Lifestyle amenities such as the availability of outdoor recreation options, the opportunity to experience the bounty of agricultural producers, and a thriving downtown district with outfitters, restaurants, and locally owned shops are no longer just focused on tourism. Increasingly job creators are looking for those place based assets that make a community unique and will draw or retain a quality work force. Likewise job seekers are more inclined to pick the place that they want to live and then look for a job that supports their lifestyle.

Join the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs (VDACS), the Virginia Foundation for Agriculture Innovation and Rural Sustainability (VA FAIRS), Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), Virginia Tourism (VTC), and Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and more in Blacksburg on March 28 & 29th for our first in person conference! The Building Capacity and Community: Agritourism, Main Street, and Trails conference seeks to highlight the intersections of these assets to help communities in taking best advantage of their resources to create an ecosystem that speaks to residents and tourists alike.

The agenda features tours, panels, and both state- and national experts in the field. Please join us for our first in-person conference – be inspired and experience the Blacksburg region!