain media presence
New England FarmWays
Seven State Partnership – West Virginia to Maine– State agencies, colleges and universities, non profits and small businesses
SARE Grant awarded to the Partnership in 2008 to support a regional agritourism information transfer and training initiative that was launched last year at SNE and continues
New England FarmWays
For the Public: social and educational events - Feast in the Field, Sensory Sojourns, etc.
This year – 90-sec TV spots in all seven NE markets for 35 weeks promoting farm visits in New England
Corporate sponsorships for events
More training events, webinars
Growing membership Partnerships/JWU
The Agricultural Business Model –
Production & Regulatory focus
Requires various agricultural and business Skills
Crops & Livestock Production of
commodities, farm and value-added products
Marketing of same.
The Agritourism Business Model
Focus on visitor services
Interdependent businesses across multiple sectors
Requires new business skills
Involves multiple enterprises
The Farm IS the product
Selling the Farm “Experience.”
The Agricultural Business Model
Wholesale at market/retail at farmer’s markets
Business plans Risk management/labor The usual costs Dependence on AG
service providers – USDA, FSA, NRCS and state Depts. of AG
Commitment
The Agritourism Business Model – The Shifting Sands
Retail on site Site assessments,
Marketing plans New risk exposures Costs with an emphasis
on Value New service providers
in various sectors of the economy
Survey Results – 230 Respondents
Capturing new customers Marketing materials,
strategies Retail merchandising, point
of sale and pricing Start ups Farm stands The internet Right to Farm, Local
Ordinances Crops and Value added
products Field activities for visitors Farm Site Assessments
Opportunities
The small business community has many resources and services available to you.
30M visitors within a days drive
Agriculture’s profile is improving
AT one of fastest growing sectors of tourism nationwide
New England is the direct marketing capital of the US
Opportunities
The local food and local farm scene touches every base.
Tourism preferences are for the “authentic.”
History of the region plays into and off the farm setting.
Demand from tour operators is surging.
In region marketing support is growing NEFW, VNE, state agencies, CVB’s, Discover NE, etc.
Agritourism is an integral part of the sustainability movement.
Challenges
Assumptions: All this good news means
more visitors, more revenue.
Right to farm is a license. Everyone wants to come
to the farm. Cost is no object on the
farm. Local support means
state support & town support.
Challenges State Depts. Of Ag are being
downsized and under-funded No uniform definition of
agriculture at the local level - “agricultural activity,” “alternative enterprises” are open for interpretation and/or are missing from the language in comp plans and zoning regulations
Need for more training, technical assistance and marketing support - specifically for agritourism
Need for more grants, capital and easy credit,
Pesky taxes, and……