Alternative Enterprises and Agritourism Resources

School children tour a cornfield on the 250-acre Benton Farms in Walton, Kentucky – a working farm that includes u-pick produce and school field trip activities

Agritourism is helping many farmers and ranchers  transition into alternative enterprises.  The attractiveness of agritourism grows as consumers are turning to local farmers and ranchers for food, fiber, and fun. Market research conducted three years ago, showed an estimated 63 million Americans visited farms and ranches looking for local, fresh, organically, or naturally grown products (and often willing to pay more for them).  They also wanted to know who produced their food and was it grown in a way that protects soil and water.  Americans also visited farms seeking interactive education and outdoor activities in a farm or ranch setting to better understand America’s farm culture and heritage.

For those interested in finding out more about agritourism, the Resource Economics and Social Sciences Division (RESSD) has developed four new resources –
Alternative Enterprises and Agritourism: Farming for Profit and Sustainability Resource Manual, January 2004, 2,300-pages;
Alternative Enterprises, Agritourism and Economic and Rural Community Development People Resource Directory, by State, Region and National, January 2004;
Income Opportunities for Your Farm: Alternative Enterprises and Agritourism Resources, January 2004 – includes a CD that contains the above information and several other publications and information sources; and
Taking the First Step: Farm and Ranch Alternative Enterprise and Agritourism Resource Evaluation Guide – Keeping the family on the farm and the farm in the family.
Your contact is James A. Maetzold, NRCS National Alternatives Enterprises and Agritourism Leader, at 202-720-0132, or jim.maetzold@usda.gov.