Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
goes directly towards helping fund their vital work. In addition, the
centre is helping to preserve many historic breeds of British farm ani-
mals, which are in danger of dying out.
•
Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) was founded in 1973 to conserve
Britain's native livestock heritage.
USA
•
American Livestock Breeds Conservancy is a non-profit membership or-
ganization working to protect nearly
100
breeds of cattle, goats, horses,
asses, sheep, swine and poultry from extinction.
Fish Farms
When most people think of food tourism they think of fruit, vegetables
and meats. But it is often the more unusual products that catch the visitor's
imagination.
The major pastime in the UK, the fifth most popular hobby in the USA
and the main pastime in Australia is fishing and fish farms can be a major
visitor draw to a region.
It is more difficult to develop a culinary attraction around sea fish, but
relatively easy to do it around freshwater fish, such as trout or freshwater
crustaceans such as marron in Western Australia.
Fish farming attractions can be built into a one-day attraction. For ex-
ample, Bibury Trout Farm (
www.biburytroutfarm.co.uk
)
in the Cotswolds in
what William Morris called the most beautiful village in England has become
a key tourist destination in the village. They have built a restaurant and gift
shop to encourage visitors to linger longer at this beautiful location.
If you are thinking about developing a fish farm attraction you need to
consider:
•
Children will be attracted to this type of attraction and it must be made
child safe. Remember a toddler can drown in 5 cm of water.
•
Provide fish food for the visitors to enable children and adults to engage
with the fish.
•
With fishing being a major hobby, you can get visitors to linger longer by
encouraging them to fish for their meal.
•
Have ready caught and cleaned fish available for sale.
•
Provide information boards on the fish farming process; your visitors
will have little knowledge of the procedure.
In Western Australia in the south west, the local marron is farmed and
a few entrepreneurs have developed culinary attractions around this fresh-
water crayfish.
Fish farms can add to the local culinary mix and become a major tourist
attraction with a point of difference.
For those located near the sea, there are other opportunities. Darts Farm
(
www.dartsfarm.co.uk
)
, a culinary centre near Exeter in Devon in the UK, has
developed a 'Catch and Cook Food Safari', which is held every Father's Day.
