Finding Agritourism Inspiration

I felt like a little kid who got separated from her mom in the supermarket. All of the other attendees had decades more experience than me, and intimidating credentials printed on their name tags. I felt like I shouldn't be at the conference. I couldn’t help but wonder if I belonged there, or if I was just taking up space meant for someone more qualified.

But then I saw one familiar face in the sea of professionals - it was Recreation Management and Policy lecturer Sean McLaughlin. Although he wasn’t my professor, we knew each other. I told him how overwhelmed I felt, like a lost kid in a grocery store. He told me that I wasn’t alone, and everything would be OK. After two minutes of talking, we had to go to different presentations. But I already felt better about being there. 

Once I had gotten that comfort, I was able to absorb the material being presented, instead of stewing in my worries. I attended mostly presentations on agritourism, and research around the field. For the first time, I saw that my dream career was real and achievable. When I talked to my friends from COLSA (UNH College of Life Sciences & Agriculture) about wanting to work on a farm and talk to people, they seemed confused as to how that could be a full-time job. But now, being around professionals doing exactly that - I know my dream job is real.

I was feeling really good. I was very excited, and very nervous to talk to a researcher from the University of Montana. I pride myself on being proficient in social situations - I am the friend who asks for help at the grocery store or corrects an order without hesitation. I even spent all of University Day confidently pitching Dairy Club to student after student. But standing next to the researcher from Montana I couldn't get a word out. But I had asked for help, I had explained to Sean McLaughlin that I wanted to talk to the researcher, but I didn’t know how. He introduced me and himself and asked the presenter some really good questions. Before I knew it, I had just had a successful conversation with a researcher I admired and was intimidated by! At the end of the day, I had her business card in my pocket and was strategizing how to reach out to her.

Attending the 2025 NETtra Tourism Conference taught me a lot about agritourism, but even more about myself and the support system I have here at UNH. I learned that feeling anxious doesn’t mean I can’t succeed. I have professors who are on my side and who will help me when I need it. 

Here are a few highlights from the conference.

Evening Dinner Cruise

The first night of the conference all of the attendees were invited on an evening dinner cruise. The night began with us boarding a historic post office boat, which ferried us across the water to a nearby pier. There, we transferred to the historic M/S Mount Washington, where we spent the evening cruising, watching the sunset, and later seeing the moon rise over the lake. The cozy atmosphere aboard the Mount Washington made it a perfect setting to relax, enjoy good food, and connect with other attendees.

Mobile workshop Sessions

On the second day of the conference, we broke up into small groups to attend mobile workshop sessions. I chose to go to the agritourism session (shocker, I know!), where we visited two different farms each showcasing a different approach of combining agriculture and tourism.

At the first location we enjoyed apple cider donuts and learned about balancing running a production farm and incorporating an agritourism element. My favorite quote from this session was from the owner, who said, “What makes us special? We’re still a farm,” in regard to maintaining the true character of his business.

The second location was a historic farm and museum. As someone who is passionate about the dairy industry, I really loved exploring a historically preserved dairy operation and seeing how the general public is being educated about the dairy industry. 

Bonding with students in similar programs from other colleges

Another highlight of the conference was bonding with students from similar programs at other universities. At UNH, my major is relatively small and sometimes I can feel isolated from not having many peers who share my interest in agritourism, so I really enjoyed getting to bond with other undergraduates who share my passion. We bonded over our shared interests and discussed differences between our programs. Then – in a very professional way – we connected with each other on LinkedIn. And then – in a less professional way – we followed each other on Instagram. 

The NETtra Tourism Conference was held October 7-10, 2025, in Meredith, NH, hosted by the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension’s Community and Economic Development team, in partnership with the National Extension Tourism Network (NET) and the Northeast Chapter of the Travel and Tourism Research Association (NETTRA).

Author Biography: Cecilia Martinez is a sophomore in the Recreation Management and Policy program, specializing in Outdoor Leadership and Management. She works as a research assistant on a Pro Bio Nutrition study with the UNH Erickson Lab and serves as secretary of the UNH Dairy Club. Cecilia is passionate about connecting the public with agriculture.