Posts filed under 'Ecotourism'
October 3rd, 2009
As the University of Illinois Extension plans the Fall Openfields Farm Tour, I thought I’d take a look at the topic of Agritourism. The Agri-Tourism Partners of Illinois just announced that a pumpkin farm in Arthur has won their Agritourism business of the year award. My friend Anne Dougherty of Learn Great Foods, a food touring company based in Mt. Carroll won this award last year and I was happy to celebrate her success with her. So what is Agritourism, why is important, and what does it mean for our area?
A quick glance at a U of I Extension website supporting agritourism tells me that this is a growing segment of our economy and that there is a diversity of businesses that fall into this category. These businesses market a wide variety of produce, products, services and “agri-tainment” to a variety of consumers of all ages and demographics. Technically, we define agritourism as “any business activity that brings the public to a farm or rural setting in an effort to market farm raised or produced products or the enjoyment of related outdoor activities.” I have to take it a step further and suggest that our many local farmers markets provide a form of informal agritourism, providing consumers with the opportunity to learn from local farmers, delight in an assortment of fruits, vegetables and other products, and interact with other customers.
The most known form of agritourism is the good old-fashioned farm visit. Fall is the time when pumpkin patches are filled with schoolchildren; orchards are busy with visitors of all ages searching for that fresh apple cider donut or the perfect sauce apple, and soon we’ll be thinking Christmas trees and all that come with the season. Next time you make a visit, take a minute to think about the economic impact that the agritourism site may have. Are there many employees, products for sale that are grown and produced locally (more than the obvious) and are there partnerships evident, such as local non-profits providing booths and staff? All benefit us directly and indirectly, and are a value added bonus of our enjoyment of the visit.
The Fall Openfields Farm Tour will be held on Saturday, October 17, 2009. Participating farms will be open for visitors between noon and 5:oo pm. For more details, check the Extension website at http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/winnebago/ or call the office at 815-986-4357.
August 27th, 2009
The Illinois Food Farms & Jobs Bill was passed on August 18, 2009.
This law creates the Illinois Local Food, Farms and Jobs Council, which will work with state agencies, Illinois businesses, organizations, and citizens to build a fully functioning local farm and food system in Illinois. It will open new avenues of entrepreneurship, and we are grateful for the opportunities. This legislation will begin a long overdue transformation of our communities. There are plenty of business opportunities to go around.
Believe it or not, an estimated $46 billion of our money flows out of our state for food each year. Even if the number is off a bit, that’s no small potatoes. Currently, Illinois produces approximately 4% of the food we consume. The goal is to increase that to 10% by 2020 and 20% by 2030. The greatest natural resource in Illinois is our soil. It’s among the best in the world, and is absolutely irreplaceable.
People are needed to grow specialty crops, and workers will be needed to harvest and process the products. Engineers are needed to design and build equipment for those specialty crops. There will be an endless need for modern, reasonably priced, small scale equipment, and people to weld, paint, repair, and sell it.
Distribution hubs are also desperately needed. These will have to be built, furnished, and staffed. Other needs include farm co-ops that meet the needs of diversified growers; specialty crop advisors; and Illinois-specific seed and plant production, plus plant breeding work.
Value-added product development for the local food industry will offer quite a bit of work, including labeling, packaging, publicizing, and marketing these products. Suppliers of soil amendments will find an up tick in work. This could even be the start of diverting some of the organic material that ends up in our landfills, back to farms.
Financial advisors specializing in the local foods industry will be needed. And don’t forget all those farmers who will need to add infrastructure like buildings, storage, and equipment to their farms in order to diversify their cropping systems.
Different industries are specifically mentioned in the legislation, including agri-tourisim, which is already popular in some parts of America and abroad. People want to visit farms to connect with the source of their food. One area farmer, David Cleverdon of Kinnickinnick Farm, is already trying to do this.
The cosmetic/healthcare industry is on the list, along with dairy products and eggs. The fiber industry could see innovations in sustainable fabrics, dye, design, and production. Fish and forestry products include Christmas trees, wood, syrup, mushrooms, and nuts. Fifteen different grains are listed, plus herbs, honey, meat, ornamental plants, recreation, and renewable energy. How about some beer made with local grain?
To read the legislation, visit www.foodfarmsjobs.org. I think this may be the road back to the land of milk and honey, bread and roses.
May 18th, 2009
Last week was a busy one in terms of local foods systems activities. The U of I Extension coordinated three programs; two providing information to producers and one providing participants with an opportunity to learn more about where their food comes from, or could come from. On Tuesday, a workshop on Business Planning and Risk Management for Small Farms and Market Gardens was held, and participants had their eyes opened to many opportunities to grow their businesses. On Wednesday evening, Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant, Small Farms Specialist for the University of Illinois Extension presented a workshop on Grantwriting for Small Farms. Again, participants left that night with their minds whirring with ideas and possibilities. We capped it off with the first of this season’s Sustainable Agriculture Tours (http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/smallfarm/ag_tours.cfm) that included an extensive tour of Eickman’s Processing in Seward and a visit to Open Range Products near Pecatonica. The tour ended with a lunch featuring Open Range hamburgers and other fresh produce supplied by local growers.On Sunday, May 24, our first Openfields Farm Tour will be held (This tour, modeled after the Garden Walk concept, features 11 area farms, CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture) and on-farm operations and will allow people to learn more about the local foods system in our area. You can come out between 10 am and 6 pm and meet local farms and learn about their farm, their products and see their passion for what they do. Come learn about growing vegetables and fruits in large quantities, raising grassfed beef cattle, poultry and goats, growing herbs and even milling grain using the power of the wind. Participants are encouraged to visit one farm or all 11 at their own pace. There is no charge to participate in this event. For detailed information about the tour, including participating farms and a map, please visit http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/winnebago/). This summer, we will be busy pairing local restaurants and chefs with farmers to work their collective magic for the Openfields Local Foods Dinner Series. The Series will begin on June 21 and will continue with a total of seven events featuring six restaurants. An on-farm dinner and an event at a local nature center will also be featured. Extension and the Winnebago County Local Foods Work Group will be coordinating these dinners, which will feature the farmers talking about their businesses, of course.
April 24th, 2009
I was too distracted by the election to pay much attention, honestly, but Winnebago County and the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau are promoting ecotourism: Asking local folks to spend their green at green attractions like Anderson Gardens – a green move because it’s staying close to home.
Enough green for you in that paragraph?
