LAC LA BICHE - Residents of the Lac La Biche region interested in starting their own agri-tourism businesses or those curious about the industry harvested plenty of helpful information at the ‘Cultivating Economic Growth & Tourism Kick-Off Event,’ on Aug. 27.
The purpose of the event was for the public to learn about the workshop series that Lac La Biche County has planned for the fall and winter months as part of its initiative to boost the agri-tourism sector in the region. The workshops will start later this year and wrap up in early 2025. Workshop topics will include diversification, value-added agriculture, agri-tourism and cluster development, farm networking and cluster development, as well as farm-to-table food options.
Najiah Moghrabi, an economic development, and tourism coordinator for Lac La Biche County, says the recent kick-off event is important because the municipality is looking for ways to diversify the local economy, including the tourism industry.
“I think our locals are really interested in it as well,” Moghrabi told Lakeland This Week, explaining that agri-tourism is becoming more prominent in the region.
She believes the sector would see a considerable increase if people had more information.
One misconception about agri-tourism discussed at the information session was that it brings hundreds of people to a farm or acreage, causing disruptions and safety concerns. Moghrabi said in reality, agri-tourism can be as small or as large as the owner wants.
“People think agri-tourism only means hundreds of people on their land. The whole concept of agritourism is having somebody experience something on your farm,” she said, explaining that these experiences could mean buying a farm product, or picking berries. “It doesn’t always have to be a massive rush.”
In fact, she continued, having several small agri-tourism opportunities scattered across the region would bring more people to the area and bring more awareness to the need for more holistic diversification.
“It’s a great way for producers to earn diversified income as well,” she said.
Saw it in the paper
Norbert Brecht, who runs a Haskap berry orchid in the Craigend area was at the information session. Brecht is currently dabbling with starting a u-pick operation. He learned about the agri-tourism kickoff information session from an article in Lakeland This Week and decided to stop by and check it out.
“I saw the write-up and I thought I’d explore it and see if there’s any benefit for me,” Brecht said, explaining that he’s encouraged by the interest and support for agri-tourism.
Sweet success
Rob and Joanne Wicker have already found a sweet-spot in the agri-tourism business. The operators of Christy Creek Honey were also at the information session and say their honey farm south of Lac La Biche has mixed business and pleasure very well.
“We love it…we enjoy meeting people…we enjoy just what we do…so, teaching people about bees and that educational component is great,” Joanne said.
Agri-tourism is good for the Lac La Biche region, she said, because there is a lot of agriculture in the area. She added that there are quite a few folks who visit this region who have never been to a farm, or have family who operate farms, and so this is a new experience for them, and they want to learn about the practices here for farming.
“It’s really a great way of educating people and letting them see where food comes from,” she said.
Upcoming dates for the agri-tourism workshops will be announced in the coming weeks. Event notices are advertised in each edition of Lakeland This Week.
