SANFORD, N.C. — N.C. Cooperative Extension- Lee County Center recently hosted their official “Visit N.C. Farms Mobile App” launch party at Hugger Mugger Brewing Company in Sanford N.C.
The celebration marked the official rollout of Lee County’s new agricultural marketing tool, with nearly 50 local farms and agribusinesses to be found on the user friendly site. Local sponsors of the Visit N.C. Farms App included Lee County Farm Bureau and the Lee County Government.
The Visit N.C. Farms App is an initiative created and driven by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture (NCDA) that connects the dots in communities across North Carolina. Using smart phone technology, residents and visitors can find farms closest to them containing products and activities of interest. Visitors can use the app to explore farms, farmers markets, local restaurants, events, and venues that are off the beaten path and unique to each community. With 77% of all Americans now owning a smart phone, the app is a valuable marketing tool to help drive the estimated 39 million overnight visitors to engage in our state’s agricultural economy.
In addition, there are 10+ million residents in North Carolina that don’t know about the farms in their own back yards, making the app a perfect way to educate people about agriculture and bridge the gap between urban and rural populations. For more information about bringing the Visit N.C. Farms Mobile App to your community, check out https://visitncfarmstoday.com/
–William C. “Bill” Stone, Lee County Center