Empowering Agritourism Service Providers
Empowering Agritourism Service Providers to Strengthen Agritourism Programs as a Farm Diversification Strategy
About the Project
Funded by the USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP), this Education Team (ET) grant is lead by Dr. Doolarie Singh-Knights of West Virginia University, with a project team consisting of Rachael Callahan (University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources), Claudia Gil Arroya (Rutgers University), Lisa Chase (University of Vermont), Kelli Hepler (Alaska Native Tourism Association – AIANTA), Patrick Holladay (Troy University), Chadley Hollas (Cultivating Tourism), Scottie Jones (FarmStay USA), Dave Lamie (Clemson University), Lindsey Pashow (Cornell University), and Claudia Schmidt (Penn State University), and a 16 member advisory committee representing diverse agritourism educators, agriculture service providers, agritourism operators and other stakeholders across the agritourism entrepreneurial ecosystem, including representatives from NGOs/CBOs/SBOs, and national networks including the Global Agritourism Network and the National Extension Tourism (NET) Agritourism Working Group.
ET BFRDP projects are designed to identify gaps in beginning farmer and rancher training by evaluating existing programs, and by developing and conducting train-the-trainer projects to address these gaps. This project’s long-term goal is to provide support to agritourism service providers to empower agritourism operators to implement sustainable agritourism diversification strategies to complement viable agricultural operations, earn a livable wage, and address the opportunities and challenges of farming in the 21st century. To this end, this project will:
- develop a “National Holistic Agritourism Training Toolbox”
- provide professional development
- organize an Agritourism Community of Practice
These activities are designed to help agritourism service providers be better prepared to guide and support agritourism operators to develop sustainable farm diversification practices. For beginning farms, this could mean laying the groundwork for sustainable agricultural production and operations for agritourism; for established farms, this could mean developing agritourism products and experiences, and better linking their offerings to customers and the entrepreneurial support ecosystem. The “National Holistic Agritourism Training Toolbox” will create a unified agritourism curriculum to help elevate the effectiveness of state and regional agritourism training programs, while still allowing for states to adjust the curriculum for regional fit and credibility.
Project's Impact on California
Rachael Callahan, UC SAREP Statewide Agritourism Coordinator is serving on the project team. Callahan will contribute to the development of the "National Holistic Agritourism Training Toolbox" and connect with California agritourism service providers interested in increasing their capacity to support agritourism operators through participating in the training.
Are you a California-serving agricultural service provider (UCCE, RCD, nonprofit, ect.), farmer/rancher marketing or producer organization, tourism or economic development professional, or business development consultant interested in helping farmers/ranchers navigate their agritourism business?
Stay tuned - this project will launch a training in early 2026 designed to better prepare you to guide and support agritourism operators to develop sustainable farm diversification practices.