Send us a text I have been doing a lot of local traveling, really digging into the northeast US where my agriculture focus seems to be currently taking me. I visited a bean festival at a farm in Sheffield, Massachusetts (MA), located in the southern part of the Berkshires. The Berkshires or Berkshire County is located in Western Massachusetts, with…

Send us a text We left New York and it was 27 degrees Fahrenheit and mild. We arrived in Grenada a little over four hours later and it was 78 degrees, partly sunny and fairly humid. Earl, our driver, was awaiting our arrival. He drove us in his car to the ‘countryside’ on the north west side of Grenada. The roads were thin and very windy with spect…

Send us a text Brian Sullivan, Gayle Okumura Sullivan and son Patrick Sullivan purchased Dry Creek Peach in 2000 and are approaching 25 years with the farm. Dry Creek Peach, located in the heart of Dry Creek Valley of Healdsburg in Sonoma County, California is surrounded by wine country. They are the last remaining fruit farm in the valley with 100…

Send us a text Steve and Sandy are the inspiring founders of East Tennessee Homestead Alliance. Sandy reached out to me about the podcast a few months ago. We ended up speaking on the phone about homesteading and what it really is all about. Many people, including myself who is close to farming and all about sustainability, have this impression of …

Send us a text Rachael Callahan is currently California’s Statewide Agritourism Coordinator focused on the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program through UC Davis. Originally from Delaware, Rachael stumbled into sustainable agriculture from her graduate studies and has focused on local and regional food systems. She spent time in Be…

Send us a text Before she turned 10 years old, she already knew all about zucchini, white eggplant, garlic scapes, heirloom tomatoes, how to tell basil vs. mint vs. oregano, when to plant garlic, and what to pair lavender honey with. My daughter Anna just turned 20-years old in September 2024 and is pursuing a college major in Economics and minor i…

Send us a text Laurelee Blanchard, Founder and President of Leilani Farm Sanctuary, and author of “Finding Paradise”, left a lucrative career at a Commercial Real Estate Firm to devote her life to animal protection and humane education. In 1999, she cashed out her life savings and moved from Orange County, California, to Hawaii to the island of Mau…

Send us a text Apple picking season probably generates fun memories for many people; it does for me. Apple picking definitely embodies agritourism. And Scott Farm in Dummerston, Vermont is an eco-certified heirloom apple oasis. The farm is rich in history - it was settled in 1791 and the orchards were planted in 1911 and now bear over 130 varieties…

Send us a text This is our WWOOF Part 2 podcast with Pattie Baker. Pattie is the author of "Round America with a Duck" where she traveled across America right before her 60th birthday via bike, buses, trains and WWOOFing! If you want to learn more about WWOOFING catch Episode 19 from last week. Pattie’s Book moved me. Her adventure was full of lots…

Send us a text When I was visiting Crayfish Bay Organics, an organic cacao farm on the island of Grenada, there was an open air cabin filled with ‘WWOOFers. I had no clue what that term WWOOFer meant at the time. WWOOF stands for WorldWide Opportunities on Organic Farms. Basically a WWOOFer is a person who is working/volunteering on an organic farm…

Send us a text I have always had an interest in growing herbs and learning more about the medicinal qualities of different herbs and plants. This topic fascinates me. I know the power of mint and ginger in solving digestive issues and I know that there are so many other natural remedies. So, I was really looking forward to my interview with Linda S…

Send us a text I had the pleasure of interviewing Suzie Spahr, the Executive Director of NAFDMA - The North American Farmers Direct Marketing Association. NAFDMA was founded in 1986 and is a membership based non profit trade association solely focused on advancing the farm direct marketing and agritourism industries. NAFDMA is made up of entreprene…

Send us a text We are headed to Tassie today….that’s Tasmania for those who are not familiar. And we are chatting with Tim Parsons. Tim and his wife Jane are 6th generation Tasmanian Farmers who own Curringa Farm, Tassie's favorite farmstay with national award winning cottages, farm tours, and group bbq meals. Curringa Farm is a 750-acre farm focus…

Send us a text We all know that things happen for reasons. And many times, those reasons do not reveal themselves until years later. Kim & Chuck Goodling moved their family from Vermont to Pennsylvania, in order to eventually make their way back to Vermont and find their current historic farm property, Grand View Farm, in Washington, VT. Grand View…

