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December 2007
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Agri-Cultural Tourism: Linking the Arts and Humanities with Agricultural Direct Marketers and Specialty Producers
Rhoda Burrows
Anne Fennell
Meredith Redlin
Lynn Verschoor
South Dakota State University Abstract: In South Dakota, we are linking artists and specialty producers in a unique "Agri-Cultural Tourism" approach. In sparsely populated areas, agritourism enterprises have a difficult time attracting potential tourists. By partnering specialty agricultural enterprises with nearby or regional artists and other cultural entities and events, a critical mass of attractions can be created. This article provides an example of the critical partnership between cooperative extension, stakeholders, and numerous allied organizations that served as a catalyst for an on-going Agri-Cultural tourism alliance. It also highlights key issues and steps identified by the participants to assure continued development progress in the state. IntroductionAgritourism is on the rise throughout the United States, reflecting a rise in agricultural nostalgia in urban populations. Gush (2005) notes: "This nostalgia is an emotional phenomenon quite possibly capable of saving the small American family farm from extinction." Reeder and Brown (2005) found that increased rural tourism improved local economies through higher employment rates and income, and decreased poverty rates. While these benefit patterns are not consistent across all rural areas, they are promising. Several authors have noted the opportunities for Extension professionals to help facilitate community, and rural development through partnerships with relevant interest groups and stakeholders (Honadle, 1990; Selin & McGill, 2005). A major challenge for developing agritourism in South Dakota is the low population density and lack of traditional attractions sufficient to draw customers into a particular geographic region. However, this same low population density is precisely what appeals to tourists from urban areas wanting to experience rural culture. Rural culture is broader than agricultural production and can include local artists, artisans, writers, poets, galleries, museums, and even performance arts. Agritourism operations can and should link with the whole range of cultural experiences available in their landscape to entice visitors. Specialty producers in South Dakota also face marketing challenges due to the area's low population density and the distance to population centers. In 2002, fruit and vegetable growers and wineries, with facilitation by South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service (SDCES), formed the "South Dakota Specialty Producers Association (SDSPA)," which now represents a wide range of non-commodity agricultural products. One of their primary goals is to support producers and value-added entrepreneurs with marketing, particularly direct marketing, of their products. The SDSPA recognizes that tourists present a potential market and has actively encouraged agritourism development. Over the past 2 years, a coalition was formed to increase linkages between specialty producers and the South Dakota art community. It began with discussions of the similarities of direct marketing challenges for specialty producers and artists. An initial project was development of an agritourism session at an SDSU value-added conference, introducing cluster development concepts. Speakers highlighted key areas in creating networks of agritourism and cultural entities, bringing leadership in the arts and in the SDSPA together to identify common goals. The result was the forging of a leadership alliance and common language to carry the ideas back to the respective associations. The South Dakota Art Museum director, specialty producers, interested South Dakota State University (SDSU) faculty and SDCES representatives, and various members of the arts and humanities community began to explore ways to work together. Agri-Cultural AllianceA working consortium formed under the auspices of the South Dakota Art Museum and coined the term "Agri-Cultural" to describe the confluence of agricultural and cultural entities. Groups involved in the consortium are: Brookings Convention & Visitors BureauGranary Rural Cultural Center Independent artists South Dakota Art Museum South Dakota Arts Council South Dakota Dept. of Tourism and State Development South Dakota Humanities Council South Dakota Specialty Producers South Dakota State University, College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences faculty South Dakota State University Cooperative Extension Service South Dakotans for the Arts The name "Agri-Cultural Alliance" was chosen, and mission and vision statements developed (Table 1).
