Philip Ackerman-Leist

Farmer, Author, Consultant, UpTunket Farm

Online Tools to Maximize Agritourism’s Educational Impact
“Deep agritourism” with a museum in the middle

Temitope Arogundade

Consultant, Clemson University

Entrepreneurial motivations of agritourism farmers: An analysis of USA farms and ranches

Hélsio Azevedo

Universidade Eduardo Mondlane - Escola Superior de Hotelaria e Turismo de Inhambane

Agritourism: An opportunity for Inhambane municipality in Mozambique

Elena Gabriela Baciu

Phd Student, Stefan cel Mare University of Suceva
Gabriela Elena Baciu, currently Phd Student at Faculty of Forestry, Stefan cel Mare University in Suceava, Romania. Background and experience in public administration, public policies, international relations, mountain and agricultural policies.

Multi- and interdisciplinary approaches to eco-agri-tourism systems analysis

Annie Baggett

Agribusiness Developer & Agritourism Marketing Specialist, North Carolina Department of Agriculture

How to Start an Agritourism Association in Your State (or Country)
How the Visit NC Farms app and cooperative marketing initiative works to connect millions of potential customers to the farm’s diverse revenue streams

Rudorwashe Baipai

Mrs, Chinhoyi University of Technology
Rudorwashe Baipai is a lecturer at Manicaland State University of Applied Sciences in the department of tourism and hospitality. She is a PhD student in the School of hospitality and Tourism at Chinhoyi University of Technology where she is researching on the development of sustainable agritourism in Zimbabwe. She holds a Master of Commerce degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management (MSU) and a bachelor of Commerce degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management (MSU). Her research interests are in sustainable agritourism, mountain tourism, heritage tourism, tourism planning and development, tourism marketing and rural livelihoods. She has published papers in some of the areas. Contact details ruebaipai@gmail.com +263772426484

Framework for sustainable agritourism development in Zimbabwe

Dani Baker

Farmer, Author, The Enchanted Edible Forest at Cross Island Farms
Dani Baker is a retired clinical psychologist and a self-taught gardener and photographer who learned her craft by immersing herself in reading, poring over nursery catalogs, attending workshops on permaculture and gardening, and enthusiastic trial-and-error experimentation. Her Enchanted Edible Forest garden is located at Cross Island Farms on Wellesley Island in the St. Lawrence River between New York and Canada. There, she and her partner, David Belding, grow certified organic produce and raise grass-fed beef and goats. Dani conducts workshops and tours in her edible forest garden as well as giving presentations at organic farming conferences and other venues. She recently published a book, The Home-scale Forest Garden: How to Plan, Plant and Tend a Resilient Edible Landscape, available for sale at Amazon and other online platforms. She takes particular pleasure in inspiring others to try their hand at incorporating permaculture principles in their edible gardens.

Hosting interns and volunteers as an agritourism enterprise
Partnering with not-for-profits to promote agritourism venue
U-pick by appointment in the "enchanted edible forest garden"

Daniel Baker

Vermont Partners of the Americas / University of Vermont

The surprising resilience of domestic coffee and conservation tourism in Honduras
Managing Agritourism Amidst Insecurity: A workshop in overcoming international tourist concerns about safety outside the gates

Carla Barbieri

Professor, North Carolina State University
Dr. Carla Barbieri is a Professor in Sustainable Tourism at North Carolina State University (USA). She founded and leads the Agritourism & Societal Well-being Lab, which investigates emerging issues influencing the well-being of rural communities. Her extension program addresses the needs of farmers offering agritourism, seeking to enhance their economic success and quality of life. Barbieri has led agritourism-related studies regionally and nationally in the USA, as well as internationally (e.g., Canada, Perú, Spain). Her work has yield over 100 scientific publications and outreach materials; she also actively presents at national and international conferences. Barbieri’s work has been recognized with several honors, including the Emerging Scholar award (2017, International Academy for the Study of Tourism) and the National Diversity Team Award (2018, National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals). In 2019, she received a Fulbright Scholarship to expand her work in Spain and earlier this year she was recognized for her international work with the NC State Outstanding Global Engagement Award.

Measuring the Educational and Marketing Value of Agritourism
Keeping it local: Crafting beverages on farms
Lunch & Keynote Presentation: Cultivating the Future of Agritourism

Eric Barrett

Associate Professor, OSU Extension

A framework for developing and training to achieve awesome customer service in agritourism operations

Louis Beland

Executive Director, Eastern Ontario Agri-food Network
Raised in an entrepreneurial family and immersed in the community from a young age, Louis Béland is an entrepreneur focused on helping others follow their dreams. Louis has ventured into many different business sectors, including media production, an integrations startup in New Zealand, and an artisanal roastery and coffee shop for which he earned himself Young Entrepreneur awards two years in a row. Louis' most recent successes came as a regional director for the Société économique de l’Ontario where he led youth initiatives and entrepreneurial support initiatives for the francophone communities of Ontario, as well as building the largest GrowthWheel certified business advisors team in Canada, a team specialized in helping business owners make the best possible decisions. You will now find Louis spearheading workforce development projects with the Eastern Ontario Training Board and agri-food initiatives with the EOAN, combining his expertise and passion to help communities throughout Eastern Ontario.

Regional partnerships and funding for impact

Giovanni Belletti

University of Firenze

Agritourism performance in Tuscany: the role of location, agripreneur and agritourism characteristics
The role of origin products and networking on agritourism performance: The case of Tuscany

Trevor Jonas Benson

CEO, Bannikin Travel & Tourism
Aspiring tourism changemaker operating at the interface of adventure, food, and culture, Trevor is a social-minded systems thinker, progressive project manager, and entrepreneurial extrovert. Since 2006, Trevor has supported the development of strongly sustainable businesses and flourishing destinations in Canada and abroad. With ancestry in the United Kingdom, Trevor worked for several years in management at the famous Monmouth Coffee Company, located in London’s historic Borough Market. He also carries dual citizenship with Barbados, the culinary capital of the Caribbean, where he opened and operated several food-based businesses on the island. Trevor is passionate about collaborating with others to create meaningful change in the way that visitors experience place, and he enjoys nothing more than working with the people that bring destinations to life. When he is not travelling for work, he is travelling for pleasure. As CEO of Bannikin, Trevor oversees all aspects of the company’s operations, growth, and development. He brings significant experience and expertise in project management and has played an instrumental role in the successful completion of countless projects over the past 15 years. Included in the projects he is currently managing is the research and development of Tourism Simcoe County’s destination development action plan. Trevor remains heavily involved in both developing business for the Bannikin and delivering its professional services, including scoping and managing highly participatory and asset-based tourism research, strategy, and development projects at the local, regional, and national levels. He has a particular interest in the role that food and agriculture can play in creating meaningful connections between visitor and place, and he regularly speaks as well as advises on developing food and agritourism in an inclusive and impactful manner, including participating in the Scottish Agritourism Growth Strategy Group. Trevor has an academic background in Law and Human Rights and Sustainable Local Food. He has overseen research undertaken by the Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph, developed curriculum for North America’s first postgraduate certificate in Food Tourism studies at Centennial College, where he taught Global Tourism Development & Social Justice from 2018-2022. Trevor also contributes his expertise to voluntary committees, including the Advisory Board for the Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Research at the Ted Rogers School of Management and Toronto Metropolitan University, the Tourism Program Advisory Committee for Centennial.

Three agricultural businesses, three agritourism journeys

Kumar Bhatta

PhD, Kyushu University Institute of Asian and Oceanian Studies

Ghalegaun tourism model for community integration and sustainability: Implications for Nepalese agritourism development
Conditions for the development of agritourism in Poland

Irina Blazhevich

PhD, Jagiellonian University, Institute of Geography and Spatial Management

Differentiating the models of agritourism in post-socialist countries: Examples from Poland, Belarus, and Kazakhstan

Birgit Bosio

Lecturer, MCI The Entrepreneurial School

Schule der Alm - a best practice for agritourism and education in and about alpine pastures and traditional agriculture

Becky Bowen

Program Manager, Cultivate NC, NC State Extension

Developing the North Carolina agritourism spotlight virtual tour

Sara Brune

Research Associate, North Carolina State University

Measuring the Educational and Marketing Value of Agritourism

Rachael Callahan

Statewide Agritourism Coordinator, University of California

Agritourism critical success factors for farms and ranches in the US

Cresilda M. Caning

Higher education institution (HEI’s) agritourism initiatives: An academe-community partnership, the case of Central Bicol State University of Agriculture, Bicol, Philippines

Kate Cartwright

Tasting Room & Wine Club Manager, Shelburne Vineyard

How to Build Customer Loyalty for Your Agritourism Destination

Lisa Chase

Extension Professor, University of Vermont

Agritourism development policies and regulations in Italy, the USA and South Africa
Agritourism support indicators for the United States
International Research Network for Agritourism - Country Level Agritourism Surveys
Agritourism critical success factors for farms and ranches in the US
Selecting websites for booking farm stays and experiences

Oliver Chikuta

Professor and Dean - Faculty of Hospitality and Sustainable Tourism, Botho University

Agritourism in Botswana: Challenges and prospects
Framework for sustainable agritourism development in Zimbabwe

Emilio Chiodo

Prof., University of Teramo

Development strategies in Brazilian agritourism: Results of a direct survey
Developing agritourism in Italy: New trends and farmers’ needs
International Research Network for Agritourism - Country Level Agritourism Surveys

Chris Clemons

Associate professor, Auburn University

The costs and value of agritourism to Alabama farmers

Audrey Comerford

Agritourism Coordinator, Oregon State University Extension Service
Audrey Comerford serves as the Agritourism Coordinator for OSU Extension Service in Marion, Polk and Yamhill Counties. Growing up in the Willamette Valley gave her the opportunity to be familiar with diverse farming activities. Audrey’s efforts strive to bring education and understanding about the benefits of agritourism and farm-direct marketing as an additional revenue source to farmers, tourism groups and government entities. She is part of the OSU College of Agriculture’s Agritourism Working Group and currently collaborates with organizations such as Travel Oregon, Oregon Agritourism Partnership and local tourism offices. Before joining the OSU Extension Service, Audrey coordinated and managed school tours along with other aspects of farm-direct sales. She currently lives on a small farm with her husband and raises sheep for fiber.

