Palm Springs Valley – The latest trend in tourism seems to be what is called “agri-tourism” – and Riverside County officials want to promote our rich farming industry here by creating an “ag trail.” This trail would connect farms and ranches together, creating a network of attractions that would ultimately promote Riverside County’s $1 billion agricultural industry.
This proposal is spearheaded by John Benoit and Jeff Stone, County Supervisors, and will be considered by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. What it calls for is a full-fledged trail that would be mapped out by the end of February – there will be printed and online guides pointing tourists, school groups and others to farms, ranches, farmers markets, wineries, historical points of interest, events like the Date Festival in Indio, and more – to learn about the process of producing crops and getting them to market.
In the County of Riverside, there exists about 1,700 farming sites. There would be at least 50 to 75 stops on the trail, working its way east from Blythe and stops would be updated as needed. For instance, Shields Date Garden in Indio could be one stop on the ag-trail. People who are already visiting our county or residents here would be encouraged to get out and explore this aspect of our area – and purchase fresh grown products while they’re out there.
The ag-trail is actually part of a broader focus by top county officials on agriculture in Riverside – which exports to 70 different countries and has a $3 billion impact on the local economy. It is hopeful that the trail will be a good way to make the public aware of farming and the issues surrounding it, as concerns are here in our county and state that growth ongoingly threatens to displace our farmers and ranchers.