The Agri-Tourist, My Journey Back to Agriculture
Jennifer Ross
Agritourism involves travel, entertainment, adventure and agriculture, but, at its core, agritourism is really about connecting and educating. Join me to learn from experienced agritourism farmers and entrepreneurs, and help me build my future farm strategy.
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Top 10 The Agri-Tourist, My Journey Back to Agriculture Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Agri-Tourist, My Journey Back to Agriculture episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Agri-Tourist, My Journey Back to Agriculture for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Agri-Tourist, My Journey Back to Agriculture episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
We Found Waldo...at the Cacao Farm in DR
The Agri-Tourist, My Journey Back to Agriculture
12/09/24 • 70 min
I am so excited for you to hear from my very dear friend and fellow entrepreneur, Waldo Cabrera. Waldo is an Emmy-Winning, Emmy-Nominated, and extremely talented video producer. I have known Waldo for many years. We have collaborated on many work projects, I have conducted many interviews for a TV show he produced, and we have had many thrilling times like riding the Cyclone in Coney Island after a video shoot at the opening of a local community center.
Waldo knew I have a passion for all things agriculture as he covered many of our farm events and innovations on his TV episodes. And he also knew that I happened to love chocolate and traveled to Central America a few times to learn about the agriculture behind chocolate. Well one day, to my surprise, Waldo just happened to mention that his family owns a 100 year old organic cacao farm in the Dominican Republic!!! Why he withheld that fact from me, I will never know...and we joke about it to this day! But once I found out and we chatted about it, we turned it into a family media adventure to the Dominic Republic. And what an amazing adventure it was...to immerse in the culture of the Dominican Republic and be part of a working organic cacao farm...and to be able to experience this with close friends and family....
I hope you enjoy my conversation with Waldo Cabrera.
MyLITV
Holocaust Survivor Ruth Kohn: From Living in Hell To Living in Paradise in Sosua, D.R.
Broadway on Main
EMMY WINNER: Laylas Dance & Drum's Black History Month with the Harlem Globetrotters
EMMY WINNER: Conversation with Director Barry Sonnenfeld at the Cinema Arts Centre
EMMY NOMINATION: Legendary TV Producer Norman Lear at the Cinema Arts Centre
Puerto Rico's 2020 EARTHQUAKES SITUATION ON THE GROUND AND APPEAL
No Dream is Too High: One on One with Buzz Aldrin at the Book Revue
Women Chocolate Makers Breaking Boundaries in Dominican Republic
Riding the Donkey to the Organic Cacao Farm
Dominican Dream
The Global Agritourism Network (GAN) was created to support agritourism worldwide through education, research, and advocacy. Everyone with an interest in agritourism is welcome to join for free by completing the form online at Global Agritourism Network (GAN) Registration (google.com).
Thank you for taking the time to listen to The Agri-Tourist Podcast, for supporting our inspirational guests, and for sharing my personal journey back to agriculture.
A Mid Atlantic Agritourism Specialist Connects People to Farms & Art
The Agri-Tourist, My Journey Back to Agriculture
12/16/24 • 68 min
Today I am chatting with Tracy Mitchell Griggs from AgVenturesUS. Tracy is the ultimate connector when it comes to everything agritourism. Growing up in south Jersey, Tracy developed a love of farmers veggies from local farmers markets. She also spent a lot of time on the eastern shore of Maryland where she enjoyed Chesapeake Bay Sailing adventures with her family. Tracy spent time in California exploring and expanding her culinary skills and later returned to the Mid Atlantic where she studied the global aquaculture industry.
Throughout her career, agritourism has become a significant theme, and Tracy is applying that knowledge, experience and her many agritourism contacts to build out some business concepts surrounding the arts and agriculture and a Mid Atlantic Agritourism Alliance. Learn about how Tracy’s diverse career, experiences and her knack for connecting people have come together to form these new and exciting ventures.
AgVenturesUS
Mid Atlantic Agritourism Alliance
Farm & Art Tour
South Carolina's Ag & Art Tour Embodies What AgriTourism Is All About
Fractured Atlas
Dig In Vermont
The Global Agritourism Network (GAN) was created to support agritourism worldwide through education, research, and advocacy. Everyone with an interest in agritourism is welcome to join for free by completing the form online at Global Agritourism Network (GAN) Registration (google.com).
Thank you for taking the time to listen to The Agri-Tourist Podcast, for supporting our inspirational guests, and for sharing my personal journey back to agriculture.
