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BE A TOURIST IN YOUR OWN COUNTY
June 2006

Do you want to see some of the TREASURES of Osage County?  More than 80  persons from Osage County and surrounding areas said YES and joined the tour as the Osage County Agritourism Council sponsored their second annual tour, “Be a Tourist in Your Own County”on Thursday, June 22.

The two motor coaches, furnished by Show Me America Coaches, each toured two historic churches, the Ryors United Church of Christ at Ryors and the Pilgrim Lutheran Church and School at Freedom, where they were greeted by members of the congregations and pastors.  They were also treated to a visit to country stores, the Freedom Store and the Kountry Korner at Koenig. 

At Cooper Hill, several residents met them at the Community Building where local artists and authors had displays.  A special highlight was a visit to the old historic Langenberg Store and a guided narrated tour through the town.

Wine tasting at Wenwood Farms Winery, followed by lunch sponsored by Legends Bank, was served in the spacious outdoor Pavilion on the grounds of the winery. 

“The purpose of the tours of Osage County is to showcase what we have right here in the county”  said Kathy Dothage, Council member,   “ Most of the persons on the tour had never been to the places that we visited”.

The Osage County Agritourism Council, which was founded in 2003, is dedicated to showcasing Osage County’s unique communities, heritage, agricultural lifestyle and products.

“Everyone in the county can be an ambassador and tell their friends and relatives about the many things you can do in your own neighborhood” said Arlen Schwinke,  chairperson of the Council.

Additional information can found on the website, www.welcometoosagecounty.info

UNTERRIFIED DEMOCRAT, LINN
March 16, 2004

"We are all enthused about what we have to show off in our county. There’s so much here that every day we show up with something new."

At least that’s how Arlen Schwinke feels about Osage County. As president of the Osage County Agri-tourism Council, Schwinke and his group known simply as
"Welcome to Osage County" met Monday of this week to hear from representatives around the county. The group was looking to expand on their knowledge and love
of Osage County as they continue their efforts to promote agri-tourism and further business in the area.

"We’re to the point we need to go beyond this group," Secretary Don Claycomb added. "If you think big enough, there are things we can do to really put this county on the map," Schwinke added.

Ken Gelvin admitted, "We don’t know all the places," that may be of interest to visitors and bus tours.

One central idea that everyone agreed with was the need for family farms to be included in agri-tours.

"We are looking for farms that are accessible and
people who are willing to share what they are about," Schwinke said.

Additionally the group is asking for information to be included during "windshield time," the driving time between scheduled stops which could include facts and figures about agriculture in the county.

"The ideas of having local farms open to tours is a great idea," said Tom Loehner of Koeltztown.

With the growing trend toward corporate farming, Loehner
said "we should really support the family farm and emphasize what it has to offer."

Other suggestions included tours of historic German-built homes and buildings across the county. "And the monument at Loose Creek, the tribute to German
heritage is a big drawing point," said Steve Bescheinen.

He also suggested including the Rhineland Heritage Tour and Festival during the first week of August as a must-see on the calendar of events.

Argyle’s Joe Schmidt added that, while not necessarily elegant, the local restaurants offer some of the best home-cooked meals and homemade pies. He added the railroad history through Osage County could also be publicized – from the Rock Island Railroad tunnel under Freeburg to the timber bridge in the southeast corner of the state.

"Rock Island Lake, which was built to supply water to the railroad on what is now the Otto Farm, should be included in that list," Loehner added.

Presiding County Commissioner Russell Scheulen said "most tourist like to spend a few dollars. I hope this thing grows and that the more people who come here means the more dollars are spent."

The group also unveiled a new website: www.welcometoosagecounty.info and discussed an upcoming "Mystery Tour" bus tour of Osage County which is scheduled for early May.

SHOW ME
Missouri Farm Bureau
May 2004

OSAGE COUNTY FARMERS EXTEND
A HAND TO VISITORS

Folks in Osage County are finally sharing secrets about their favorite place. A new agritourism initiative begun by county Farm Bureau leaders is blossoming into a full-fledged, county-wide plan to attract tourists to the area.

"It started out at our Farm Bureau annual county meeting a little over a year ago," said Arlen Schwinke, a county FB member, dairy farmer, owner of two bed and breakfast farm homes, and now president of the Agritourism Council for Osage County.

"A bunch of us were sitting around talking about all of the things to see in Osage County," said Schwinke. "We decided to start an agritourism effort and by March of last year we had our first meeting."

Schwinke says their project has taken off from there, expanding to include the Extension Service, Linn State Technical College, hitorical societies and many businesses in the county.

The enthusiasm of the group has been contagious. "One of the biggest problems we have at our meetings is everybody wants to talk about things they have found (about the county) and want to show off, instead of working on the strategy of how to do what we want to do," said Schwinke.

Kathy Dothage is County Program Director for the Osage County Extension Service and provides secretarial support, information gathering and coordination for the council. As treasurer of the council, she is involved in many ways and optimistic about agritourism in the county.

