Local Transportation Included for West Virginia Spring Agritourism Conference
The 2009 West Virginia Spring Agritourism Conference will be held April 26-29 in Harpers Ferry. West Virginia residents can include round trip transportation as part of their registration. Full day workshops on agricultural Good Handling Practices (GAP)/Good Handling Practices (GHP) and tourism group sales part of the extensive program.
Oak Hill, WV, April 06, 2009 --(PR.com)-- The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) is making a bus available to entrepreneurs throughout the state for transportation to the 2009 West Virginia Agritourism Spring Conference.
The Conference will take place at the Quality Hotel Conference Center in Harpers Ferry April 26-29, with stops in Lewisburg, Beckley, Charleston, Morgantown and points in between, according to WVDA Marketing Specialist Cindy Martel.
The idea grew out of a meeting of the American Bus Association Ms. Martel attended to encourage bus tour companies to include West Virginia agritourism attractions in their itineraries.
“One company was so impressed with the potential for agritourism tours, they wanted to learn about it directly,” said Ms. Martel. “Besides boosting interest from tour companies, this bus trip will be a tremendous opportunity for agritourism operators to network and learn from each other in an informal setting.”
Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass says that agritourism is a way for traditional farmers to add to their bottom line while improving the public’s understanding of agriculture.
“The 2007 Census of Agriculture shows that West Virginia gained over 2,000 farms since the 2002 census,” said Commissioner Douglass. “Most of the growth was in farms of fewer than 50 acres, which are ideally positioned to take advantage of agritourism opportunities and specialty crop production.”
Commissioner Douglass added that West Virginia continues to lead the nation in percentage of family- owned and operated farms at over 95 percent, giving West Virginia farmers the flexibility to experiment with their farm operations.
Ms. Martel said the conference will be packed with great presenters and good ideas, including all-day courses on attracting groups to your farm and good agricultural practices (GAP), a must for production-oriented operations. Martel noted that some retailers now require GAP audits from suppliers to ensure consumer safety.
The Conference will also feature a bus tour of agritourism attractions in the Eastern Panhandle, as well as a number of shorter informational workshops.
Participants are encouraged to bring a camera, notebook and photos and publications of their own operations to share with the group.
Cost for the full conference and bus transportation is $100 per person ($125 after April 10). Participants can also opt to attend one of the all-day sessions for $50 ($75 after April 10), or to attend the full conference without bus transportation for $75 ($100 after April 10). Meals included with registration fees are lunch Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday; dinner Tuesday; and breakfast on Wednesday. Walk-in registrants will be accepted if space permits, but no refunds will be given after April 10.
Participants must make their own lodging reservations by calling the Quality Hotel Conference Center at 304-535-6302 and are eligible for a special rate of $80 per night if they mention the agritourism conference.
For more information, contact Cindy Martel at cmartel@ag.state.wv.us, telephone 304-558-2210, 304-469-9738.
Conference registration form available at www.wvagriculture.org.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.
###
The Conference will take place at the Quality Hotel Conference Center in Harpers Ferry April 26-29, with stops in Lewisburg, Beckley, Charleston, Morgantown and points in between, according to WVDA Marketing Specialist Cindy Martel.
The idea grew out of a meeting of the American Bus Association Ms. Martel attended to encourage bus tour companies to include West Virginia agritourism attractions in their itineraries.
“One company was so impressed with the potential for agritourism tours, they wanted to learn about it directly,” said Ms. Martel. “Besides boosting interest from tour companies, this bus trip will be a tremendous opportunity for agritourism operators to network and learn from each other in an informal setting.”
Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass says that agritourism is a way for traditional farmers to add to their bottom line while improving the public’s understanding of agriculture.
“The 2007 Census of Agriculture shows that West Virginia gained over 2,000 farms since the 2002 census,” said Commissioner Douglass. “Most of the growth was in farms of fewer than 50 acres, which are ideally positioned to take advantage of agritourism opportunities and specialty crop production.”
Commissioner Douglass added that West Virginia continues to lead the nation in percentage of family- owned and operated farms at over 95 percent, giving West Virginia farmers the flexibility to experiment with their farm operations.
Ms. Martel said the conference will be packed with great presenters and good ideas, including all-day courses on attracting groups to your farm and good agricultural practices (GAP), a must for production-oriented operations. Martel noted that some retailers now require GAP audits from suppliers to ensure consumer safety.
The Conference will also feature a bus tour of agritourism attractions in the Eastern Panhandle, as well as a number of shorter informational workshops.
Participants are encouraged to bring a camera, notebook and photos and publications of their own operations to share with the group.
Cost for the full conference and bus transportation is $100 per person ($125 after April 10). Participants can also opt to attend one of the all-day sessions for $50 ($75 after April 10), or to attend the full conference without bus transportation for $75 ($100 after April 10). Meals included with registration fees are lunch Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday; dinner Tuesday; and breakfast on Wednesday. Walk-in registrants will be accepted if space permits, but no refunds will be given after April 10.
Participants must make their own lodging reservations by calling the Quality Hotel Conference Center at 304-535-6302 and are eligible for a special rate of $80 per night if they mention the agritourism conference.
For more information, contact Cindy Martel at cmartel@ag.state.wv.us, telephone 304-558-2210, 304-469-9738.
Conference registration form available at www.wvagriculture.org.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.
###
Contact
West Virginia Department of Agriculture-Oak Hill
Cynthia Martel
304 469-9738
wvagriculture.org
Cynthia Martel
304 469-9738
wvagriculture.org
Contact
Categories