Kansas News
Local Foods Wanted for SARE Conference in K.C.
10/23/07
The SARE Program (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) is bringing its 20th Anniversary National Convention to KC's Westin Crown Center in March 2008.
The conference's planners want meals served at this three-day conference to highlight locally-raised and sustainably-produced foods from the Kansas-Missouri region. That's two lunches, two dinners, three breaks and a reception for 700 attendees. In otherwords, we need a lot of great products from locals like you!
Agritourism efforts help fulfill a Vision 20/20 goal, Winfield Daily Courier, 9/21/07
One of the goals of the Vision 20/20 Plan for Cowley County is to sustain rural development in the county.
To that end, the group wants to maintain an ongoing collaboration with the Atlanta, Burden, Cambridge, Dexter, Eastern Cowley (ABCDE) group and continue to support the activities in that area.
Bad Year for Orchards
Emporia Gazette, 9/19/07
Amy Jordan, a horticulturist with Kansas State Research and Extension in Lyon County, looks over Bob Karr's orchard after April’s late freeze. The freeze doomed the county’s 2007 apple crop.
One of the Best Examples of Agritourism in Kansas
KWCH-TV, 9/16/07
Walters' Pumpkin Patch started as a u-pick pumpkin patch and has grown to include peddle boats, an underground slide, gift shops and much more. The business is only open for six weeks of the year yet it manages to draw in over 20,000 people during that time. It may be one of the best examples of agri-tourism in the state of Kansas
What's a "Corporate Farm"?
Salina Journal, 9/7/2007
If you doubt that terms like "farm household" or "family farm" might need clarification, consider this statistic from the U.S. Department of Agriculture: More than 90 percent of farm household income is derived from off-farm sources.
Tomatoes aplenty...none being thrown
Manhattan Mercury, 8/27/07
For many local folks, a Saturday morning stop at the Downtown Farmer's Market is almost as routine as the weekly trip to the grocery store.
In recent weeks, however, market shoppers have had to decide where to go to buy those farm fresh tomatoes, corn, peaches and watermelons.
Agribusiness Alliance has set two goals
Kansas.com, 8/26/07
An agribusiness innovation center, a bioscience industrial park, an increased presence for farmers markets and truck gardens, and a push for a food processing center are all ideas that members of the Agribusiness Alliance continue to work on with Visioneering Wichita.
Local farmers market is open for business
The Kansan.com, 7/27/07
The Harvey County Farmers Market in Newton is open two days a week. On Saturdays, sales begin at 8 a.m. and run until noon or sellout, whichever comes first. On Tuesdays, the market is open from 3 to 6 p.m. or sellout.
Our View: Farmer's market a welcome addition
Tonganoxie Mirror, 7/27/07
Our hat is off to the Historical Farmer's Market, which is taking up residence each Saturday morning in the parking lot at Tonganoxie High School.
First Issue of Flint Hills Heritage Newsletter Released
In its continued efforts to protect and promote the Kansas Flint Hills and the tallgrass prairie, the Flint Hills Tourism Coalition and the Flint Hills Heritage Task Force recently issued the first-ever edition of the Flint Hills Heritage Newsletter.
Commerce Department offering money for agritourism development, Wichita Eagle 7/2/07
The Agriculture Marketing Division of the Kansas Department of Commerce is awarding $25,000 in scholarships to help promote agritourism in the state. The money can be used for agritourism operators in Kansas to attend workshops or seminars related to their business. Money also is available to visit other agritourism operations regionally or nationally.
Farmers Market opens for the season
Kansan.com 6/27/07
The Harvey County Farmers Market has started for the season.
Times are 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays and 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays.
The market has moved and now is located at the Salvation Army parking lot in the 400 block of North Main in Newton.
Agritourism Scholarships for 2007;
First Due Date is Aug 1st
6/27/07
The Agriculture Marketing Division of the Kansas Department of Commerce is sponsoring $25,000* in scholarships to help Kansas agritourism operators attend conferences, seminars and educational tours, gain first-hand information regarding practices and techniques used by other agritourism vendors and develop nationwide relationships within the industry.
