NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
October 28, 1999
Two workshops focusing on the potential for developing recreational businesses on North Dakota farms and ranches are scheduled to run from 8:30 a.m. to about 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 30, at the North Dakota State University Research Extension Center in Carrington and on Wednesday, Dec. 1, at the Travelodge (I-94 and Highway 22) in Dickinson.
The workshops, which will help individuals analyze the feasibility of their ideas for farm and ranch recreational businesses, are sponsored by the NDSU Extension Service and the Southwest North Dakota Rural Economic Area Partnership.
The day-long workshops will feature a panel discussion about ideas for recreational businesses that have worked, those which haven't and what potential still exists. Panelists will include the operator of a business providing services for hunters, owners of a country inn located on a North Dakota farmstead, a husband-and-wife team who've designed a rural miniature golf course and corn maze, the manager of a working ranch and a "u-pick" raspberry producer.
Those who attend the workshops also will receive an overview of travel and pricing trends within the tourism industry. And legal experts will address issues such as liability, licensing, tax considerations and insurance.
A 1998 study commissioned by the North Dakota Department of Tourism revealed that tourists spent $94.5 million in the state last year. Each year, the state averages about 2.9 million visitors.
"People are looking for novelty and change," says Kathleen Tweeten, community economic development specialist with the NDSU Extension Service in Bismarck. "They want to simplify their lives, and to do this, they're taking vacations that avoid the crowds and the rushing."
At the same time, tourism trends show that people enjoy getting exercise while on vacation. Many vacationers say they enjoy hiking or bicycling while others say they prefer to engage in new outdoor experiences. A majority of Americans spend money on wildlife-related activities, either via extended vacations or weekend outings.
Tweeten and Randy Mehlhoff, an area value-added specialist with the NDSU Extension Service in Williston, are organizing the workshops. Mehlhoff says, "North Dakota offers a good fit when you look at travel trends. One of the fastest-growing trends in the tourism industry is educational travel--the combining of education and entertainment. With the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition looming in 2004 through 2006, there is a strong incentive for people to vacation in North Dakota."
Early registration for either of the NDSU workshops is $25, plus $10 for each additional person from the same business. The deadline for early registration is Monday, Nov. 22. Registration at the door is $35, and it will begin at 8 a.m. the day of each workshop. For more information about the workshops, contact Tweeten at (701) 328-5134 or Mehlhoff at (701) 774-4315. Mail registration forms and checks to Kathleen Tweeten, NDSU Extension Service, 4023 N. State St., Bismarck, ND 58501-0620. Attendees can make checks payable to the NDSU Extension Service.
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Sources: Kathleen Tweeten (701) 328-5134
Randy Mehlhoff (701) 774-4315
Editor: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136