School groups are a primary target market for farm tours and field trips. To compete with the many other field trip opportunities available to school groups, agritourism enterprises must understand the preferences, constraints, and needs of teachers. Tennessee surveyed elementary school teachers in 1999. You can read a summary of these results in a University of Tennessee Cooperative Extension publication titled “Targeting School Groups for Agritourism Enterprises.” The publication can be accessed on the Web at: https://utextension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/pb1669.pdf . These survey results are a suggested guide rather than a recommendation of action. According to this study, elementary schoolteachers are interested in farm field trips. However, many teachers are simply not aware of such opportunities. Most teachers plan their field trips either at the beginning of the school year or before the school year starts. Most field trips are conducted in the spring and fall. According to the study, the average amount of time that classes stay at a field trip location is two hours. On average, elementary classes take about 22 students and five adults on each field trip and tend to pay less than $7 per person. On average, teachers prefer to drive less than 35 miles and less than 45 minutes to a field trip destination. Teachers also indicate that restroom facilities, an eating area, and learning centers are necessary for school field trips. It is important to remember that providing a high-quality, good-value agritourism experience is the best way to influence word-of-mouth advertisements.
