By Christie Welch, Direct Agricultural Marketing Specialist
Agritourism is growing around the country. In an effort to assist Ohio’s agritourism operators connection with their communities and potential customers, the OSUE Direct Food and Ag Marketing team partnered with the Ohio Tourism Association to offer a workshop to current and potential agritourism operators. Agritourism provides farmers with the ability to diversify the income for the operations, can attract additional tourists to visit the communities in which they are located, and provide an opportunity for the general public to visit a farm to learn more about agriculture in Ohio.
The workshop was held in three locations around Ohio and we had the opportunity to learn more about the assistance that local Convention and Visitors Bureaus can provide to agritourism operators. In addition, Melinda Huntley Executive Director of Ohio Travel Association shared information about the benefits agritourism can provide to local communities and the businesses that serve the travelers.
In addition to these workshops, the OSUE Direct Food and Ag Marketing Team collaborated with Wright & Moore Law Company, LPA and the OSU Agriculture and Resource Law Program to host the first annual AgritourismReady workshop in the spring of 2017. This event was very well attended and participants heard from a variety of experts in the areas of ag law, risk management, zoning, marketing, and more. Due to the success of the workshops and the interest in agritourism in Ohio, the team is planning a second annual AgritourismReady workshop in March 2018. More information will be forthcoming.
If you would like to learn more about agritourism in Ohio, you can contact Christie Welch, Direct Marketing Specialist via email welch.183@osu.edu or via telephone 740-289-2071 ext. 234.
The OSUE Direct Food and Agriculture Marketing Program is supported by the OSU College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Science and OSU Extension.