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Building a Farm Trail Project 2013 - 2015

Building a Farm Trail: Developing effective agritourism associations to enhance rural tourism and promote specialty crops

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The Project:  This project, funded by the CDFA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program and coordinated by the UC Small Farm Program, brought together three agritourism associations to learn from each other and to work with three marketing, tourism and economic development experts to create or strengthen Farm Trail maps, websites and collaborative events in each region. The grant provided funding for these experts to act as consultants with each group, as well as funding for website and map design, map printing and some promotional materials for an event in each region. In year 2 of the project, the UC Small Farm Program, working with UCCE and other partners, coordinated a Statewide Agritourism Summit and produced a Guide for regional agritourism and agricultural marketing groups.

Collaborating Agritourism Associations:

North Yuba Grown

Capay Valley Vision/Capay Valley Grown

Sacramento River Delta Grown Agritourism Association

Project Consultants:

Debra Lucero, Debra Lucero and Associates: deblucero@sbcglobal.net, 530-228-2860

Vivien Straus, vivienstraus@gmail.com, 213-304-7371

Brynda Stranix, Yuba-Sutter Economic Development Corporation, bstranix@ysedc.org, 530-751-8555

Introductory Workshop: November 21, 2013

This first workshop was a chance for everyone to meet each other, share experiences, learn some new strategies, and make plans for the next steps.

Second Workshop: November 10, 2014

This workshop was a chance for members of the three agritourism associations to share their completed map brochures with each other, to participate in discussions about their challenges and successes so far, and to learn from leaders of Apple Hill Growers Association and from project consultants about possible next steps for marketing and association development.

2nd workshop agenda

2nd workshop discussion and presentation notes

Statewide Agritourism Summit: April 8, 2015

This one-day Agritourism Summit connected agritourism operators, organizers, regulators, educators and tourism professionals throughout California with each other. We learned from each other and together took steps to plan the future for California agritourism.

The California Statewide Agritourism Summit was Wednesday April 8, 2015 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Heidrick Agricultural History Center, 1862 Hays Lane, Woodland, CA 95776.

Marketing Regional Farms and Wineries: A Guide for California Agricultural Marketing Groups

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As part of this project, UC Small Farm Program staff interviewed leaders of twenty California regional agricultural marketing organizations and compiled information from earlier interviews and presentations by four other groups. This guide is a summary of the experiences and advice from leaders of those twenty-four groups. There are many other California regional agricultural marketing groups with different experiences. There are many members of the groups discussed here who were not interviewed and who also may have different experiences. The focus of this guide is only to share the experiences and advice of a selected group of leaders in order to be useful to other regional groups of California agricultural producers with similar goals and intentions.

 

Resources & links for California Regional Agricultural Marketing

These are documents and resources provided by California Regional Agricultural Marketing Associations , including organizational by-laws, membership applications, educational resources, and presentations.

Farms of Tuolumne County Start-up Story, by Marian Zimmerly,

FOTC Membership Agreement

Suisun Valley Vintners & Growers Association trade website

SVVGA membership info

Marin Organic membership page

Colusa County Grown Program Evaluation Data

Harvest Time in Brentwood mission statement, benefits and marketing partners

Harvest Time in Brentwood membership application

Harvest Time in Brentwood Sponsorship opportunities

Sonoma County Farm Trails membership info

Capay Valley Grown membership info

Capay Valley Grown supporter info

Other resources and references:

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Farm Trail maps and collaborative events

Sacramento River Delta Grown Agritourism Association completed and published their 2014 "Delta Farms & Wineries" map brochure in June, 2014

printable brochure to download

18" x 20" full size brochure outside (large file)

18" x 20" full size brochure inside (large file)

Sacramento River Delta Grown's 2014 Wine & Produce Passport Weekend was held August 9-10, 2014

Capay Valley Grown completed and published their 2014 "Capay Valley Farm Trail Map" in August, 2014

printable brochure to download

18" x 20" full size brochure outside

18" x 20" full size brochure inside

Capay Valley Grown will hold its first annual Open Farm Day on Sunday October 4, 2014

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North Yuba Grown completed and published their 2014 "North Yuba Grown Farm Trail Map" in August, 2014

printable brochure to download

18" x 20" full size brochure

North Yuba Grown is sponsoring the 2014 North Yuba Harvest Festival on Saturday and Sunday, September 27 and 28.

Redesigned websites

Sacramento River Delta Grown - designed by Michael J. Penner

Capay Valley Grown - designed by Bonnie Borucki

North Yuba Grown - designed by Deb Biladeau

Project contact:
Penny Leff, UC Small Farm Program
paleff@ucdavis.edu, 530-752-7779