Sponsored by Western SARE, Montana Farmer’s Union, MSU Extension, Montana Department of Commerce, Prospera, Montana Department of Agriculture, Montana Farm Bureau, Food and Ag Development Centers, and Land Trust.

Our conference is designed to bring together industry leaders and professionals from various backgrounds in tourism, agriculture, education, agritourism, community development, and government to engage in insightful discussions, learn from experts, and network with peers. The conference is hosted by the Montana Agritourism Fellows and MSU. The conference theme is “Building Agritourism from the Ground Up: Inviting You to the Table” and we are creating a comprehensive agenda that will cover topics such as:

Starting an Agritourism Business

Agritourism Business Management Strategies

Marketing and Communication

Funding Opportunities in Agritourism

State Agritourism Initiatives

Adding Value to Your Agritourism Business

Understanding Your Visitors

Public Engagement with Agritourism

Keynote Speakers include:

Cole Mannix, Founder of Old Salt Co-Op in Helmsville, MT. Old Salt is a meat company designed to bring Montanans together around good food in support of land stewardship. Old Salt Co-op.

Nic DeCastro, Founder of Land Trust in Bozeman, MT. LandTrust connects landowners with outdoor recreators seeking recreational land access in an easy to use online marketplace. We are the leading recreation access network that brings people together to create income for landowners and opportunity for outdoor enthusiasts. Book private land for outdoor experiences | LandTrust.

Glenna Brown and Elena Bigart, Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research in Missoula, MT. ITRR will present findings of a recent research study, “The Evolution of Montana Agritourism– Preliminary Results from a Statewide Study.” Institute for Tourism & Recreation Research (umt.edu).

Montana Agritourism Fellows. A cohort of leaders who educate other farmers, ranchers, professionals, and communities about sustainable agritourism and serve as industry advocates. The fellows represent a geographically and industrially diverse pool of agricultural, tourism, and communications professionals, as well as government representatives and educational experts.

Matt Sailor, Senior Underwriter for Mainstreet America Insurance, and Holly Hovland and Josh Pulst, Leavitt Great West Insurance will discuss “Insurance for Agritourism Operations.”