THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN UPDATED WITH A NEW INFORMATIONAL LINK.

 

LAKEPORT – A regional North Coast Agritourism Conference will be held Nov. 12 at the Ukiah Valley Conference Center in Ukiah.

The conference will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The North Coast Agritourism Conference will include speakers on tourism, evaluating resources, business plans, county regulations, managing risk and marketing.

A panel discussion will feature experienced agritourism operators from across the region, including Anne Austin of Eleven Roses Ranch and Lake County Wine Tours.

Agritourism includes a wide array of farm and farm-related activities states the USDA, including outdoor recreation, educational experiences such as cooking classes and wine tasting, entertainment such as harvest festivals and barn dances, hospitality services including overnight stays and guided tours, and on-farm direct sales that include “u-pick” and roadside stands.

According to a recent USDA report released in December of 2007, farm-based recreation, which includes hunting, fishing, horseback riding, and other on-farm activities, provided income to about 52,000 farms across the country in 2004 and continues to grow.

Local farmers, ranchers, and others who are interested in developing the hidden assets of agricultural businesses are invited to register for this informative conference. An agritourism conference was held in Lake County in 2006 and sold out quickly, so early registrations are encouraged.

Registration fee is $40 for the conference and includes the University of California Agritourism manual, catered lunch, conference packet, and morning refreshments. The deadline to register is Nov. 7.

For more information see https://ucanr.org/sitebuilder/filegroups/calendar26-Sep-08-626/9316.pdf.

 

The Lake County Marketing and Economic Development program, a member of the North Coast Tourism Council, is sponsoring this conference along with the Mendocino County Promotional Alliance, UC Cooperative Extension Mendocino County, the City of Ukiah, and the Mendocino Wingrape and Wine commission.

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