Providing agritourism education and support in the virtual world

David Conner

Professor, University of Vermont
I am an applied economist and food systems scholar. My research interests include community economic development and food resilience. I am a proponent and practitioner of applied mixed methods research, engaged scholarship and participatory approaches. I am especially interested is strategic partnerships in the supply chain that contribute to farm viability and make healthy food accessible for all. I live in Burlington with my three children and dog. I value quality time with my family and friends. I especially enjoy being outdoors in nature (hiking, camping, paddling), gardening, yoga, making music, coaching my daughter;s baseball team and watching my kids perform in concerts and plays.

Agritourism critical success factors for farms and ranches in the US

Robert Copley

Director, Farmer Copleys Farm Shop

Connecting Agritourism Internationally and Building Association Growth

Katalin Vargane Csoban

Senior Lecturer, University of Debrecen

Sustainable gastronomy as a key driver in agritourism development in Eastern Hungary

Will Culler

Senior Extension Agent, Clemson Extension
Will Culler is part of the Clemson Extension Agribusiness team where he serves as the Midlands Area Agent, Director of the SC AG + Art Tour, and Lexington County Extension Coordinator. He is responsible for supporting the expansion and growth of the agribusiness and natural resource base sectors in the midlands region and throughout South Carolina through development and implementation of programs targeted at agribusiness management and local foods systems development. Dr. Culler has overseen student-based research activities for agribusiness and tourism and maintains an active scholarly research agenda while compiling and maintaining a research library of resources and expertise. He holds a B.S. degree in Agricultural Economics, M.S. in Agribusiness, and Ph.D. in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management. He lives with his family in Chapin, South Carolina.

Exploring job characteristics and entrepreneurial goals of agritourism operators in the United States: An age cohort analysis

Kynda Curtis

Professor, Utah State University

Understanding and Enhancing Diversity in Agritourism: Innovative research and outreach in entrepreneurship, marketing, and networking

Julia Coelho de Souza

Ms., Federal University of Santa Catarina, LACAF (Laboratory for the commercialization of family farming)

Development strategies in Brazilian agritourism: Results of a direct survey

Niranjan Das

Researcher, Tezpur University
Dr. Niranjan Das, A Guest Faculty in MTTM (Master of Tourism and Travel Management) programme and a Senior Fellow, ICSSR (Indian Council of Social Science Research) in the Department of Business Administration, Tezpur University-Assam completed his masters (M.A.) in Geography with specialization of Population Geography from Gauhati University, Assam-India. He has completed M. Phil. Degree from NEHU (North Eastern Hill University), Shillong in Meghalaya-India. From the same university he obtained Ph.D. degree on the research topic entitled ‘Potentiality of Ecotourism in Nameri National Park, Assam-A Geographical Analysis’. During research he received prestigious Doctoral Fellowship from ICSSR (Indian Council of Social Science Research). Dr. Das has also obtained Post-Doctoral fellowship from the same organization and completed research on ‘Evaluation of Ecotourism Resources and its Impact on Community Livelihood: A Case in Nameri National Park and Adjoining Areas of Assam’ from Tezpur University, Assam. During the post-doctoral tenure, he published several research papers and contributed relevant literature in the field of tourism and livelihood. Presently he is pursuing as a Senior fellow from ICSSR on the topic ‘Socio-Economic Impact of Muga Silk (Antheraea assamensis) Production on Livelihood in the Upper Brahmaputra Valley of Assam-A Post GI (Geographical Indication) Assessment. Through the research he also evaluated the community livelihood and natural resource management of the local resident of the Brahmaputra valley of Assam. He has published many research paper in the field of Ecotourism, Livelihoods, Biodiversity conservation, Muga silk of Assam in different International and National journal of reputation.

Geographical indication (GI) as a means of conserving traditional knowledge through agritourism: A case of muga silk (antheraea assamensis) in Assam-India
Tea agronomy as a means of agritourism - a case in small scale tea growers in the Brahmaputra Valley of Assam

Runumi Das

Assistant Professor, Tezpur University

Tea agronomy as a means of agritourism - a case in small scale tea growers in the Brahmaputra Valley of Assam

Michael de Rachewiltzt

Museum Brunnenburg

“Deep agritourism” with a museum in the middle

Carol Delaney

Livestock Specialist, Animal Health Program, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Carol Delaney received a M. S. in Ruminant Nutrition from Cornell University, Ithaca, NY and a B.S. in Animal Science from University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont. In 2022, she works as the Livestock Specialist for the Animal Health Program in the state of Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. Before that, she was grant coordinator of the Farmer and Partnership grant programs for the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), a NIFA/USDA on-farm research grant program for 12 years. From 1998 to 2008, she was the Extension Small Ruminant Dairy Specialist at the University of Vermont, Department of Animal Science and the UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Prior to that, she was Faculty and Farm Manager at Sterling College, Craftsbury, Vermont. Carol has many years of experience owning and operating farm and retail food businesses, working on livestock farms, shearing sheep commercially, and raising cows, sheep and goats for dairy, meat and draft purposes. In 2020 she and colleague Dr. Carolyn Hurwitz were awarded a Northeast SARE Partnership grant entitled “Biosecurity Preparedness, Infectious Disease Prevention, and Farmer Training on Northern New England Swine Farms.” She can be reached at carol.delaney@maine.gov or 207.215.4968 Carol has served as a Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer as a goat and sheep educator, funded by USAID and administered through the Winrock International from September 1-14, 2012 in Finkolo Ganadougou, Mali and from April 1-19, 2013 in Tacuba, El Salvador. Carol published in 2012 A guide to Starting a Commercial Goat Dairy (2.95 MB pdf) that is posted on various websites including https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/media/goatguide.pdf Her other recent publications include: Chapter: Dairy Goat Management co-written with Ann Starbard. Dairy Goat Production Handbook. Langston University. May 2016. Carol Delaney, contributing chapters on 1. American Dairy Goat Association and 2. History of the Goat, for The Oxford Companion to Cheese, Oxford University Press. November 2016. Husbandry of Dairy Animals: Goat: Replacement Management, co-author with Dr. Steve Hart, Goat Extension Specialist, Langston, University, Oklahoma, USA, Chapter in the Encyclopedia of Dairy Science, 2nd edition, Elsevier, Oxford, England, UK. (2011) “Implementing Dairy Goat Nutrition Programs on Farms for Improved Sustainability” SARE Research and Education grant, LNE04-200, $135,000. 2004-2008. https://projects.sare.org/project-reports/lne04-200/ “Thinking Outside the Box - Innovative Solutions for Dairy Goat Management”, Presentation at the 2016 International Goat Conference in Antalya, Turkey

Balance increased marketing exposure with decreased disease exposure: Protecting animals while promoting sales

Colette DePhelps

Community Food Systems Area Extension Educator, University of Idaho Extension
Based in Moscow, Idaho, Colette's University of Idaho Extension programming area includes the ten northern counties of Idaho. For more than 25 years, Colette has been working with farmers, community members, non-profits, government agencies and universities in the Inland Northwest to develop community food systems and small farms programs. Colette has offered numerous educational workshops, conferences, field tours, webinars and online courses on local food systems, small acreage farming and ranching, and sustainable agriculture. Her current work includes: supporting and enhancing community food system linkages; developing regional value-chains and increasing the competitiveness of local food businesses; expanding markets for small farms and artisan grain producers; small acreage and beginning farmer education; strengthening local food systems; and, on-farm food safety education. Colette is a cofounder of the Cultivating SuccessTM Sustainable Small Farms Education program and a cofounder of the Palouse-Clearwater Food Coalition (PCFC). Colette serves on the City of Moscow Farmers Market Commission and chairs the Palouse-Clearwater Food Coalition. Prior to working with UI Extension, she served as the executive director and special projects director of Rural Roots, Inc., an Idaho-based small farm organization. In her free time, Colette enjoys hiking and kayaking with her two children, preparing and eating local food with friends and motorcycle riding on Idaho's backcountry roads with her husband.

