Thursday, September 03, 2009

Yolo County, California, new food facility policy designed to help agritourism


Yolo County, California, has recently adopted a new food facility policy for homestays, and Bed & Breakfast Inns to encourage agritourism, reports the Wood Land Record while maintaining high public health standards.

Yolo County ranks agriculture and tourism at the top of their industry priority list for "sustainable, quality growth while providing economic opportunity and quality of life". Yolo has many wineries, recreational activities and unique agricultural communities. They include a 25-page section on agritourism in their Yolo County Agricultural permit Manual.

The new Agricultural Homestay/Bed & Breakfast Food Facility Policy was developed in cooperation with the following Yolo County departments: Agriculture, Planning & Public Works and the Economic Development division of the County Administrator’s Office.

Agritourism directory for the USA and Canada


Rural Bounty lists places to stay and things to do on farms throughout the USA.

One can search by:

Avoiding pifalls in starting up an agritourism operation in New York State



Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County, New York State, offers a six-part micro-enterprise school, "Cultivating an Ag
ri-Tourism Enterprise," in the fall, reports TheDailyStar.com. "The workshops are designed to help farmers explore what opportunities exist and what pitfalls to avoid in starting-up a tourism-based farm enterprise", the article continues.

Contributing to these workshops are:
Kelder's Farm & U-Pick (school tours, mini golf, parties).
Cooper's Ark Farm (destination farm, hay wagon for multiple wheelchairs).
Maple Shade Farm (educational theme honouring farming generations).
Green Spiral Herbs (educational herb farm).
Indian Ladder Farms ("Barn School," cider mill, farm store and on-site restaurant).
Handsome Brook Farm (farm-based bed-and-breakfast that includes chores for guests, hay rides, horse rides and berry-picking.

Course instructors cover developing a farm business plan, risks and liabilities, hospitality marketing, destination marketing.



Wednesday, September 02, 2009

"Heli-tourism" is part of rural tourism operation in northeast India


The Tripura government in northeast India has decided to introduce "heli-tourism" in the state by extending chopper services to promote tourism in the hinterland, reports iGovernment. "We will operate helicopter services to 20 tourism spots in Tripura" says Managing Director of the Tripura Tourism Development Corporation, Madhusudhan Bhattacherjee, according to the report. Chopper fares will be subsidized by the government to promote and stimulate the service.

The Tripura Tourism effort also focuses on water tourism, tea tourism, religious tourism, heritage tourism and rural tourism.

Oklahoma agritourism could generate billions for rural towns.



Helde Brandes of OKC Biz reports that agritourism is a booming business in Oklahoma, with a projected $31 million economic impact for 2009. The article cites the American Quarter Horse Association show, held annually in Oklahoma City, as an example of the agritourism contribution to the agriculture industry. The article further states that wind energy and wind turbines could generate $34 billion for rural towns in Oklahoma, a future that "will require a new vision ...[with] evolving technologies and demands", according to State Secretary of Agriculture, Terry Peach.