Genesee Valley Trail Town Initiative

In 2020, Letchworth Gateway Villages and its network of partners were awarded funding from USDA Rural Development and the Northern Border Regional Commission to launch a Trail Town initiative with ten communities across the rural Genesee Valley Region in 2021-2022.

Wheatland is one of those ten communities!

Trail Town Programs® revitalize rural communities by growing outdoor tourism and small businesses. First launched in 2007 by the Progress Fund to help support communities along the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage (GAP), that program now helps trails nationwide follow their lead.

Using a combination of consistent trail-wide marketing, infrastructure improvements, business coaching and support, Trail Town initiatives have proven to be an effective approach for growing rural economies.

In 10 years, the Allegheny Passage Trail Town program was able to grow 65 new businesses and 270 jobs, achieving an overall economic impact of $50 million per year with 40% of local income generated from outdoor recreation (an increase of 25% from when the initiative started).

The work of the participating partners and municipalities in Southern Monroe, Livingston, Wyoming and Allegany Counties to establish a network of Trail Town hubs along the Genesee Valley Greenway and Genesee River corridor is an ongoing, multi-year effort. The project aims to boost outdoor recreation, create more resilient communities and support the region’s post-COVID recovery.

WHAT IS A TRAIL TOWN?

A Trail Town is a community through which a trail passes, that embraces the trail as an important community resource, promotes the trail to its residents, and supports trail users with services. Trails can be valuable community assets and attractive destinations for visitors, drawing them into neighboring communities and stimulating local businesses through spending on meals, lodging, and gear.

WHY OUTDOOR RECREATION?

Outdoor recreation and related visitation are proven to stimulate local economies by creating a “virtuous cycle” of economic benefits, including:

• Improving residents’ quality of life

• Making communities more attractive to potential employees and businesses

• Recognizing historic villages, small-town lifestyles, homegrown entrepreneurs, open spaces, and protected environments as assets critical to economic sustainability

• Building stronger, sustainable tax bases for municipal long-term sustainability

Trail Town programs can reimagine and reframe rural economies by capitalizing on their unique natural, cultural, and heritage assets while addressing the challenges of attracting and retaining younger residents, helping evolve and sustain agriculture industries, building new place-based entrepreneurial ventures tied to natural environment, and providing critical employment pathways for youth.

WHEATLAND & SCOTTSVILLE COMMUNITY VISION

Together, the Town of Wheatland and Village of Scottsville can serve as a Northern hub or gateway location for Genesee Valley Greenway State Park (GVGSP) access, facilitating growth in both resident and visitor use.

The GVGSP will be an anchor resource for the development of a broader trail system across the community, enhancing bicycle and pedestrian connectivity between the GVGSP and local businesses and amenities.

This gateway as described in the Genesee Valley State Park Action Plan seamlessly integrates Canawaugus Park and Indian Allan Park with the GVGSP, providing for additional outdoor recreation experiences along Oatka Creek.

Program Benefits

The Trail Town Initiative allows for broader alignment with partners across the region to better realize local economic and community development objectives.

• Broadens community asset visibility - Through coordinated marketing, this initiative helps increase resident and visitor use of area experiential amenities. Through the GWA Chamber of Commerce (GWACC), members broaden business exposure through regional connectivity, such as inclusion on the Explore Genesee Valley platform, and the associated interactive map tool.

• Leverages investment and expands potential funding opportunities - Local entities expand opportunities through regional partnerships, associated economies of scale (i.e., coordination, consistency, sharing, infrastructure).

Gvtti Grant Awarded To Wheatland And Scottsville Communities

Trail Town Initiative grants fund projects that enhance visitor experience within the GVGSP and help neighboring communities benefit economically from proximity to the GVGSP.

In Spring 2022, a GVTTI Grant was awarded for a qualifying project submitted by the GWACC on behalf of a partnership of five collaborating organizations from the Town of Wheatland and Village of Scottsville area (GWACC, Genesee Country Village & Museum, Wheatland Historical Association, Village of Scottsville, and the Town of Wheatland). Each organization contributes matching funds and other services in support of the proposed Wheatland-Scottsville GVTTI Grant Project.

The Wheatland - Scottsville GVTTI grant award was the largest made by Parks & Trails New York for communities in the Genesee Valley region. The resultant project focuses on promoting, growing, and enhancing the experience of GVGSP users in the Wheatland and Scottsville area through development of aestheticallypleasing informational kiosks, helpful wayfinding signage, and improved trail access with emphasis on safety.

This project also promotes local amenities and businesses, such as the Genesee Country Village and Museum, through greater bicycle trail connectivity between the Greenway and the broader Wheatland and Scottsville communities that include supporting services and an emphasis on the area’s rich local history.

Coyle’s Pumpkin Ranch

Since the late 1950s, the Coyle family has been farming on the picturesque Oatka Trail in Mumford alongside the serene Oatka Creek. What started as a humble venture selling tomatoes and pumpkins and growing their own food blossomed into something extraordinary in 1988 when the farm stand expanded into Coyle’s Pumpkin Ranch with the help of Dan Coyle and his wife, Karen. Their children joined the farm, ensuring a truly immersive and unforgettable “fall-family-farm-fun” experience.

At Coyle’s Pumpkin Ranch, they offer an abundance of fun and vibrant pumpkins, gourds of all shapes and sizes,

Pumpkins,

and carving pumpkins to ignite your creativity. Step into a world of autumn beauty with their stunning collection of Mums, Indian corn, popcorn, straw bales, corn stalks, mini gourds, and large gourds. And on weekends, treat yourself to the delicious taste of cider, donuts, and apples.

They take great pride in their diverse selection of winter squash, with at least nine mouthwatering varieties, from Acorn to Hubbard. Join them in October for their exciting “Squash Tasting” events, announced on their Facebook page.

But the fun doesn’t stop there! Take a stroll through their corn stalk walk, bounce on their straw jump, and meet their friendly animals at the petting zoo. Let your imagination run wild as you stuff your very own scarecrow and enjoy a range of fun games. Coyle’s is all about family-friendly experiences, with no lines, no tickets, no admission fees—just pure enjoyment.

And don’t forget, they also sell tomatoes! Whether you need bushels for canning or individual ones, they have a variety from Roma to Beefsteak. Additionally, they offer peppers, sweet corn, onions, and other vegetables. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for the latest updates on vegetable sales and opening dates.

Karen Coyle says her proudest and favorite moments in the business come from raising their children in this wonderful, hardworking farm life, with a sense of accomplishment and unity that fills their hearts.

Come experience the joy of fall like never before at Coyle’s Pumpkin Ranch. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram at coylespumpkinranchandfarm.

family, fun - corn maze, animals, games.

3464 Oatka Trail, LeRoy

See our Facebook for current info (or call 585-729-3219)