PANEL: Creation of a Hawaii Agtourism Association?

Facilitator: Donna Ching, UH-Manoa CTAHR)

This open mike session facilitated comments and questions from the attendees on the topic “What’s next?”

Introduction

We have an opportunity here to hear your voices in terms of how can we collaborate to make things happen. Each person here brings an important energy to this room. When each of you walked in today, you walked in with your own self interest. There may be a way to collectively get your needs addressed. My responsibility, as a facilitator, is to develop a process which will help us all stand far enough back from our narrow self interest so we can see our interest in the context of everybody else’s interest in the group. If we can do that, and we do that well, then we will begin to see that our individual interest interfaces with other people here and those areas of interface are where we can have collaboration.

Agenda

Introductions and Ground Rules
Discussion of potential benefits of organizing an Agtourism Association
Determining if we have a critical mass to organize
If the answer to item #3 is "yes", brainstorm potential association:

Purpose(s)

Structure (e.g. 401 3c educational non-profit)

Selection/ election of people who will organize this process (determination of date for first meeting)

Potential Benefits

* Examine relationship with existing Hawaii Eco-tourism

* Must be done right or there’s no point in forming an association

Communication

Create web site that has potential to increase marketing
Facilitate communication among people interested in this endeavor
Open communication with State and County government to assist legislation
Cross commodity communication and collaboration
Develop reference resources

Education

Preservation of historical /cultural sites
Expand international awareness
Common ground for training
Grant writing /raising funds for research
Educate people involved in these endeavors
Develop reference resources
Network with CAG

Standards

Establish and maintain standards of the organization
Definitions and categories of what Agtourism covers
Improve professionalism in field
Creates a code of ethics covering entire field
Develop reference resources
Develop rating standards

Political/ legislative

Expedite permitting for Agtourism group
Protect existing Ag lands
Contribute to good Ag use policies
Greater strength for lobbying new legislation

Marketing

Pooling of resources for coop marketing
Link with destination marketing groups
Expand international awareness
Create web site that has potential to increase marketing
New markets for farmer’s products, produce and B&B’s

Benefits

Bulk purchasing. E.g. Insurance
Preservation of historical/cultural sites
Negotiate better rate. E.g. Insurance
Organization to help all islands
Grant writing/raising funds for research
Develop specific action plans with direct benefits, reason for organization
Network with CAG

Determining if there’s a critical mass to organize

Big players are not here
Everyone has to be represented, large and small
Hawaii B&B already does many of the items listed. Associate membership for affiliated businesses?
How to pull two sides of the island together & others from other islands
Affiliate member of Hawaii Eco-Tourism?
HET is doing half of the items listed on the potential benefits list
Explore relationships with other organizations w/ commonalities
Agtourism group to promote differences from eco-tourism
Network with CAG
Agtourism = ancillary use of ag land
Ag processors also need to be involved
Agtourism web site could incorporate the Hawaii Island Planning Association web site model where people can communicate. Could we do this with existing web site
Hawaii County (hawaiiag.com) and CTAHR are resources
Many B&B’s on east Hawaii are not on ag land
Jumping on eco-tourism bandwagon may accomplish goal
Email/ direct mail to all farmers who may be interested

Steering Committee volunteers

(listed alphabetically with email addresses)

Amy Awtray <kahuna@hawaiian.net>
Charlene Cowan <kaleena@aloha.net>
Kent Fleming <fleming@hawaii.edu>
Paula Helfrich <clipper@interpac.net>
Leslie Hershhorn <
Nita Isherwood <nitabnb@kona.net>
Ken Love <ken@mycoffee.com>
Nancy Pisicchio <ptp@ilhawaii.net>
Karen Scarla <khscarla@hotmail.com>

 

The first meeting of the Steering Committee will be in Volcano in early November. Immediately following, Kent will send the meeting notes to all the conference attendees.

Discussion of Priorities

Marketing

Joint marketing doesn't exist now and we could all benefit
It may be necessary because of economic situation
We can't do it on our own

Political

Political agenda is more important now
We can't do it on our own
Politics assures creating what we are trying to create

Communication

Assures us we can get things done

Not happening now
Without communication it’s all over after we leave the conference
Education needs to be a component

Mandate for first meeting

Consider possible affiliation with another organization, determine the kind of organization the agtourism association. will be (e.g.: club, council, association) and name it will have.
Elicit other names of people for the committee.

Mandate for all participants

Think about other people who need to be involved with this group. Steering committee will request names and contact info., as soon as possible