Southtowns Coalition - agritourism enterprise assessment

2008 Annual Report for CNE08-055

Project Type: Sustainable Community Innovation
Funds awarded in 2008: $9,952.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2008
Region: Northeast
State: New York
Project Leader:
Lori Szewczyk
Town of Evans

Southtowns Coalition - agritourism enterprise assessment

Summary

The Southtowns Community Enhancement Coalition – the Towns of Evans, Eden, Brant and North Collins, and the Village’s of Angola, Farnham, and North Collins, representing the southern tip of Erie County, New York, have come together with a shared vision to leverage their tourism assets in the pursuit of a sustainable strategy for tourism and economic development and an improved quality of life. These municipalities are linked by their tourism appeal, as well as the similar economic and quality of life challenges they face, including a threatened agricultural way of life and stagnant economic development.

The Town of Evans, acting as lead agent for the Southtowns Community Enhancement Coalition, is developing an Agritourism Enterprise Assessment of the seven coalition communities. The town will contract with the Regional Institute, a major research and public policy arm of the University at Buffalo, to conduct a system-wide assessment of approximately 52 southtowns farm operators to gauge their interest and capacity for agritourism and identify opportunities for collaboration among farmers and their respective communities in agritourism enterprise development.

This project is a critical first step to implementing the tourism development strategic plan, which identifies agritourism as having the greatest potential for growth in the southtowns. Residents of the seven southtowns communities have expressed a strong desire for agricultural economic development, which allows for enhanced farm profit, increase in the tax base as well as preserving the region’s history and identity.

Objectives/Performance Targets

As outlined in the strategic plan, a foundational step for advancing agritourism efforts in the Southtowns is a system-wide assessment of the approximately 48 farm vendors identified in the tourism asset inventory. The assessment will seek to:

1) measure farm vendors’ interest and capacity for developing or expanding agritourism activities to diversify income and improve the sustainability of their farm operation;

2) highlight areas of opportunity and limitation for agritourism development for both individual farm vendors and the Southtowns agricultural industry as a whole;

3) identify niche products or services that would distinguish the Southtowns agritourism market from others in the Buffalo Niagara region; and

4) lay the foundation for subsequent training, education and technical support services for advancing agritourism enterprise development (business and market planning, product development, customer relations, staff training).

Accomplishments/Milestones

The coalition, with support and engagement of its Entrepreneurial Task Force including coalition coordinator and community development director, Town of Evans planning director, two representatives of the agriculture industry, including one farmer, and a representative of the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County (together, the “project team” will contract with the Regional Institute, to complete the following action steps as part of the agritourism enterprise essessment. Key milestones include:

September – October 2008

Finalize participating venues
Design and develop survey
Inform the public of the project through local media

November 2008 - January 2009

Arrange for survey administration
Conduct survey and site visits

February - March 2009

Analyze findings – summarize preliminary conclusions
Disseminate summary report to stakeholders; hold public forum to discuss results and next steps

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

One hundred and twenty-seven farms were identified as potential agricultural assets. To date, 45 farmers have been surveyed and farm profiles have been completed for these respondents.

Interim report findings revealed that many of the farmers who refused to participate in the survey referenced their advancing age (pending retirement) as the reason. They also indicated that the next generation is reluctant to take over the farming operation.

Interim report findings for those farmers who did respond to the survey revealed that farmers are eager to expand services and diversify offerings. These farmers also expressed a need for capacity building in marketing and product development, as well as investments in capital improvements and visitor ready elements.

The Enterprise Development committee has reached out to regional economic development professionals to invite them to take part in the project in an effort to learn more about agribusiness needs.