Jurassic Park Comes Alive at the Cotton Tree Lodge in Belize
The Agri-Tourist, My Journey Back to Agriculture
07/01/24 • 55 min
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 served in the main lodge area. While eating dinner with some of the other guests, the hotel offered me an upgrade to the jungle cabana for the first night, until joining the rest of the chocolate tour guests. I hesitated a few moments. I had reviewed the hotel website prior to arriving and recalled reading about the infamous Jungle Cabana, located a quarter of a mile in the jungle, away from the other cabanas. Although I was extremely hesitant spending my first night in Belize alone in the middle of the jungle, I accepted the upgrade. I figured that this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to spend a night alone in the jungles of Belize – what the heck!!! That is...until the jungle came alive...
Join me as I narrate my first agritourism experience in the Central American country of Belize. And then meet two women who help manage the Cotton Tree Lodge, one of which was there in 2014 when I first visited. This trip and my night in the Jungle Cabana at Cotton Tree Lodge certainly produced memories I will never forget!
Cotton Tree Lodge
Uncommon Cacao
Dandelion Chocolate
The Global Agritourism Network (GAN) was created to support agritourism worldwide through education, research, and advocacy. Everyone with an interest in agritourism is welcome to join for free by completing the form online at Global Agritourism Network (GAN) Registration (google.com).
Thank you for taking the time to listen to The Agri-Tourist Podcast, for supporting our inspirational guests, and for sharing my personal journey back to agriculture.
From Spring Snow to Last Chance, They Grow the Most Delicious Organic Peaches in the Midst of Sonoma County
The Agri-Tourist, My Journey Back to Agriculture
10/21/24 • 76 min
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 1000 peach trees. They are the only dedicated, certified organic peach farm in the county.
The farm produces about 30 varieties of peaches between Memorial Day and Labor Day, some of which will make your mouth water as Gayle describes them in our podcast interview.
Gayle and Brian knew very little about farming and specifically peach farming when entering this business. But they quickly recognized the unique beauty and bounty of the farm, and they took the leap of faith.
Well, almost 25 years later, they have fine-tuned and expanded the business, learning and adjusting as they go, tackling new and unique challenges every farm season, and leading with a focus and dedication to producing the highest quality peaches. This focus has opened up unique marketing and distribution opportunities. It’s easy to see why their fruit is savored by famous chefs and food entrepreneurs.
Picture yourself in Sonoma County, CA among the peach trees and enjoy my chat with Gayle and Brian.
Dry Creek Peach
Russian River Brewing
Alley 6 - Peach Brandy
Relish Culinary
Dry Creek Valley Sonoma Wine Country
Outstanding in the Field
The Global Agritourism Network (GAN) was created to support agritourism worldwide through education, research, and advocacy. Everyone with an interest in agritourism is welcome to join for free by completing the form online at Global Agritourism Network (GAN) Registration (google.com).
Thank you for taking the time to listen to The Agri-Tourist Podcast, for supporting our inspirational guests, and for sharing my personal journey back to agriculture.
From Veggie CSA to Herbal Cocktail & Mocktail Kits with Herbalist & Nurse Linda Shanahan
The Agri-Tourist, My Journey Back to Agriculture
08/26/24 • 63 min
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 Shanahan, Herbalist and Registered Nurse, from Bluestem Botanicals.
Linda did extensive education in herbalism on the west coast. She is a registered nurse, a farmer, and her company has transitioned from doing a CSA and farmers markets to herbal education, medicinal herb CSAs, and wholesale herbs, syrups and bitters. COVID forced their farm to pivot into a slightly new and very profitable direction, offering cocktail and mocktail kits for consumers and, most recently, opening a local herb store in their hometown.
Linda and her husband Eric have allowed their farm to evolve and adjust based on the changing times and needs of their target markets. They are very astute and creative business people who remain dedicated to their mission around herbs and herbalism. Their journey has inspired me to continue learning and also to allow more room for growth, change, and the occasional hard pivot!
Bluestem Botanicals
Herbal Education & Workshops
Mocktail Kits
Cocktail Kits
David Winston Herbal Therapeutics
The Global Agritourism Network (GAN) was created to support agritourism worldwide through education, research, and advocacy. Everyone with an interest in agritourism is welcome to join for free by completing the form online at Global Agritourism Network (GAN) Registration (google.com).
Thank you for taking the time to listen to The Agri-Tourist Podcast, for supporting our inspirational guests, and for sharing my personal journey back to agriculture.
Three inspiring women and just a mere maple tree farm
The Agri-Tourist, My Journey Back to Agriculture
11/18/24 • 43 min
There is nothing like the taste of a real, authentic New England maple syrup. This one is not located in Vermont - it’s located right in the Berkshires! And I even had the chance to spend a few hours touring and tasting my way through this amazing farm.