Walnut Valley Farmers' Market returns Saturday
Winfield Courier, 6/6/07
Now entering its second decade, the Walnut Valley Farmer' Market opens for the season Saturday. The market begins at 7:30 a.m. in the 900 block of Fuller, between the courthouse and Memorial Park. It is open until 11:30 a.m. or sellout.
Farmer's Market will start to sell Saturday
McPherson Sentinel, 5/31/07
The McPherson Farmer's Market has served the area for over 20 years. It is located on West Woodside at the 4-H grounds. The market is sponsored by the McPherson County Extension Council and is managed by Arnie Neufeld.
The market will open on Saturday and continue through October. Hours are from 8 a.m. to noon.
Burger Time
Lawrence Journal World, 5/14/07
“It might not have played a role in my decision to move to Lawrence, but it certainly made it more enticing to know there was a restaurant committed to local, seasonal and organic produce and procurements.”
Flint Hills Marketing Conference
May 16, 1:30-4:00 p.m.
Emporia
Tourism is growing in the Kansas Flint Hills and many enterprising individuals are looking for ways to reap the benefits of the increasing number of visitors.
To help these entrepreneurs, the Center for Business and Economic Development (CBED) of the Emporia State University School of Business will hold a workshop on May 16 entitled, “Tourism Marketing: Getting Down to Basics.” The guest presenter will be Richard Smalley, Tourism Marketing Manager with the Kansas Department of Commerce, Travel and Tourism Division.
The workshop, which will be held from 1:30-4 p.m. in the Roe Cross Conference Room of Cremer Hall on the ESU campus, is one of a series of workshops held in 2007 that focuses on tourism in the Flint Hills.
Kansas Tourism Scholarship Program
5/7/2007
The Kansas Department of Commerce, Travel and Tourism Development Division, has created a scholarship grant program to further the professional development and education of those individuals associated with and working in the tourism industry of Kansas. There is $10,000 available for the scholarship program fiscal year which ends June 30, 2007.
Openings Available on the Kansas AgriTourism Advisory Council
4/30/2007
The Kansas AgriTourism Advisory Council is currently seeking resident agritourism producers/operators to see on this important council.
K-State: Now That's Rural -Jan Jantzen; Grandview Ranch
Cattle Network, 3/21/2007
"Feel the burn." It´s what the exercise leaders say as they put us through a vigorous round of exercises, burning the calories away. But there is someone who "feels the burn" in a different sense. He is an entrepreneur who is helping visitors literally feel the burn of the pasture burning season in the Kansas Flint Hills.
Symphony in the Flint Hills Sells Out
One of the hottest tickets for the Kansas summer, Symphony in the Flint Hills, has sold out in a record one day.
Northwest Kansas Experience-Agritourism Part 2
This is the third year northwest Kansas is offering a one day workshop on agri-tourism. The name of the event is, “Northwest Kansas Rural Experience: Agri-Tourism Part 2”. The workshop will be held on April 4, 2007, at the Gateway Convention Center, 1 Morgan Drive, Oberlin, Kansas, and will begin at 8:30 A.M. CT with registration.
Flint Hills Digest-Country AgriTourism Grants
Emporia Gazette, 2/23/07
The promotion of tourism, particularly agritourism, will be one of the two main goals of the Greater Morris County Development Corporation during 2007, President John White, announced during the organization’s recent annual meeting. The board of directors is developing a matching grant program to help county residents in starting agritourism businesses.
Creative thinking expands family farming business
High Plains Journal, 2/15/07
Derek and Michelle Zongker, Sylvia, Kan., are a young farm couple full of creativity, determination and enthusiasm.
Their creativity allows them to be open to new farming ideas and their determination drives them to make their business grow and thrive in a climate that's less than hospitable to newcomers.
Crowd listens to ideas
Wabaunsee County Signal-Enterprise, 2/13/07
The cold weather couldn’t keep people away from the Wabaunsee County Economic Development (WCED) annual meeting Thursday.
Farmers' Markets Learn to Grow Their Businesses
WIBW TV, 2/5/2007
Both farmers' market managers and vendors were welcomed to the 2007 Kansas Farmers' Market Conference where targeted courses for for each group so that they may make better choices for selling their goods.
