Agritourism is a great way to capitalize on the natural draw of your landscape, connect non-farm families to agriculture and create new revenue streams for your operation. But these benefits are not without risk.
Finding the right agritourism for operation
Adding a new agritourism venture to your operation starts by answering a simple question: What will work best? Consider the following:
- Your land, what you raise and any other resources that could contribute to a new attraction
- The time and money you can invest in an agritourism venture
- Potential hazards to visitors, the liability they create for you and how you’ll mitigate the risks and keep people safe
Agritourism examples to consider
- Pumpkin patches and corn mazes. Fairly common around the country, they’re popular but can require a lot of time and labor.
- Farm tours and hayrack rides. Also fairly common, opening your farm to the public for tours and offering services like hayrack rides provide up-close farm experience. They often vary widely on cost, supervision and risk exposure.
- Bed & breakfasts. An unoccupied farm house or even a repurposed barn or other farm building offer farm guests distinctive overnight stays. Time and labor required are normally fairly high.
- Experiences. Ranging from “U-Pick” farms and Christmas tree farms to barn rentals for events like weddings, these also can range widely in cost, supervision and risk exposure.
- Classes. Weekly or monthly classes on things like jam- or bread-making can be an easy, low-cost option.
Minimizing the risks of agritourism
Before adding agritourism to your farm or ranch, think about the specific risks you and your visitors will face and how you’ll mitigate them. This includes simple things like trip and fall hazards all the way to specific risks around livestock, farm equipment and food safety. Conduct a thorough audit of these types of risks and start by taking steps to minimize the hazards they represent.
“Check with your state for any agritourism protective measures and talk to your insurance agent for guidance on mitigation measures and how you can expand your insurance coverage,” said Neal.
