McConnon, Marcinkowski talk with BDN about agritourism
The Bangor Daily News interviewed James McConnon and David Marcinkowski for its story about cheesemakers forming a Midcoast Cheese Trail, similar to the wine, beer and ice cream trails in Maine. McConnon, University of Maine Extension business and economics specialist and professor of economics, told the BDN that agritourism is a natural fit for the state. “Agriculture is a very important part of our economy, and agritourism ties nicely into our tourism industry, which is a very important industry in and of itself,” he said. There are other kinds of trails that have been developed all across the country, food related and nonfood related, that have shown to be successful in terms of bringing customers into rural areas and allowing those customers to help support the growth and development of those businesses. Marcinkowski, associate professor of animal and veterinary sciences and Extension dairy specialist, said the area is well positioned for agritourism success. “Location is very important,” he said. “You have to be near a population center where people are vacationing in Maine. The coast is it.”