CRAFT Impact Report: Tourism Council of Carbondale, Garfield County

The Tourism Council of Carbondale was awarded a Colorado Rural Academy for Tourism (CRAFT) Workshop by the Colorado Tourism Office in Spring 2019. Program objectives included:

  • Develop a shared understanding of agritourism and why it is important to Carbondale
  • Provide a forum for local producers to discuss ways to advance agritourism
  • Identify existing and potential agritourism experiences within Carbondale
  • Build awareness of Garfield County land use policies
  • Develop a collaborative action plan for launching a farm trail in Carbondale

Located in the Rockies Playground region, Carbondale and the surrounding Roaring Fork Valley are rich in agriculture and western heritage. While there are many producers throughout the Valley, this CRAFT Workshop was the first time they had been convened to discuss the advancement of collaborative agritourism opportunities.

CRAFT Workshop Outcomes

Farm map bundle and pumpkins in background

The Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) matched the Tourism Council of Carbondale with Kim Farin, a CRAFT facilitator with expertise in destination marketing. A group of 25 local tourism champions attended the one-day workshop focused on Culinary & Agritourism.

During the workshop, the Facilitator and CTO staff provided training and facilitated discussions for the destination to advance tourism-related strategies to achieve the following outcomes.

Results

The following occurred as a direct result of the program:

  • The Tourism Council of Carbondale was awarded a $2,500 CRAFT Workshop Implementation Funding grant to create a “Roaring Fork + Farm” visitor map highlighting heritage, agritourism, and local food in Carbondale.
    • The team assembled a list of local producers to be featured on the trail map, created parameters around which businesses and experiences would be on the map, and sent a digital form to the farmers and ranchers who attended the workshop to submit their listings for the map, with form submissions feeding into a database to serve as the main content for the listings.
    • More than 40 small business partners have copies of the brochure for distribution .
    • Media coverage included stories in Aspen Magazine, Edible Aspen, and 5280 Magazine.
    • 5,000 copies of the Roaring Fork + Farm map were printed in March 2020. The branding of the map aligned with existing local wayfaring signage. 
  • The planning team built an email distribution list to maintain group communication following the Workshop.
  • Collaboration continued with the local state-certified Creative District, including aligning map branding.

Changes

The following changes happened after the program took place:

  • New partnerships among community members representing the agricultural, chef/food service, and tourism sectors were developed and strengthened.
  • Producers, local business owners, and Carbondale Tourism partners are communicating more frequently.
  • Farmers and ranchers who attended the CRAFT Workshop expressed that it was helpful having the County present on land use code and permitting processes, as well as the CTO providing an overview of resources available to producers to create new visitor experiences. With this knowledge, producers felt they had a better understanding of how best to proceed with creating new visitor experiences.  

“Communication is really important especially with this project. A lot of our entities we work with, it was very unique. Some of the businesses didn't view themselves as a tourism destination. [It was] neat to show they do have an experience they could offer.” — Andrea Stewart, Executive Director, Tourism Council of Carbondale  

Get inspired to visit Carbondale by exploring Colorado.com:
The Fork in the Road: Responsible Tourism in Carbondale
Creative Wellness: Carbondale, Marble & Redstone
A Soak & Eat Adventure in the Roaring Fork Valley
3 Adventure-Filled Days in Carbondale
Colorado Creative Corridor
3 Days of Hot Springs & Creative Districts on the West Elk Loop
Explore the Outdoors in Marble, Redstone, & Carbondale
 

CRAFT

About CRAFT Workshops

CRAFT Workshops provide training and facilitated discussions for tourism destinations wishing to advance a tourism-related strategy relating to a specific industry segment or visitor experience. Participants receive $2,500 of implementation funding upon completion.

Contact

Tourism Council of Carbondale
(970) 963-1890  
info@carbondale.com