Mid-Willamette Valley Food Trail Application

The Albany Visitors Association and Visit Corvallis, in partnership with Travel Oregon, invite you to apply to participate in the Mid-Willamette Valley Food Trail to promote your culinary or agritourism business, make new connections with businesses in your area and reach new customers. Learn more about the existing Oregon Food Trails and the Oregon Food Trails brand by visiting Travel Oregon's website.

Before completing the following application, please review the below benefits associated with being a food trail member and complete the criteria checklist to confirm eligibility to participate.

Each business will be vetted on a case-by-case basis by the Food Trail Action Team in order to guarantee a high quality and authentic visitor experience while not excluding businesses which would qualify under special conditions.

Benefits of Participation:

• Map listing with business information and a short description of offerings included in the printed Mid-Willamette Valley Food Trail brochure
• Printed copies of the Mid-Willamette Valley Food Trail brochure will be distributed across the state at key travel entry points, visitor centers and events around the state. The brochure will be coming out March 2020.
• Up to 200 printed copies of the brochure provided to each participating business
• Mid-Willamette Valley Food Trail signage provided to participating businesses that attend the Business Engagement Workshop (businesses not in attendance will be required to pay for metal signage)
• Online companion pages for the food trail on traveloregon.com and local websites.
• Regular and paid promotional campaigns for the Mid-Willamette Valley Food Trail.

Criteria

To participate in the Mid-Willamette Valley Food Trail, your business will need to:

- Be located in or near (within 5 miles of the county line) Benton County and Linn County. 

- Not currently part of another Oregon Food Trail. If you are already part of another Oregon Food Trail, you would need to decide which food trail would provide the most value or benefit to your business as you can only participate in one food trail at a time.

- Generally follow the below criteria that is meant to identify entities making a significant commitment to sourcing, producing or growing local agricultural products, prepared foods, and value-added goods. For the purposes of this food trail, we define “local” and “locally-sourced” as products sourced within 100 miles of the place of business in question and within Oregon.

On-Farm, Vineyard and Agricultural Operations

• On-farm experiential opportunities will qualify; ideally, on-farm sales meet qualifications of farm stands
• Farm stands have at least 75% of produced and 50% of value-added products locally grown or produced

Meat, Fish and Produce Retail

• 75% of defining product is locally grown, caught, made or produced
• Open to the general public a minimum of three months and/or during the season (i.e. in the case of select farms with a very short season)

Craft Beverage Tasting Rooms

• The production facility is located within Oregon
• Sources and promotes mostly local and/or Oregon ingredients

Food Processors

• Product is made, canned, smoked or roasted locally

Lodging

• 25% of products sold (including restaurant menu items, room amenities, and gift shop offerings) are locally sourced
• 50% of beverage offerings are from Oregon

Restaurants, Bakeries & Cafes

• 25% of the products on the menu are locally sourced
• 50% of beer, wine, and other beverages like coffee, kombucha offerings should be locally sourced. A full bar should offer local options.

Retail

• 50% of products sold are by local producers.
• 50% of beverage offerings are locally sourced.

Experiences, Tours and Cooking Schools

• Must use or showcase local products

Farmers and Artisan Markets

• 50% of participants are local producers

Cost

To help offset the costs of maintaining the Mid-Willamette Valley Food Trail, we are asking businesses that are accepted into the food trail program pay $25 for the first year. Then after the first year, the business will be charged a $75 annual renewal fee to remain on the Mid-Willamette Valley Food Trail. This annual renewal fee will help cover the costs associated with making updates and printing the brochure.

Willamette Valley Food Trail Application

To apply to be included in the Willamette Valley Food Trail click this link to fill out the application on Survey Monkey. We will be accepting applications until November 20, 2019.