Interest in county's agri-tourism grows

As wolves return to Wallowa County so too does an interest in tourism

Members of Oregon Wild taking part in a recent agri-tourism event in Wallowa County listen to a lecture at Barking Mad Farm on large predators by Holly Akeson of Wallowa Resources. (Courtesy/Oregon Wild)

Have you ever wanted to explore and learn more about the agricultural lands of Wallowa County Wallowa?

The county's evolving agri-tourism industry has struck interest in students, ecologists and those just wanting to learn more about wildlife.

Last season, local agri-tourism businesses welcomed, among others, groups from Oregon Wild and Whitman College who came to learn more about the interaction between the environment and agriculture. Most taking the tour have a particular interest in wolves, and see this as the only place in Oregon where wolves live, said Sara Miller of Northeast Oregon Economic Development District NEOEDD.

Interest in agri-tourism goes far beyond just touring wildlife and livestock habitat. Agri-tourism includes catering, lodging, ranching, farming and retail businesses. Stops along the agri-tourism trail in the county include Barking Mad Farm on Alder Slope, Arrowhead Ranch and Cabins, June's Farm Stand in Lostine, Backyard Gardens and Catering, and Belle Peppers Bed and Breakfast in Joseph.

Photo: Courtesy/Oregon Wild
Oregon Wild members hike the trails of Wallowa County to learn more about agriculture and the environment.

At the end of August, Oregon Wild brought a group of 18 tourists to the county after announcing the tour in its newsletter. Tourists hiked local trails, visited the agriculture community and attended classes to learn more about the local ecology and the interaction between agriculture and the environment.

Miller said the tour generated a great deal of interest and the capacity 18 reservations filled very quickly. Oregon Wild's Fall 2010 newsletter advertises next season's tour as a "second chance to see the Oregon wolves," Miller said.

"Tourists are not coming here to see wolves, but just to learn more about wolves and what it means when a large predator comes into agricultural areas," she said.

Whitman College brought a class to tour the county's agricultural lands and businesses. Every year the Whitman students have a different theme to study on their ecological field trip. This year students learned about the interaction between livestock and wolves. Local producers taught the students about the cost wolf predation causes to the livestock producers and about wolf-kill compensation programs.

"The producers who participated were very impressed with the quality of the questions and level of the discussion from the students," Miller noted.

Next in the off-season, Miller plans to contact local businesses and plan a series of informational meetings "to focus on issues, opportunities and to pick things we can do together," she said.

Some ideas discussed during a recent NEOEDD meeting were to build off of existing events such as farmers markets, petting zoos and fall festivals and for agri-tourism businesses to work with other businesses offering local products at different outlets, for example a bed-and-breakfast selling local jams.