Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Agritourism is growing throughout the U.S. as a viable farm diversification strategy for working farms to offset challenges in traditional agricultural sectors. However, producers and their communities need support to develop agritourism operations in ways that benefit farm viability, community vitality, environmental stewardship, and agricultural literacy. Agricultural producers who want to begin or expand agritourism enterprises need help understanding the opportunities, challenges, and best practices involved. This project's long-term goal is to provide support to agritourism service providers (ATSPs) to empower underserved beginning farmers and ranchers to implement sustainable agritourism diversification strategies to complement viable agricultural operations, earn a livable wage, and address the opportunities and challenges of farming in the 21st century. To this end, this BFRDP Educational Team will develop a "National Holistic Agritourism Training Toolbox", provide ATSPs professional development, and organize an "Agritourism Community of Practice", to elevate the effectiveness of state/regional/community agritourism training programs reaching 100+ agritourism service providers who collectively serve 2,000+ agritourism beginning farmers and ranchers. Agritourism service providers will be better prepared to guide and support underserved beginning farmers and ranchers to develop efficient and sustainable farm diversification practices. For beginning farms, this could mean laying the groundwork for sustainable agricultural production and operations for agritourism; for established farms, this could mean developing agritourism products and experiences, and better linking their offerings to customers and the entrepreneurial support ecosystem. This BFRDG Education Team bring together the most prolific agritourism experts in the U.S. to contribute to this national effort for agritourism improvements.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
This project's long-term goal is to provide support to agritourism service providers (ATSPs) to empower underserved beginning farmers and ranchers to implement sustainable agritourism diversification strategies to complement viable agricultural operations, earn a livable wage, and address the opportunities and challenges of farming in the 21st century. To this end, this BFRDP Educational Team will develop a "National Holistic Agritourism Training Toolbox", provide ATSPs professional development, and organize an "Agritourism Community of Practice", to elevate the effectiveness of state/regional/community agritourism training programs reaching 100+ agritourism service providers who collectively serve 2,000+ agritourism beginning farmers and ranchers. Agritourism service providers will be better prepared to guide and support underserved beginning farmers and ranchers to develop efficient and sustainable farm diversification practices. For beginning farms, this could mean laying the groundwork for sustainable agricultural production and operations for agritourism; for established farms, this could mean developing agritourism products and experiences, and better linking their offerings to customers and the entrepreneurial support ecosystem. This BFRDG Education Team bring together the most prolific agritourism experts in the U.S. to contribute to this national effort for agritourism improvements.
Project Methods
APPROPRIATE APPROACH FOR ATSPs AND ATBFRs: This project employs unique educational approaches, guided in part by input received during the need's assessments:ATSPs will gain skills to expand the focus from what is being taught, to how they engage with adult learners and cross-sector stakeholders in the agritourism entrepreneurial ecosystem.Holistic curriculum that includes technical and 'soft-skills' needed for agritourism success.Expands the spectrum of traditional agritourism educational topics by putting into practice the transformative learning aspects of 'the agritourism entrepreneurial ecosystem'. Digital Badges in lieu of paper certificates for the following advantages: building digital portfolio of credentials/accomplishments that is easily shareable; flexibility for mirocredentialing for incremental achievements; customization to curriculum topics and objectives; and motivates participants through immediate recognition for accomplishments.Prioritized DEIA efforts that recognize indigenous knowledge, diverse worldviews, and 'grassroots' and cross-sector expert knowledge.Virtual training program as a cost-effective way to engage ATSPs across the U.S states and territories; incorporating synchronous (to meet networking and peer-to-peer learning objectives) and asynchronous learning opportunities (to enable adult learners to have control over their learning by working at their own pace and in their desired location). To making training flexible, each training module will involve 1-hour of asynchronous and 2-hours of synchronous training.Farm tours were the top educational request among potential project beneficiaries. Virtual (3600) Farm Tours allow us to provide farm tours in a cost-effective way. A Live Immersive Experience Software (Avatour's live 360°) will allow remote participants to farm tours in real time, as if they were walking around agritourism sites in person, in the live 360° environment. Virtual Farm Tours will be recorded and uploaded to project's platform for easy sharing and viewing.ATSP Learning Circles will be encouraged to bridge discussion between virtual training events - participants will have informal virtual meetings over shared interests related to project topics.The ATCoP (Agritourism Community of Practice) brings together ATSPs and ATBFRs across the US states and territories to facilitate structured networking. The ATCoP will develop shared resources, experiences, and ways of addressing recurring problems - in short, a shared practice.Multi-faceted Program integrating training, technical assistance and experiential learning opportunities for diverse (cross-cultural, cross-constituent, cross-disciplinary) audiences through demo agritourism projects and ATSP-led farmer training and development.Principles of Adult Education - Providing adult learners the opportunity to share their knowledge through discussions or as guest speakers, and incorporating mutual responsibility in decision making in defining program goals, planning and conducting activities, and evaluating the program outcomes will help provide an 'educative environment'.Co-branding of National Training Program for regional credibility (See Sustainability Plan).ATSPs have the flexibility to select topics a-la-carte (45 out of 70 contact hours) to develop a tailored program for their constituents based on their local specific 'heart-burn issues'.