Leveraging farmers market impacts to develop and elevate farm-to-table culinary agritourism in rural Idaho, USA

Lori Dickes

Program Director, Clemson University Master of Public Administration Program

Entrepreneurial motivations of agritourism farmers: An analysis of USA farms and ranches
International Research Network for Agritourism - Country Level Agritourism Surveys
Agritourism critical success factors for farms and ranches in the US

Shpresim Domi

Lecturer and researcher, PhD, Agricultural University of Tirana
Shpresim Domi, PhD; Since 2012 he is a Lecturer and Researcher at the Department of Rural Tourism Management, Agricultural University of Tirana (AUT), teaching on the following topics; Tourism Policy, Rural Tourism, Tourism Accommodation Management. He has completed the Post-Doctoral research in 2019, at the University of Florence, Italy, on the topic "Rural Development through Agritourism; the role of origin-linked products and networking. Holds the scientific grade “Doctor of Philosophy-PhD” and Doctor of Business Administration. His research background is related to the Rural Development, Rural Tourism, Agritourism, Tourism Development Policies, Entrepreneurship and management of SMEs in tourism, tourism SMEs performance, cooperation in agriculture etc. He has managed to publish scientific papers at top journals on the field of Tourism and Rural Development. Has managed and or involved as an expert on more than 20 projects on the topics: rural development, agritourism, rural tourism, tourism, VET curricula, Digital agriculture etc. He has also administrative experience leading structures of AUT’s Rectorate. During the period 2016-2020, he was the Coordinator of the "Career and Alumni Center". Since September 2020, he leads the "Teaching and Career Services" directory (Part-Time), and also, is the Head of the "Institutional election commission" of AUT.

Agritourism performance in Tuscany: the role of location, agripreneur and agritourism characteristics
The role of origin products and networking on agritourism performance: The case of Tuscany

Felix Kwabena Donkor

Post-doctoral candidate, University of South Africa

Agritourism as a vehicle for facilitating the "leave no one behind" agenda

Liz Driscoll

4-H Specialist, North Carolina State University

Measuring the Educational and Marketing Value of Agritourism

Engelina Du Plessis

School for Tourism Management Director, North-West University

Determining the type of support South African farmers require to onset an agri-tourism business
What farmers perceive as success within agri-tourism: The case of the Western Cape, South Africa

Bethany Dunbar

Community Programs Manager, Center for an Agricultural Economy

Kingdom farm & food: The successes and challenges of a coordinated agritourism campaign in Vermont’s rural northeast corner

Maheshwari Elapatha

Senior Lecturer, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka

Agri-tourism as a tool for sustainable development in mountainous rural areas: Evidence from Sri Lanka

Christoph Engl

Lecturer, MCI The Entrepreneurial School

Schule der Alm - a best practice for agritourism and education in and about alpine pastures and traditional agriculture

Jason Entsminger

Associate Director, Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development

Understanding and Enhancing Diversity in Agritourism: Innovative research and outreach in entrepreneurship, marketing, and networking

Andrea Fantini

Prof., University of Teramo, Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment

Development strategies in Brazilian agritourism: Results of a direct survey
Developing agritourism in Italy: New trends and farmers’ needs

Melissa Fery

Associate Professor (Practice), Oregon State University Extension Service
Melissa Fery works for Oregon State University Extension Service serving small farms Lane,Linn and Benton counties. She has been supporting Oregon agriculture in the areas of soil quality, small-scale livestock and pasture production, and land management for over 20 years. Most recently she has been working with farmers and ranchers in her region to explore agricultural tourism and on-farm marketing to diversify income and aid in farm succession. Melissa and her family live on a small farm where she enjoys a rural lifestyle, growing plants and raising animals.

Providing agritourism education and support in the virtual world

Christian Fischer

Professor, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano

Agritourism development policies and regulations in Italy, the USA and South Africa
Resilience practices of South Tyrolean (Italy) agritourism to mitigate Covid-19 impacts
An empirical impact assessment of agritourism activities on mountain farm sustainability: The case of the Tyrol–South Tyrol–Trentino Euroregion

Jose Luis Flores

MAPANCE
Jose Luis Flores Reyes, Hondureño, Casado, Ing. Agrónomo con experiencia laboral en Extensión Agrícola (Cultivos Granos Básicos, Café, Caña, Huertos, Agricultura Amigable al ambiente), Seguridad Alimentaria y Desarrollo Comunitario. Laboro como Asesor y Consultor en Desarrollo Económico Local con La Cooperación Alemana Labora como Coordinador de Programa de Desarrollo Comunitario de La Mancomunidad de Municipios del Parque Nacional Montaña de Celaque.(MAPANCE-PROCELAQUE)

The surprising resilience of domestic coffee and conservation tourism in Honduras

Katherine Follansbee

Graduate Student, University of Maine

Inuit sheep farming in Kujataa: Sustainable tourism in southwest Greenland through an indigenous framework

Jenny Ford

Community Development, Idaho Central Credit Union

Leveraging farmers market impacts to develop and elevate farm-to-table culinary agritourism in rural Idaho, USA

Lisa Frank

Development Strategist, Farm Stay USA

Cultivating Partnerships that Strengthen U.S. Farm Stays and their Association

Mia Bella Fresnido

Assistant Professor, Central Bicol State University of Agriculture

Development of melitourism social enterprise model

Mario Fuentes

General Manager, My Trip to Ecuador

Welcome & Plenary Session: The Importance of Agritourism for Farmer Livelihoods, Rural Vitality, and Consumer Education
How agritourism has improved the quality of life of farmers in Ecuador

Catherine Gensler

Graduate Research Assistant, North Carolina State University

From ticket to tail: Risk assessment and best practices for novel animal agritourism activities

Claudia Gil Arroyo

Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent, Rutgers University

Understanding and Enhancing Diversity in Agritourism: Innovative research and outreach in entrepreneurship, marketing, and networking
Keeping it local: Crafting beverages on farms

David Gillespie

Owner, David Gillespie

Agritourism and culinary trails: The road less traveled
The making of an international culinary trail

Stephan Goetz

Professor, NERCRD, PSU

Agritourism support indicators for the United States

Lisa Gonzalez

Developing the North Carolina agritourism spotlight virtual tour

David Goucher

Proprietor, Hollywood Farms

From a poorly managed cattle farm to a productive ecological paradise: A case study in rural Amazonia, Ecuador

Giulia Grillini

PhD student, Free University of Bolzano

Agritourism development policies and regulations in Italy, the USA and South Africa
Resilience practices of South Tyrolean (Italy) agritourism to mitigate Covid-19 impacts
An empirical impact assessment of agritourism activities on mountain farm sustainability: The case of the Tyrol–South Tyrol–Trentino Euroregion

Brad Gritt

General Manager, Gritt's Farm

Agritourism organization advances two century farms

Carl-Éric Guertin

Executive director, ÉCONOMUSÉE Network Society

Promoting Quebec's culinary identity

Marco Haid

Assistant Professor, UMIT Tirol

Diversification potential of agritourism
Tourism and cultivated landscapes - valorization of cultivated landscapes in rural tourism
Cooperation in rural tourism - opportunities and challenges for tourism and agriculture

Phil Hallstedt

Founder, HH Cherries (and flowers!)
In 2006, my wife Sarah and I purchased 53 acres of property in Northern Michigan, 400 miles away from their home in Indianapolis. Most of the land consisted of decrepit cherry trees; a lot of work had to be done before the property would produce anything more than burnt s’mores. Fourteen years later, were now living on the orchard and struggling to make it financially viable after initially focusing on wholesale fresh fruit production for grocery chains, and moving to a U-pick model with a direct ship to customer operation. Our focus for HHCherries.net is to create an authentic experience with the land, so it was natural to seek lodging for guests to stay on the orchard and engage with the natural rhythms of a working farm, but short term lodging or camping is not allowed in the agricultural district in our township. We have worked to educate the local planning commission and our neighbors since September 2020 to allow four campsites (or glampsites) for an active farm in our township to supplement the crops produced on site. We will share our story and update the status of our efforts.

Cultivating local farm economies: Helping agritourism operators navigate planning and zoning challenges

Brooke Hansen

Director, Sustainable Tourism, University of South Florida
Dr. Brooke Hansen is a sustainability specialist and Director of the Sustainable Tourism Program at the University of South Florida Patel College of Global Sustainability. She is also the Director of the SDG Action Alliance, a university-based UN center engaged in community projects to promote the Sustainable Development Goals. She co-organized the Solve Climate 2030 Florida State events in 2020 and 2021 to highlight SDG 13: Climate Action. She is actively engaged with research on sustainable tourism, food sovereignty, regenerative and climate smart agriculture, and monitoring the effects of climate change in vulnerable locations such as Egmont Key. She is a member of the US Green Building Council Tampa Bay Governing Council, the USF Metropolitan Food Project, and the global B Tourism committee. Dr. Hansen was named in 2020 as a South Atlantic Woman to Watch by US Green Building Council and served on the NFL Super Bowl LV Sustainability Subcommittee. In 2021 she was she was chosen as a Scientific Committee Member for the International Conference on Sustainable Development and inducted into the CLEO Institute’s Leadership Circle.