Justamere Tree Farm is located in the town of Worthington MA. The land was purchased in 1982 and owned by JP and Marian. They fell in love with a 26-acre wooded lot with a brook and hunting cabin and farmed the land for 38 years. The woods became their livelihood, the earth their roots, and the trees their grounding.
The farm is newly owned by three inspirational women - Kelly, Kim and Deb. It is now an all women-owned maple business that runs on clean, renewable energy. And it is situated on 60 acres of rolling hills filled with maples and birch.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Deb who spent most of her career as a biologist for the US Fish and Wildlife Service and lived in many places including Connecticut, Maine, and Alaska. She believes that private landowners and sustainable agriculture play an integral role in conservation. That is why she fell in love with Justamere Tree Farm and the ethic behind the business.
Her business partner Kelly grew up outdoors as a competitive ski and mountain bike racer who is passionate about a life focused on nature and the environment. After spending time in her childhood on a farm in Ohio, Kelly has now returned to her roots.
And Kim grew up riding horses through the fields and forests of rural Alabama. She lived in Alaska for over 20 years where, among other things, she did backcountry search and rescue with her dog. Her lifelong passion for the outdoors, and the beauty of New England drew her to this new adventure.
Join me in learning about this special maple forest in the heart of the Berkshires and learn all about Justamere’s authentic and unique maple products, some favorites being the maple seasoning, maple hot cocoa, cinnamon maple sugar, and so much more.
Enjoy my conversation with Deb, of the owners of Just- A- Mere Tree Farm.
Justamere Tree Farm
Berkshire Grown
Berkshares
Great Barrington Farmers Market
Harold Grinspoon Foundation
The Global Agritourism Network (GAN) was created to support agritourism worldwide through education, research, and advocacy. Everyone with an interest in agritourism is welcome to join for free by completing the form online at Global Agritourism Network (GAN) Registration (google.com).
Thank you for taking the time to listen to The Agri-Tourist Podcast, for supporting our inspirational guests, and for sharing my personal journey back to agriculture.
UVM Extension Professor Lisa Chase Helps Lead Global Agritourism Network
The Agri-Tourist, My Journey Back to Agriculture
05/27/24 • 55 min
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 Research Center, emphasizing tourism and recreation in her programming. Lisa has a significant focus on agritourism in Vermont.
Beyond Vermont, Lisa also collaborates as part of the National Extension Tourism Network, working with partners throughout the United States. And, most recently, she is heading up the new Global Agritourism Network which we will learn more about in today's podcast. I was so excited to meet with Lisa and really dig deeper into what agritourism really is. Our conversation inspired some new thinking about how we are defining agritourism and the impact of these definitions on farms and farm customers. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Lisa Chase as much as I did. She is truly an inspiring leader who has been very effective at bringing people together towards a common goal.
Vermont Agritourism Collaborative
Vermont Tourism Research Center
National Extension Tourism Network
Global Agritourism Network
Some important resources for individuals looking to pursue agritourism:
Agritourism Business Planning Sessions
Farm-Based Education Network
Vermont Community Loan Fund
USDA Value-Added Producer Grants
UVM Extension Safety, Liability and Regulations for Agritourism
The Global Agritourism Network (GAN) was created to support agritourism worldwide through education, research, and advocacy. Everyone with an interest in agritourism is welcome to join for free by completing the form online at Global Agritourism Network (GAN) Registration (google.com).
Thank you for taking the time to listen to The Agri-Tourist Podcast, for supporting our inspirational guests, and for sharing my personal journey back to agriculture.
Building Business takes "Grace, Grit & Lipstick" according to Author & FarmGirl Shelby Watson-Hampton
The Agri-Tourist, My Journey Back to Agriculture
05/20/24 • 37 min
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 home for many”. She later helped her family transition the land from a nursery to a vineyard and thriving agritourism business. Shelby’s book, "Grace, Grit & Lipstick", was written for other women in farming, as a way to create the connections that we all need and desire.
Shelby says it like it is. Through her book and our interview, I found Shelby to be extremely authentic and transparent in her messages. She is a smart, practical business woman who provides tremendous guidance for farm businesses looking to expand into agritourism or aspiring farmers looking to make that leap of faith into owning their own farm business. Her primary message was to NOT go it alone. Keep connecting. And to quote Shelby from her book: ” On our best days we find our joy. On our worst days we rage, mourn, and fall to our knees. Then we get up, dust our knees and we get on gettin on.” Enjoy my conversation with Author and Entrepreneur, Shelby Watson-Hampton.
