Agritourism, also called agritainment, agricultural tourism, agrotourism, or farm tourism, has many definitions but each with a common theme. Agritourism simply combines elements of tourism and agriculture, most commonly by attracting customers (or tourists) to farms. Agritourism enterprises may offer a wide variety of activities including everything from pumpkin patches, corn mazes, and petting zoos to on-farm bed and breakfasts, cut-your-own Christmas trees, and wineries. You will find several useful articles on various aspects of agritourism at Is Agritourism for You?
The type of customers may vary just as widely from elementary school or senior citizen groups to local families or interstate travelers. Customers may come to the farm for a variety of reasons. They may visit a farm to experience picking their own strawberries from the field, learn about life on the farm, meet the farmer who produces their food, or enjoy the rural landscape.
Customers may also want to hunt or photograph wildlife or take a horseback ride. Tourists interested in finding an agritourism enterprise in their area should contact their local or regional tourism organization or state department of agriculture. For example, in Tennessee, agritourism enterprises are listed on the state Department of Agriculture's Pick Tennessee Products Web site at picktnproducts.org.
For farmers interested in agritourism, the following resources may be helpful: the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC) at www.agmrc.org/agmrc/markets/Tourism/tourism.htm, and the University of Tennessee Extension Center for Profitable Agriculture at cpa.utk.edu. The North American Farmers' Direct Market Association (NAFDMA), www.nafdma.com, also provides workshops, conferences, and tours related to many agritourism opportunities.
Nearly every state can boast agritourism businesses that represent diversified revenue sources for agricultural producers. You might check out Moore Farms in Bullard, Texas. Additional examples are shown at Agritourism World and AgMRC Agritourism resources.
