Tag: agritourism

Insights on Agritourism Among Maine Producers: Evidence from the 2024 National Agritourism Producer Survey

May 2, 2025

This report presents findings from the 2024 National Agritourism Producer Survey, conducted in part to address the type of knowledge gaps just identified. The survey questionnaire was developed by researchers from Penn State University, the University of Maine, the University of Vermont, and Oklahoma State University. The online survey was open from March through August 2024, and 2,139 agritourism operators across the United States responded. A total of 94 survey participants identified themselves as being in Maine by reporting the postal (ZIP) code of their farm. The Maine-specific findings are available in the report below. (To access the national-level findings, visit this page.)

This survey is part of a larger project aimed at defining and enhancing the agritourism support system in the United States. The primary objective of conducting this survey was to identify areas where targeted interventions and programs can support agritourism development. Respondents were asked to evaluate several critical factors that impact their agritourism business. This included rating the degree to which they felt different aspects of the environment pose a challenge to developing agritourism in their region, tourism features of the region in which they operate, the socio-cultural environment in which they operate, and their views on how challenging the regulatory landscape is to their agritourism business.

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Insights on Agritourism Among US Producers: Evidence from the 2024 National Agritourism Producer Survey 

April 21, 2025

This report presents findings from the 2024 National Agritourism Producer Survey. The survey questionnaire was developed by researchers from Penn State, the University of Maine, the University of Vermont, and Oklahoma State University. This survey is part of a larger project aimed at defining and enhancing the agritourism support system in the United States. The primary objective of conducting this survey was to identify areas where targeted interventions and programs can support agritourism development across the country. A webinar about the findings took place on April 23, 2025, and was recorded. Access the recording here.

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Insights and oversights: Behind the data on agritourism and direct sales in the United States

September 27, 2024

Abstract: Agritourism is growing worldwide as farmers and ranchers seek alternative sources of revenue, and consumer demand for agricultural experiences is on the rise. Understanding this sector is important for policymakers, researchers, agricultural service providers, and others seeking to support farm viability and rural entrepreneurship. However, in the U.S., this support is hampered by the lack of a clear definition and consistent, comprehensive means for measuring the agritourism sector. The best available data for the U.S. are from the quinquennial U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS)’s Census of Agriculture. However, the two questions used by the Census of Agriculture that relate to agritourism are worded in ways that limit a comprehensive understanding of the size and scope of the sector. To illustrate the limitations, we highlight cases from two U.S. states (Texas and Vermont), where different forms of agritourism are present. One such form, hunting, is included in the USDA’s economic assessments of agritourism; another, pick-your-own berries, is not. Along with tastings and purchases of locally grown products, this falls in the category of direct sales. The discrep­ancy can result in misrepresentation and misinter­pretation of the data in analyses and subsequent publications with distorted policy recommenda­tions related to agritourism. We discuss these cases alongside recommendations on how to more accurately measure, and support, agritourism development in the U.S.

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Advancing Agritourism

August 15, 2024

Agritourism is an opportunity for rural communities and farm operators to benefit from the growing consumer interest in on-farm experiences. NERCRD engages in several research and outreach efforts aimed at making this opportunity more accessible. Learn more in this NERCRD Digest.

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Direct-to-Consumer Sales of Agrifood Products by US Farms: Data from the 2022 Census of Agriculture

June 3, 2024

A new data brief by Jason S. Entsminger (University of Maine) and Claudia Schmidt (Penn State and NERCRD) provides a snapshot of the direct-to-consumer sales of agrifood products, and documents recent changes across the industry. The data brief, which was published by the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development (NERCRD), is available below:

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Agritourism and Recreational Services on US Farms: Data from the 2022 Census of Agriculture

May 7, 2024

A new data brief by Jason S. Entsminger (University of Maine) and Claudia Schmidt (Penn State and NERCRD) provides a snapshot of the national agritourism landscape and documents recent changes across the industry. The data brief, which was published by the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development (NERCRD), is available below:

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