Lincoln University social scientist and senior lecturer Dr Jo Fountain is sharing her considerable expertise at several events over the next two months..
As one of the guest speakers at a public talk that focuses on post-quake farming in the context of climate change and COVID-19, she will discuss some of the emerging agri-tourism opportunities for North Canterbury farmers in the hill and high country.
The event is run by Resilient Hurunui and concerns the Post Quake Farming (PQF) Project, which was originally established to support farmers in the area to recover from the November 2016 earthquakes.
These farms are complex and subject to numerous pressures and opportunities, so Dr Fountain will outline ways that the project has allowed its stakeholders to take a fresh look at the hill and high country, with potential benefits for the region as a whole.
The event takes place tonight, 19 November, at 7.30pm at the Amberley School Hall.
Next week, Dr Fountain will be part of a panel of experts at the Eat Kaikoura Conference, which looks at creative solutions for the challenges of getting local Kaikoura produce from paddock to plate.
She’ll focus on food tourism, sustainability, and developing resilience to nature’s challenges. Her expertise in this area partly comes from a project she undertook in 2018, which involved surveying Kaikoura tourists about key areas of interest, including food.
She has also investigated Alpine Pacific food and wine trails, carried out work for North Canterbury and Marlborough wine regions and been involved in post-quake farming projects that investigate agri-tourism.
The conference takes place on Tuesday, 24 November, 10am-5pm at Kaikoura’s Mayfair theatre.
Another event for the calendar is B.linc Innovation’s Selwyn Food, Wine and Agritourism, which focuses on research from Lincoln University’s Centre of Excellence – Sustainable Tourism for Regions, Landscapes and Communities.
Dr Fountain will speak about identifying and communicating Selwyn’s food story. Joining her are Lincoln Postdoctoral Fellows Dr Helen Fitt (who will discuss inclusion and identity in food trail development in Waitaki) and Dr Rory Hill (whose presentation focuses on Christchurch wine and how to get it onto local menus).
The event is on Wednesday, 2 December, 4-6pm at B.linc Innovation on the Lincoln campus.
Dr Fountain has a diverse research portfolio focused on analysing change and resilience in rural regions. With agri-food products at its core, her research explores the relationship between local factors (such as a region’s natural attributes, vulnerability and exposure to natural hazards and risks) and external influences (including changing flows and demands of tourists, as well as policy and market shifts).
For more on studying tourism at Lincoln, see the university website.
