The New Agritourism: Hosting Community and Tourists on Your Farm

Agritourismthe practice of attracting travelers or visitors to an area used primarily for agricultural purposesmay be the most dependable cash crop available to modern-day farmers. For those interested in developing their own agritourism project, this book offers an overview of the origins of agritourism and provides useful information on developing an original plan. With profiles of farmers and their microfarms from around the world, this book shows innovative ways to develop and structure a plan that is safe, legal, promotes the enterprise, and is sure to progress and prosper in coming years. From lavender microfarms to large corn acreages, farmers are finding that by opening their farms to nonfarming citizens, even for just a few weekends a year, they can receive a serious boost in revenue. Such an enterprise can additionally motivate the general public to reconnect with the depth of farming, encouraging them to offer and demand support for fair treatment of their local farms.

Barbara Berst Adams writes feature articles on micro- and eco-farming for national magazines. She is the author of Micro Eco Farming: Prospering from Backyard to Small-Acreage in Partnership with the Earth. She lives in Anacortes, Washington.