GROWING MARKET FOR FARMERS COUNTY TURNS OVER NEW LEAF WITH AG TOURISM.Byline: Eric Leach Staff Writer VENTURA - Efforts to preserve Ventura County agriculture should get a boost from rural tourism, say county officials who are changing a few laws to make it easier for farmers to attract visitors. The Ventura County Board of Supervisors The examples and perspective in this article or section may represent an unduly geographically limited view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. The Board of Supervisors is the body governing counties in the U.S. voted unanimously Tuesday to approve zoning law changes to make it easier for farm and ranch owners to develop so-called ag tourism or agri-tainment, which could mean everything from bed-and-breakfasts to dude ranches and harvest festivals Harvest festivals around the world:
``As it evolves, ag tourism will become a more and more important revenue source,'' said Ventura County Farm Bureau Director Rex Laird, who co-chairs the county's Rural Tourism Advisory Committee. He pointed to Napa and Sonoma counties as quintessential rural tourism areas in California because of the wineries, wine tasting Noun 1. wine tasting - a gathering of people to taste and compare different wines assemblage, gathering - a group of persons together in one place wine tasting n → degustación f de vinos and related businesses. But Laird said Ventura County farmers and ranchers will have to develop their own niche. ``There's 13 to 15 million people on the other side of the Santa Susana Pass Santa Susana Pass is a mountain pass connecting Simi Valley to the San Fernando Valley. The road used to be an Indian trail, and later a wagon road (a famous part was called Devil's Slide) before the road was paved. (in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. ) who can reach Ventura County on less than a half a tank of gas. There is a lot of potential for ag tourism,'' he said. ``The whole idea is to create a context in which rural tourism can flourish and leave it up to the entrepreneurs as to how it can happen in this county.'' The Ventura County Board of Supervisors is laying the groundwork by expanding potential activities in the agriculture and open space zones within limits, he said. ``You have to make sure that everybody understands the rules.'' Among other things, the zoning law changes will allow farmers to set up bed-and-breakfasts on their land and hold farm-oriented festivals for limited periods. ``I feel we have something that will encourage ag tourism but at the same time won't have impacts to neighboring neigh·bor n. 1. One who lives near or next to another. 2. A person, place, or thing adjacent to or located near another. 3. A fellow human. 4. Used as a form of familiar address. v. farmlands and open spaces,'' said county Supervisor Linda Parks. ``I see this as something we will be working on as time progresses, just making it better. We're starting off slow.'' Farmers across America are attempting to develop ag tourism with everything from fruit stands and petting zoos to antique villages and craft shops to corn mazes, crop festivals, cowboy jamborees and historical re-creations such as Civil War re-enactments Civil War re-enactment may refer to:
Lodging possibilities include various types of farm and ranch bed-and- breakfasts, children's camps and retreat centers. Ventura County already has popular sites for pick-your-own fruits and vegetables and cut-your-own Christmas trees, including Christmas tree excursions on the Fillmore & Western Railway. The railway also offers mystery dinners, holiday parties and school trips. Underwood Family Farms is one of the pioneers of agri-tainment in Ventura County and hosted educational farm visit programs last year for nearly 40,000 children and adults. ``Up until now the regulators haven't really understood what our business is,'' said Craig Underwood, an owner of Underwood Family Farms and a member of the county's Rural Tourism Advisory Committee. He said the Ventura County Board of Supervisors is making a significant step to help rural tourism by changing the laws. ``I think this is really a good start because it recognizes rural tourism as a legitimate part of the ag industry,'' he said. ``Just the recognition is a really good start. Farmers who are interested in pursuing rural tourism as a part of the business, this makes it easier for them to do it.'' In addition to the family business producing fruits and vegetables, Underwood Family Farms has two farm markets in Somis and Moorpark, and produces an annual harvest festival harvest festival Noun 1. a Christian church service held every year to thank God for the harvest 2. any of various ceremonies celebrating the harvest in other religions in the Tierra Rejada Valley, where it serves as a location for a number of other special events. Students come to the Underwood farms throughout