Dubbed "Cultivate and Grow Your Market," the conference was held at the Marvin Auditorium at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library.
Nature Tourism Is A Natural For Western Kansas, 1/26/07
It's not surprising that Kansans in the western part of the state feel close to nature. They ranch farm, and do business in some of the most beautiful, wide-open spaces in the United States. The Western Kansas Rural Economic Development Association (wKREDA) recently completed the first steps in what will become a major initiative to enhance tourism in Western Kansas by making use of the regions natural assets.
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Out-of-State New
Iowa puts tax on pumpkins (unless you eat them), Des Moines Register, 10/31/07
The Iowa Department of Revenue, often accused of trying to squeeze blood out of turnips, is now searching for pennies in pumpkins. A new department policy this year has made Halloween jack-o'-lanterns subject to the state sales tax, and many Iowa pumpkin growers are feeling tricked.
Fun By the Bushel at Farm Markets
Rochester Democrat, 10/20/07
When you oversee a contraption called The Apple Slingshot, you likely have stories to tell. Matt Smith is that person at Lagoner Farms in Williamson, Wayne County. And his stories do not disappoint.
Agritourism provides added value, extra income to local farms
Frederick News Post, 10/18/07
Gaver Tree Farm in Mount Airy has become Frederick County's latest agritourism destination, putting the number at approximately 40 farms that have extended operations. Agritourism is one of Frederick County's top three fastest-growing agricultural industries, along with the equine business and specialty crop production, said Colby Ferguson, business specialist for agriculture in the county's office of economic development.
Growing Economic Windfall of Colorado Agritourism
Colorado State university, 10/18/07
Among the fall corn mazes, farmers' markets and winery and brewery visits, 13.2 million tourists experiencing Colorado's agricultural offerings pumped an estimated $2.2 billion in total economic activity into the state in 2006, according to Colorado State University research.
Can tourism save the family farm?
Indystar.com, 10/17/07
Donna Beeler thought a few years ago it would only be a matter of time before her children would one day have to put the family farm on the market. Her husband, Lewis Beeler, was having health problems and the children didn't farm. Many of the buildings on the property on Newcastle Road outside Lafayette were falling into disrepair. It was a heartbreaking thought.
The Cider House Rules
What pick-your-own-apple orchards teach about the American economy.
Slate, 10/9/07
A few weeks ago, the New York Times ran a poignant article about anguished fruit farmers in California. Because of a crackdown on illegal immigrants, they couldn't find workers willing to pick their pears, even at $150 per day. And as a result, perfectly good fruit rotted in the fields.
Perhaps the California farmers, who depend on migrant Mexican labor, have got the wrong business model. Instead of paying workers to pick their fruit, they should try another strategy: making customers pay to pick the fruit themselves.
Agriculture tourism sprouts fields of green
Rocky Mountain News, 10/11/07
In an era of urban living and Disney vacations, Colorado's farms and ranches have begun to appeal to tourists looking for a different kind of travel experience - whether it's sampling local wines with regional foods or helping round up cattle at the end of the day. While the market for such trips is relatively small, visitors spent an estimated $2.2 billion on so-called "agritourism" activities last year.
Agriculture council sets goals
Frederick News Post, 10/8/07
The Frederick County Agriculture Business Council was established to promote, develop and preserve the ag industry in Frederick County.
A list of agriculture initiatives, sanctioned by the council and implemented by the Frederick County Office of Economic Development, suggests that the council has lived up to its mandate.
Small farmers cultivating tourist trade
Arkansas Democrat, 10/7/07
Ellen and Darrell Dalton started growing a few acres of pumpkins almost 20 years ago on their 120-acre farm near Piggott in the state’s northeast corner.
The venture soon evolved and took on the name Pumpkin Hollow, now in its 15 th year of operation.
Winery puts mobile bottling service to work, San Francisco Business Times, 10/2/07
Clos LaChance Winery has created a subsidiary that will travel to small wineries and bottle their wine for them.
