Agritourism Planning Classes, 2011-2012
The "Agritourism Intensive" in Orland and the "Guide to Agritourism" in Fresno are both three-session agritourism planning courses offered by the UC Small Farm Program and local partners for farmers and ranchers starting or growing their agritourism or nature tourism enterprises. The classes combine presentations by experienced agritourism operators and experts in business planning, risk management, hospitality and marketing with hands-on interactive activities to guide participants as they assess their own farms or ranches for agritourism potential and start their own business, risk management and marketing plans.
Funding for this project was provided by the Washington State University Western Center for Risk Management Education and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
The Orland course started November 30, 2011 and continues with classes on January 18 and March 20, 2012.
The Fresno course started December 8, 2011 and continues with classes on January 25 and March 14, 2012.
Please see the Orland class syllabusglenn or the Fresno class syllabusfresno for more details.
This NWIAEPresentation about the courses, delivered at the Women in Agriculture Educators National Conference in 2012, includes some preliminary reports from participant evaluations and action plans.
Class Handouts
These were printed and passed out to class participants.
- A list of suggested online reading materials
- Tourism Development Outline from rancher Bill Burrows
- Farm Stay Agritourism 101 from Farm Stay U.S.
- How to start a Pick-Your-Own Operation From www.pickyourown.org
- Sample budget for on-farm festival courtesy of Cindy Lashbrook, Riverdance Farms
- Developing a Hunting Program on a Ranch or Farm by rancher Bill Burrows
- Evaluating the Financial Potential of an Entertainment Farming/Farm Tourism Business from the University of Georgia
- Assessing Your Resources worksheet (Homework assignment #1)
- Follow-Up Recommendations "Asking the Right Questions and Getting the Right Answers" by Sophia Pagoulatos, Supervising Planner, city of Fresno
- UC Small Farm Program Statewide Agritourism Program
- Internet Marketing for Your Agritourism Business by Scottie Jones, founder of Farm Stay U.S. and owner of Leaping Lamb Farm, Alsea, Oregon
- Agritourism Health and Safety Guidelines for Children a guide by the National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety
- Agritourism Policies and Procedures Checklist Guide a supplement from the National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety
- Agritourism Worksite Walkthrough Checklist Guide a supplement from the National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety
Presentations
Below are some of the PowerPoint presentations from the classes.
- Burrows Ranch Hunting Club (2.7 MB)
- Rancho Notso Grande U-Pick Farm (3.4 MB)
- Murray Family Farms, Bakersfield (2 MB)
- Assessing Your Resources (894 kB)
- Certified Farmers Markets: Produce Vendor Requirements (1.7 MB) from the Fresno County Department of Environmental Health
- Managing Agritourism Risk (620 kB) from John Valentine, CPCU, Nationwide Agribusiness
- Understanding Your Visitors from Arne Gustafson, Hospitality Consultant
- California Travel & Tourism Commission 5 Year Rural Agritourism Strategic Plan from the Fresno-Clovis Convention & Visitors Bureau
- California Marketing Intelligence Snapshot from the Fresno-Clovis Convention and Visitors Bureau
- Designing Your Marketing Strategy from Conrad Braganza, Melanie Coventry and Gay Fontana of the Fresno/Clovis Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Creating a Marketing Strategy from Kristen Staggs and Anna Farrell of Farrell Design Group
- Effective Websites & Social Media for Agritourism from Kristen Staggs and Anna Farrell of Farrell Design Group
- Marketing a Farm Stay from Nori Naylor, owner, Naylor's Organic Family Farm Stay