Grace, Grit & Lipstick
The Farmed Life
Robin Hill Farm & Vineyards
Robin Hill Farm & Vineyards Wines
The Global Agritourism Network (GAN) was created to support agritourism worldwide through education, research, and advocacy. Everyone with an interest in agritourism is welcome to join for free by completing the form online at Global Agritourism Network (GAN) Registration (google.com).
Thank you for taking the time to listen to The Agri-Tourist Podcast, for supporting our inspirational guests, and for sharing my personal journey back to agriculture.
Getting to Know Your Agri-Tourist Podcast Host, Jennifer Ross
The Agri-Tourist, My Journey Back to Agriculture
05/13/24 • 50 min
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 farm for a few years in between - the one part of my career and life that grounded and connected me more than anything else.
My youngest is graduating in 2025 and I am looking to make a move back to agriculture. When, where, how, and what I will be doing are all questions that I’m in the process of answering. And this Agri-Tourist podcast is a platform for me to figure it all out. When I am making any type of career or life transition, I reach out and engage with people in and around the industry I am interested in. I engage in real conversation and learn as much as I can. So, instead of me having these compelling conversations behind the scenes, I am putting these conversations out there for others to learn from, to be inspired by, or to just learn about a cool destination to travel to and experience.
In this episode, my long time friend and coworker, Marisa Pizza, is interviewing me about my life and career so we can assess where my thoughts and feelings are at the beginning of this journey. It will be interesting to follow up in a few months to see how those thoughts and feelings have evolved. Join Marisa and I for a fun, open, and honest conversation about life, passion, leadership, community, health, food, and our environment.
HeartBeet Farms
The Global Agritourism Network (GAN) was created to support agritourism worldwide through education, research, and advocacy. Everyone with an interest in agritourism is welcome to join for free by completing the form online at Global Agritourism Network (GAN) Registration (google.com).
Thank you for taking the time to listen to The Agri-Tourist Podcast, for supporting our inspirational guests, and for sharing my personal journey back to agriculture.
Exploring New Zealand with Agritourism Expert, Marijke Dunselman of Agritourism.NZ
The Agri-Tourist, My Journey Back to Agriculture
07/29/24 • 55 min
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 now!
Marijke’s journey starts in marketing, transitions to tourism, and then she takes the leap of faith and launches her own tourism and eventually agritourism business. She is the founder of Agritourism.NZ and the Agritourism Academy. Over the past 26 years, she has worked with hundreds of agritourism operators. Her business is focused on helping farmers to diversify their business through agritourism and helping them market their farms within the tourism industry.
In addition, she established the ‘ Agritourism Academy & Community ’ in 2024, a first of its kind. The Academy is an interactive online community helping farmers and landowners start and grow successful agritourism businesses. It includes all training, planners, resources, networking opportunities, and live sessions.
You can tell, based on her enthusiastic nature and knowledge, Marijke is doing what she loves and is fulfilled when she hears success stories from her farmers.
Agritourism.NZ
Agritourism Academy
The Global Agritourism Network (GAN) was created to support agritourism worldwide through education, research, and advocacy. Everyone with an interest in agritourism is welcome to join for free by completing the form online at Global Agritourism Network (GAN) Registration (google.com).
Thank you for taking the time to listen to The Agri-Tourist Podcast, for supporting our inspirational guests, and for sharing my personal journey back to agriculture.
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FAQ
How many episodes does The Agri-Tourist, My Journey Back to Agriculture have?
The Agri-Tourist, My Journey Back to Agriculture currently has 34 episodes available.
What topics does The Agri-Tourist, My Journey Back to Agriculture cover?
The podcast is about Organic, Places & Travel, Society & Culture, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, Adventure Travel, Podcasts, Agriculture, Farming, Farmer, Business and Travel.
What is the most popular episode on The Agri-Tourist, My Journey Back to Agriculture?
The episode title 'Rachael Jones invites you to 'Dine on the Land' with 100 Guests at Locavore Farm' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on The Agri-Tourist, My Journey Back to Agriculture?
The average episode length on The Agri-Tourist, My Journey Back to Agriculture is 59 minutes.
How often are episodes of The Agri-Tourist, My Journey Back to Agriculture released?
Episodes of The Agri-Tourist, My Journey Back to Agriculture are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of The Agri-Tourist, My Journey Back to Agriculture?
The first episode of The Agri-Tourist, My Journey Back to Agriculture was released on Apr 28, 2024.
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