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That "Ag-Thing" Redefined The 9 October 2003 edition of the Zeitgeist e-Zine Just four editions into the Zeitgeist e-zine and I’ve managed to stir up a hornet’s nest. And, that’s good…because I want this forum to be a lively discussion of issues facing all of us in the destination marketing arena.
My friend Marty Starkey of the Wayne County (OH) CVB wrote: “When you start analyzing our attractions (J.M. Smucker Co, Lehman's Hardware, P. Graham Dunn) it's really all agriculture! And, it's a segment of the market that is growing.” Ross Ament, CEO of the Heritage Corridor (IL) CVB e-mailed: “When you think about educating the public about where their food and fiber come from, as well as have a fun and meaningful experience, what is there not to get about agri-tourism? I am surprised at your column because Wisconsin has got to be the leader in agri-tourism with dairies, wineries, cheese factories, and cranberries. Of course, maybe Wisconsinites don’t realize that they are doing it!” And, from that Wisconsin perspective, Racine County CVB CEO Dave Blank weighed in: “It sounds like we're confusing "rural" tourism taking place on farms with "ag" tourism which I would see as highlighting the farm product versus that which highlights an activity that happens to be taking place in a farm setting (ie. paint ball, nudist camps and dirt biking). Corn mazes, apple and berry picking and pumpkins patches would be "ag" tourism to me. And, they are big business here in "rural" Racine County.” Dave puts rural in quotes because most people don’t view Racine that way at all! All I can say is, “AMEN!” Ag-Tourism is and can be much more than the obvious. As Ross said, it’s about learning how what comes from the land comes to our lips, bodies and lives. So it’s wine, it’s u-pick, it’s heritage…it’s a whole buncha stuff. And, again, we urge our readers to think bigger and broader when they hear the term “ag-tourism.” It’s bigger than most of us think… On a completely different note, ISLANDS IN THE CLICKSTREAM is the e-zine of my friend Richard Thieme. I’ve seen Richard capture audiences in a stranglehold of compelling concepts that are often not fully understood until the next day. This guy goes deep. He also just experienced a moment that so many of us dread…a child that is cruelly ripped from the snug cocoon of everyday life by a traffic accident. His most recent post delves into this experience from a father’s point of view and can be found HERE. If Richard posts another issue of “Clickstream” before you can view this post (dated September 20), drill down in the archives of his e-zine to find the post entitled “A Miracle By Any Other Name.” I’ve read it several times. And each time I come away with something more.
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