Carson College students learn from Chelan agrotourism experience

Washington State University Carson College of Business students recently learned about the connection between agriculture and hospitality on a three-day agrotourism excursion in the Chelan region.

Assistant Professor Jessica Murray and Executive Chef Mathew Morgan, both educators in the WSU School of Hospitality Business Management, took 14 hospitality students to farms, orchards, cideries, and wineries for a deeper perspective of how hospitality and agriculture work together as an ecosystem.

"Understanding the systems behind food and beverage products and the work that goes into them equips our future hospitality professionals with knowledge they can pass on to their guests," Murray said. "Some of our students had never been on a farm or thought about how hospitality is dependent on the ag industry."

Discovering the overlap between agrotourism and hospitality

Celine Ciotta, a junior who has a goal of someday owning and operating her own luxury hotel brand, said she didn't really understand the complexity behind the agrotourism industry before the trip.

"We learned about everything from specific crop choices and family histories to the heart and perseverance that have kept businesses running," Ciotta said. "This is something you really can't capture just from packaging. It wasn't until I saw the faces and heard the voices behind the food that I truly understood how special agritourism is. The power of storytelling within a business model is immense."

Saffanah Almulaqi, a senior from Saudi Arabia, said the convergence of personal history, academic work, and national initiative is exactly what drew her to the agrotourism experience opportunity.

"I hadn't fully appreciated how much geography shapes a brand's identity until I saw it up close," she said. "Place has power. The land itself, its climate, history, and character, is one of the most underutilized assets in hospitality and agriculture. The most successful operations we visited weren't just selling products; they were selling a sense of place."

Almulaqui's business idea for her family's land in Saudi Arabia includes a restaurant, authentic guest experiences, and importing agricultural products. Observing how the different businesses managed operations, such as staffing and guest flow, reinforced her understanding of how critical the behind-the-scenes work is to any hospitality experience. She said hearing directly from business owners about how they navigated change showed her that flexibility and staying true to your values can align.

Industry leaders share perspectives on the ability to pivot

As the hospitality industry continues to shift from transactional to more experienced-based models, it is important for hospitality students to have a strong working knowledge of regulations and licensing aspects around food and beverage products, how to create experiences that keep guests returning, and how to sell a brand, Murray said.

The ability to pivot as a business owner was another important lesson she wanted students to take away from the experience. Several businesses on the tour spoke to students about the process of changing a system to remain sustainable.

Family-owned farms Blueberry Hills and Anthia of Chelan educated students about transitioning to different crops due to shifting markets and climate demands. At Rootwood Cider Company, students learned about a craft-cider venture that turns older heritage apple breeds unpopular for commercial purpose into profit. The farmers' different experiences led to a great discussion about how to extend a product line and operate multiple businesses, Murray said.

"We selected businesses that showcased different approaches to agrotourism, while also allowing students to compare similarities and differences across operations," Morgan said. "Diversity in business type and experience was also an important part of the selection process."

The School of Hospitality Business Management has offered the agrotourism experience for several years, thanks to the generous support of alums Kathy ('83 Apparel, Merch., Des. & Tex.) and Rick Blomquist ('83 Accounting, Physics), who collaborated with Carson College Executive Chef Jamie Callison, now retired, to establish it. Student across all Carson College locations are invited to apply.