Much has been said recently about economic development through wine-related tourism in the Yadkin Valley, but one area we have overlooked has been agritourism.
Arguably it is one of the easier objectives to conquer in our battle to build jobs since the decline of the textile and furniture industries.
Agritourism seems ripe for the picking in our area.
Many groups are working on various opportunities to draw visitors. While someone may bring their dollars from the city to taste wine, they may also want to visit one of our fabulous state parks. They may want to float the Yadkin River or learn pottery-making from a local artist. They may want to listen to some Oldtime music or buy unique art.
Some of those people will want to try their hand at churning butter, picking their own apples or seeing a bit of life on the farm.
Most farmers we know do what they do because they love the lifestyle. Sharing that with the rest of us could well pay dividends for them. If they are making money, other parts of the local economy are making money. Service stations are selling gas, restaurants are feeding people and motels are renting rooms.
Perhaps because farms are up and running in force in our area, the ability to draw visitors to experience a bit of farm life is an easier notion than attracting a manufacturing plant.
That doesn't mean it will be easy. There are challenges. Helping farmers see the potential is one of those barriers. Farmers are smart business people in general. They have had to be to survive to this point, and they can see potential and do the work to make it happen.
They have met a wide range of technical challenges from changing equipment needs in the fields to chemicals, to no-till practices. They have survived marketing products that make or lose money on a fraction of a cent margin per pound or per egg. Such an environment makes you pay attention to costs.
Having a troupe of second graders on your farm will present some liability issues also that will mean some thought about insurance issues.
The state's agritourism office has done well to establish a Web site to offer tourists direction and farmers a network of support.
It could be more up to date and user friendly, but the fact that it exists at all is a great accomplishment.
Getting the word out about agritourism opportunities is another challenge. It is one that needs to be pursued as another piece of the puzzle to our redevelopment.
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