the year from Los Angeles and Ventura counties to pick vegetables, pet animals and learn about the rural way of life. The Moorpark Farm Market and Animal Center is located on Sunset Valley Road and is open every day from March through December. Underwood Family Farms also offers a variety of activities for people who want to pick their own fruits and vegetables, including pumpkins before Halloween. Ventura County has a number of food-oriented festivals, including the Strawberry Festival A Strawberry Festival is an event and celebration in many towns in North America. In most instances, areas around these towns are, or have been, deeply involved in the production and marketing of strawberries, and the festivals are usually held in late spring around the time of the in Camarillo in the spring, devoted to the county's biggest crop. One rancher who has started to capitalize on Cap´i`tal`ize on` v. t. 1. To turn (an opportunity) to one's advantage; to take advantage of (a situation); to profit from; as, to capitalize on an opponent's mistakes s>. rural tourism in Ventura County is Tim Cohen cohen or kohen (Hebrew: “priest”) Jewish priest descended from Zadok (a descendant of Aaron), priest at the First Temple of Jerusalem. The biblical priesthood was hereditary and male. , the owner of Temescal Ranch near Piru, across the Los Angeles County line from Santa Clarita Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, . Cohen began about five years ago training thoroughbred racehorses, but expanded into the rural tourism business by opening his 6,000 acres with mountains, streams and pastures as a guest ranch. An article about Rancho Temescal in The New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times on Feb. 13 pointed out that it was a unique dude ranch because you could ride horses there in the morning and be at Universal Studios or the Getty Center Getty Center, art museum complex in Brentwood, Calif. operated by the J. Paul Getty Trust. It consists of six buildings on 124 acres (50 hectares) located on a spectacular promontory overlooking Los Angeles. in the afternoon. Until now there had been no provision in Ventura County for Cohen to open a bed-and-breakfast on his ranch, so he he offered his guests lodging in the Heritage Valley Inn, which he owns in nearby Piru. ``We call it a ranch experience, tailored to people who want to be on horseback on the back of a horse; mounted or riding on a horse or horses; in the saddle. See also: Horseback , whether it's working with cattle or simply enjoying being on horseback. ``Initially it was a place to raise thoroughbred racehorses and we expanded the opportunities for the public to enjoy it as well. We grow avocados, lemons and nectarines.'' As far as the guest ranch goes, Cohen said, ``it's very similar to the (Billy Crystal movie) 'City Slickers,' but it's not a cattle drive. We just move cattle from pasture to pasture.'' All five members of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors expressed hope that rural tourism will help the county in its goal of preserving its agriculture in the face of urbanization. ``What rural tourism does is establish a new, clean industry in Ventura County,'' said Supervisor John Flynn. ``While urbanization seems overpowering, rural tourism can help bring about a balance with agriculture,'' he said. Shirley Spitler, president of the Heritage Valley Tourism Bureau in the Santa Clara Valley
The Santa Clara Valley is a valley just south of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California in the United States. area of the county, is among those who urged the supervisors to support ag tourism. ``It is an absolute must,'' she said. ``There are many different types of farmland to visit here in the Santa Clara Valley. We need more things for the tourists. It's amazing a·maze v. a·mazed, a·maz·ing, a·maz·es v.tr. 1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise. 2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex. v.intr. how many people haven't been on a farm in their lives. This is something that is new.'' Eric Leach, (805) 583-7602 eric.leach(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 4 photos Photo: (1 -- 2 -- color) Above, Teresa Piani leads ponies for Melissa Maguire, 2, and her brother, Benjamin, 5, at Underwood Family Farms. Above left, Rebecca Maguire shops at the produce stand at the farms. (3) (Children play on a truck at Underwood Family Farms on Sunset Valley Road in Moorpark on a recent afternoon.) (4) A lone pygmy goat A pygmy goat is a small breed of domestic goat; females weigh about 23 to 34 kg (35 to 50 lbs) and males about 27 to 39 kg (40 to 60 lb). Pygmy goats originated in the Cameroon Valley of West Africa. stands on a ramp outside the pioneering agri-tainment family farms in Moorpark. Tina Burch/Staff Photographer |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion