MidCoast Council
Agritourism Product Development and Mentoring Program
Image credit - Koolah Creek Highlands.
MidCoast Council has launched a new bespoke mentoring program to support local primary producers to develop, expand or enhance their agritourism offering.
Agritourism is a growing industry striving to connect visitors with meaningful agricultural experiences, while offering primary producers the opportunity to diversify their operations and generate additional income. The Barrington Coast region is abundant with high quality produce, however, much of this local produce is not easily accessible to visitors and residents.
The Agritourism Product Development and Mentoring Program will encourage an increase in supply and diversity of agritourism products, including accommodation, visitor experiences, events and retail offerings. It will also provide a platform to showcase the region’s agricultural strengths.
This Program is being provided free of charge to five (5) farmers by MidCoast Council.
Applications closed on Sunday 9 March 2025 at 9 PM AEST.
Frequently asked questions
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Description tAgritourism is an ‘on-farm’ experience that connects visitors to the produce and land. As defined by NSW Planning, it can include Farm gate (farm gate stall, cafe, cellar doors), Farm experience (tours, events, weddings), and Farm stay (accommodation including camping and caravanning).
Agritourism provides the chance for farmers to supplement their income, diversify their operations and create unique experiences to boost their business visibility, enhance the regional economy and attract new visitor markets.ext goes here
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Five (5) places are allocated to receive mentoring through the Program. The Program has been designed to support those who are at the beginning of their agritourism journey, or those looking to expand their existing offering. New agritourism entrants are encouraged to apply for the Program.
Applicants will need to demonstrate their vision for their agritourism product or offering and confirm it will be delivered on their farmland.
You must be operating a commercial primary production business within the MidCoast local government area to be eligible to participate in the Program. If you are unsure about your eligibility, please contact Lauren McBriarty (Tourism Industry Development Officer) at Lauren.McBriarty@midcoast.nsw.gov.au.
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The aim of the Agritourism Product Development and Mentoring Program is to encourage the development, expansion and enhancement of agritourism experiences in the MidCoast region.
Successful mentees will receive mentoring and product development support from agritourism experts, Sparrowly Group as well as the Tourism Industry Development Officer at MidCoast Council.
The Program will be delivered through a dedicated one-to-one mentoring program to develop or refine your offering and includes individually tailored and bespoke one-on-one mentoring across seven months (until September 2025).
Six mentoring sessions will be provided and are flexible to your availability. Sessions will be delivered remotely (e.g. Zoom meetings or phone calls). One mentoring session will be delivered in-person as your mentor undertakes a site visit of your farm.
Supporting the mentoring journey, mentees will have access to a suite of practical workshop style webinars and Sparrowly Group’s video library, tools and resources as well as ongoing support from your mentor.
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Your mentor will work with you to develop or refine a business plan, marketing and branding strategy, and more to establish or expand your agritourism experience.
Mentees will be required to commit to attending all mentoring sessions and spend additional time (approximately two hours a week) to work on agreed mentoring actions and to prepare for mentoring sessions to ensure you get the most out of the Program.
If you have any questions regarding the Expression of Interest or the Product Development and Mentoring Program, please contact Lauren McBriarty (Tourism Industry Development Officer) at Lauren.McBriarty@midcoast.nsw.gov.au.
