Agriculinary Tourism Conference
March 5, 2019
The Hotel Ithaca
8:30AM-5PM
The Tompkins County Tourism Program, in collaboration with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County and the Ithaca/Tompkins Convention & Visitors Bureau, is pleased to announce our 2019 Agriculinary Tourism Conference focused on helping farm and food venues build relationships and develop new initiatives to attract visitors and to grow revenue.
8:30AM - Check-In
9AM - Welcome
9:15 - 10:15 AM Key Note Presenters - Mindy & Oskar Vizcarro - Becker Farms
Becker Farms and Vizcarro Vineyards, located east of Buffalo, NY, is a 5th Generation family owned 340-acre working fruit and vegetable farm that sells most of their products directly to the public at their farm. Becker Farms has steadily expanded their agritourism activities to include a farm store and bakery, winery and brewery; school tours and activities for kids; event space for parties and weddings with a farm to table menu; and lodging. This provides a unique setting for visitors to connect, explore, experience, taste, shop and stay. Mindy and Oskar will talk about the evolution of their farm from when they began to a full service agriculinary tourism destination.
10:30 AM - Noon - Concurrent Sessions
Session A - Farm to Table Cuisine - Creating Successful Farmer-Chef Relationships
Our panelists of chefs and farmers will share experiences of working together to integrate seasonal produce, local meats, and artisan products into menus. Panelists will discuss logistics and tips for this unique selling arrangements.Brud Holland - FLX Made, Finger Lakes Culinary Bounty, and Fox Run Winery
Nathaniel and Emily Thompson - Remembrance Farm, Trumansburg
Heather Sandford - The Piggery, Store in Ithaca, Farms in Trumansburg and Eaton
Frank Purazzi - Northstar House, Ithaca
Andre Jacquet - Agava, Ithaca
Silas Conroy - Headwater Foods, Ontario, NY
Session B - Hosting Private Events at Your Business - Challenges and Opportunities
Private events such as weddings, present unique challenges. Panelists will discuss how to provide for client needs, accommodate caterers and other vendors, work through zoning and insurance requirements, marketing your venue, and maintaining your site's integrity as a farm or culinary business.Allison Usavage - Sweet Bough Wedding Collective, photographer
Rachel Conroy - Sweet Bough Wedding Collective & Kinship & Company
Gordie Gallup - Silver Queen Farm, venue & working farm.
Mark Renodin - Six Mile Creek Winery, venue, winery & tasting room
NOON - 1 PM - Lunch Provided
1:00 - 2:30 PM - Concurrent Sessions
Session C - Digging Deeper - Seed to Table
This panel takes the farm to table theme to a new level. Hear how plant breeders, farmers and chefs are partnering to grow and feature great tasting varieties of produce on menus. Learn from our panel of speakers who are all involved with this trend.Dr. Michael Mazourek - Row 7 Seeds, Cornell Plant Breeder
Kara Cusolito and Aaron Munzer - Plowbreak Farm, Burdett
Lisa Jonckheere and Justin Paterson - Hazelnut Kitchen, Trumansburg
Session D - Providing Overnight Accommodations at your Business
Learn about the variety of lodging being offered at farms and agri-tourism venues today from camping to platform tents, to cabins, and rooms in homes. Panelists will discuss lodging they provide, how they got started, regulations, promotion, what visitors expect, and how to manage a lodging business.Rita Rosenberg - RoseBarb Farm, Caroline
Erica Frenay - Shelterbelt Farm, Caroline
Chrys Gardener - Danby
Steve Sierigk - Hawk Meadow Farm, Mecklenburg
2:45 - 3:45 PM General Session - How to Market Your Agriculinary Tourism Business
Learn strategies and tactics for using online marketing and social media to encourage consumers to visit and spend money at your business.Dr. Cory Young - Associate Professor of Strategic Communication, Ithaca College
4:00 - 5:00 PM - Social Hour
Take advantage of this time to meet and get to know others from our region involved in agriculinary tourism. Share ideas, business cards, and cultivate new connections. 
