We Don’t Call It the Garden State for Nothing!
Last week鈥檚 Red Hot Topic talked about the growing trend in agritourism. I鈥檇 like to follow up with a second helping on the subject: agritourism in the Garden State.
As the agency for Greener New Jersey Productions and New Jersey Travel & Tourism, Dana is really digging into the agritourism movement. And it starts in our own backyard. Literally. For the past three years, we have offered up 6,000 square feet of Dana property to our neighbor, Nomad Pizza, for an organic garden. It鈥檚 a win-win for everyone. Nomad gets just-picked ingredients for addictive wood-fired brick oven pizzas. The Dana team gets a beautiful spot to stop and smell鈥he basil.
We鈥檙e proud of our work promoting 鈥渢he greener side鈥� of New Jersey with Greener New Jersey Productions. In addition to logo design and marketing guidance, Dana supports Fresh!, a series in development on farms, farmers and farmers markets in the Garden State. Watch the and see what being an 鈥渁gritourist鈥� is all about.
For New Jersey Travel & Tourism, we鈥檙e working on market segmenting that includes an epicurean target. Our goal is to promote New Jersey as a world leader in agritourism, offering visitors the opportunity to tour wineries, dine sustainably, 鈥減ick your own鈥� fruit and vegetables, meet the farmer and learn how to cook with Jersey Fresh庐 ingredients.
As Dana gets more involved in agritourism, I鈥檒l be continuing my own personal research. In nearby Princeton, is described as a 鈥渃ommunity eatery鈥� where locally sourced ingredients are celebrated in every dish, even in the cocktails. I have been know to enjoy a martini, and I will have to try Agricola鈥檚 Great 鈥淒irt鈥� Road Farm Martini, made with crop organic vodka, brine and pickled vegetables from the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Great Road Farm. One of my favorite communal hangouts is the , where I stop on Saturdays for organic eggs, heirloom wheat bread, artisanal chocolates and chats with vendors and neighbors. And I am eagerly awaiting the opening of Brick Farm Market here in Hopewell, which will offer produce, a cheese maker, a bakery and a butcher. (Read: bacon!)
Not only is agritourism a whole lot of fun, but it鈥檚 good for us, too. I can really sink my teeth into a travel trend like that.