Business Resources: Agritourism & Agritainment

Agritourism may be any form of farm-based tourism operation that provides economic benefit to the farm owner(s) and provides on-farm entertainment, activity, or product for the visitor. This includes you-pick operations, petting zoos, corn mazes, hay rides, pumpkin patches, dairy tours, and more! The links listed in this directory are references which will provide you with information about agritourism and how to manage an agritourism or agritainment business.

These resources have been compiled from various resources and agencies and are provided here for educational purposes only. Please if you find information that needs to be updated, broken links, or if you have an additional resource you feel is pertinent. See the page on corn maze resources.

• Mississippi Agritourism Association
  This is a non-profit organization that promotes agritourism in Mississippi.
• Agricultural Marketing Resource Center
  Agritourism Resources and Checklists
• Tennessee Agritourism Initiative
  Turning Small Farms in to Big Business - Center for Profitable Agriculture - University of Tennessee Extension Service and Tennessee Farm Bureau. You can find an extensive listing of educational materials, from marketing tools and techniques, business planning, risk assessment and management and more on this site. You may sign up for the "Tennessee Agritourism Today" newsletter.
• Agritourism in Focus: A Guide for Tennessee Farmers(2005)
  University of Tennessee Extension Service. This publication includes an introduction to agritourism, business planning, marketing, customer service, risk assessment and management, safety considerations, regulations, resources, and a personal evaluation.
• Alternative Enterprises and Agritourism
  Natural Resources Conservation Service. This extensive manual contains 20 chapters of listings and directories of information, websites, and publications on agritourism - from conservation opportunities, to rural tourism, heritage and cultural tourism, success stories, liability insurance, marketing, and more.
  
• Agri-tourism (2001)
  Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech and Virginia State University. Discusses how tourism integrates with your current farm management, assessing the possibilities, business management and goals, developing a business plan, marketing your agritourism business, customer service, pricing, risk management, liability, and pertinent regulations.
• Entertainment Farming and Agritourism: Business Management Guide (2004)
  National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. This publication discusses the three agri-tourism basics: things to see, things to do, and things to buy. Examples include educational tours, historical recreations, crop art, festivals and special events, petting zoos, pick-your-own, mazes, and more.
• What is Agritourism?
  University of California -Davis. This fact sheet defines and provides examples of agritourism opportunities and options.
• Agri-Tourism Workbook (2003)
  Agri-Business Council of Oregon. This workbook will assist you in identifying options through an inventory checklist, a description of types of agritourism, and an assessment of your preferences, options and goals. It also covers legal and liability issues, financing options, business planning, and marketing your enterprise. Be sure to note that the zoning ordinances and legal discussion are specific to Oregon.
• Taking the First Step: Farm and Ranch Alternative Enterprise and Agritourism Resource Evaluation Guide (2004)
  Southern Maryland Resource Conservation and Development Board, Inc. and USDA NRCS. This publication contains 60 pages of information for those interested in developing an agritourism enterprise. Evaluating the resources on the property is a large component in this publication including soil, landscape, buildings, animals, water, plants, and people resources. Worksheets and agritourism ideas are included in the publication. Sections on marketing alternatives, additional resources, and liability and legal considerations are also included in this publication.
  
• Mississippi Agri-Tourism
  MS Department of Agriculture and Commerce. You can submit your agritourism business or agricultural related event this website for a free listing.
  
• Considering an Agritainment Enterprise in Tennessee? (2000)
  University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service. This publication provides general considerations of the agritainment industry, marketing, financial and general management issues. Examples of agritainment enterprises include hay rides, nature trails, orchard tours, roadside stands, private parties, farm vacations, petting zoos and more.
• Targeting School Groups for Agritainment Enterprises (2001)
  University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service. Summary of a schoolteacher survey in Tennessee. This information could be used to help business owners determine pricing, marketing, scheduling of school trips, and important field trip components as well as marketing agritainment to schoolteachers.
  
• Considerations for Agritainment Enterprises for Georgia
  University of Georgia. Although some of the information is specific to Georgia, this publication provides information on developing a marketing plan, marketing strategies and goals, advertising and publicity, evaluating the financial potential, regulations, insurance and labor issues, risk management, public relation skills, and much more. This is an overview of the components important in developing an agriculture entertainment enterprise.
  