Sustainable agritourism development in Florida: Challenges and opportunities for promoting regenerative agriculture and the SDGs

Shermain Hardesty

UC Davis

Expanding an agritourism enterprise with processed products

Eli Harrington

Greenbridge Consulting; Vermontijuana Ventures
Eli Harrington is an experienced cannabis advocate who joined the legal cannabis community full-time in 2015 as the founder of Vermontijuana blog, and shortly after, co-founded “Heady Vermont” in early 2016 as a digital media outlet and cannabis events company. He has coordinated over 50 legal cannabis events in Vermont impacting over 10,000 attendees, ranging from hemp farmers markets to founding and coordinating the Vermont Hemp Fest; Vermont Cannabis Convention; and The Headies…thus far. Harrington partnered with Ben Wilcox of Off Piste Farm to found cannabis farm tours in 2020 as members of the hemp registry. In 2022, Harrington founded Vermontijuana Farmstead, which recently received a tier two outdoor cultivation license and are cultivating 300+ THC cannabis plants. Vermontijuana is still working with Off Piste Farm for cannabis farm tours in August 2022 and beyond.

What you need to know about cannabis & hospitality

Kelli Hepler

President, Colorado Agritourism Association
I am best known for my work in agritourism as someone who speaks “farmer” and understands the daily routines of that lifestyle. I can work with the small farmers to retool their farms to include agritourism. Help them assess their farm for the visitor experience, work with them through the county systems for adding agritourism to their farm, develop strategies for the farm tour/dinner/event and promote the new venture. I am passionate about bringing regenerative ag demonstrations to the consumer through agritourism programs. I believe that consumers can demand change, like in the organic movement, and that agritourism providers with farms practicing bio-dynamic farming and carbon sequestration are well suited to demonstrate first-hand examples to the consumer. My business providing commercial art and graphic design work is used to further my agritourism clients' goals. I have designed for Black Canyon National Park, Colorado State Scenic Byways, the Colorado Agritourism Association, and the Canyons & Plains Heritage Task Force. Examples: In 2003, I developed the Our Side of the Divide Heritage and Agriculture Program for Delta County Tourism. I created a system that participants could use to attract visitors to their farm/ranch/winery for an experience. It was awarded the Governor's Award for a Tourism Initiative in 2005. Agritourism remains strong in Delta County today, particularly in the Paonia area. I was contracted with the Colorado Tourism Office to start the Colorado Agritourism Association in 2013. In this role, I was responsible for delivering workshops to communities throughout Colorado, providing the Agritourism 101 Workshop. This included assessing the farm, community, and market to determine potential success. The information to help navigate their local county policies for adding agritourism and marketing strategies was also included. I have been invited to Hokkaido, Japan, on two different occasions to tour their agritourism-based farms and venues to share practices from Colorado with their farmers and bring back the examples I encountered and how they might fit well into our statewide offerings. Awards: My agritourism program for Delta County received an Advancing Colorado award in 2006. I was recognized as the 2011 Outstanding Individual Contribution to Colorado’s Tourism from the Governor’s Office and received the Colorado Tourism Chairwoman’s Award in 2021. I am a graduate of the Colorado Tourism Leadership Journey inaugural class of 2018.

How to Start an Agritourism Association in Your State (or Country)

Hanilyn Hidalgo

Associate Professor, Central Bicol State University of Agriculture
Dr. Hanilyn Aguilar Hidalgo is an associate professor V at the Central Bicol State University of Agriculture, Philippines. She was a Latin honor graduate of the University of the Philippines Los Baños under the Agribusiness Management program. She holds advanced studies in Business Administration and took interest in researches that deal with sustainable livelihood of the marginal sectors, value chain analysis, market behavior, innovation skills and farm tourism. She has authored research articles in various peer-reviewed international journals. She is a twofold recipient of Silver Award for Best Paper in the Philippines with her researches on livelihood vulnerability in separate studies on agritourism and informal business sector. She has led several research projects including the collaborative research project with Vietnam which was funded by the International Foundation for Science in 2017. Her experience as her University’s International Relations Officer in 2017 led her to develop extensive networks in Southeast Asia. In 2018, she became the program development coordinator of Asia Pacific’s Sustainable Agriculture, Food and Energy Network (SAFE Network). She was recently involved in a national project on developing a blueprint for Agri-Industrial Corridor Development in the Philippines. Her engagement in enterprise development in the countryside allowed her to be selected as one of the project evaluators of the Philippines’ Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program of the Department of Science and Technology in her locality. Along with these works, she is an active farm tourism operator with her wellness concept in her farm called the “Nesting Place Integrated Farm”. She was also recognized as one of the 2021 women leaders in Southeast Asian Women under the agriculture, education, and energy & environment categories. In October 2021, she was awarded as one of the Outstanding Asian Science Diplomats.

Development of melitourism social enterprise model

Chadley Hollas

Researcher and Consultant, Cultivating Tourism

Building community, tourism, and agriculture: The story of cooperative farming and tourism in Guatemala
Agritourism critical success factors for farms and ranches in the US

Péter Horváth

Associate Professor, University of Debrecen

Sustainable gastronomy as a key driver in agritourism development in Eastern Hungary

Romeo Ilie

President & Co-Founder, Alpina Carpatica

Multi- and interdisciplinary approaches to eco-agri-tourism systems analysis

Mike Isham

Farmer & Owner, Isham Family Farm

Brand Building through Special Events on Working Farms

Margaret Jodlowski

Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural, Environment, and Development Economics

A framework for developing and training to achieve awesome customer service in agritourism operations

Scottie Jones

Executive Director, Farm Stay USA

How to Start an Agritourism Association in Your State (or Country)
Hospitality on the farm – the 5 star customer experience
Selecting websites for booking farm stays and experiences

Susan Joy

Made in Montana program manager, Montana Department of Commerce

Taste our place: A Montana culinary and agritourism marketing strategy

Doug Joyer

General Manager, Waldoch Farm

Agritourism organization advances two century farms

Valeria Klitsounova

Associate Professor of Belarusian State University, Chair of the Board of Belarusian Association of Agro and Ecotourism Certified Trainer of National Association of Interpretation
Valeria Klitsounova is an associate professor at Belarusian State University and Chair of the Board for the Belarusian Association of Agro and Ecotourism “Country Escape”. Valeria is considered the „mother” of rural tourism in Belarus. Together with her husband she took part in creation of the private Museum of rural culture and crafts of Belarus “Dudutki”. She is an active member of National Association of interpretation of USA. She also was a Fulbright scholar in 2013-2014 at George Mason University. Valeria has authored three books, including a textbook about rural tourism. She has also developed six individual teaching courses about rural tourism and ecotourism, marketing and promotion in tourism, heritage interpretation.

20 years of rural tourism in Belarus: Main stages and tendencies

Carrie Klumb

Senior Epidemiologist, Minnesota Department of Health
Carrie Klumb is a senior epidemiologist in the Zoonotic Diseases Unit at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and is the project coordinator for MDH’s project associated with the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center (UMASH) at the University of Minnesota. This project focuses on surveillance of zoonotic diseases in agricultural workers, their families, and others exposed to agricultural settings. She is the principal investigator for the CDC/CSTE Youth in Ag grant awarded to several states to help educate 4-H participants about zoonotic diseases. She has spearheaded a variety of outreach and education initiatives around county fairs and agritourism. She is also the animal rabies surveillance coordinator at MDH. She received her MPH from the University of Minnesota in Environmental Health in 2010 and completed a two-year CDC/CSTE Applied Epidemiology Fellowship before being hired as an epidemiologist at MDH. She spent 17 months reassigned to the MDH COVID-19 K-12 schools and childcare team as a co-lead. In her spare time, she likes to read, cook, and garden with her husband and 7-year-old son.

Best Practices and Resources for Preventing Infectious Diseases at Agritourism Operations

Pam Knights

Owner, Pam Knights Communications

Brand Building through Special Events on Working Farms

Whitney Knollenberg

Assistant Professor, North Carolina State University

Measuring the Educational and Marketing Value of Agritourism
Keeping it local: Crafting beverages on farms

Magdalena Kubal-Czerwińska

Assistant Professor, Jagiellonian University in Krakow
Magdalena Kubal-Czerwińska, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Tourism and Health Resort Management, Institute of Geography and Spatial Management, Faculty of Geography and Geology at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. Her background is solid in socio-economic geography and tourism, she holds both: MSc and PhD in Tourism Geography. She is an active and involved researcher with research interests revolving around such topics as entrepreneurial behaviour in hospitality on rural areas, gender in tourism, cultural tourism, sustainable development in tourism and hospitality, attitudes and behaviours towards the problem of reducing food waste. She was involved as a researcher in national and international projects, e.g., the Visegrad funds, Twinning (H2020), National Science Centre (Poland).

Differentiating the models of agritourism in post-socialist countries: Examples from Poland, Belarus, and Kazakhstan

Alexia Kulwiec

Executive Director, Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund
Alexia Kulwiec has served as the Executive Director for the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund since March 2019. She resides in Madison, Wisconsin and is a licensed attorney in both Illinois and Wisconsin and has practiced law for over twenty years. She has extensive litigation experience as well as in leading and managing attorneys. Alexia also has an appointment at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she has studied domestic fair trade on mid-sized farms, published and presented on farm labor issues, and still teaches in the area of labor and employment law. This experience inspired Alexia’s interest in agriculture and the U.S. food system and triggered an interest in promoting smaller scale and sustainable farming. Alexia is published in several legal journals including an analysis of Poultry Growers as Employees in the Labor Law Journal. She has served on the Madison food policy council and been active with other food and agriculture related organizations. Alexia is completed an advanced law degree in Food and Agricultural Law from the University of Arkansas School of law in May 2020, holds a J.D. from the Chicago-Kent College of Law, and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Notre Dame.

