NAFDMA Bus Tour Blazing Trails in the Pacific Northwest
Southampton, MA, September 30, 2012 --(PR.com)-- North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing Association announces its annual Bus Tour. The tour will begin on Friday, February 1, 2013 in Portland, Oregon. The three-day tour will travel to farm direct marketing and agritourism locations throughout the Pacific Northwest. The Networking Bus Tour is part of the 28th Annual NAFDMA Convention - Blaze Trails PNW 2013, which will be held on February 1-6, 2013.
The bus tour is a great opportunity for those looking for ways to improve upon what they already do on their farms or find new ideas to add to what they offer to their customers. The tour will have something of interest to farmers at all levels of the farming business. Farm educators will also learn valuable information to bring back to their own farm communities.
The organizers of this year’s bus tour are excited to be visiting the Pacific Northwest. Tour goers will see endless farmlands, lush forests and picturesque snow capped mountains and the best farm direct marketing and agritourism stops in this diverse area along the way. The temperate climate of much of the area lends itself to opportunities for crop growth, and for challenges for outdoor events, that may not be found in other areas of the country. Through NAFDMA’s School on Wheels, attendees will have access to an in-depth look at how these farm operators capitalize on the bucolic scenery and make the most of weather related challenges.
It is expected that there will be six buses on the road for this popular feature of the NAFDMA Convention. Each individual bus will have a specific focus and discussion topics. The tour leaders assigned to each bus have been trained to facilitate discussions and promote networking among everyone on the bus. The expertise of the leaders and experience in various aspects of farm direct marketing and agritourism provide an environment of learning and sharing that cannot be found on any other bus tour. As one attendee stated on the evaluation of the last year’s tour, “The tour guides were superb and brought the bus to life.”
Several stops on the tour will focus on the retail side of farm direct marketing. Highlights in the state of Oregon are Bauman’s Farm and Garden in Gervais, E.Z. Orchards in Salem and Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Store in Milwaukie. Tour goers will see how the owners of these locations take pride in their products and market appearance and how that shines through to their customers. Other stops will focus on Agritourism. These locations know what customers are looking for in family entertainment. A few of these farms to be visited in Washington State include Lattin’s Country Cider Mill in Olympia, Rutledge Corn Maze in Tumwater and Bob’s Corn, Maze and Pumpkin Farm in Snohomish.
On-farm events and weddings will also be a focus on the bus tour. Whether attendees compare their own operation to the recently started venue at Schilter Farms in Olympia, Washington, or the newly expanded facilities at The Farm at Swan’s Trail in Snohomish, Washington, owners of these farms are looking forward to sharing their knowledge and experiences.
The first night of the tour will overnight in Seattle, Washington. The buses will stop at Pike Place Market where there will be the chance to browse through the hundreds of booths. Included are over 100 farm booths, numerous local crafts and wares, the world famous Pike Place fish mongers and the original Starbucks Coffee shop.
The final stop for all buses will be French Prairie Gardens in St. Paul, Oregon. The Pohlschnieder family is looking forward to hosting a party to end the bus tour and prepare for the conference and trade show days to follow. A complete list of tour stops will be available on the NAFDMA Convention website at www.nafdma.com/PNW2013.
About NAFDMA
North American Farmers' Direct Marketing Association is the leading farm direct marketing and agritourism association in the world. It promotes and fosters the growth of farm direct marketing throughout North America. Its members support their family farms by selling millions of dollars worth of farm-grown produce directly to consumers at farm stands, farmers' markets, pick-your-own farms, consumer-supported agriculture, agritourism venues, and other ever- growing innovations in direct producer-to-consumer agricultural marketing methods.
The bus tour is a great opportunity for those looking for ways to improve upon what they already do on their farms or find new ideas to add to what they offer to their customers. The tour will have something of interest to farmers at all levels of the farming business. Farm educators will also learn valuable information to bring back to their own farm communities.
The organizers of this year’s bus tour are excited to be visiting the Pacific Northwest. Tour goers will see endless farmlands, lush forests and picturesque snow capped mountains and the best farm direct marketing and agritourism stops in this diverse area along the way. The temperate climate of much of the area lends itself to opportunities for crop growth, and for challenges for outdoor events, that may not be found in other areas of the country. Through NAFDMA’s School on Wheels, attendees will have access to an in-depth look at how these farm operators capitalize on the bucolic scenery and make the most of weather related challenges.
It is expected that there will be six buses on the road for this popular feature of the NAFDMA Convention. Each individual bus will have a specific focus and discussion topics. The tour leaders assigned to each bus have been trained to facilitate discussions and promote networking among everyone on the bus. The expertise of the leaders and experience in various aspects of farm direct marketing and agritourism provide an environment of learning and sharing that cannot be found on any other bus tour. As one attendee stated on the evaluation of the last year’s tour, “The tour guides were superb and brought the bus to life.”
Several stops on the tour will focus on the retail side of farm direct marketing. Highlights in the state of Oregon are Bauman’s Farm and Garden in Gervais, E.Z. Orchards in Salem and Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Store in Milwaukie. Tour goers will see how the owners of these locations take pride in their products and market appearance and how that shines through to their customers. Other stops will focus on Agritourism. These locations know what customers are looking for in family entertainment. A few of these farms to be visited in Washington State include Lattin’s Country Cider Mill in Olympia, Rutledge Corn Maze in Tumwater and Bob’s Corn, Maze and Pumpkin Farm in Snohomish.
On-farm events and weddings will also be a focus on the bus tour. Whether attendees compare their own operation to the recently started venue at Schilter Farms in Olympia, Washington, or the newly expanded facilities at The Farm at Swan’s Trail in Snohomish, Washington, owners of these farms are looking forward to sharing their knowledge and experiences.
The first night of the tour will overnight in Seattle, Washington. The buses will stop at Pike Place Market where there will be the chance to browse through the hundreds of booths. Included are over 100 farm booths, numerous local crafts and wares, the world famous Pike Place fish mongers and the original Starbucks Coffee shop.
The final stop for all buses will be French Prairie Gardens in St. Paul, Oregon. The Pohlschnieder family is looking forward to hosting a party to end the bus tour and prepare for the conference and trade show days to follow. A complete list of tour stops will be available on the NAFDMA Convention website at www.nafdma.com/PNW2013.
About NAFDMA
North American Farmers' Direct Marketing Association is the leading farm direct marketing and agritourism association in the world. It promotes and fosters the growth of farm direct marketing throughout North America. Its members support their family farms by selling millions of dollars worth of farm-grown produce directly to consumers at farm stands, farmers' markets, pick-your-own farms, consumer-supported agriculture, agritourism venues, and other ever- growing innovations in direct producer-to-consumer agricultural marketing methods.
Contact
NAFDMA
Virginia Schwarzenbach
413-207-1561
www.nafdma.com
Virginia Schwarzenbach
413-207-1561
www.nafdma.com
Contact
Categories