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WEBSITE PROMOTES TENNESSEE
AGRI-TOURISM OPERATIONS TO TOURISTS
Tennessee agritourism operations are
being promoted on the Internet due to efforts of the
Tennessee Agritourism Initiative. The enterprises are
included on the Department of Agriculture’s Pick
Tennessee Products website at http://picktnproducts.org/agritourism/index.html.
The information is also linked to the Department of
Tourism’s website at http://www.tnvacations.com/explore/agritourism.
Agritourism operations not currently
listed at the site can submit their information by calling
the Department of Agriculture Division of Marketing
at (615) 837-5160 or by emailing laura.fortune@state.tn.us.
For the purposes of the Tennessee
Agritourism Initiative, agritourism is defined as “an
activity, enterprise or business which combines primary
elements and characteristics of Tennessee agriculture
and tourism and provides an experience for visitors
which stimulates economic activity and impacts both
farm and community income.”
Attractions that often meet this definition include
agriculture-related museums, agriculture-related festivals
and fairs, century farms, corn-maze enterprises, farmers
markets, on-farm tours, on-farm retail markets, on-farm
vacations, on-farm festivals and fairs, on-farm petting
zoos, on-farm fee-fishing, on-farm horseback riding,
on-farm bed and breakfasts, pick-your-own farms and
wineries.
The University of Tennessee Center
for Profitable Agriculture would like to thank everyone
who assisted them with developing a contact list of
existing agritourism operations during the summer and
fall of 2003. During a follow-up telephone interview,
210 agritourism operators were successfully contacted
and information was gathered about their operation to
be included on the website and to help initiative partners
learn more about the Tennessee Agritourism industry.
According to Center Marketing Specialist
Megan Bruch, “The cooperation of Extension agents
and specialists, agricultural producer groups, tourism
organizations and media was outstanding. Their assistance
in identifying existing agritourism enterprises was
vital to the success of the inventory.”
The inventory was the first phase
in the Tennessee Agritourism Initiative, a cooperative
effort of the Tennessee Departments of Agriculture,
Tourist Development and Economic and Community Development,
the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service
and the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation. The initiative
was jump-started with a $100,000 grant from the USDA
Rural Development Agency.
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For more information, contact Megan Bruch at mlbruch@utk.edu
or (931)486-2777. |