The San Martin winery bought its mobile bottling line, which charges a minimum of $1,750 per day, from Mission Bottling, and offers its services to wineries all over the Bay Area, with a particular focus on the Santa Cruz and Monterey areas.
5 healthy food trends worth following
CNN.com, 10/2/07
If you want to know where American food traditions are headed, look back. Many of today's most healthful eating trends bear a strong resemblance to yesterday's: Nearby farms offering nutritious, peak-of-season produce; slow-cooked dinners that foster leisurely family meals; an emphasis on meatless dishes and minimally processed foods.
Wineries paying special attention to women, PE.com 9/20/07
Inland wineries have started rolling out wines aimed at women as well as holding special events just for women. Research from the Wine Market Council shows that women purchase and drink 60 percent of the wine in the United States.
Plan For Next Generation Important on Farms, Sequim Gazette, 9/19/07
Although details aren’t ironed out, Huber, 66, plans to incorporate his farm into a limited liability company and sell a majority of the shares to his farm managers.
“The future of many of America’s family farms rides on good planning for operations under the next generation,” farm manager Kia Kozun said. “Nash and his partners are trying to make sure that the process of transition is organized and that the farm will continue to operate effectively even in a transition period.”
Canada Offers 75 onsite mazes
CNW Telbec, 9/19/07
Ontario Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Long Term Care, George Smitherman, Ontario farmers, Saunders Farm's "Green Queen" and local school children today officially launched Maze Craze with a challenge to Ontarians to visit the 42 rural farms across Ontario with onsite mazes! At Nathan Phillips Square in front of City Hall, visitors were delighted by something they had never seen before in downtown Toronto - a specially constructed maze made of 200 straw bales.
'Agritourism' becoming big business across New Jersey
The Express-Times, 9/18/07
For New Jersey towns lacking sandy beaches, agricultural tourism has provided an alternative to bolster local economies.
Last year, "agritourism" brought in $57.5 million to state farmers, a new report found.
Agritourism is a win-win for everyone
Natchez Democrat, 9/18/07
Agritourism isn’t really a word, but it could be the next booming business in this neck of the woods. It turns out those living north of the good ole Mason Dixon line may not know the basics about a cotton field, yet they are ready to learn.
Say aloha to agritourism
Star Telegram, 9/16/07
Hawaii isn't just about beaches and Diamond Head and whale watching; it's a state with a rich tradition of living off the land. These days, agritourism, a hybrid of agriculture and tourism, provides visitors with a behind-the-scenes, once-in-a-lifetime look at farms, ranches and orchards throughout Hawaii. Income from these tours boosts the businesses' bottom lines. Everybody wins.
Corn-Carved Creations
washingtonpost.com, 9/13/07
Each summer, farmers stand before an agricultural blank canvas and ponder a question for the ages: In what pattern should we carve this year's maze of maize?
Farmers Going High Tech
The TimesPlus, 9/6/07
Green beans, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, onions, peppers, broccoli, squash, eggplant -- what don't Ken and Luanna Parr sell Wednesdays and Saturdays at the Market on the Square?
The Monroe couple are in their first year as vendors at the farmers market, and already they're overwhelmed with customers asking for more.
A new Web site could help the Parrs fill those special orders even before they set up shop on the Square. The site, set to launch next spring, will allow farmers to take orders for their products from online shoppers, who then pick them up at Wisconsin farmers markets.
Farmers Surviving Thanks to Agritourism, CBS News, 9/5/07
Many Kansans will tell you, life on the family farm isn't what it used to be. There still are a few of them left, and many farmers are struggling to survive. Others are making ends meet by turning the family farm into a tourist attraction.
You can learn more about agritourism using the links on this page. Also, watch CBS Early Show Correspondent Debbye Turner's story on how one New York farming family has turned their luck around thanks to agritourism. (also video clip)
New era blooms for East End farm stands
newsday.com, 8/28/07
The Main Road farm stand in Cutchogue bursts forth with all the late-summer, Long Island bounty: vine-ripe tomatoes, fat zucchini, string beans, mounds of sweet corn and eggplant.
But Barb's Veggies also offers tart Florida lemons and sweet Mexican mangos, and the stand sells cantaloupes and peaches grown not in Long Island soil, but 250 miles away.