• Fact Sheets for Managing Agri- and Nature- Tourism Operation: Safety and Risk Management
  University of California Small Farms Center. This article discusses how to manage risk and improve safety, including getting liability insurance, posting rules and regulations that can help reduce risk, steps to take to manage risk when using live animals, or providing rides such as hay rides or farm tours, and around bodies of water such as ponds or lakes.
• Conducting Farm and Ranch Tours
  University of California Small Farms Center. Discusses how to conduct a farm or ranch tour on your property. Farm and ranch tours can provide an enjoyable experience to visitors and provide a source of income for property owners if done in a well-planned, scheduled, and safe manner. Visitors can take away a pleasant agritourism experience and provide good word of mouth advertisement for the farm or ranch operator. Use these tips to plan out your own tour.
• Considerations for Agritourism Development (2000)
  New York Sea Grant. Agritourism provides an opportunity for diversifying farm income and can assist farm owners and operators in maintaining their businesses and way of life. Prior to developing an agritourism business, there are many things to consider and plan. This publication covers the basics of planning an agritourism business, provides some case studies for consideration, and covers community-wide agritourism ventures, such as festivals or farmer's markets as well as how to plan a regional agritourism program. Community leaders, economic development professionals, and those interested in operating an agritourism business will find this publication helpful.
• Agritourism in New York: Management and Operations
  New York Sea Grant. This document presents the results of a survey of agritourism operations in New York, providing information on income and expenses, the reasons operators opened an agritourism business, employment issues, liability and insurance coverage issues, and other concerns of agritourism business owners. This is a good publication to give a prospective agritourism business owner insight into the benefits and drawbacks of this type of operation, though regional differences will apply.
• Kansas Agritourism
  Provided by the Kansas Agritourism Advisory Council, Coordinated with the Department of Commerce Agriculture Marketing Division & Travel & Tourism Division. This website provides information for farmers interested in agritourism, has a newsletter with feature articles on specific agritourism businesses, and lists news articles relevant to the Kansas agritourism industry.
• How Far Would You Go For Good Asparagus? Agritourism Takes Off in the United States.
  Food & Society, Volume 4, Issue 4, June 2005. This article talks about different agritourism festivals and the agritourism industry in the United States, citing Europe's industry, and discussing the types of agritourism operations that are showing up in the U.S.
• Managing the Liability and Risks of Farm Direct Marketing and Agritourism
  Community Agricultural Development Center - Washington. Although some information is specific to the state of Washington, this site gives a good overview of the liability issues farmers and agritourism business owners might encounter and how to reduce the risks and liability concerns on the farm and associated with products and employees. Provides a sample hold harmless agreement, a listing of insurance agencies in Washington, and discusses ways to limit liability and reduce risks.
  
• A Farmer's Guide to Hosting Farm Visits for Children (1998)
  Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture; University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. This publication guides farmer's through the process of planning, marketing, hosting, and ensuring the safety of farm visits involving children. Suggestions for activities and a discussion of group management and safety are provided.
• Nature-Based Tourism & Agritourism Trends: Unlimited Opportunities (2002)
  James Maetzold, USDA/NRCS, Washington D.C. This publication explains what agritourism is, what type of income opportunities exist in agritourism, tips for developing an agritourism business, a listing of places to get assistance, and a listing of funding sources
• How to Run a Farm Tour
  Ontario Farm Animal Council. This publication defines farm tours and gives useful advice on how to plan a tour, such as knowing your audience and costs to consider. Information is also given on how to set up a farm display.
• An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Starting a New Agricultural Enterprise: Managing Risk (2005)
  University of Delaware’s Cooperative Extension. This publication describes many types of agritourism opportunities, and how to plan for the start of an agritourism business on your propery. It goes into detail on how to create a business plan, a marketing plan, a risk management plan, and human resource considerations.
• Resource Assessment
  University of Kentucky College of Agriculture. This article describes how to take into account resources one has available when planning an agritourism business. These resources include natural resources, buildings and other structures, and labor.