The term "agritourism" probably isn't common among your average rural Albertan, but for the Foothills Tourism Association, it means potential.

They're encouraging local farmers, ranchers, and agriculture-based businesses to consider incorporating some form of tourism into their framework.

According to the association, the Foothills' proximity to Calgary puts pressure on local farmers and ranchers, with developers eager to divide and segment rural land.

The push for agritourism is intended to address these issues by offering new revenue streams to local farmers while still preserving the area's cultural identity in the process.

As the name suggests, agritourism marries agriculture and tourism together, and Foothills Tourism president Hugo Bonjean says it's a pretty broad term.

"It includes anything from farm stays to hayrides and trail rides, or winery and distillery tours to on-the-ranch experiences. It's a very wide spectrum of businesses."

In late June, the association released a report from the Culinary Tourism Alliance summarizing everything there is to know about agritourism in the region, along with a toolkit for those looking to branch out into the market. It includes case studies with testimonials from business owners who have entered the market, as well as coaching for those looking to explore it.

The study is largely based on one from last year, which, among other things, identified the potential market for agritourism in the Foothills.

"The prior study basically pointed out that about 91 per cent of Calgarians are interested in local food, 75 per cent want to travel 30-60 minutes to buy it directly from a farm, and about 43 per cent of those people would like to do that four to six times in a year."

According to Bonjean, the market is there, and it's easier to tap into than you'd expect.

"People want to come out to meet the farmer and the rancher. And no, they don't need to be any different from what they normally are. They're there because they want to come and listen to their stories. As long as they're willing to tell those stories and share those, that's of value to people in the city."

He continues, "We really looked at the demographics there, income ranges, things like that. Also their locations in the city. It would be a reasonable assumption to say that people from the south end of the city would move into the Foothills for such purchases and people from the north end would be moving into the Cochrane area for farm purchases. By doing a more detailed analysis, it was identified that the market was about $77 million."

He says it would also benefit local business communities as a whole, with visitors to the region being likely to stick around for a meal or some shopping in the area.

"The sky is really the limit. The Foothills could be an area that would be just as abundant in agritourism and farm-to-table offerings as the areas around Portland, Ontario, or San Diego. Then, of course, you have the Okanagan, huge agritourism there as well. It's a region with huge opportunity. People already come here for hikes and for the beauty of the vistas, so to add that food element to it would be good for the local residents, the farmers, and the ranchers, and would preserve the agricultural heritage and culture of the region."

 

Questions, comments, or story ideas? Email news@okotoksonline.com