Reference no: EM133743291

Discussion Post: Management- The Privilege of Agri Tourism in Mendoza

Watch the YouTube video "What is agritourism? | Farm tourism, ecotourism, sustainable tourism and more..." take you on a whirlwind, 12 minute, global tour of AgriTourism, courtesy of Dr. Hayley Stainton.

In our fifth chapter, we discussed the importance of Design of Goods and Services, including a proper focus on Sustainability.

Watch this video (link below) and answer the following questions:

I. Have you ever participated in any AgriTourism project or event (there are MANY described in the video to use as examples - e.g., maybe you "U-picked strawberries")? Briefly describe your experience. Pick your favorite if you have participated in more than one.

II. Bill Gates has now become the largest individual farmland owner in the United States. He owns 270,000 acres (about 1/3 the size of Rhode Island) in 18 different states. Some speculate he is trying to take over farming, but according to Gates himself, it is an investment (he buys the land and turns around and leases it back to the farmers, basically making him a landlord). Many refer to this as going from Small Farming (average farm in the U.S. is 445 acres) to Corporate Farming. In defense, others such as "King Ranch" (825,000 acres in Texas), Ted Turner (2.2 million acres - not all farmland), and the Resnick family (190,000 acres), would also have to be considered "Corporate Farms".

1) Share your perspective on why you do (or don't) think AgriTourism is an important opportunity for farming (e.g., does AgriTourism aid sustainability?)

2) Also, what do you think about farming being primarily "small businesses" versus being large corporate businesses? Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of each.