Feb. 10, 2006 – Agritourism: big word; simple concept. If you own a working farm or ranch and people come to purchase products, hunt and fish, or just relax, then you’ve got an agritourism business. Those wide open spaces, big skies, and being farm hands for a day represent rare experiences for most Americans.
To help the state’s farmers and ranchers become agritourism entrepreneurs and market these assets, Oklahoma agritourism experts and promoters will begin a series of workshops starting February 21 and continuing through the end of March.
Topics covered include areas of potential for agritourism opportunities in Oklahoma, identifying target markets, current tourism trends, website development, and customer service. Participants also receive a copy of the new Oklahoma Agritourism Resource Manual. This manual represents a practical, but in-depth, how-to-guide for producers who wish to pursue enterprises combining their agricultural resources with tourism.
Representatives from the Oklahoma Department of Tourism, Department of Wildlife Conservation, the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, food and forestry, and USDA plan to give a complete run down of programs and services they offer the budding agritourism entrepreneur.
Roundtable discussions headed by successful argitourism operators—specializing in value-added agriculture, lodging, farm and seasonal tours, hunting and fishing, and conservation and wildlife watching—will share their challenges, successes, and dos and don’ts. You can find more success stories as well as news, events, and resources on the new state Department of Agriculture agritourism website.
Worshop Dates and Locations
* February 21, Shawnee; Expo Center
(early-bird registration Tuesday, Feb. 14)
* March 7, McAlester; South-East Expo Center
(early-bird Thursday, Feb. 23)
* March 14, Quartz Mountain; Lone-Wolf-Quartz Mountain Resort
(early-bird Thursday, March 2)
* March 23, Bartlesville; Tri-County Technology Center
(early-bird Monday, March 13)
* March 28, Fairview; Northwest Technology Center
(early-bird Friday, March 17)
*
Each workshop starts at 8 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m. The workshop costs $50 the day of the event, but only $35 for pre-registered participants. The cost includes breakfast, lunch, and all conference materials.”
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