National, state, and local regulation of agritourism
Regulations governing agritourism

Bryanna Kumpula

Founder & Idea Generator, Bar OA Farms

Agritourism as a strategy for rural economic diversification: Case study of Leduc County, Alberta, Canada

Aurore Lambert

Development Officer - Plan d’action provincial en tourisme gourmand, Association de l'Agrotourisme et du Tourisme Gourmand

Structuring and highlighting the culinary trails in Quebec

Dave Lamie

Professor of Agricultural and Rural Development, Clemson University
https://www.clemson.edu/cafls/faculty_staff/profiles/dlamie Southern Heritage Crops: Developing Economic Potential in a Geographically and Culturally Unique Market Niche for Small and Medium Sized Farms. I’ll explain this as a “place-based” project focused on leveraging crops that have strong linkages to the African slave trade…all the way to the contemporary Gullah community interest in reviving their culture. Many of these crops were essentially abandoned over the past 100 years, but there is growing interest in their revival. I’ll then switch to explaining how we are trying to assess demand in a number of market channels b/c in order to sustain an effort to revive such crops we need to foster market demand “pull”; not only supply “push” conditions. Oversupply is what creates low prices. Producers don’t do well under these conditions. So, we are working to create demand-led crop profiles to help us understand where are the best opportunities for small/medium farms. I’ll likely want to bring up a number of potentially sensitive issues. For instance, what measures should be taken to help insure that we are providing opportunity to the current generation of the formerly enslaved who actually helped to bring these crops to our continent? I’ll likely weave in some thoughts from some of the European geographic indications systems that might be considered, etc.

Entrepreneurial motivations of agritourism farmers: An analysis of USA farms and ranches
International Research Network for Agritourism - Country Level Agritourism Surveys
Agritourism critical success factors for farms and ranches in the US

Trevor Lane

Associate Professor, Washington State University Extension

Equity and the promising practice of agritourism

Laura Lauffer

Project Director, EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems

Developing the North Carolina agritourism spotlight virtual tour

Rob Leeds

Extension Educator, Ohio State University Extension

A framework for developing and training to achieve awesome customer service in agritourism operations

Penny Leff

Board of Directors Member, Farm Stay USA

Cultivating Partnerships that Strengthen U.S. Farm Stays and their Association

Jada Lindblom

Community and Economic Development Field Specialist, UNH Cooperative Extension

Factors contributing to community conflicts in agritourism (and how to avoid these issues)

Lori Lobenstine

Program Design Lead, Design Studio for Social Intervention

Radical Welcoming! Sensing, questioning and reimagining agritourism’s existing arrangements

Rebecca Mackenzie

President & CEO, Culinary Tourism Alliance
Passionate about the interconnection between food, agriculture, tourism, arts, and culture, Rebecca has been instrumental in developing tourism experiences including Prince Edward County’s award-winning Taste Trail and the Culinary Tourism Alliance’s Feast On® certification program. In her role as President & CEO of the Culinary Tourism Alliance (CTA), she manages highly participatory and asset-based community development projects at the regional, provincial, and national levels. Rebecca oversees programming, partnership development, and comprehensive marketing partnerships that aim to increase awareness of Canada’s food tourism offerings. Rebecca contributes her expertise to a variety of industry boards as Vice-Chair of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO), Board Chair of Visit the County – PEC’s DMMO, and the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) Gastronomic Tourism Network. She has written curriculum for the Centennial College Food Tourism Post Graduate Program, contributed chapters to the 2nd UNWTO Global Report on Gastronomic Tourism, and produced a chapter “Transforming the Terroir into a Tourist Destination” in the 2019 Routledge Handbook of Gastronomic Tourism. She completed a Master of Arts in Global Leadership at Royal Roads University in 2021 with a specific interest in the Sustainable Development Goals. She is a part-time professor at George Brown College in their post-graduate Food Tourism Entrepreneurship program.

Amplifying your taste of place through agritourism: Actions & Insights from Agritourism Development Initiatives in Rural Ontario, Canada

Rohana Mahaliyanaarachchi

Professor, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka
I commenced my career as an Assistant Regional Manager (Extension) in 1987 at the Tea Small Holdings Development Authority of Sri Lanka (TSHDA) where I was able to display leadership and management skills at strategic and operational levels. During the 10 year period with TSHDA, I have successfully planned and executed a number of development programmes. I joined the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka as a Senior Lecturer in 1997 to pursue an academic career and progressed to the capacity of Professor of Agribusiness Management in 2005. I was holding administrative positions right through at the Sabaragamuwa University and progressed to the post of Vice-Chancellor through an administrative career path of Head of Department of Agribusiness Management, Dean of Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Director of External Degree Programmes & Extension Services Unit. As an administrator in this higher education institute, I was able to motivate and lead a successful team of senior and junior academics as well as non-academics, to achieve higher educational objectives of the university. Other significant achievements include co-planning and successful implementation of a rural development project with the Horticultural Research Institute of New Zealand, designing of a Master of Business Administration programme through a higher education link with Harper Adams University College in UK funded by DFID of UK and increasing the revenue of External Degree Programmes & Extension Services Unit of Sabaragamuwa University significantly by introducing short courses targeted at needy youth in Sri Lanka with a vision of “Education for all”. As the Vice-Chancellor, I was able to provide a strong leadership to the Sabaragamuwa University in its development in infrastructure, education and research. I have been successful in pro-acting to student issues and to resolve a wide range of other issues which were critical to the health of this institute. Extensive and painstakingly patient negotiations with ministers, ministry officials, treasury officials and prominent personnel in the field of higher education in Sri Lanka were successfully handled using my skills of communication, persuasion and negotiation to earn all the benefits to my university. Sabaragamuwa University was transformed into a very dynamic national university excelling in all the areas of teaching, research, infrastructure, sports and discipline and also developing links with six foreign universities in India, Thailand, UK, Canada and Nigeria. In regarding procument, I am well aware about the World Bank procument system and I have introduced the same to the Sabaragamuwa University and currently it is functioning with successful progress in University procument system. Other than shouldering the challenging task of providing leadership to Sabaragamuwa University as its Chief Executive Officer, I have worked as a member of the Expert Group of Higher Education Policy planning of the Ministry of Higher Education, Sri Lanka. Further, I am a member of the review panel of quality assurance of Sri Lankan Universities in the Quality assurance and accreditation council of the University Grants Commission. I have conducted high number of subject reviews, institutional reviews and library reviews in 14 Universities in Sri Lanka. Also I am a member of the Foreign QA expert panel of the University Grants Commission of Bangladesh. Since 2016, up to date, I have conducted more than 30 External Peer Reviews in different Universities in Bangladesh including highly prestigious University of Dhaka. Currently I am providing my service as a senior consultant to the private higher education system apart from my service at the University as a Chair Professor. Further, I have served as the Academic Advisor of the Sri Lanka Military Academy from 2008 to 2014 and I have involved in restructuring the academic component of the degree programme of the SLMA. At present I am the Vice Chancellor of the University of the Visual and Performing Arts.

Factors affecting adoption of agri-tourism by small and medium scale farmers in Sri Lanka
Agri-tourism as a tool for sustainable development in mountainous rural areas: Evidence from Sri Lanka
Fostering entrepreneurship in agri-tourism in the developing world: A case in Sri Lanka

Manti Maifadi

Farm Owner, Naledi Farm

Re-kindling an interest in the culinary and medicinal use of our indigenous plants: An agritourism perspective

Pushpa Malkanthi

Senior Lecturer, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka

Opportunities and challenges in agritourism development

Olivia McAnirlin

Student, Clemson University

Entrepreneurial motivations of agritourism farmers: An analysis of USA farms and ranches

M Eleanor McGrath

Farmer, Springfield Farm
M. Eleanor McGrath is a fourth generation Canadian fascinated and drawing creatively from her Celtic heritage as a published author, documentary filmmaker and writer/photographer. Eleanor McGrath has worked as a professional fundraiser for over 20 years and was an Investment Advisor at RBC Dominion Securities. She and her husband Finbarr McCarthy have raised their four children in Toronto, while being challenged by their organic farming life in Apple Hill, Ontario. For the past eight years, they have worked hard to establish Springfield Farm in the growing Agri-tourism economy including restoration of their century-plus Drive Shed. By seeking out mentorship of traditional farmers, community and funding resources, Springfield Farm has begun to establish itself in the region as an "Environmental Farm Oasis" and in 2021 received its FeastOn Purveyors certification from the Culinary Tourism Alliance. This August 2022 Springfield Farm was granted its Organic Certification by EcoCert Canada. Recent partnerships with organizations such as ALUS, Canadian Agriculture Partnerships and the Ecological Farmers Association have helped to expand the farm's food production into organic oats, barley and potatoes, as well as, garlic and other market garden offerings. Eleanor and her family are proud to own a small family farm, and even prouder to have returned to the region of her Scottish ancestors. Eleanor McGrath is a board member on Culinary Tourism Alliance, Cornwall and Area Chamber of Commerce, Ireland Canada University Fund, Glengarry Soil & Crop Association. As well, Springfield Farm is a member of the Canadian Organic Growers Association, Ontario Soil and Crop Association, the Ecological Farmers of Ontario and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.

