August 2004
 What is Agri-Tourism
From the Desk of Mike Woolfington
Marshall County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Agri-Tourism may be a new word for many of you, even though its components have been around for ages.
Agri refers to agriculture - the production of food and fiber. Tourism refers to people who are traveling for business or leisure. Agri-Tourism can be considered “a commercial enterprise on a working farm, a farmers market or agricultural plant that provides enjoyment, recreation or education to our visitors.
The number one reason families take vacations are to build and strengthen relationships by being together as a family without the stress of home or work. Many of our seniors are seeking social interactions and to make new friends. Vacations can help improve health and well being by participating in rural outdoor activities. People also travel to learn, to explore and to discover. They want to see, touch and feel something unfamiliar.
Marshall County has what visitors are searching for, from a trip through our food processing plants to a visit to a working farm or picking berries at one of our u-pick farms. Reactions from the groups we have hosted through plants such as Dean Pickle & Specialty Products, DelMonte Foods, and Pioneer HiBred have been expressed with delight and amazement. Visitors from outside of Marshall County need not be the only people to satisfy curiosity and learn what we have to offer. Continuing to expand our own knowledge about our community is just as interesting. Any group may contact the Marshall County Convention & Visitors Bureau and schedule visits by calling 936-1882.
Not only do our visitors and locals want to see how their food is grown and processed, they would like to purchase it at a farm stand or farmers market where they know it is fresh and locally grown.
The Marshall County CVB and the Cooperative Extension Service is working with the Indiana Department of Tourism and Indiana Department of Agriculture to promote Agr-Tourism in Marshall County. We are striving to increase the number of U-Pick Farms as well as to encourage people to produce products for the Culver Farmers Market. The creation of a farmers market in Plymouth is being proposed also. The Public Relations & Tourism Committee of the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce has been discussing ideas and details to contribute to this end.
Many people have an abundance of produce, flowers and other decorative plants from their gardens that others would love to purchase. A farmers market would be the perfect location to share this bounty. Developing a farmers market near the downtown area would also encourage visits to our other downtown stores and businesses. Agri-Tourism will not be a new word for long! |
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