Louisiana Agritourism: Landless Farmers Making Contribution in Farming Community

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Landless Farmers Making Contribution in Farming Community

Tidewater Crop Mob is a group of volunteers who offer assistance to local farmers in southeastern Virginia.

They can be seen planting trees and clearing out weeds to harvesting garlic, planting potatoes and cleaning out a goat barn, according to a recent news article. You can find them at Facebook@TidewaterCropMob.

According to their Facebook page, “Crop Mob, is a monthly word-of-mouth event in which landless farmers and the agricurious descend on a farm for a day of supporting local farmers and sustainable agriculture through volunteering. Working side by side farmers and consumers build a better relationship of understanding and trust.”

Participants farmers and consumers build a better relationship of understanding and trust. porting local farmers and sustainable agriculture through volunteering. have varied backgrounds, but most are interested in working with farmers and experiencing farm life. What a great idea!

Not sure if this is happening in Louisiana, but if it is please e-mail me, dhatch@agcenter.lsu.edu

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/10/03/3249777/diggin-in-crop-mobs-descend-on.html#storylink=cpy

No comments:

Post a Comment

Agritourism Law Limits Liability

In 2008, the Louisiana Legislature expanded the limitation of liability found in La R.S. 9:2795 et seq to include certain agritourism activities. The legislation authored by Representative Andy Anders and Senators Francis Thompson and Mike Walsworth provides that the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Foresty (LDAF) will develop a set of rules and regulations and that the LSU AgCenter will define a “plan of operation” for an agritourism venture and review those plans.

More about this law can be found on the LSU AgCenter Web site: www.lsuagcenter.com/agritourism

2012 Agriculture Census Shows Increase in Farming

WASHINGTON, May 2, 2014 –There are now 3.2 million farmers operating 2.1 million farms on 914.5 million acres of farmland across the United States, according to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“Once every five years, farmers, ranchers and growers have the unique opportunity to let the world know how U.S. agriculture is changing, what is staying the same, what’s working and what we can do differently,” said Dr. Cynthia Clark, the retiring head of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, which administered the survey.

Eighty-seven percent of all U.S. farms are operated by families or individuals.
Principal operators were on average 58.3 years old and were predominantly male; second operators were slightly younger and most likely to be female; and third operators were younger still.
In Louisiana agritourism grew from 170 farms in 2007 to 361 farms in 2012.
In Louisiana onfarm agritourism sales jumped from $2,486 to $8,996 in 2012.
In Louisiana the definition of agritourism is broader than the definition in the census; meaning that numbers are greater.