Editor, :

Outreach news Agritourism operators embrace social media for marketing hen it comes to marketing , the hottest fair amount of time . It might make sense to hire topic among Californiaâ??s agritourism someone . â?? Woperators is clearly social media . Many In response to the key findings from the first operators are embracing this tool to market their statewide agritourism survey ( see page 57 ) , the farm - related businesses . UC Small Farm Program organized the workshops â?? Weâ??re seeing the older generation eager to in January and February 2011 to address chal - learn from the 30 - year - olds how to jump into this lenges related to permits , regulations , planning , new way of communicating with marketing and risk management . The first four their customers , â?? said Penny Leff , workshops â?? held in Merced ( Merced County ) , Rio agritourism coordinator for the UC Vista ( Solano County ) , Ukiah ( Mendocino County ) Small Farm Program . â?? But they are and Red Bluff ( Tehama County ) â?? brought to - also worried about having enough gether more than 300 agritourism operators ; time to learn something new while farmers and ranchers considering agritourism ; keeping their businesses running . â?? agricultural and tourism professionals ; and regula - Attendees at four recent re - tors , elected officials and community leaders . gional agritourism workshops â?? â?? Regulatory issues and tools for marketing agri - funded by USDA Western SARE tourism operations were identified as primary con - ( Sustainable Agriculture Research cerns , â?? said Ellie Rilla , the studyâ??s lead investigator and Education ) â?? expressed con - and community development advisor with UC siderable interest in learning how Cooperative Extension in Marin County . to use Facebook , Twitter , blogs , Regulatory approaches YouTube and other new tools . At the workshops , local planning profession - â?? [ Social media is ] the most af - als shared ways that many counties have been fordable , efficient , time - conscious incorporating agritourism into their general plan way to interact with people , keep The second edition of Agritourism and Nature Tourism in California will be revisions . For example , Calaveras Countyâ??s latest tabs on changing market trends , published later this year . general plan notes : â?? The sustainability of the many brand your business and tell your segments of agriculture in the county is directly story , â?? said marketer Chris Kerston of Chaffin related to the success of agritourism and the eco - Family Orchards in Oroville . â?? Expect it to take a nomic benefits it provides . â?? Likewise , Butte Countyâ??s plan states : â?? By pro - Hilgardia digitization project under way moting certain aspects of farming as a tourist at - traction , agriculturalists educate the public about C faculty and staff are spearheading an effort to scan and agricultural land and farming practices , while mar - Udigitize Hilgardia , the primary technical publication of UC keting a variety of retail products . â?? Agriculture and Natural Resources for 70 years . Butte County is implementing a Unique Although production ceased in 1995 , Hilgardia includes classic Agricultural Overlay designation in its general editions that formed the cornerstones of agricultural , environ - plan in order to protect and promote small - scale mental and nutritional research . The journal is still widely cited in agriculture . This designation allows agricultural - scientific literature . support and specialty - agriculture uses either by Despite its distinguished past , Hilgardia has virtually no web right or under discretionary permit , regardless of presence , and one - half of published issues ( including the first 24 whether they are allowed in the underlying zoning . volumes and 58 other editions ) are now out of print . The remain - Allowed uses include wineries , roadside stands , ing paperbound journals are subject to physi - farm - based tourism , bed and breakfasts , and ancil - cal degradation . lary restaurants and stores . The committeeâ??s goal is to raise $ 30,000 â?? The designation will be used by small - scale for scanning and digitization . The Hilgardia producers in the East Oroville Foothills , the historic monographs will then be posted online , center of the Butte County citrus industry from freely available to scholarly and lay readers 1900 to 1940 , â?? said Butte County principal planner worldwide . Dan Breedon . â?? This area includes small - scale cit - To make a donation or for more information , rus , vineyards , orchards , organic gardens , wineries send e - mail to calag @ ucdavis.edu or Deborah and olive oil tasting , which all can benefit from the Golino at dagolino @ ucdavis.edu , or go to : countyâ??s innovative approach to zoning . â?? http : / / californiaagriculture.ucanr.org / hilgardia.cfm . â?? Shermain Hardesty and Editors 56 CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE â?¢ VOLUME 65 , NUMBER 2