ROCHESTER — Dairy farmer Beth Kennett will host a tour and workshop at her multi-generational family farm in Rochester, Dec. 6, for farmers and agricultural service providers interested in learning how to arrange farm stays and tours for visitors.
The program runs from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. followed by an optional lunch. Kennett will share some of the successes and challenges that her family has faced operating Liberty Hill Farm, a 270-cow Holstein dairy farm, and providing overnight stays for guests for more than 30 years.
Following introductory remarks by Lisa Chase, Vermont Tourism Research Center director, and Vera Simon-Nobes, Shelburne Farms educator, Kennett will conduct a tour of her farm. Participants also will learn about marketing, regulations, liability, safety issues and related topics from several service providers including Mary Cobb, Nationwide Insurance; George Cook, UVM Extension; Hilary DelRoss, Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing; Helen Labun, DigInVT.com and the Vermont Fresh Network; and Stephanie Smith, Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets.
The workshop is the last in a series offered this fall to help farmers and agricultural enterprise owners explore agritourism opportunities. Funding for these workshops was provided by the Northeast Extension Risk Management Education Center through a U.S. Department of Agriculture/National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant.
The workshop, organized by University of Vermont (UVM) Extension, the Vermont Farm to Plate Network and the Farm-Based Education Network, costs $10 for the workshop only and $30 with lunch. Registrations will be accepted through Nov. 29.
To register, visit go.uvm.edu/agritourism2017. To request a disability-related accommodation to participate, contact Becky Bartlett at 802-257-7967, ext. 301, or 800-278-5480 (Vermont calls only) by Nov. 20. Anyone interested in spending the night at Liberty Hill Farm should call 802-767-3926 to make a reservation.