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California Agritourism News April 2017
from the University of California Small Farm Program
 

Springtime is here and city folks are ready for an adventure on your farm, ranch or vineyard. Are you ready to welcome them?

Thanks for opening the newsletter. In this issue:
  • California Small Farm Conference invites your participation
  • Notes and presentations from regional agritourism summits
  • CalagTour.org directory and calendar promotion
  • Useful resources
Warm regards to everyone involved in California agritourism. Please stay in touch.

Sincerely,
Penny Leff, UC Small Farm Program Agritourism Coordinator
Be part of the California Small Farm Conference!

The 30th California Small Farm Conference will be held October 29 and 30 in Stockton.

Call for Workshop Proposals
The California Small Farm Conference features workshops for all experience levels across many different subjects tailored for farmers, ranchers and farmers' market managers. The 2017 conference is looking for workshop presenters in the areas of Certified Farmers' Markets, Marketing, Farm Management, Production, and Emerging Issues. Workshop proposals are due by May 1   Learn More

Call for Short Courses/ Field Courses
We invite our colleague organizations - farmer educators, farmers' market organizations and other related groups, to sponsor day-long or half-day short courses, field courses, training sessions, mini-conferences or other activities in partnership with the CSFC on Sunday October 29 at the Cabral Ag Center. Short Course proposals are due by May 31
  
CALL FOR LOCAL PLANNING PARTICIPANTS
Spring is coming: starting now, the California Small Farm Conference Planning Committee is sowing the seeds for a compelling program for the California Small Farm Conference 2017, scheduled for October 29 and 30, 2017 in Stockton.  If you are in the Stockton region, we need you!

Think about what you - and the outstanding farmers, ranchers, farmers' market managers and food marketers in your immediate community - are doing to maintain world class caliber food production and help small-scale producers succeed, and how we can improve, innovate and lead in transformative food production and marketing practices on small farms and ranches.  Become involved and contribute locally for an exceptional conference that will bear fruit in our work practices in the years to come.
 
Contribute: your expertise, experience and innovation in producing, in processing food, in marketing and in creating new opportunities for small scale farmers and the community that creates and sells world class caliber food
·       form a panel with practical innovators in the small farm community
·       provide input on local issues to incorporate in the conference.
·       work to identify relevant event sites
·       suggest impactful speaker and participants
 
Where: the 2017 California Small Farm Conference (CSFC) will be held at the  Robert Cabral Agricultural Center in Stockton. Field visits will be in a 50 mile radius.
 
When: Sunday, October 29 and Monday, October 30.
 
How to become involved: Join the planning committee to help us make this a phenomenal experience in October.  Our first meeting is to be held at:
 
Where: San Joaquin Farm Bureau Federation 3290 Ad Art Rd, Stockton, CA 95215
When: April 24, 2017
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
 
And...Think about how you can participate in October and who we should invite to share their experience, skill and insight. We're looking for the brightest and the best of small-scale farmers, food processors, farmers' market managers and marketers.
 
R.S.V.P. by email to [email protected]
Did you miss your Regional Agritourism Summit?
Notes and presentations are now online

Thank you to all the agritourism operators, tourism professionals, county, city and state staff and officials, community organizations, agricultural organizations, tour organizers and everyone else involved in California agritourism who participated in one of the Regional Agritourism Summits in February or March this year.

Members of regional agritourism communities gathered for a day of sharing, learning and planning together in Davis, Petaluma, Modesto and Riverside.
Each regional summit was different & unique. Here are some highlights you might enjoy:

From the Sonoma/Marin Summit:
Economic Impact and Strategy Considerations for Agritourism by Dr. Robert Eyler, Economic Forensics and Analytics

From the Riverside/San Bernardino/San Diego Summit: Economic Opportunities and Community Benefit; the Potential for Agritourism by Thom Curry, Temecula Olive Oil Co. 

We heard many great presentations by experienced farmers and others. People gathered in break-out groups to learn new skills or to plan future collaborations. Discussion notes and more presentations from all four summits are now online at http://sfp.ucdavis.edu/agritourism/summits2017/
Educational Opportunity ...


North America Farm Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA) Advanced Learning Retreat 2017 will be held May 11 - 14, 2017 at The Rock Ranch, The Rock, GA.

 

Train rides, zip lines, jumping pillows, carousel, cane pole fishing, pedal boats, pony rides, campfire surrounded by Conestoga Wagons... 


Learn more and register here 
We're promoting the NEW www.calagtour.org

 
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're on Twitter promoting your California agritourism events and activities - please follow, retweet or tag us about your events and activities for visitors - @CAagritourism
     
  • 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!

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.
  • Toddypond Farm - A Farm Stay U.S. member
    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.  
Penny Leff, Agritourism Coordinator | UC Small Farm Program 
530-762-7779 | [email protected]
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