In an effort to cultivate an already flourishing partnership with the United States while enhancing their own organization, Farm Fresh Ontario (FFO) sent several dozen Canadians to the City of Gainesville, Georgia to learn about North Georgia’s fruitful agritourism industry!
The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines agritourism as “a form of commercial enterprise that links agricultural production and/or processing with tourism to attract visitors onto a farm, ranch or other agricultural business for the purposes of entertaining or educating the visitors while generating income for the farm, ranch or business owner.”
“It is exciting to see many Ontario agritourism farm owners traveling to Georgia to collaboratively build strong relationships and exchange ideas with our American partners,” said Rob Flack, Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. “Thank you to the farmers hosting them in the great state of Georgia. This visit is another example of Ontario’s strong relationship with the U.S., and a powerful opportunity for agritourism operators on both sides of the border to cooperate in strengthening their businesses.”
Based in Ontario, a province in east-central Canada bordering the U.S. and Great Lakes, FFO is a not-for-profit, educational and promotional organization focused on supporting local food systems, i.e. Ontario farmers. Since being founded in 1973, FFO has advocated for Ontario farm products to improve profitability, all by promoting direct farm sales, thus advancing farm businesses; family fun, thus teaching kids about the source of their food; and serving as a voice of agritourism in Ontario, thus growing Ontario’s diversified agricultural sector.
Welcoming FFO were the Gainesville Convention & Visitors Bureau (Explore Gainesville) and Georgia Grown, a division of the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) tasked with growing local agribusinesses!
“Our team at Georgia Grown was pleased to welcome a group of 30 farmers from Farm Fresh Ontario to Hall County to learn first-hand about the challenges and opportunities of the agritourism industry here in Georgia,” said GDA Agritourism Manager and Membership Coordinator Cheryl Smith. “Hall County is home to some of our state’s top agritourism destinations, and we were proud to showcase our state’s No. 1 industry to Canadian producers. The Gainesville CVB did a great job on the itinerary and hosting the tour.”
Over two days, Nov. 12-13, FFO representatives spent the majority of their time taking in the North Georgia landscape – home to many family-owned farms, orchards and dairy operations. With Explore Gainesville’s “Cool Bus” as their chariot, the group on Tuesday toured Jaemor Farms (Alto), Hopewell Farms (Gainesville), Buford Corn Maze (Buford) and Sweet Acre Farms Winery (Alto). Wednesday’s itinerary included stops at Glo-Crest Dairy Farm and Mountain Fresh Creamery (Clermont), Shields-Ethridge Heritage Farm (Jefferson), Merk Farms (Commerce) and Skitts Mountain Farms (Cleveland).
In-depth discussions with farm owners shed light on the growth of agritourism attractions, regenerative farming practices and how they fit with agritourism opportunities, extending agritourism experiences into the holidays, turning existing farms and wineries into event venues, and even a new tour app responsible for enhancing agritourism in the region.
“I think I speak for the entire Gainesville City Council when I say the City of Gainesville is honored to have had the opportunity to host Farm Fresh Ontario this week and share the many ways Gainesville-Hall County benefits from agritourism and the direct farm sales industry,” said Gainesville Mayor Sam Couvillon. “With Farm Fresh Ontario serving as the No. 1 source for local food in Ontario, Canada, it’s humbling to have such well-respected farmers view Gainesville-Hall County as an agricultural destination they can learn and potentially grow from.”
While Gainesville-Hall County is often spotlighted for thriving business and industry, innovative healthcare and Lake Sidney Lanier, Couvillon said popular destinations like Jaemor Farms, Hopewell Farms and Mountain Fresh Creamery, among others, play an important part in encouraging tourism and drawing visitors from all over, including the City of Atlanta and neighboring suburbs.
“We’re extremely proud of all the ‘locally grown’ options available in Gainesville-Hall County, and to witness others not only recognizing their hard work, but gravitating toward these family-run farms and orchards is appreciated beyond words,” he said. “I have no doubt the value in an experience like this, for all parties involved, is significant and something that will vitalize this partnership for years to come.”
Gainesville CVB Sales and Marketing Manager Regina Ingebrigtsen agreed. “I think this is going to be a win for agritourism in Georgia, international travel news and the partnerships of cities, CVBs, farmers and state agricultural officials,” Ingebrigtsen said. “I’d like for this to be an example for other communities and also for us to reach out to other farming organizations across the United States for future visits and tours.”
To plan your own agritourism adventure, visit https://georgiagrown.com/find-georgia-grown/agritourism/.
