Harmony Harvest Farm Receives Virginia Tourism Corporation Grant for Tourism Marketing
Harmony Harvest Farm received a $5,000 grant from the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC)’s Microbusiness Marketing Leverage Program (MMLP) for its “Come for the Mums, Stay for the Valley” project.
Harmony Harvest Farm partnered with other local businesses to supply matching funds for the project which aims to use their fall mum crop to extend the stay of visitors in the Shenandoah Valley.
Virginia Tourism Corporation awarded more than $757,000 to 131 marketing programs, ultimately impacting 655 combined partners, and supporting more than 1,300 jobs across the state to help increase off-season visitation to tourism businesses and destinations.
“We are honored that for the second consecutive year, our flower farm has been awarded a grant from VTC. This support will further our mission to showcase the splendor of American-grown flowers,” says Stephanie Duncan, Chief Marketing Officer at Harmony Harvest Farm.
“The Microbusiness Marketing Leverage Program is part of VTC’s strategy to grow year-round visitation in Virginia and is designed to support small tourism businesses with marketing dollars to drive out-of-state visitation during off-peak travel seasons. We are excited about this program because we see it as a gateway for small businesses to engage with VTC’s marketing and development ecosystem to grow their business and build on the Virginia is for Lovers branding,” said Rita McClenny, President and CEO of Virginia Tourism Corporation.
The VTC Microbusiness Marketing Leverage Program is designed to increase visitor spending in the off-season by leveraging limited marketing dollars, stimulating new tourism marketing through partnerships, and extending the “Virginia is for Lovers” brand. This is a program focused on supporting tourism businesses with less than 20 full-time employees through marketing partnerships. A minimum of five Virginia entities must partner to apply for the microbusiness marketing grant. Partners may consist of Virginia cities, towns, counties, convention and visitors’ bureaus, chambers of commerce, other local or regional destination marketing organizations, private businesses, museums, attractions, cultural events, and other tourism-related businesses.
About Harmony Harvest Farm
Harmony Harvest Farm is a cut flower farm located in Weyers Cave, Virginia that grows over 400 varieties of specialty cut flowers. A unique agritourism experience, the farm is open to the public and offers tours and pick-your-own gardens from April – October, and hosts events, workshops, and a floral shopping experience through their on-farm retail store year-round. Additionally, Harmony Harvest Farm is one of the largest cut flower farms on the East Coast and has pioneered shipping mixed bouquets and bulk flowers directly from the farm to homes across the country. The farm is proudly a woman-owned, family-operated small business.
About Virginia Tourism Corporation
Virginia is for Lovers is one of the most iconic and recognizable travel brands in the world. Using that powerful brand equity, Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) is charged with promoting the Commonwealth as a premier travel destination by showcasing all there is to love in a Virginia vacation. The dollars spent by travelers fuel the economy, provide jobs for Virginians, and improve communities across the state. Simply put, tourism helps make Virginia a great place to live, work, and vacation. Learn more at virginia.org.
