Vacationers look to countryside as budgets dwindle

By STEVE BROWN

Capital Press

BREMERTON, Wash. -- As the sluggish economy cuts into people's vacation budgets, farmers can attract travelers who don't want to venture far from home.

Washington state has developed several itineraries for the Savor Washington program that combine food and agriculture, said Patrice Barrentine, direct marketing coordinator at the Washington State Department of Agriculture.

"People travel on their bellies. ... They can celebrate the taste and flavor of regions of our state," she told farmers at the recent West Sound Small Farms Expo. "A traveler requires seven things a day: three activities, three meals and lodging. These itineraries meet those needs."

Barrentine listed four travel trends driving the concept:

* The pursuit of health and well-being: Instead of taking extended vacations, many people are taking three or four long weekends a year. "People just want down time," she said. "Ask yourself, 'How can I appeal to my next-door neighbor?'"

* Personalization: Coffee is a common denominator for many in American culture, but people want it their own particular way. "We can appeal to the highest quality of eater, but offer a full range of tastes," Barrentine said. Each experience can be unique, "just what we want."

* Immersion: As travelers learn that farmers are still working the land sustainably, they meet the farmer, see the cheese being made, involve all their senses in the agricultural experience. "People used to go to the zoo to see animals. Now they can go to the farm."

* Authenticity: Agritourism gets people in touch with reality, instead of a romanticized vision of pastoral bliss. "People have been off the land for so many years," Barrentine said. "You can help reacquaint them with rural life."

Barrentine said Washington has 39,000 farms, and 35,000 of those are small farms, which WSDA defines as one where the farmer or farm family participates in the day-to-day labor and management of the farm, and owns or leases its productive assets. These are the places that can most benefit from agritourism, Barrentine said.

The 10 itineraries under the Savor Washington program are not the only way to benefit from these travel trends, she said. Farmers, restaurants and lodgings can benefit each other at the grassroots level.

People need different options, from slow to vigorous, with activities tailored for different age groups and different skill sets. "Your ads need to be very clear about what you're offering," she said. Whether it's a corn maze, a farm day camp or a historical tour, the dirt factor and any hands-on activities should be spelled out.

Acknowledging that hosting visitors can "add another 40 hours to your 60-hour workweek," Barrentine urged participants to ease into such an operation. "Don't commit yourself to a weekly event right off."

Ideas for how to participate are available at the WSDA website, she said. "Have plenty of parking, plenty of bathrooms and plenty of insurance."

Online

www.agr.wa.gov/Marketing/SmallFarm/SavorWA.aspx