Vacation Time

Vacation Time. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Line On Agriculture.

Spring is here and that means it is time to think about planning that vacation. Many American’s have been opting for less extravagant trips and spending more time in their own back yard so to speak. Harry Dalgaard, Director of Product Development and co-founder of Pacific Northwest Vacations in Portland says more people are looking into agri-tourism.

DALGAARD: It’s definitely a growing segment of the market in terms of northwest tourism offerings. What we have in the northwest is really unique in terms of having a wide variety of foods and beverages we produce. When I go around the United States one of the main things I talk about is our major exportables, which often times are beer and wine. Beer and wine in particular have great interest for the international and domestic tourist to come and see, experience vineyards.

Maybe you are looking for a bit more of family vacation with some hands on aspects.

DALGAARD: I work with some folks down in southern Willamette Valley that they basically do farm stays. It’s a typical Willamette Valley farm. They have a variety of field greens and then just seasonal food crops so people will go down and stay at their bed and breakfast and then participate on an average day on the farm and there’s great demand for that.

We are not talking about a dude-ranch or a cowboy experience but one of the farming life today. Dalgaard says a farm stay is really an authentic experience.

DALGAARD: So if somebody is a wine-style tourist or maybe a more nostalgic farmer then we have options east of the Cascades that can show people anything from Yakima Valley wheat fields and hops fields to seeing some more unique farm equipment in the Yakima Valley. It just depends on what the specific interests of the tourists are.

Many farming operations are also finding agri-tourism as a wonderful way to not only help educate the public on what it means to be a farmer but they can also find a new income stream at the same time. Dalgaard says as a farmer or rancher, you have a unique experience…he’d like to talk.

DALGAARD: I could work with them directly. The farmers that are interested in getting involved whether they’re ranchers, farmers or wine or beer producers they have a lot of options. They can get involved with tour operators like myself or they can get involved with their local convention and visitor bureau, Chamber or Commerce or statewide travel organizations. Travel Oregon is a great resource for the state of Oregon that wholeheartedly promotes the Oregon bounty program.

For more information visit the Pacific Northwest Vacations website at www.pacificnwvacations.com/agritourism.

That’s today’s Line On Agriculture. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.