Send us a text In this episode of The Agri-tourist Podcast, we are headed all the way to New Zealand with my guest Marijke Dunselman from Agritourism New Zealand. Originally from the Netherlands, Marijke has lived in many countries and speaks 4 languages, but decided to build her roots in New Zealand, another country I did not know much about until…

Send us a text My inspiring guest is Dr. Valeria Klitsounova from Belarus. Yes, Belarus! That might sound surprising to many, especially during the current times. But, when given the introduction, I thought this was a very important opportunity to listen and learn. Obviously my conversation is focused on agritourism. However, the bigger issues of t…

Send us a text I was joined by Beth Kennet, owner of Liberty Hill Farm and a pioneer in the world of agritourism in the state of Vermont and probably worldwide. The farm experience that Beth and her family offer is truly an immersive farm-family experience. What does that mean? Well her multigenerational guests, many of whom are returning for over …

Send us a text The Blueberry Treehouse Farm is a family-friendly, fun, and picturesque event space created by owners Jyl and Rico Rivera in the rural, vibrant community of West Falls, NY (near Buffalo). They have taken a historic farm growing blueberries for over 35 years to the next level by opening it to thousands of visitors. They combine the fa…

Send us a text It was February 2014 and I left New York in a blizzard, arriving one day early for my first agritourism experience and agricultural chocolate tour in Belize. Our group was staying at the Cotton Tree Lodge in Punta Gorda, Belize. The hotel was very rustic, located right by the Moho River, surrounded by jungles. All of our meals were s…

Send us a text Dori Scofield is the Founder of Save a Pet Animal Rescue in Long Island, NY - a non profit that has been serving the Long Island community when it comes to dog and cat rescue and rehoming for over 24 years. Dori’s connection and compassion for animals is and will always be a significant part of her life journey. I have known Dori for…

Send us a text I had the pleasure of interviewing Rachael Jones from Locavore Farm. I have to admit, I didn’t know what Locavore meant before prepping for this interview. If you don’t know the definition, you will learn about it real soon! My interview with Rachel was very compelling. I related to her on many levels. Rachael and her husband had suc…

Send us a text Will Culler, PhD from Clemson University is the Lexington County Extension Coordinator and also the Director for the South Carolina Ag & Art Tour. The tour is the largest free farm and art tour in the nation with over 85,000 visitors participating since 2012. The South Carolina Ag + Art Tour is a self-guided tour of farms and markets…

Send us a text My former organic vegetable and sunflower farm had a few revenue channels. The one revenue channel that probably required the most labor was the numerous farmers markets. It was so exciting to make a new connection and add a new market, especially with our mobile farm stand truck. Being a marketer at heart, creating new connections w…

Send us a text I had the pleasure of speaking with Lisa Chase from the University of Vermont. Lisa’s primary role is the Natural Resources Specialist at University of Vermont Extension, where she focuses on the intersection between environmental management, food systems and community development. She is also the Director of the Vermont Tourism Rese…

Send us a text Farmers represent less than 2% of the US population. Women farmers represent 35% of that 2%. That’s quite a small number of women farmers in the US. Shelby Watson-Hampton grew up on a farm in Maryland. She describes the family farm as” a living, breathing entity of its own - the touchstone - the gathering place, the solid center of h…

Send us a text My journey back to agriculture and farming began when I started my podcast interviews a few months ago. I am an accounting major turned marketer. I transitioned from a 14-year career in corporate america to owning a small marketing consulting business for over 18 years, all while raising three kids. I owned a vegetable and sunflower …

Send us a text Emma & John Hoel own Peacefield Farm Sanctuary in Gainesville, Florida, just going on 5 years now. Before selling their house and moving from city life in Minneapolis, they took the time to volunteer at a local farm sanctuary to ensure that this is something they really wanted to commit to, as owning a farm sanctuary or any type of a…

Send us a text Taste the Moka Origins lemon ginger chocolate bar and you'll experience real chocolate for the first time. On this episode of The Agri-Tourist, meet social entrepreneur Jeff Abella, Co-Founder and CEO of Moka Origins. Learn how his vision for the company was born in Cameroon, Africa and how it has evolved into the growing, socially r…