Temecula Wine Country Among Stops on County's New 'Ag Trail'

Temecula Valley Wine Country will be among 100 stops on the Riverside County "Ag Trail," which is set to debut in February, it was announced Thursday.

In an effort to promote agriculture tourism and boost sales of locally-grown products, Riverside County Supervisors John J. Benoit and Jeff Stone recently directed their county team to work with the Farm Bureau and California Women For Agriculture to create the trail system, according to a news release.

The Riverside County Ag Trail will promote one of the county’s largest employers and its multi-billion dollar industry, said Tom Freeman, commissioner of the Riverside County Office of Foreign Trade-Economic Development Agency.

"Fresh, fun, and festive the Ag Trail runs the entire length of the county," Freeman said, in the news release.

Using the trail, supervisors Stone and Benoit seek to promote the area's products amongst residents and international and domestic visitors, Freeman said.

"From the wine county to the fields and farms, travelers on the 'Ag Trail' will be able to buy fresh picked fruits and vegetables, including organically grown products," Freeman said. "Farmers' markets and festivals promoting agriculture such as the National Date Festival, Temecula Balloon & Wine Festival and the Beaumont Cherry Festival are also on the 'Ag Trail.'"

County team members from the Information Technology Department, Environmental Health Department, Agricultural Commissioner’s Office, Foreign Trade Commissioner’s Office-EDA joined forces with the Riverside County Farm Bureau and the California Women for Agriculture to create a logo and road signs, as well as a website scheduled to be online by February, according to the news release.

"Riverside County’s farming community contributed an estimated $4.1 billion to the county economy in 2011 and employs 30,000 workers," Freeman said.

Japan and China were among the top export destinations for Riverside County agricultural products in 2011, according to Freeman, with more than 52 percent of all exported crops purchased by the two countries.