Released June 14, 2009
AMES, Iowa -- Chalk it up to Barack Obama catapulting his presidential campaign in Iowa, or to the recession switching travelers from vacations to stay-cations, or to nostalgia for the good old days, or to Americans’ new craving for “real food from real farms.” Whatever the reasons, agritourism has become a counter-cyclical big business all across Iowa – and all across the nation.
Iowa State University Extension now makes it easy for farmers to diversify by listing their farms as agritourism destinations. How much of an attraction and how much added income seem to be limited only by farmers’ imaginations. And ISU Extension agents are skilled at helping farmers with everything from imagination and pricing to drawing up maps to make sure the city folks can find their way.
Because farmers are creative in tapping this rapidly growing revenue stream, ISU’s http://www.VisitIowaFarms.org web site now lists agritourism businesses under 11 categories: Bed and Breakfast, Christmas Tree Farm, Farmers’ Market, Fruit/Vegetable U-Pick Operation, Hiking for a Fee, Hunting/Fishing for a Fee, Mazes for a Fee, Retail Stores, Trail Riding, Vineyard/Winery, and Other.
While many lament the dwindling numbers of family farmers, now less than 2% of Iowa’s population, Iowa State and its growing list of agritourism entrepreneurs see a golden opportunity. Basic economics tells farmers willing to listen that their marketing opportunities will multiply this summer as more urban dwellers decide it’s time for a taste of country life – particularly when taking that Disney trip wouldn’t fit their budget . . and certainly wouldn’t provide the same mouth-watering tastes of freshly picked sweet corn, just-caught brook trout, or sun-warmed blueberries.
For more ideas about new revenue opportunities for rural America, visit the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC), a virtual value-added agriculture center operated by Iowa State University and partially funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), at http://www.agmrc.org/.
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http://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2009/jun/agritourismwinforfarmersvacationers.htm
Writer: Christa Hartsook, communications specialist, Value Added Agriculture, 515-294-4430, hartc@iastate.edu
