Agri-tourism: A Strategy Toward Sustainable Farm, Business, Family and Community Development
| Speaker: | L. Dawn Barnes Extension Agent Family & Community Sciences 209 Fox Street NW Floyd, VA 24091 Phone: (540) 745-9307 Fax: (540) 745-9315 lbarnes@vt.edu |
Andy
Overbay Associate Extension Agent ANR, Dairy Science 275 South 4th Street Suite 201 Wytheville, VA 24382 Phone: (276) 223-6040 aoverbay@vt.edu |
Southwest Virginia is rich in heritage, beauty and open land but has a shortage in industry and other income sources. Agri-tourism has the potential to answer these rural development needs. Discover what Extension Agents in Southwest Virginia are doing to help make agri-tourism a viable option.
Extension agents have developed and completed an initial asset mapping effort, identifying businesses that are now involved in agri-tourism or interested in being involved. The needs of those responding were considered in planning several educational sessions such as 'The Nuts & Bolts of an Agri-Tourism Business' and 'Resources To Help You Grow'. Extension agents identified partners and formed an independent group to concentrate on Agri-tourism. This group has established a referral list to track requests made for future information and have launched a newsletter.
Dawn Barnes will share the asset mapping tool and results, educational topics, and plans for the near future. Andy Overbay will share the quarterly newsletter and his experiences of working with the business owners and key questions used in decision making.