By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

FRANKFORT, Ky. — As the growing season comes to an end, many agritourism venues are winding down for the year as well. But that doesn’t mean the producers running these businesses are sitting idle.

Many came together recently for an agritourism workshop at the Kentucky State University Research Farm facility to learn and network with others in the industry. Jane Eckert, a nationally known agrimarketing expert, was the featured speaker on the subject of “marketing with more creativity than cash.”

She introduces herself as a sixth-generation farmer’s daughter. While her family celebrated their 100th year in agritourism this year, Eckert said the industry seems new to many, evolving over time from what were roadside stands, noting that along with the “agritourism” name has come expansion.

“It really expanded the industry and the enterprises being offered, beyond the roadside stands,” she said.

Eckert added it is in such meetings as the one at KSU, that farmers, who are by nature a little skeptical, are learning new ways to diversify their farms and get to consumers. As the next generation joins the farm, they are forcing the issue of trying new things and as they get comfortable, they see there are more enterprises than just U-pick or pumpkin patches, she said.

“For the younger generation, in order to entice them to come home from college to a family business, there’s got to be some money being made, and tradition farming wasn’t cutting it,” said Eckert. “You worked hard, made nothing. So now, this is an opportunity for many people to do something they like to do and to use the skills they learned in college, and not with just an agriculture focus.”

On the consumer side, more are looking to local goods to help fill their food needs, creating a perfect scenario for many producers and agritourism destinations.

“There are people that are very conscious of where (their food) is coming from and how it is grown,” she said. “There are so many elements that have come together to create a great atmosphere now for the local family farm to be able to sell their products at a profit, hopefully.”

Eckert recommends farmers who are beginning in agritourism become comfortable with the idea of people being on their farm. Luckily, there are agritourism associations within the state that have been established to help farmers in their respective areas learn how to get started, or how to continually grow an operation.
Linda Bray-Schafer attended the KSU workshop, works as a volunteer with the Campbell County Conservation District (CCCD) and serves as chair of the Campbell County Farmland Work Group Outreach Task Force. Here, she helps bring attention to agritourism opportunities in her area.

That area happens to be in the most highly-populated in Kentucky, and not usually associated with farming. (“Not true,” said Bray-Schafer, who did grow up on a farm in the county.)

With the help of a new partnership between the CCCD, University of Kentucky extension and the local fiscal court, among others, the Northern Kentucky Agritourism Region will help guide consumers to those farms located in what has been traditionally referred to as the “golden triangle.” She hopes the opportunities will prove to be golden to the multitude of producers located in that portion of the state.

“We have done a farm tour for two years in Campbell County using 16 farms in a one-day, self-guided driving tour, so we basically already have those 16 farms built in,” she said of the new region.
The northern Kentucky organization will include nearby adjacent counties. Bray-Schafer said she hoped to learn from those involved in the Bluegrass and Central Kentucky Agritourism Councils, both sponsors of the workshop.

She also said in building a solid agritourism region, the need to educate the public on all things available there is important, as well as dispelling the notion of there being little in the way of farmland in northern Kentucky – an area more recognized for its connections to Cincinnati sports, the famed Newport on the Levy and the Newport Aquarium.

“What I hope to do with our group is to present what we have to offer in adventure tourism as well as agritourism,” she said. Bray-Schafer again referred to the farm tour, held in July, as being unique to the state with visits including greenhouses, beekeepers, wineries, beef operations and produce operations.

“It’s difficult to hit all these locations in one day, but we have kept it that way because we want to keep people coming back every year,” she said, adding a survey of the event shows guests are in awe of the beauty in the area and how much agriculture still exists in Campbell County.

The northern Kentucky group is also about to begin promoting a new wine trail, the first official trail of its kind in the state. The tour will include three wineries in Campbell County, one in Kenton County and one in Bracken County.

For more information on agritourism in Kentucky, visit www.bluegrassagritourism.com or www.centralkyfarmsarefun.com

For more information on the Northern Kentucky Agritourism Region, go to http://home.fuse.net/campbelled