Mark Rose, Community Planning Specialist

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Promoting Agritourism Farmers and Ranchers Taking
the First Step to an Agritourism or Alternative
Farm Enterprise
Mark Rose, Community Planning Specialist USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service Resource
Conservation Development and Rural Lands
Division
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Background

• Operated 1000 acre cash grain farm in Wyandot and
  Hardin County Ohio until 1992
• Assistant Farm Manager of OSU,OARDC Hoytville
  Crop Research farm.
• Crop Production, Agricultural Technical
  Institute, Wooster, Ohio
• Agriculture, Ohio State University, Columbus
• 19 years with USDA NRCS
• 6 years Soil Conservationist in Logan and
  Wyandot Counties, Ohio
• 13 years RCD Coordinator in Oklahoma and
  Maryland
• Community Planning Specialist, Washington, DC

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• National Survey on Recreation and the
  Environment2000-2001
• 25,000 respondents
• Farm Visits
• Most visited 1-5 times
• 2 percent visited up to 20 times
• 63 million people visited farms
• Spend an average of 45.00
• Travel an average of 80 miles

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• Keeping the family on the farm and the farm in
  the family

NRCS is providing for technical assistance to
keep families on the farm by assisting landowners
to assess the natural resources on the farm and
identify ways to use and manage these resources
alternatively or thru tourism opportunities.
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Under the leadership of Jim Maetzold Taking the
First Step was published in January 2004. This 54
page guide was developed to be used by the farmer
or rancher considering ways to improve farm
income.
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Which way to go?
Which way to go is a question the farmer may ask
themselves when looking at something different.
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Transition into a total new area such as
developing a corn maze for tourism. Expand the
current operation of pick your own. Diversify
and add a new enterprise such as livestock.
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Evaluating the Farm Resources
Soil Water Plants Wildlife and Wildlife
Habitat Livestock and Poultry Air Landscape Buildi
ngs Community Family
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Worksheets are included for each category of
resources considered. Also as an example, the
Future Family is included to help guide the
decision making process.
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Additional Considerations

• Marketing Alternatives
• Legal and Liability Considerations
• Taking the Next Step
• Consider ideas for the farm or ranch
• Contact local technical resources
• Begin developing the business plan

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Key Partners in Developing Taking the First Step

• James Maetzold, NRCS Washington, DC
• Southern Maryland Resource Conservation
  Development Board
• Boyd Byelich, NRCS District Conservationist,
  Michigan
• Tom Lucas, RCD Coordinator, Oklahoma
• Andrea Clarke, NRCS Economist, Maryland
• Carol Hollingsworth, PAS, NRCS Maryland
• Jody Christiansen, NRCS Communications
  Specialist, Illinois
• Sue Risbrudt Karen Mulske, NRCS
• Caragh Fitzgerald, Maryland CES
• Claude Deyton, North Carolina CES
• Joan Schultz, Maryland Dept. of Agriculture

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Mark Rose, Community Planning Specialist USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service Resource
Conservation Development and Rural Lands
Division Washington, DC mark.rose3_at_usda.gov
202-690-2210 http//www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical
/RESS/altenterprise/
All programs and services of the USDA and NRCS
are provided on a non-discriminatory basis to all
individual and groups.