Agri-Cultural Tourism: Art and the Land ConferenceIt was decided that a statewide conference was needed to introduce the Agri-Cultural Tourism concept to the arts community, the specialty producers, and allied organizations. The Agri-Cultural Alliance accordingly organized a two-day workshop to promote and encourage Agri-Cultural tourism network development and to identify ways of working together. Examples of topics included:
Speakers and panelists representing successful agritourism or cultural tourism enterprises and associations in the northern Great Plains region shared their experiences and insights. Networking among participants was strongly encouraged throughout the program. To foster further interaction, 30 vendors, including sponsoring organizations, private artists, specialty producers, wineries, and Tribal tourism associations, displayed the range of activities and enterprises in the region. Speakers advocated using both local and global approaches to expand markets, emphasizing identification of assets and networking to build opportunities to succeed within the landscape of South Dakota. Discussions centered around three intertwining areas: creating a common vision, networking, and marketing considerations. The common vision was critical to provide not only the end goal, but also strategies to reach that goal. Participants said the vision should be put into writing and revisited often. Networking was seen as integral to the process, generating the critical mass of events and products coupled with sites and attractions within our rural landscape to attract customers and provide unique experiences. It was noted that passion must be coupled with economic intelligence, including the development of business plans for both individuals and networks. Networking was also understood to be an essential component in marketing, promoting the network along with individual operations. Participants were urged to "be prepared to market your neighbor as much as yourself." It was noted that a vision for marketing must include both local and international components: While dwelling "within the box of South Dakota," one must think outside it, i.e., "think globally, and act locally." A common thread throughout the discussion was the potential impact and inherent skills of each individual. Participants described a "garden of people" growing together across the state to produce a diversity of products, places, and events all working together to attract customers. New leadership and advocates would be cultivated through education (including events such as this conference). And finally, as appropriate in a meeting linking the artistic community with specialty producers, it was noted that "our greatest asset is our creativity," which could be used to develop unique products and experiences. This meshing of rural environment with creative thinking could overcome marketing challenges to develop the web of opportunities to make South Dakota a destination. Key action steps identified at the conference for building on the Agri-Cultural vision for South Dakota are presented in Table 2.
Outcomes and ImpactsIn an end-of-conference survey, the average participant score to the question, "Was the information presented relevant and useful to you?" was "8" (1-10 scale; 10 being best). Most (81%) of the 85 attendees reported that they could "very likely" benefit from the development of Agri-Cultural tourism and that they were "very likely" (63%) or "somewhat likely" (37%) to change their strategies in the upcoming year based on the ideas and information from the conference. Many reported excitement at acquiring new ideas; others reported that they felt the information and networking would enhance their current efforts. In a post-conference survey (24% response rate), 95% wanted a second conference. When asked "If you could design one workshop, what would it be?" almost all respondents indicated some aspect of marketing. Community organization, school/art/farm collaborations, and regional collaborations were also mentioned. In response, a second conference has been planned (Table 2). Table 2 also gives other examples of progress made in the past year on the steps identified at the first conference. The role of Extension and other university faculty throughout this process has been to foster the connections between agricultural producers and other members of their rural communities and regions, serving as an essential catalyst at critical junctures. Now that the vision has been shared, the stakeholders and related associations have taken leadership to move it forward. We see a bright future ahead for our rural state! Acknowledgment South Dakota State University Experiment Station Technical Paper 3587. ReferencesGush, R. (2005). Agritourism: Can Ag nostalgia save the family farm from extinction? Hobby Farms Nov/Dec 2005:51. Honadle, B. W. (1990). Extension and tourism development. Journal of Extension [On-line], 28(2). Available at: http://www.joe.org/joe/1990summer/a1.html Reeder, R. J., & Dennis M. B. (2005, Aug). Recreation, tourism and rural well-being. ERR-7. Economic Research Service/USDA. Selin, S., & McGill, D. (2005). The heritage area movement: Redefining opportunities for Extension professionals. Journal of Extension [On-line], 43(2) Article 2FEA3. Available at: http://www.joe.org/joe/2005april/a3.shtml This article is online at http://www.joe.org/joe/2007december/iw3.shtml. Copyright © by Extension Journal, Inc. ISSN 1077-5315. Articles appearing in the Journal become the property of the Journal. Single copies of articles may be reproduced in electronic or print form for use in educational or training activities. Inclusion of articles in other publications, electronic sources, or systematic large-scale distribution may be done only with prior electronic or written permission of the Journal Editorial Office, joe-ed@joe.org. If you have difficulties viewing or printing this page, please contact JOE Technical Support. |