Governor Tony Evers kicked off tourism week on Monday with a visit to the Rooted in Red Cranberry Farm in Biron to spotlight the growing ag tourism industry.
He says farms like Rooted in Red, which offer tours and hands-on experiences, combine two of the state’s biggest industries to create a better understanding of where food comes from. “[Theses farms] have gone all-in on tourism, 100%. This is an example of [farmers] who do great work, work with the University of Wisconsin to make sure they have the best product. They’ve also added tourism to help people understand how food is made- or in this case, what can be done with cranberries.”
Evers was joined by the state’s Department of Tourism Secretary Anne Sayers, who said ag tourism allows the state to tell its story from the inside out.
“What they are offering here at Rooted in Red is exactly what the tourist is looking for. We know they are looking for these hands-on experiences- the ability to get out and see how these things work [by] stepping into the marsh and tasting the product. They are bringing that to the tourist in a way that wasn’t possible many years ago,” said Sayers.
Rooted in Red is a multi-generational family cranberry farm that opened an event space about four years ago. They also offer harvest tours and experiences along with outdoor music and farm dinners on select nights.
Evers also visited a pair of businesses in Bayfield as part of the trip. More stops are planned for later this week as well.
