Agritourism Provides Many Benefits

October 3rd, 2009 at 03:32pm Margaret Larson

As the University of Illinois Extension plans the Fall Openfields Farm Tour, I thought I’d take a look at the topic of Agritourism.  The Agri-Tourism Partners of Illinois just announced that a pumpkin farm in Arthur has won their Agritourism business of the year award.  My friend Anne Dougherty of Learn Great Foods, a food touring company based in Mt. Carroll won this award last year and I was happy to celebrate her success with her.  So what is Agritourism, why is important, and what does it mean for our area?

A quick glance at a U of I Extension website supporting agritourism tells me that this is a growing segment of our economy and that there is a diversity of businesses that fall into this category.  These businesses market a wide variety of produce, products, services and “agri-tainment” to a variety of consumers of all ages and demographics.  Technically, we define agritourism as “any business activity that brings the public to a farm or rural setting in an effort to market farm raised or produced products or the enjoyment of related outdoor activities.”  I have to take it a step further and suggest that our many local farmers markets provide a form of informal agritourism, providing consumers with the opportunity to learn from local farmers, delight in an assortment of fruits, vegetables and other products, and interact with other customers.

The most known form of agritourism is the good old-fashioned farm visit.  Fall is the time when pumpkin patches are filled with schoolchildren; orchards are busy with visitors of all ages searching for that fresh apple cider donut or the perfect sauce apple, and soon we’ll be thinking Christmas trees and all that come with the season. Next time you make a visit, take a minute to think about the economic impact that the agritourism site may have.  Are there many employees, products for sale that are grown and produced locally (more than the obvious) and are there partnerships evident, such as local non-profits providing booths and staff?  All benefit us directly and indirectly, and are a value added bonus of our enjoyment of the visit.

The Fall Openfields Farm Tour will be held on Saturday, October 17, 2009.  Participating farms will be open for visitors between noon and 5:oo pm.  For more details, check the Extension website at  http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/winnebago/ or call the office at 815-986-4357.

Entry Filed under: Ecotourism, Eat locally