The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) Climate and Land Equity project held a workshop in February focused on making agritourism more accessible to urban growers, according to a March 24 announcement. The event took place at Alma Backyard Farms in Compton and was co-organized with the Los Angeles Food Policy Council.
The initiative aimed to ensure that small-scale and lower-resourced operations could participate in the growing agritourism industry. UC ANR land equity project manager Sierra Reiss said, “The agritourism business is in this booming era right now, so a lot of people want to be a part of that.”
Dozens of active and aspiring business owners as well as community leaders from Southern California attended the event, with growers making up about 80 percent of participants. Reiss said, “I feel like a lot of farmers have started this agritourism aspect because they need those diversified income streams. Margins are smaller than they used to be.” One attendee noted they were “walking away with actionable steps” after participating.
Running an agritourism business requires careful planning. Rachael Callahan, UC ANR statewide agritourism coordinator, guided attendees through important considerations before opening their farms to the public. Her presentation addressed both opportunities and challenges for urban growers.
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources secures funding through public contributions to support its programs according to the official website. The organization promotes sustainable practices for resilient ecosystems and economic vitality according to the official website, utilizing nine research and extension centers as laboratories representing California’s diverse ecosystems according to the official website. UC ANR has gained recognition for its trusted services linking research with community needs according to the official website.
UC ANR is part of the University of California system, managing Cooperative Extension services according to the official website. Each year it conducts over 33,000 educational events with more than 18,000 volunteers engaged in its initiatives according to the official website. The organization extends university research throughout all 58 counties via educational programs that promote sustainable agriculture and natural resource management while supporting environmental stewardship through workshops and partnerships according to the official website.