"Although it has been over a year, to take a group of individuals who have diverse ideas about what agritourism is, then to see where the group is going and what it plans to do, has been an experience," said Dothage. A Web Site, www.welcometoosagecounty.info, was launched in March. There are now three organized bus tours of the county planned in 2004, with the first one this month.

Dothage said as far as she knows, this is the first organized agritourism effort in Missouri.

Another charter member of the council is Linn State Technical College president Don Claycomb, who oversees a college of more than 800 students. He is personally and professionally interested in promoting agritourism in Osage County.

"I feel very strongly that our rural heritage is gradually slipping away. In my family, 100 years ago everyone on both sides was involved in farming. Today, it is down to my dad, my nephew, and my brother left on the farm." said Claycomb.

Most of the students attending Linn Tech come from rural backgrounds he says. The college also has a strong large engine mechanics and electrical programs from which many students graduate and return to work in rural areas.

Osage County's diversified agriculture has roots in its German heritage. Towns like Westphalia. Frankenstein and Freeburg have a distinct German flavor. "When you talk about Osage County, the first thing that comes to mind is the Catholic churches. Those churches are historic and unique to Osage County. You have to go to Germany to find so many churches like that in one area," said Schwinke.

In fact, Schwinke said the community of Loose Creek has it's own type of international tourism. Every two years, the citizens of Loose Creek have an exchange with people in the German farming community their ancestors came from. Up to 60 people will travel to Germany to stay in homes there, then two years later, Loose Creek residents will return the hospitality and welcome their international cousins to Osage County.

Another sign of German heritage is quilting. Schwinke said quilts made in Osage County rival those made anywhere else in the world. There are several major rivers in the county and many antiques to find in the small towns scattered on the hill sides. Restaurants tucked away in these small towns, like Krautman's Corner Cafe and The River's Edge, entice visitors from many miles away.

Bed and Breakfast homes like the Epple Haus and Mom's House on the Schwinke farm extend the hospitality to a more private level.

"Mostly urban people come to stay. They are looking for a hideaway out in the country where it is peaceful and quiet," said Schwinke, who has been in the business for six years.

Schwinke's wife, Kay, has been an invaluable part of their bed and breakfast effort, and the agritourism council. As a certified travel specialist working for Stone Hill Winery in Hermann, Kay has set up many tours at the winery. Her talents have been combined with those of many other agritourism volunteers.

But, Claycomb points out Arlen and Kay have been the driving force behind the agritourism council. "It is very hard to say no to those two individuals. Our county Farm Bureau has strong leaders -- a strong drive in this type of issue," said Claycomb, who sees potential for the agritourism effort to grow and possibly develop into a county-wide chamber of commerce.

Keith and Doris Neier, and their three sons, farm in southern Osage County near Rich Fountain. The diversified farm includes cows, calves, hogs, row crops and hay.

Their home, high on a bluff, overlooks the picturesque Gasconade River valley. A collection of antiques -- old one-board plows, tools, cow bells -- line one wall of a very modern machine shed. Keith restores antique tractors when he is not busy farming. When he is busy farming the crops, he constantly scans the ground from his tractor seat, searching for arrowhead rocks. Doris says he has quite an eye for finding them. As proof, the couple stack several boxes of broken and whole arrowheads on their kitchen table as evidence.

It is a farm, one that has been in the family for more than 100 years, that someone from town would like to visit. "We would show them the valley and the history behind it, the history of the farm and some of our machinery, like old tractors," said Keith about his visitors.

Theirs is one of many farms in the county that would attract tourists. "We have some interesting and exotic farms here that would be of interest," said Keith. We have an elk farm, we have a farmer that raises deer, we have a coyote farm where people can bring their dogs for overnight hunts."

The Neiers are also charter members of the agritourism council. "At the first meeting, when Arlen and Kay introduced us to the idea of agritourism, we tried to pull together what Osage County has to offer," said Doris. "We looked at all of the restaurants, churches, and all the annual events in our county. We looked at all of the different talents people had, what they made and sold. It was very surprising and we ended up with a lot of things unique to Osage County."

One of the most unique things about the county, Doris believes, is the people. "You come to Osage County and you are going to be greeted well and you are going to be fed well," she said with a smile.

But Keith admits inviting strangers on the farm is something many farmers are not accustomed to. Many do not welcome the idea. Granted, it is not a good fit for every farm operation, but it is a way for people to understand and appreciate how family farms operate, says Keith, who sees agritourism as an important connector between rural and urban people.

The hardest part now, said Keith, is working on a direction the group wants to take. "It has been a fact finding, fact gathering thing so far, now we need to somehow go from there," he said. "If you work hard enough at anything, you can make it work."

With volunteer help and financial support from businesses like Three Rivers Electric Cooperative, the Osage County agritourism effort is gearing up to make a positive economic impact for the county. In the process, more people will make the connection between the food on their table and production agriculture.