By James Matthews
Grow it and they will come.
Given the proper support by community decision-makers, of course.
Trent University research indicates there is a strong desire in the Haliburton County community for a tourism industry component based on agriculture.
Sadie Snell, a student at the university’s School of the Environment, published findings of research carried out under the umbrella of U-Links Centre for Community-based Research for the Apple Tree Identification Project Haliburton. The report is entitled Harvest Haliburton: Unveiling Haliburton’s Bounty Through Agri-Tourism.
Under the supervision of Professor Susan Wurtele, Snell identified a strong community interest and untapped potential for the development of agri-tourism in the area.
She said project participants and industry interview subjects showed a curiosity and enthusiasm for another facet of local agriculture and her research. Many came prepared with a strong sense of key ideas related to agri-tourism, she said.
“Participants described organized farm tours as an appealing form of agri-tourism because the facilitate direct connection between producers and tourists and allow tourists to experience multiple aspects of Haliburton County,” she wrote.
“The desire to provide farm tours can be linked to other themes including participants’ desire to share their knowledge through workshops and demonstrations, a passion for quality food and the environment, and a sense of local pride and uniqueness of place.”
There is a desire to engage in coordinated events to share local knowledge and contribute to the growth of the community and that of the tourism and agriculture industries.
Such recent examples as the Apple Tree Identification Project’s Apple Blossom Tour last year and a series of 2012 farm tours organized by SIRCH Community Services.
“(The findings) also highlight the importance of addressing key gaps in community collaboration, considering farmer perspectives and hesitations, addressing regulatory barriers, and the need for municipal support in order to provide security for the agricultural sector and facilitate the expansion of agri-tourism activities,” Snell wrote in a report on her research.
Her research delved into the availability of existing marketing resources, local geographical attributes and their impacts on agriculture, risks, and access to farm services.
Research participants said there was a need for more political support in agri-tourism development, particularly at the municipal level. There was indication that municipal support for agriculture was inconsistent and that the upper tier highlights agriculture in tourism promotional campaigns but doesn’t foster its success.
“It was felt that, in order to get producers interested in expanding agri-tourism, there needs to be demonstrated and reliable municipal support for agriculture in the form of public recognition and promotion of agriculture and the clear consideration of the agricultural sector in policy decision-making,” Snell wrote in her findings.
A lack of municipal acknowledgement means fewer avenues by which producers can advocate for their needs. And smaller-scale producers face additional barrier to having their voices heard “as they may not be counted statistically as farmer,” she said.
“There was also a sense that policymakers lack understanding of the reality of the scale and geography of farming in the region.”
Snell said participants indicated the most significant barrier to agri-tourism’s development is stumbling blocks toward collaboration among various industry stakeholders. There is a general lack of communication between organizations and community groups invested in the industry.
“The agricultural sector was described as fragmented and siloed with many independent small producers lacking connection to other producers or other types of agriculture and therefore being without a strong support system,” she wrote.
“Addressing this lack of community connection was seen as essential for strengthening the agricultural sector, as well as for increasing producer awareness and engagement in agri-tourism.”
Research participants illustrated that producers were eager to share experiences and knowledge of such skillsets as cheese-making, sheep shearing, and soil analysis and plant biology, beekeeping, maple syrup production, and even forestry.
Including such facets in a tourism forum would broaden the public’s understanding of agriculture.
“Several participants expressed an interest in sharing their farm or organization’s story with others,” she wrote. “And several (participants) were particularly passionate about sharing agricultural knowledge with young people.
“In addition to engaging with visiting tourists, participants were eager to share knowledge about farming in Haliburton’s unique geography with local community members.”