Agritourism and culinary trails: The road less traveled

Mirosław Mika

Prof., Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Institute of Geography and Spatial Management

Differentiating the models of agritourism in post-socialist countries: Examples from Poland, Belarus, and Kazakhstan

Caroline A Millar

Sector Lead, Scottish Agritourism

Agritourism growth from peer to peer learning

Katharine Millonzi

Director, Millonzi Consultinga

Regeneration: Tools and principles for a new agritourism

Caroline Morrow

Tourism Development Specialist, Bannikin Travel & Tourism
Tourism development professional specializing in food and agritourism work, with wide ranging experience that includes national strategy planning, product development, and visitor experience design for destinations around the world. Caroline is passionate about taking a systems approach to tourism projects, tying them to broader community goals, whether that's food sovereignty, economic diversification, cultural revitalization, or something else entirely. Of particular interest to her are connections between land management, food systems, tourism, and healthy ecosystems. She is based at Bannikin, a niche tourism consultancy, where she works as a tourism development specialist. The relationship between people, place, and food is recurring theme in her academic, professional, and personal life. With a Master’s in Urban & Regional Planning (sp. Environmental Planning) and an undergrad focussed on international development and environmental studies, her background is interdisciplinary. She is keen to learn more about how agritourism can support sustainable agriculture, biodiversity, rural livelihoods, habitat conservation, cultural heritage preservation, and carbon sequestration. She is currently pursuing a second master’s looking at wine tourism and agritourism as tools for rural community development. The program is jointly run through universities in Spain, France, and Portugal. When working in tourism, every meal, trip, and conversation -whether on the job or off - is an opportunity to learn about creative approaches to tourism development from around the world, and Caroline consistently applies these learnings to her professional projects. She has lived in Saudi Arabia, Panama, Mexico, Canada, Spain, and France, and brings a global perspective to all her work. Caroline also have a special affinity from Northern Canada from my time in the Yukon and the Cree Nation of Wemindji. She take great pleasure in working with the small business owners that make each destination unique and is passionate about involving local communities in all project work. She knows that collaborative and participatory approaches lead to stronger results and is always happy to apply her French and Spanish language skills to support meaningful engagement.

Three agricultural businesses, three agritourism journeys

Girish Mude

Research Scholar, MIT World Peace University, Pune, India

Evaluation of agritourism policy in India: Qualitative impact analysis

Jackie Murphy Miller

North Carolina Cooperative Extension

Developing the North Carolina agritourism spotlight virtual tour

Monica Nadegger

University Assistant & PhD fellow, University of Innsbruck & Management Center Innsbruck

Schule der Alm - a best practice for agritourism and education in and about alpine pastures and traditional agriculture

Amelia Nicolas

Associate Professor V, Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (Main Campus)

Development of melitourism social enterprise model

Kelly Nottermann

Owner, Snug Valley Farm

How to Create a Successful Economic Stream through Agritourism for Working Farms

Mari Omland

Co-owner, Green Mountain Girls Farm

Radical Welcoming! Sensing, questioning and reimagining agritourism’s existing arrangements

Sharon Palmer

Sharon Palmer, RD

“Deep agritourism” with a museum in the middle

Tim Parsons

Farmer, Owner, Curringa Farm
6th generation Tasmanian farmer and agritourism operator since family commenced in 1984. Mixed, 750 acre, sheep and cropping farm with export small seeds, pharmaceutical crops, 9 farmstay cottages and a farm tour enterprise.

A Tasmanian agritourism journey: Opportunities, challenges and limitations

Lindsey Pashow

Lindsey Pashow is a statewide agriculture business development and marketing specialist with Harvest NY. She received her Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing and Master in Administration and Leadership from Plattsburgh State University. She is based in northern NY but serves the entire state. Her responsibilities include: *Providing marketing and business development support including workshops and one-on-one consultations *Working on the industrial hemp supply chain *Supporting the craft beverage industry *Agritourism *Assisting NY Product Auctions *Providing food safety training She is also the farm owner of Adirondack View Vineyard and Lavender. She is the mother of two wonderful boys named Liam and Logan. When she’s not raising her boys or working on the farm, you’ll find her working full time off the farm, skiing, fly fishing, canoeing, or traveling. Also the author of Fairies in the Lavender and the Boy.

Bringing an international agritourism experience home to your agritourism community

Adityavardhan Pathak

Promoter, Aditya Agro Farm

Entrepreneurial challenges to overcoming indigenous perspectives toward diversity, equity, and inclusion: Concept note

Daniela Pedrassani

Dr., Universidade do Contestado

Development strategies in Brazilian agritourism: Results of a direct survey

Ruth Pepler

Founding President, Arkansas Agritourism Association
Ruthie Pepler is the owner of Dogwood Hills Guest Farm and has served as the founding president of the Arkansas Agritourism Association from 2018-2021. She has spoken to numerous groups about agritourism in Arkansas including Arkansas Women in Ag, Arkansas Tourism, Farm Bureau, Good Morning Arkansas on KATV and The Place on KY3. She is involved on a national level with FarmStayUS, NAFDMA and Agritourism Life watching what is trending and bringing it back to Arkansas. During Covid, she networked with the University of Arkansas and the Dept of Health to develop resources for safe fall agritourism activities. She serves on the advisory panel for the Share Grounds Kitchen Project. Ruthie’s passion for farm and table has served well to bring families to their farm from all over the country and internationally as she continues to nurture the growth of Agritourism in Arkansas.

How to Start an Agritourism Association in Your State (or Country)

Karoly Peto

Full Professor, University of Debrecen

Sustainable gastronomy as a key driver in agritourism development in Eastern Hungary

Alexander Plaikner

Msc., Msc., University of Innsbruck / UMIT TIROL

Diversification potential of agritourism
Tourism and cultivated landscapes - valorization of cultivated landscapes in rural tourism
Cooperation in rural tourism - opportunities and challenges for tourism and agriculture

Cassandra Prenn-Vasilakis

Government and Community Relations Manager, Hipcamp

Camping as agritourism

Presbel Presto

Assistant Professor, Central Bicol State University of Agriculture

Development of melitourism social enterprise model

Darya Pukas

Project Manager, Belarusian Association of Agro- and Ecotourism "Country Escape"

20 years of rural tourism in Belarus: Main stages and tendencies

Erika Quendler

Researcher, Federal Institute of Agricultural Economics Rural and Mountain Research (BAB)
Erika Quendler, is a researcher at the Federal Institute of Agricultural Economics, Rural and Mountain Research. She holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna with the dissertation thesis “Small scale farming from a historical and current integrated point of view: Philosophies and Genesis; Structural Analysis (Classification) as well as Characteristics and Potentials; Discussion of possible Development-scenarios and Outlook”. Her main research interests are sustainable development, quality of life, resilience, digital transformation, young farmer, family farm and agritourism issues, value chain and economic accounts for agriculture. Erika Quendler has published several scientific papers and participated in many scientific international conferences.

Sustainable alpine tourism, where mountaineering villages meet the farm

Sanjay Rajan

Founder, Konbit PBC
Localizing food and energy together

Equity and the promising practice of agritourism

Jon Ramsay

Executive Director, Center for an Agricultural Economy
Jon is the Executive Director for the Center for an Agricultural Economy (CAE) in Hardwick Vermont. Jon is a key leader for the Vermont Food Hub Collaborative with expertise in operational excellence and business advise for farms and small businesses. He also raises Black Angus cattle for both breeding stock and beef, and pastured poultry at his family farm. Before joining the CAE, Jon was the Director of the Farmland Access Program at the Vermont Land Trust (VLT), where he focused on farm affordability for new and beginning farmers statewide.

