Free webinar June 30: Powerful partnerships to extend your marketing

California Agritourism News June 2016
from the University of California Small Farm Program
 

Happy Summer!

The "Agritourism Conversations" series of lunchtime webinars and online conversations continues.  Please join us on Thursday June 30 for the next webinar - the topic is "Powerful promotions through marketing partners" - and join us on FarmsReach for the continuing discussion. See below for registration info and links to recordings and slides from earlier webinars.

Also in this issue:
  • San Diego marketing, specialty foods and agritourism workshop
  • Customer engagement: Garlic Braiding Party
  • NAFDMA Advanced Learning Retreat
  • Santa Barbara winery ordinance
  • Useful resources
Please let us know what's going on in your county or region, to share in the next issue.
 
Thanks for reading and please stay in touch!
Penny Leff, UC Small Farm Program Agritourism Coordinator
Agritourism Conversations continue
Lunchtime Webinars & Online Forum
(All webinars will be 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time. There is no charge for participation. Pre-registration is required.)

Recordings, handouts and presentations from the first three webinars are now posted on FarmsReach and the UC Small Farm Program website. Please join us for the final 2 webinars in the series: 
Thursday June 30 - Powerful Promotions through Partners
Presenters: Tiffany Dozier, Yolo County Visitors Bureau, and Evan Oakes, Ag Venture Tours & Consulting.  Register here
.
Thursday July 14 - The Delivery: Five-Star Customer Experience
Presenters: Scottie Jones, U.S. Farm Stay Association, and Meghan Bishop, Bishop's Pumpkin Farm. Register here
.
Agritourism Online Conversation Forum
Between webinars, we'll continue to discuss agritourism issues online in the CA Agritourism Group in FarmsReach. Please join in!


Marketing and Value Added Products Workshop
San Diego - Wednesday, June 29, 2016

The Small Farm Program is partnering with UCCE San Diego to offer a workshop on marketing options, agritourism strategies and value added products for small farms in San Diego County. Learn about new San Diego agritourism zoning ordinances, rules for safe food processing and serving and how to get started with a cottage food operation or specialty food business.

Place: San Diego County Farm Bureau, 1670 East Valley Parkway, Escondido.
Day: Wednesday June 29
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. (lunch provided)
Fee: $30 if paid by June 24, $40 after or at the door

Contact: Ramiro Lobo, UC Cooperative Extension San Diego
(858) 243-4608, relobo@ucanr.edu
Customer Engagement: Garlic Braiding Party at Eatwell Farm

Nigel and Lorraine of Eatwell Farm in Dixon go an extra mile to share a taste of real farm experiences with their 500 CSA members and their friends and relations, partly for increased understanding about the farm by their customers and partly to build loyalty and attract new CSA members.

Eatwell Farm is a certified organic, diversified farm of about 100 acres, selling at farmers' markets, through a CSA and to wholesale customers. My wife and I were lucky enough to join the Garlic Braiding Party at Eatwell last Saturday with a small crowd of delighted CSA members...

NAFDMA Advanced Learning Retreat is August 2 - 5, 2016

The North America Farm Direct Marketing Association is a trade association of farmers involved in agritourism. The Advanced Learning Retreat is an opportunity for in-depth on-site learning from a successful farm direct marketing family. 
 
Seaquist Orchards is a fifth generation farm in Door County, Wisconsin. With a diverse array of farm to consumer business ventures you are sure to glean bushels of information to support your own business growth.
Winery Ordinance Update proposed in Santa Barbara Co.

Please see this flyer regarding the Planning Commission hearing on the proposed Winery Ordinance Update scheduled for June 22, 2016.

For project information, please contact David Lackie at (805) 568-2023, by e-mail at dlackie@countyofsb.org
Can they find you on www.calagtour.org?

The online UC Agritourism Directory is visited by more than 3,000 people each month who are searching for California farms and ranch experiences. Listing your operation on the site might help them find YOU.
(Don't forget to upload a picture, too.) 
  
If you are a working California farmer or rancher operating an agritourism business or organizing agritourism events, we invite you to complete the  directory application or the event listing form online. It's all free. If you're already a member, please check your listing and use the update form to send us changes.

(To let us know about your events, please add paleff@ucdavis.edu to your email marketing list or use the event listing form. Please let us know what you've got planned so we can help you promote yourself)

Some useful resources... 
  • Farm Based Education Network - A free international member network established to strengthen and support the work of educators, farmers and community leaders providing access and experiences of all kinds on productive working farms.
  • Toddypond Farm - A Farm Stay U.S. member
    Farm Stay U.S. -The  website of the U.S. Farm Stay Association, promoting farm and ranch stays in the United States and providing resources  for farm stay operators and visitors.
  • Hipcamp Landshare - rural accommodations marketing site - If you are legally permitted to offer camping, cabins, or any kind of farm stay or guest ranch on your land, these San Francisco based folks may be good marketing partners.
  • AgritourismReady website - Created by Oregon State University Extension: A One Stop Shop for preparing your emergency management plan
  • North America Farm Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA) - a membership based trade association dedicated to providing endless peer-to-peer learning opportunities, connections and resources, for farmers who are passionate about the business of agritourism and farm direct marketing.  
Penny Leff, Agritourism Coordinator | UC Small Farm Program 
530-762-7779 | paleff@ucdavis.edu
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