Tuesday, February 03, 2009

New Agritourism Resource Available on LinkedIn

Cutline: William Alexander sells fresh produce from his road side stand in York, South Carolina.

ASHEBORO, NC (Feb. 3, 2009) – Operators of vineyards, farmers’ markets, roadside stands, u-pick-it farms and anyone else involved in the agritourism industry now have a new online tool to exchange ideas, ask questions and learn from others. A discussion group specific to “agritourism” has been created on the social networking site, http://www.linkedin.com/.

Tourism writer and consultant Greta Lint, of Asheboro, N.C., came up with the idea while working on another agritourism project. “I needed to know more about some of the issues surrounding the operation of farmers’ markets, roadside stands and u-pick-it farms. Not much showed up on the Internet, so I created a platform for discussion,” she explained.

The group, called simply “agritourism,” is open to anyone who has an interest in that particular industry. “This includes performers, crafters, promoters, organizers and teachers. Eligibility includes people who manage fairs, festivals and tourism-based attractions or who teach agriculture and horticulture business classes. This portal should help tourism product developers and promoters too,” Lint said.

Those who wish to sign up for the group must first join www.LinkedIn.com. There is no fee to join. “And you’re not bombarded with spam or unwanted emails,” Lint explained. “Once you’re a member, you can then do a search for groups in agritourism and join in.” For more information, contact Greta at greta@gretalint.com or call 336-626-0527.

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