Watauga Agritourism Group

The High Country Agritourism Group was created by regional farms seeking to bring awareness to the resilience of High-Country Farms post-Helene while highlighting the beauty of the region and dynamic farm operators supporting a regional food supply chain. Twelve farms are active in the group, attending weekly meetings to plan the tour and attending classes sponsored by the Small Business Centers and NC Cooperative Extension to increase skills and readiness to add Agritourism to farm operations. Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture, EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems, NC Cooperative Extension, and the CCCTI Small Business Center are all organizational partners supporting farmer education and the promotion of Agritourism as an important element of successful farm operations and farmland preservation. Watauga County has one of the highest rates of farmland loss in the Country; this group seeks to highlight the benefits of local farms and increase consumer awareness of the importance of local agriculture.