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Bus tour to showcase Kentucky agritourism

By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

FRANKFORT, Ky. — “Agritourism” is a relatively new word; Merriam-Webster Dictionary dates its origin back to 1979 and defines it as “the practice of touring agricultural areas to see farms and often to participate in farm activities.”

But the practice has been around for decades, even though it wasn’t called agritourism then. Farmers often had U-Pick operations, which made going to the neighborhood farm a way to gather fresh produce buyers might not have been able to get or afford at the local grocery store.

Today, the act of visiting those farms has turned into a literal vacation experience, in some cases. The U-Picks are still around but most are wrapped inside much larger, more diverse businesses complete with hayrides, gift shops, restaurants and special events.
The phenomenon has gained the attention of state officials, complete with offices and websites. Kentucky has turned it into a multimillion-dollar business for producers across the state, through a variety of avenues.

Probably foremost in the lead role of this venture is the Kentucky Department of Ag’s (KDA) Kentucky Proud marketing program. Through it, farmers have taken their products to the public through roadside markets, supermarket chains and straight from their own backyards. That type of exposure has brought the general public to the farm, or at least to the idea of purchasing goods from the farm.

During this year’s Kentucky State Fair, ag and tourism officials announced a new state agritourism logo to highlight the state’s 250-plus farm-based destinations. The logo appears on the Kentucky Farms Are Fun website, a joint effort by KDA and the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet that launched earlier this year.
As a farm owner himself, Gov. Steve Beshear has touted the state’s agritourism endeavors since taking office last December.
“Farms are exciting places to live, work and – increasingly – to visit,” said Beshear. “By merging our agricultural heritage with marketing principles, we can create tourist attractions that not only entice visitors but also provide business opportunities for our farmers.

“Since 2005, the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board (KADB) has provided $2 million to develop and stimulate the growing agritourism industry.”

The KABD is part of the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy and has been another of the key factors in bringing agritourism to the level it enjoys today, by providing financing for many agritourism projects as well as a host of other ag diversification projects through tobacco settlement funds.

It has become such a big initiative that September has become Agritourism Month in the state. Ag Commissioner Richie Farmer sees the venture as a way to connect those who don’t live on farms to those that grow their food.

“Although these days fewer Kentuckians live on the farm, many want to learn more about agriculture, which has always been such an important part of our Commonwealth’s heritage,” he said. “I encourage everyone to attend an agritourism event and enjoy a day in the country.”

One of the newest efforts comes from the eastern part of the state. During the week of Sept. 29-Oct. 4, a multi-county bus tour focusing on agritourism will allow visitors get a firsthand look at life in the storied Appalachian region. The project is a first for the Eastern Kentucky Foothills Eco-Agritourism Corp., a group that includes community and business leaders from Carter, Elliott, Morgan, Menifee and Wolfe counties.

“Kentucky Entrepreneurial Coaches Institute offered a mini project about new opportunities on the farm through agritourism and alternative crops, and these were some of the counties that were interested in it,” said Gwenda Adkins, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension family and consumer science agent in Elliott County.

In an area that was heavily dependent on a tobacco economy before the buyout, local officials see agritourism as a way of helping local farmers diversify their operations, as well as a way to generate money for the local economy and educate others about the area’s heritage.

“We had to do something to help the local farmers,” said Raymond Hurst, Wolfe County judge executive and the board’s chairman. “If this is successful, it could be a big boost to them and the local economy.”

Visitors on the tour will have the opportunity to see and visit many people, places and events unique to the area, including bluegrass music, folk artists and craftsmen, historical reenactments and views of the mountains, gorges and waterfalls. They will visit farms that produce a variety of agricultural commodities, including a sorghum farm, a miniature horse farm and Mountain View Farm in Ezel, one of the largest mule farms in the United States.

Many occurrences have come together to make state agritourism projects successful, including the loss of revenue from tobacco productions – prompting more ag diversification – the high cost of gas, which has kept many people close to home for their vacations and day trips, and an already plentiful festival schedule, especially during the fall of the year that celebrates everything from country ham to bourbon.

For more on Kentucky agritourism visit www.kentuckytourism.com/things todo/agritourism.htm or www.kentuckyfarmsarefun.com

For more information or to register for the Eastern Kentucky bus tour, contact Raymond Hurst at 606-668-3040.

9/17/2008