The state Agriculture Department sponsored a conference on agritourism. It included a bus tour to several Eastern Panhandle farm-based businesses.
Participants were able to see how a variety of agricultural-based businesses in Jefferson and Berkeley Counties operate, including an orchard, farm market, chocolate factory and nursery.
For lunch, they were greeted before they got off the bus at the Jefferson County Fairground by Jane Tabb, the owner of Fresh Feast on the Farm, a business that offers meals made with local meat and produce.
This is the third year the WV Department of Agriculture has sponsored an agritourism conference. Jean Smith, director of marketing and development, said it’s designed to show how farming can help increase tourism and boost the economy.
“Agriculture and tourism are a natural match and you almost just have to plant the seed for folks to say ‘oh sure, that’s agritourism,’ everything from a pick your own blueberry field, pumpkin patch, corn maze, to a fair,” Smith said.
The Eastern Panhandle is in a good position to develop a booming agritourism business.
Craig Yohn, Jefferson County WVU Extension Agent, says agriculture contributes about $19 million already to the Jefferson County economy and the economic impact in Berkeley County is similar. Yohn sees potential for growth in agritourism.
“Certainly Jane Tabb and her business of providing a sit down meal on the farm is unique,” Yohn said. “It could certainly become a piggy back for tour groups or others to participate.”
Yohn said Charles Town Races and Slots provide evening activities for tourists who visit farms during the day. But he says more coordination is needed for agritourism to really take off.
“So we’ve got components we just have to put them together,” Yohn said. “And just getting persons not to be just independent but work with others and coordinate those things and make them work in a day or two day tour.”
The agritourism conference attracted participants from all over West Virginia including Andrea Thompson, director of the Mountain Lakes Visitors Bureau in Weston. Thompson was hoping to get marketing ideas for her area, which includes Lambert’s winery and Jackson’s Mill.
“Jackson’s Mill and Lambert’s are all kind of clustered there together so I think if you bring a motor coach tour or you bring a bus tour through then they’ll stick around to see both,” Thompson said.
Thompson believes other farms in Lewis County might interest tourists as well as the farmers market.
“I think if you do bring a tour you would be able to hit all those in a row and get the full experience,” Thompson said. “I think that’s what it’s all about is to be able to bring people to your county and show them a plethora of things rather than just one particular stop.”
Joan Manard, an AmeriCorps volunteer, said there are efforts to build a farm museum in Monroe County, and she’s collecting good ideas to promote agritourism there.
“We have a chef whose restaurant just closed,” Manard said. “Today’s meal is a great idea of how he can keep cooking without having to have a facility, to take the food around.”
Manard also plans to take ideas from the orchard tour back to Monroe County.