?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=The+Development+of+Agri-tourism+on+Organic+Farms+in+new+EU+countries+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%93+Poland%2C+Estonia+and+Slovenia%3A+Report+of+a+Winston+Churchill+Travelling+Fellowship+2006&rft.creator=Wacher%2C+Carolyn&rft.subject=+Landscape+and+recreation&rft.subject=+Social+aspects&rft.description=My+aim+of+my+Fellowship+was+to+establish+whether+agri+tourism+in+these+countries+differed+from+provision+in+the+UK+and+whether+our+producers+can+learn+from+their+examples+of+good+practice.+My+choice+of+topic+was+influenced+by+a+number+of+factors%3A%0D%0A%0D%0AI+have+been+involved+in+the+organic+agricultural+sector+in+the+UK+for+many+years%2C+which+has+resulted+in+a+keen+interest+in+all+things+organic+and+with+a+personal+preference+for+organically+produced+food.+Currently%2C+I+am+employed+with+Organic+Centre+Wales1%2C+funded+by+the+Welsh+Assembly+Government%2C+where+we+work+with+700%2B+organic+producers+and+processors+throughout+Wales.%0D%0A%0D%0AAgri+tourism+together+with+sustainable%2Fresponsible+tourism+is+the+fastest+growing+sector+in+the+European+and+global+tourism+business.+In+Wales%2C+at+least+150+organic+producers+are+involved+in+some+form+of+agri-tourism+offering+accommodation+and+meals+with+local+and%2For+organic+produce+and+frequently+providing+employment+opportunities+for+local+people.+Indeed%2C+farm+buildings+on+my+own+8.8ha+smallholding%2C+15+miles+outside+Aberystwyth%2C+have+been+converted+to+self-catering+accommodation.%0D%0A%0D%0AWelsh+farmers+have+been+extremely+fortunate+during+the+past+four+years%2C+for+in+parts+of+Wales+where+GDP+was+75%25+or+less+than+European+average%2C+they+have+been+offered+the+opportunity+to+benefit+from+Objective+1+and+other+grants.+These+have+included+refurbishment+of+original+farm+buildings%2C+processing+and+marketing+local+produce%2C+utilising+local+produce+in+tourism%2C+training+in+hospitality+and+quality+schemes+and+quality+breeding+of+indigenous+stock.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe+producers+in+the+new+EU+countries%2C+however%2C+unlike+their+Welsh+counterparts%2C+had+received+no+significant+financial+support+but+many+have+already+enthusiastically+adopted+agri-tourism%2C+providing+meals+made+from+local%2C+authentic+produce%2C+frequently+relying+on+traditional+recipes+handed+down+from+parents+and+grandparents+and+encouraging+domestic+and+international+visitors+to+enjoy+traditional+and+local+produce.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe+common+factors+between+these+countries+is+that+they+all+joined+the+EU+in+2004+and+were+subject+to+differing+Soviet+influences.+Beyond+that%2C+it+is+invidious+to+make+comparisons+between+these+culturally+and+economically+different+countries.+Therefore+I+intend+to+present+each+country+and+what+I+found+in+order+of+my+visit%2C+and+attempt+to+summarise+some+key+points%2C+and+allow+readers+to+draw+their+own+conclusions.%0D%0A%0D%0AFinally%2C+in+the+knowledge+that+I+intended+to+travel+alone%2C+I+felt+that+European+cultural+similarities+might+provide+familiar+benchmarks+and+I+hoped+that+my+knowledge+of+German+might+compensate+somewhat+for+my+lack+of+Polish%2C+Estonian+or+Slovene+languages.&rft.date=2007-01&rft.type=Report&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F10860%2F1%2Fwinstonchurchill.pdf&rft.identifier=Wacher%2C+Carolyn+(2007)+The+Development+of+Agri-tourism+on+Organic+Farms+in+new+EU+countries+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%93+Poland%2C+Estonia+and+Slovenia%3A+Report+of+a+Winston+Churchill+Travelling+Fellowship+2006.+[+Unpublished%2C+]&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F10860%2F