NYS Announces $59,000 to Improve Winery Websites
Suffolk Journal, 8/17/07
New York State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker today announced nearly $59,000 to create or improve the websites of 60 New York State wineries. This is the second round of these grants, which are designed to increase the visibility of New York wines via the internet, which in turn will help attract more tourists to New York’s wine regions, and expand the sales of New York wines to customers throughout the country.
Colorado's AgriTourism Market Climbing, CSU News, 8/14/07
Colorado's abundant wildlife, vineyards and vast agricultural landscapes help draw thousands of visitors to the state and are ripe in potential to anchor emerging agritourism markets, according to a recent Colorado State University study.
Web Site Will Allow Consumers To Shop Farmer's Market Online
Shoppers Could Place Order, Pick Up Food, WISCTV.com, 8/8/07
For the first time in the country, a new Web site will allow people to shop online for Farmer's Market produce and then simply pick it up at the market.
Barnyard mixes education and fun
Buck County Courier Times, 8/6/07
The owners of Johnson's Corner Farm have taken another step toward transforming time customers spend at the market into an interactive experience.
Red barn stands the test of time
gmtoday.com, 8/1/07
When the big, red barn on Farmdale Road was constructed in 1907, horse-drawn carriages roamed the dirt roads, radios were just coming into play and fresh vegetables were commonplace on the dinner table.
Agritourism farmers must master marketing
The Ledger Independent, 8/1/07
Petting zoos, wagon rides and other forms of agritourism are flourishing in Ohio, but farmers who want to get into the business must develop marketing skills and be aware of regulations that can affect such operations.
Teachers pluck tasty tidbits at seminar
Bakersfield Californian, 7/31/07
Teachers from across Kern County pulled juicy red and green pluots off trees and marveled at olallieberries, loganberries and marionberries Tuesday. No, they weren't at Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. They were at the Murray Family Farms learning about real hybrid fruits as part of the three-day Teacher's Ag Seminar, which continues today.
Who’s farming the land?
Delta Farm Press, 7/27/07
Who is farming America’s land? It’s family farmers for the most part. Data from the USDA show that family farms make up 98 percent of all U.S. farms. Those family farms account for 85 percent of U.S. agricultural production.
Harvesting New Ideas: Ambitious Maverick Farms promotes local food - and the future of farming,
Winston-Salem Journal, 7/27/07
When is a farm more than a farm?
When it sets out to harvest farmers as much as crops.Maverick Farms in Watauga County is just such a farm. Its founders are ostensibly in the vegetable business, but their broader vision encompasses tourism, environmentalism, education and economic development.
Inns & Wineries of America's Heartland
High Plains Journal, 7/27/07
Susen Foster releases the first of a new sub-series entitled "Inns and Wineries of America's Heartland", highlighting the wonders of Kansas and Oklahoma and some special recipes from innkeepers, too.
Seeds of agritourism prove fruitful to family farms, Tennessean, 7/15/07
More than a dozen years ago, farmer Rodney Simmons and his family had a small store in Bell Buckle, Tenn., where they sold the fruits of their labor from the family farm — jams, jellies and glazes made from old family recipes, cooked and packaged right there on the farm.
Support new generation of farmers
Cannon City Daily Record, 7/16/07
Young would-be farmers don’t have enough capital to buy expensive farmland, according to a recent article by The Associated Press. And they often don’t have enough experience to get started in the business either.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s most recent agriculture census, in 2002, shows the percentage of farmers under the age of 35 declined from 15.9 percent in 1982 to 5.8 percent in 2002. While that number is staggering, there is hope. The National Farm Transition Network, which works in 25 states, works to bring experienced farmers together with a new generation of farmers who could benefit from their expertise.
Farm's main 'crop' is happy children
IndyStar.com, 7/15/07
Midwestern corn farmers want their crops to be knee-high by the Fourth of July. So why did Greg Hochstedler wait until July 2 to plant some of his corn at Boondocks Farms? Unlike sweet and field corn on plots scattered throughout his 160 acre-farm, this corn is for a 12-acre maze planned for fall.
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