How to Create a Successful Economic Stream through Agritourism for Working Farms

Lee Rankin

Founder/Owner, Apple Hill Farm, LLC

Agritourism Works! Vision Session

Noah Rannells

North Carolina Cooperative Extension

Developing the North Carolina agritourism spotlight virtual tour

Aditi Rao

PhD Candidate - Department of Communication, University of Connecticut

How much do college students know about GMOs? A pilot study

Lylee Rauch-Kacenski

Communications Manager, Center for an Agricultural Economy

How to Create a Successful Economic Stream through Agritourism for Working Farms
Kingdom farm & food: The successes and challenges of a coordinated agritourism campaign in Vermont’s rural northeast corner

Caitlin Reilly

Former Graduate Research Assistant, North Carolina State University

Measuring the Educational and Marketing Value of Agritourism

Shannon Roberts

Sessional Professor, Vancouver Island University

Design is key! Selling your experience using Facebook, Instagram & beyond

Danilo Rodríguez

Director of Operations, De la Gente

Building community, tourism, and agriculture: The story of cooperative farming and tourism in Guatemala

Jessel Anne Rodriguez

College Instructor, Central Bicol State University of Agriculture
Ms. Jessel Anne Paglinawan-Rodriguez is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Agri-Ecotourism Management (2013) and Master of Science in Resource Management major in Entrepreneurship (2016) both in The Central Bicol State University of Agriculture. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Philosophy in Development Studies at the University of the Philippines, Los Banos, Laguna. She is also affiliated in the College of Economics and Management as a faculty member under the Department of Agri-Ecotourism Management where she served as the department chairperson from 2017-2019. Her fields of specialization are Farm tourism Planning and development, marketing and promotion, and tourism services such as events management, tour guiding, front office, and hospitality services. Relative to her field, she attended and participated in several trainings both national and international such as Farm Tourism 101 Workshop (2018), Farm Tourism Conferences, Regional Tourism Education Congress, and the likes. Her international exposure to Japan sponsored by JICA and farm tourism training workshop hosted by SEARCA provided her with a broad view of knowledge and expertise in the field of Farm tourism. She also served as project consultant/coordinator in several potential farm tourism sites in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines such as Valerosa Farm Resort, Ocampo and Bismonte Farm, Baao, Camarines Sur. She served as a resource person for several local and international farm tourism seminars and conferences such as Exposure Workshop on Farm Tourism Training Practices in Southeast Asia (SEARCA, 2017), Capacity Building for Learning Sites (DA-ATI 2018), and Rural Improvement Club (2018), to name a few. Ms. Rodriguez was also one of the members of the Technical Working Group, representing the academe, in the Bicol Region’s 5-year Strategic Action Plan for Farm Tourism. She was one of the awardees of the Best Action Plan Presentation (Farm Tourism Development) during her training in JICA-Okinawa, Japan (2018)

Higher education institution (HEI’s) agritourism initiatives: An academe-community partnership, the case of Central Bicol State University of Agriculture, Bicol, Philippines

Michał Roman

Associate Professor, Warsaw University of Life Sciences

Ghalegaun tourism model for community integration and sustainability: Implications for Nepalese agritourism development
Conditions for the development of agritourism in Poland

Nikki Rose

Founder and Director, Crete's Culinary Sanctuaries Educational Network
Nikki Rose is a Greek-American journalist, documentary filmmaker, seminar director, and professional chef in Crete, Greece. In 1997, she founded Crete's Culinary Sanctuaries Educational Network to support residents working on action programs to protect and share their heritage. CCS teachers are archaeologists, ecologists, organic farmers, heirloom seed savers, chefs, artists, and many others. CCS organizes accredited educational programs on Crete's culture, nature, organic agriculture and cuisine. Over 3,000 students, teachers and journalists have attended their programs. Their upcoming documentary, Heritage Protectors, is a continuation of their work. CCS is an award-winning program for Best Practices in Responsible/Sustainable Travel, featured in National Geographic publications, Destination Stewardship Center, The New York Times, WTTC, UNWTO, UNCBD, IFOAM-Organics, Agroecology Europe, Routledge Handbook of Sustainable Food and Gastronomy, Food Tank, O'Globo (Brasil), and TV New Zealand. Nikki is a consultant on similar initiatives around the world.

Community-based sustainable tourism in practice: Co-creating experiential learning programs with a range of specialists in Crete, Greece

Jennifer Rothman

Executive Director, Yellow Farmhouse Education Center

Growing Partnerships: Farms, Education, Experience

Giovanna Sacchi

Assistant Professor, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano
Assistant Professor at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano. In 2012 I obtained a PhD in Agricultural and food economics and policy at the University of Bologna. Since 2012, I had been involved in Postdoctoral projects at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and at the University of Florence (Italy). My main research interests involve sustainability issues in rural development, grassroots collective action, Participatory Guarantee Systems, alternative agri-food networks, critical and ethical consumption.

Agritourism development policies and regulations in Italy, the USA and South Africa
Resilience practices of South Tyrolean (Italy) agritourism to mitigate Covid-19 impacts
An empirical impact assessment of agritourism activities on mountain farm sustainability: The case of the Tyrol–South Tyrol–Trentino Euroregion

Rita Salvatore

Researcher, University of Teramo
Rita Salvatore (Ph.D.) is a Senior researcher at the University of Teramo (Italy) where she teaches “Food&wine tourism and development”. She is Faculty member at the American University of Rome where she teaches “Food, ruraly and local development” within the Master degree of “Food Studies”. She was visiting researcher and lecturer at the ITW (Institut für Tourismuswirtschaft) of the University of Applied Arts and Sciences of Luzern (Switzerland) and in 2018 she got the Italian National qualification as associate professor in sociology of environment and territory. She is a member of the steering committee of the IRENA (International Research Network on Agritourism) https://isleassociation.wixsite.com/sdnetwork/networks She has been conducting social research activities for more than twenty years. In particular, she has been studying the role of tourism within Italian protected areas and rural contexts, with special concern to regional products and food issues. Along these years she has developed a particular interest in the analysis and social planning of sustainable tourism paths, with a particular focus on participative processes and communitarian development. Her most recent research project concerns “new generation agritourism” and the requalification of abandoned villages in fragile areas by young entrepreneurs.

Development strategies in Brazilian agritourism: Results of a direct survey
Developing agritourism in Italy: New trends and farmers’ needs
International Research Network for Agritourism - Country Level Agritourism Surveys

Marsha Salzwedel

Project Scientist, National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety
Marsha Salzwedel is a Project Scientist and Agricultural Youth Safety Specialist at the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety (NCCRAHS) and the National Farm Medicine Center (NFMC) in Marshfield, Wisconsin. She is the director of the NCCRAHS Outreach Core, project manager for the agritourism safety project and the agricultural youth work guidelines project, and the program manager for the Childhood Agricultural Safety Network. Marsha participates in the Grain Handling Safety Coalition, is on the Board of Directors for the AgriSafe, and holds several other board and committee positions with other organizations. She earned her doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from Edgewood College in Madison. Marsha grew up on a farm and maintains her ties with that community through the farm that she and her family still own and operate.

Risk Management in Agritourism: Working together to keep visitors safe

Ann Savage

Tourism Extension Associate, North Carolina State University

Developing the North Carolina agritourism spotlight virtual tour

Sara Schlosser

Owner, Sandiwood Farm

How to Create a Successful Economic Stream through Agritourism for Working Farms

Claudia Schmidt

Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics, Penn State University

Entrepreneurial motivations of agritourism farmers: An analysis of USA farms and ranches
Agritourism support indicators for the United States
International Research Network for Agritourism - Country Level Agritourism Surveys
Agritourism critical success factors for farms and ranches in the US

Julie Schmidt

Designer, yellowDog creative

How to Start an Agritourism Association in Your State (or Country)
How the Visit NC Farms app and cooperative marketing initiative works to connect millions of potential customers to the farm’s diverse revenue streams

Karen Searle

Montana Bunkhouses Working Ranch Vacations LLC

How to Start an Agritourism Association in Your State (or Country)

Sarath Sennimalai

Research Scholar, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University
As a son of Progressive Farmer, I completed my graduation (BSc., Agriculture) and post-graduation (MBA in Agribusiness Management) from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, India. At present I have submitted my doctoral thesis to Tamil Nadu Agricultural University and am waiting for my viva-voce. My doctoral thesis research was focused on agri-tourism development, which is agri-business driven in the context of the farmer as an agri-preneur. This research is the first of its kind in the state of Tamil Nadu and based on the findings of this study, I have framed policies and suggestions for developing agri-tourism in the state.

Policies and models for developing agritourism in India

Ayman Shaken

MSc, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Geography and Environmental Sciences Faculty

Differentiating the models of agritourism in post-socialist countries: Examples from Poland, Belarus, and Kazakhstan

Kenneth Sherin

North Carolina Cooperative Extension

Developing the North Carolina agritourism spotlight virtual tour

Vera Simon-Nobes

Coordinator, Farm-Based Education Network/Shelburne Farms

It's raining resources!

Doolarie (Dee) Singh-Knights

Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, West Virginia University
Doolarie Singh-Knights is an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design at West Virginia University. She specializes in the areas of agribusiness economics and management with the goal of contributing to the development of sustainable agricultural production systems through research, teaching and extension education. Dr. Singh-Knights works throughout the state, nationally and internationally on a variety of issues including local food systems, food safety, business planning and viability, risk management, agritourism and sustainable agriculture. Her aim is to help operators capitalize on expanding opportunities for locally and regionally produced agricultural products, while managing the resultant business risks.

Reading the Agritourism Operation – Tools for whole-farm planning and risk management
Agritourism critical success factors for farms and ranches in the US

George Skandalos

Owner/Chef, Maialina Pizzaria Napoletana

Leveraging farmers market impacts to develop and elevate farm-to-table culinary agritourism in rural Idaho, USA

Sue Slocum

Associate Professor, George Mason University

Understanding and Enhancing Diversity in Agritourism: Innovative research and outreach in entrepreneurship, marketing, and networking

Melodee Smith

Co-owner, Co-founder, Co-chair, Clear Spring Farm, North Star Farm Tour, Farm Safety & Health Project

Best Practices and Resources for Preventing Infectious Diseases at Agritourism Operations

Anett Godane Sőrés

Senior Lecturer, University of Debrecen

Sustainable gastronomy as a key driver in agritourism development in Eastern Hungary

Suzi Spahr

Executive Director, NAFDMA International Agritourism Association
Suzi Spahr is right at home in her position with NAFDMA International Agritourism Association as she grew up on a grain and beef farm in Northeast Indiana, part of the 5th generation of the farming family. She has served as the Executive Director for a little over three years. Prior to this, Suzi headed up the Indiana Grown program, the local branding initiative for Indiana agricultural products and had worked in various roles in Indiana state government. She lives in Indianapolis with her husband, Ed, and their three children.