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Recurring Events
Business After Hours
Business After Hours is our premier networking event where you can connect with dozens of Chamber members, community leaders, and potential clients. Network with professionals across the region to exchange contact details, discuss current industry trends, and generate sales leads in an informal setting.
Networking at Noon
Each month, members enjoy lunch with Chamber members while meeting new people, expanding their networking, and learning more about our diverse base of businesses and organizations in Tompkins County. Our goal is to enhance opportunities for our members to share what’s new and exciting in their workplace, discover new customers, and create meaningful connections that lead to lasting business relationships.
Community Conversations
Tompkins Chamber hosts community-specific conversations throughout the county, offering a space for businesses and leaders in our smaller municipalities to convene for hyper-local networking, conversation, mentorship, and advocacy. These events will serve as a forum for the Chamber to engage businesses who rarely attend Ithaca-based events and allow us to better understand and support the unique needs of each community.
L.E.A.R.N.
The L.E.A.R.N. professional development series is designed to give Chamber members access to tools and resources that will help them grow and strengthen their businesses. The series is made up of workshops relevant to the themes of Leadership, Equity, Action, Resilience, and Navigation.
Participants in this series enjoy the following benefits:
- Access to qualified, knowledgeable, and experienced presenters
- Clearly defined course objectives
- Relevant and timely topics
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Training Series
To aid Chamber Members’ desire to cultivate diverse, equitable, and Inclusive (DEI) workplaces, a group of experienced facilitators are partnering with the Tompkins Chamber to host a webinar series. The series has the added benefit of introducing Chamber members to local consultants and facilitators who can assist their respective businesses and organizations to develop strategic DEI plans, conduct follow up workplace trainings, and assist in recruitment/retention strategies for a diverse workforce.
Roundtable Series
Roundtables are free & for Chamber Members only.
Women in Business Roundtable
Open to all women and those who identify as female from within the Chamber’s membership base, this group includes small business owners, nonprofit leaders, managers, and women in all types of roles discussing work-life balance, gender in the workplace, and more through facilitated discussion and activities, or open sharing.
Small Business Roundtable
All Small Businesses with less than 50 employees from within the Chamber’s membership are welcome to join our Small Business Roundtable discussions. A mix of topic based and speaker facilitated discussions are blended with general roundtable sharing, mentorship, and brainstorming to result in connections and deliver information to keep moving area small businesses forward.
CEO Roundtable
CEO level discussion including leaders from the area’s largest employers and institutions, as well as area nonprofit executive directors, meet quarterly to provide important updates and discuss key community and economic concerns.
Featured Annual Events
Economic Summit
The Tompkins Chamber presents key local issues impacting local businesses and developers, policy issues impacting the business community, and local insights from participants in a national economic outlook survey. Partnering with Ithaca Area Economic Development (IAED), the event includes important updates about our economy, workforce, upcoming projects, and strategies to move forward and achieve a sustainable economic recovery.
Annual Dinner & Awards
One of the premier business community events of the year, the Annual Meeting highlights the Chamber community and previews the goals and initiatives for the coming year. Come and celebrate the success of our business community and economic development with hundreds of local leaders and elected officials! Join us as we raise a glass to the companies, not-for-profits, and volunteers who partner with us to help our community thrive.
Golf Tournament
This day on the green combines top-notch golf with valuable networking and advertising opportunities. Held at one of the County’s finest and professionally-rated golf courses. Staggered start golf tournament with several prizes, including skins. Lunch and beverages provided.
Great Big Chamber Auction
See and be seen by the region’s top business executives and small business owners. The Great Big Chamber Thank You & Auction holds tremendous value to our sponsors, donors, and attendees as it is one of our most highly publicized and attended events. The Great Big Chamber Auction portion helps underwrite the events and programs that support our Chamber members. Traditional silent and live auction, networking, and nonprofit recognition awards.