All agritourism entrepreneurs and farmers considering agritourism enterprises are encouraged to attend a special multi-county workshop on Monday, May 4, in Hohenwald. The meeting will be held at the community building in Memorial Park on Court Street in downtown Hohenwald. The meeting and meal will begin at 6:00 pm. Please contact the UT Hickman County Extension Office at 931.729.2404 by April 29th if you plan to attend so meal arrangements can be made.
The Agritourism Opportunities for Farm Diversification workshop is part of a multi-county initiative offered by the Center for Profitable Agriculture’s GROW-10 program. The Center is a partnership between the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation and the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. The Center is committed to increasing the value of Tennessee’s economy through new, expanded and improved processing and marketing of agricultural and forestry products. GROW-10 is a two-year educational program to assist farmer and agri-entrepreneurs in the evaluation, planning and development of value-added enterprises.
The agritourism workshop is designed to educate farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs who are considering agritourism operations. Merging agricultural production with Tennessee’s strong tourism industry creates an encouraging foundation for success in the agritourism industry. Diversification enables farmers to keep a greater portion of consumer expenditures thereby adding value to their enterprises. The workshop will include a session that introduces the agritourism industry to participants by defining agritourism, discussing potential target audiences, describing success factors and presenting examples of thriving enterprises. Additionally, the economic benefits affecting both farmers and local communities from agritourism enterprises will be presented along with resources available to farmers and agri-entrepreneurs.
The Center is partnering with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture to discuss the benefits and possible uses of the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP) funds. One component of the TAEP is producer diversification. The Producer Diversification Program’s goal is to encourage agricultural producers to expand or improve their operations through the production of diversified agricultural products. TAEP discussions at the workshop will include an overview of the program including eligible activities and tips and strategies for applying for funds.
“This workshop will be valuable to any farmers considering agricultural enterprises in agritourism,” says Amy Ladd of the Center for Profitable Agriculture. “The Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program can provide vital financial assistance to qualifying farmers who decide to diversify,” Ladd added.
Hickman County Economic & Community Development Association is happy to promote economic development activities such as this one. UT Extension and the Center for Profitable Agriculture bring quality assistance to agribusiness in our area. All agritourism entrepreneurs and farmers considering agritourism enterprises are encouraged to attend a special multi-county workshop on Monday, May 4, in Hohenwald. The meeting will be held at the community building in Memorial Park on Court Street in downtown Hohenwald. The meeting and meal will begin at 6:00 pm. Please contact the UT Hickman County Extension Office at 931.729.2404 by April 29th if you plan to attend so meal arrangements can be made.
