Americans today interested in where food comes from

Published in the March 5- 18, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life

By Liza Garibaldi

Liza Garibaldi

Liza Garibaldi

As a novice chicken farmer, last May I worked with other chicken farmers to help organize the 3rd Annual Coop d’Hill chicken coop tour in the South Valley region. Even with the limited amount of marketing we did through social media, more than 100 people attended, visiting from cities throughout Silicon Valley to learn about chickens, farming and sustainable food production. Many of them came to experience what agricultural life is like and to meet and learn from local farmers and backyard farmers.

With all the stories in the news about GMO (genetically modified organism) foods and factory farms, we have seen a rise in popularity of agri-tourism. Americans today have become more interested in where and how their food is grown, raised and processed and they want to educate themselves. As this interest increases, the Morgan Hill region has an opportunity to take advantage of marketing agri-tourism by inviting urban residents to explore our local farms, orchards and ranches to learn where their food comes from.

In a region once known as the Valley of the Hearts Delight, Morgan Hill is fortunate to have such a large variety of produce grown right here. We have farms ranging in a variety of sizes, including large production farms like George Chiala Farms, to smaller family-run farms like Andy’s Orchard, run by Andy Mariani. Andy has been particularly successful in drawing agri-tourists to sample the cherries, peaches, plums and other mouth-watering stone fruit he produces.

As a member of the Morgan Hill Tourism Alliance, I have been active for the last year in promoting the growth of agricultural tourism in our region. I encourage more residents to be involved in this endeavor, and would like to invite you to the upcoming Agri-tourism Workshop that is being presented by the nonprofit group Sustainable Agriculture Education and will be held March 26 at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center. This program is geared toward beginning agri-tourism operators as well as people more experienced in the farming industry. It is also suitable for people interested in getting into the cottage food industry where they produce jams, jellies and baked goods in their home kitchens for commercial sale.

In this one-day workshop event, attendees can learn about the opportunities of connecting local tourism much more dynamically to our local food communities. John Horner, the president/CEO of the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce, Ana Lelescu of California Passport Tours, and Sadie Clements of Community Alliance with Family Farmers will talk about how our region is a prime spot to draw people seeking a new kind of experience through exploring farms and ranches. In a discussion of what it takes to become an agri-tourism operator, I will take a part in a panel with other farmers.

In the 1950s, there were about 2,200 farms in Santa Clara County. Now there are about 200, most of them located here in the South Valley region. With a growing nostalgic longing for this fading way of life, agri-tourism is an emerging trend that can encourage urbanites to visit our farms and ranches to gain a greater appreciation for the place where their food is produced and connect with the people who produce it.

Liza Garibaldi is the owner of Shady Creek Farm, located on Watsonville Road west of Morgan Hill (www.shadycreekfarm.info).