California Agritourism News August 2017
from the
UC Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program
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Welcome to the first newsletter from the UC Cooperative Extension Agritourism Program's new home, UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (UC SAREP). In this issue:
- Agritourism professional development workshops
- California Small Farm Conference early-bird registration
- California Small Farm Conference Scholarships
- CalagTour.org directory and calendar promotion
- NAFDMA Convention comes to California
- Useful resources
Warm regards to everyone in California agritourism. Please stay in touch.
Sincerely,
Penny Leff, UC SAREP Agritourism Coordinator
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"Teaching & Supporting Agritourism" Workshop in Woodland
A professional development workshop for agricultural and tourism professionals, agritourism leaders and government staff and officials
Would you like to assist farmers and ranchers in your region develop and promote successful agritourism enterprises?
We invite you to
apply to participate in a FREE two-day Professional Development workshop offered by agritourism trainers and expert partners at University of California Cooperative Extension and funded by Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (Western SARE).
Dates: November 14 - 15, 2017
Times: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. each day
Location: UCCE Yolo County, 70 Cottonwood Street, Woodland, CA 95695
This training will include a full-day tour of agritourism operations in the beautiful Capay Valley. Day two will feature interactive sessions led by expert trainers with tools and resources for developing agritourism workshops and other agritourism support activities for agricultural producers in your region. A similar (but Southern California focused) workshop is being planned for January 2018 in San Diego County. More news on the SoCal workshop soon.
Please
click here to apply for the Yolo County "Teaching and Supporting Agritourism" Workshop to be held in WoodlandTuesday November 14 through Wednesday November 15, 2017.
This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under subaward number EW17-012. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider.
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California Small Farm Conference
Register now for Early Bird Discount!
Join us in Stockton!
Join 300 members
of the California small farm community at the
California Small Farm Conference 2017
: October 29 and 30, 2017 at the Robert Cabral Agricultural Center in Stockton. Learn from experienced small-scale farmers and farmers' market managers; dig deep with field courses and short courses; share your insight and experiences with new and old friends in the vibrant agricultural heart of California.
This year the conference will be a little different than recent California Small Farm Conferences - It will be a little shorter, not held at a hotel, more affordable, and will include an evening reception and a networking lunch for everyone in the basic fee.
Scholarships
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2016 scholarship recipients |
Scholarship applications are
now being accepted to attend the 30th annual California Small Farm Conference (CSFC) Scholarships this year provide an opportunity for beginning farmers and ranchers with limited financial resources to participate in the conference*. Scholarship attendees pay a significantly reduced registration fee of $50 and the minimal field course fee of $25. The deadline to apply for a scholarship is
September 20th, 2017.
Basic eligibility requirements: Applicants must be beginning farmers and/or ranchers that have operated a farm or ranch for less than 10 consecutive years. Farm/ranch employees and apprentices are also eligible to apply. Applicants must also reside in California and have had a 2016 household income of less than $50,000.
*Funding for scholarships is provided by the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Grant of the USDA-NIFA program titled, Growing Roots: Deepening Support for Diverse New Farmers and Ranchers in California, Grant # 2015-70017-22868
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Free listing for your agritourism activities and events
If you are a working California farmer or rancher operating an agritourism business or organizing agritourism events, we invite you to complete the
directory application
or
event listing form
online (remember to upload a picture too). You can also add
[email protected]
to your email newsletter list to share your event news - we'll grab what we can for the calendar. If you're already a member, please check your listing and send us any changes (and a picture) using the
update form
.
Join now - visits to the site are growing daily. IT'S ALL FREE.
- We have a new, visitor-targeted Facebook page - California Agritourism Adventures - please like us, share, and send us your news to promote on the page and in the online directory calendar.
We look forward to helping promote your business!
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NAFDMA Convention in California February 2018
The North American Farmers' Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA) is a membership organization of entrepreneurial farm families who "invite customers to visit our farms and experience the food and the fun we create in our effort to sustain our land and livelihood."
The 2018 annual NAFDMA Convention will take place in the Los Angeles region from February 1 through February 7, 2018. Watch the
NAFDMA website
for more details.
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Some useful resources...
- Farm-Based Education Network - A free international member network established to strengthen and support the work of educators, farmers and community leaders providing access and experiences of all kinds on productive working farms.
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Farm Stay U.S. -The website of the U.S. Farm Stay Association, promoting farm and ranch stays in the United States and providing resources for farm stay operators and visitors.
- Hipcamp Landshare - rural accommodations marketing site - If you are legally permitted to offer camping, cabins, or any kind of farm stay or guest ranch on your land, these San Francisco based folks may be good marketing partners.
- Harvest Hosts - a program that connects farms and wineries with RV owners. Invite Harvest Hosts' RV owners to park overnight on your property and benefit from the goodwill that motivates them to make purchases.
- AgritourismReady website - Created by Ohio State University Extension: A One Stop Shop for preparing your emergency management plan
- North American Farm Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA) - a membership based trade association dedicated to providing endless peer-to-peer learning opportunities, connections and resources, for farmers who are passionate about the business of agritourism and farm direct marketing.
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