Connecting Agritourism Internationally and Building Association Growth

Johanna Sparber

Research and Teaching Assistant, University of Innsbruck

Diversification potential of agritourism
Tourism and cultivated landscapes - valorization of cultivated landscapes in rural tourism
Cooperation in rural tourism - opportunities and challenges for tourism and agriculture

Stacey Stearns

Communications Specialist, University of Connecticut (UConn) Extension
Stacey Stearns is a Communications Specialist at UConn Extension where she focuses on strategic communications, digital media, and sharing Extension's impact. She works with several Extension program teams including biotechnology and agricultural initiatives. Stacey earned her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from the University of Connecticut (UConn) and a Master of Science in Agricultural Education and Communication from the University of Florida.

How much do college students know about GMOs? A pilot study

Kathryn T. Stevenson

Associate Professor, North Carolina State University

Measuring the Educational and Marketing Value of Agritourism

Corinne Stewart

President, ISLE Association

International Research Network for Agritourism - Country Level Agritourism Surveys

Mary Stewart

Owner, MARStewart Creative Group

Agritourism critical success factors for farms and ranches in the US

Thomas Streifeneder

PD Dr., Eurac Research, Institute for Regional Development

Agritourism development policies and regulations in Italy, the USA and South Africa
Resilience practices of South Tyrolean (Italy) agritourism to mitigate Covid-19 impacts
An empirical impact assessment of agritourism activities on mountain farm sustainability: The case of the Tyrol–South Tyrol–Trentino Euroregion
The future of agritourism? A review of current trends of touristic commercialization in rural areas

Renee Strnad

PLT State Coordinator, NC State University - Extension Forestry
Renee helps promote the PLT curriculum across North Carolina and keeps a large group of facilitators trained and current with educational trends. She also helps lead a couple of 4-H programs centered on forestry and wildlife, and also serves as the web site and social media maven for the Extension Forestry group at NC State. Additionally, she is involved with many statewide environmental education initiatives, including service on the Board of the Environmental Educators of North Carolina and the North Carolina Environmental Education Certification Committee. Nationally, she serves on the North American Association for Environmental Education's Affiliate Network Steering Committee and PLT’s Education Operating Committee.

Measuring the Educational and Marketing Value of Agritourism

Jeanette Sutherland

Founder & CEO, AgriLuxe Marketing

The role of agritourism in transforming food systems for sustainable socio-economic and environmental outcomes

Eric Tadlock

Executive Director, Cedar Circle Farm and Education Center

Brand Building through Special Events on Working Farms

Oliver Tamme

Researcher, Federal Institute of Agricultural Economics Rural and Mountain Research

Sustainable alpine tourism, where mountaineering villages meet the farm

Pandurang Taware

Committee Member, Maharashtra Agri & Rural Tourism Development Committee, Department of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra

Connecting Agritourism Internationally and Building Association Growth

Jacqui Taylor Africa it is our time!

CEO & Founder, Agritourism Africa, Rural Tourism Africa

Connecting Agritourism Internationally and Building Association Growth
Agritourism development policies and regulations in Italy, the USA and South Africa
Agritourism case studies inclusive of cultural diversity and rural tourism development

Stacy Tomas

Associate Professor of Professional Practice, National Extension Tourism Network
Stacy is an assistant professor in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Oklahoma State University. For more than 15 years, she has worked with small businesses, landowners, farmers and communities to develop and promote sustainable tourism in rural areas as a means for community and economic development. Her research focuses on agritourism and nature-based tourism, as well as tourism development and the economic impacts of tourism.

Developing tourism-related research and technical assistance to support the burgeoning wine industry in Oklahoma, USA
Agritourism support indicators for the United States

Greg Traywick

North Carolina Cooperative Extension

Developing the North Carolina agritourism spotlight virtual tour

Anne Trenholm

Agriculture Promotions Coordinator, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Agricultural Resource Development
Anne works for the State of Maine (U.S.A.) Bureau of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources in Maine's largest natural resources agency, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry. In her role, she offers advising to farmers so they can improve their planning, risk management awareness and marketing in their own, or collaborative agritourism promotions. She coordinates marketing and messaging to promote Maine agriculture as part of the Real Maine promotional program (RealMaine.com). Her career experiences include production agriculture, communications, and business advising.

Balance increased marketing exposure with decreased disease exposure: Protecting animals while promoting sales

Angela Tweedy

Post-Award Administrator, University of Vermont

Selecting websites for booking farm stays and experiences

Matt Ulmer

Extension Specialist, Alabama Cooperative Extension System

The costs and value of agritourism to Alabama farmers

Peet Van der Merwe

Lecturer, North-West University

Determining the type of support South African farmers require to onset an agri-tourism business
What farmers perceive as success within agri-tourism: The case of the Western Cape, South Africa
South African farmers' motivation for offering agri-tourism products

Christelle Van Zyl

Doctoral Student, North-West University / Noordwes-Universiteit

Determining the type of support South African farmers require to onset an agri-tourism business
What farmers perceive as success within agri-tourism: The case of the Western Cape, South Africa
South African farmers' motivation for offering agri-tourism products

Nicole Vaugeois

AVP Research, Vancouver Island University

Regenerative tourism: Opportunities for agri-tourism operations
Supporting investment decisions for farms interested in diversification through agritourism

Melanie Webb

Owner, Stony Pond Farm

How to Create a Successful Economic Stream through Agritourism for Working Farms

Jennifer Werlin

Extension Educator, University of Idaho Extension, Teton County

Agritourism in the Teton foodshed

Penelope Whitman

Community and Economic Development Field Specialist, UNH Cooperative Extension

Factors contributing to community conflicts in agritourism (and how to avoid these issues)

Wendy Wieland

Michigan State University Product Center/ MSU Extension

Cultivating local farm economies: Helping agritourism operators navigate planning and zoning challenges

Arlene Wilson

Executive Director, Cornell Cooperative Extension
Arlene Wilson is the Executive Director for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Yates County. Arlene Wilson serves as a volunteer in the Master Gardener Program for Yates CCE and is Co-Chair of the Yates Agriculture and Farmland Protection Board. She serves as the New York State President for Epsilon Sigma Phi, an Extension professional development leadership organization. Arlene is a member of the Cornell Cooperative Extension Statewide Solar Siting for Agriculture Program Work Team, a member of the Advisory Committee Harvest New York Climate Resiliency Program. She is also a volunteer for the Keuka Lake Association Stream Monitoring Program. Collaboration in agritourism has resulted in Arlene serving as movie producer for a film on the history of wine making on Keuka Lake and a multi-county agritourism website and app that focuses on agriculture promotion [Finger Lakes Farm Country]. Arlene holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology [with a minor in Spanish] from Ohio State University and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh. She has completed three years of Doctoral Studies at the University of Phoenix, with a major in Organizational Management and Leadership. Mrs. Wilson is an Adjunct Instructor at Medaille College, where she has taught at the Rochester satellite campus and the degree program at Albion Correctional Facility, where she served as Interim Coordinator. She is fluent in Spanish and American Sign Language. Arlene has extensive grant writing expertise and grant management skills. She has coordinated numerous collaborations with partner organizations on activities, securing funding to: create a video on the Keuka Lake Wine story, obtain materials for local volunteers to build boot brush stations, coordinate season staff and volunteers to inspect watercraft at boat launches to avoid the spread of invasive species. Arlene Wilson has worked closely with Cornell University’s Department of Natural Resources and partnered with the New York State Invasive Species Resource Institute, to conduct field trials and develop educational resources on a biocontrol for swallowwort. Arlene Wilson has been a board volunteer with Pathstone for fifteen years. In this role, she has served as Chair of the Personnel & Audit/Finance Committees, as currently is on the Executive Committee as PathStone’s Board President. She is also an active member of New Bethel CME Church, where she serves as Historian, Facebook Administrator, and member of the Board of Christian Education. Arlene is celebrating 32 years of marriage to Tony Clyde Wilson. She is the mother of two sons: Jerel and Isaiah. Arlene is an avid gardener and enjoys travel, camping, photography, podcasts, books [audio, e- and paper] and a diverse diaspora of music.

Finger lakes farm country: The creation and maintenance of a collaborative interdisciplinary online agritourism presence. A case study in rural upstate New York

Kay Wilson

Director, Scottish Agritourism

Agritourism growth from peer to peer learning

Wendy Wustenberg

Owner, Co-founder, Co-chair, Windswept Hill Farm & Studio, North Star Farm Tour, Farm Safety & Health Project

Best Practices and Resources for Preventing Infectious Diseases at Agritourism Operations

Garrett Ziegler

Food Systems and Sustainable Tourism Educator, Michigan State University Extension

Cultivating local farm economies: Helping agritourism operators navigate planning and zoning challenges