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In This Issue


It’s quickly turning into fall, soon the leaves will be changing colors and the harvest season will begin. We are all enjoying the cooler weather and activities associated with the changing season. This month’s newsletter will give you some concrete ideas for using fall as a way to help stimulate the local economy and increase economic development in your community.



We encourage you to try out one of the ideas listed in this article, whether it is on the operational side or simply as a tourist wanting to experience something new and exciting.

It’s quickly turning into fall, soon the leaves will be changing colors and the harvest season will begin. We are all enjoying the cooler weather and activities associated with the changing season. This month’s newsletter will give you some concrete ideas for using fall as a way to help stimulate the local economy and increase economic development in your community. This article presents an overview on Agritourism and provides several ideas that you or your community can implement in order to take advantage of some of the newest tourism trends.

What Exactly Is Agritourism?

You may have heard the terms agritourism, nature tourism or farm-based recreation being used lately. But what exactly do they mean? Agricultural tourism, commonly referred to as agritourism, is the act of visiting a working farm or any agricultural, horticultural or agribusiness operation for the purpose of pleasure, education, or involvement in the activities of the farm or agricultural operation. Agritourism is one alternative for improving the incomes and potential economic viability of small farms and rural communities. Agritourism enterprises have been doing quite well in Europe for several decades, and California has developed a significant niche for agritourism. According to the Texas Travel Industry Association, over 87 million people have taken a trip to a rural destination in the past three years. Is your community capitalizing on this opportunity? On average, the typical agricultural recreation customer is in his or her early forties, has a median family size of three, an income of $50,000 or more, and a higher than average education level.

Nature tourism encompasses many different activities, but consists primarily of travel to natural attractions of an area, usually involving components of conservation and concern for welfare of the local population. Examples include bird watching, photography, stargazing, camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, and visiting parks. These tourists are interested in first hand experiences and seek out a diversity of natural and cultural resources. The tourists desire authentic experiences that immerse them in nature. Is your land or community part of a certain bird’s migratory flight path? Does your community have an abundance of wildlife? Consider building small, covered shelters, known as blinds, for bird watchers and nature photographers to rent by the hour. Place them in areas that receive high amounts of traffic from wildlife. Do you have a tank on your property that is brimming with catfish? Consider opening your land to the public and charging a fee to try their hand at catching a catfish. There are many ways to entice and entertain the growing number of nature tourists.

Farm-based recreation is exactly what it seems: recreation based around some sort of typical farming or ranching activity, whether it be a maze cut out of a corn field, traveling to a dairy farm to learn about its operations or taking part in ranching activities on a cattle ranch. These operations are not new, as far back as the 1880’s people were traveling to “dude ranches” to take part in cattle drives and experience ranching first hand. Farm tours are not entirely a new concept either, but only recently has farm-based recreation been studied in depth by researchers. Often the reasons behind travel of this sort involve a desire to understand where one’s food comes from or as a way to combine an educational component with recreation.

The next section of this article will give you some concrete ideas about incorporating this type of recreation into your community, farm or ranch.

Ideas for Capitalizing on This New Market Segment:

Farmers' Markets:

We have all seen farmers' markets at some point in time. Often they are limited to fresh, locally grown produce. Recently, local produce has risen in popularity as people have become more eco-conscious and selective about where their food comes from. Communities can take advantage of this new trend by providing residents with opportunities to buy locally grown produce, keeping the money in circulation within the local economy instead of being spent elsewhere. Farmers' markets can showcase produce, flowers, and hand-crafted items as well as items created from local produce such as jams and jellies. All you need for a farmers' market is an empty parking lot or large open space. The next step would be to advertise to local farmers and sell or give away booth spaces. Use flyers and other forms of advertisement, such as newspapers, to attract locals. Most farmers' markets occur on Saturday or Sunday mornings and can last all day or at least until the supply of fresh produce runs out. The season and amount of produce available for sale will help determine how often a farmers' market should be held. Not only is this a great way to keep money within the local economy, but it is a great place for community members to meet and share ideas.

Cornfield Maze:

It may sound a little crazy, but communities are putting themselves on the map by creating mazes, or “maizes” (pun intended), out of un-harvested cornfields or hay bales. You can take a look at a corn maize in Hondo, Texas by visiting http://www.southtexasmaize.com/; this particular farm has been hosting a maze since 2001. There are even companies who will come cut a maze in a cornfield for you (http://www.cornfieldmaze.com/). Many people across the nation have begun to use corn mazes as a way to produce extra revenue. Often farmers find that they make more money by selling tickets to the maze than they would if they harvested the corn and sold it at market value, but this is not a venture to enter into lightly. You need to do the research and make sure this type of business would meet your needs. One option might be planting a community corn field and hiring someone to come in and cut the maze. This could be a joint venture by the city and chamber of commerce or convention and visitor’s bureau. Often the maze is the main draw for tourists, but activities such as petting zoos, hayrides, and children’s games are often offered to complement the maze. Many maze operators even sell concessions, souvenirs, or products made on the farm. Of course, you would need to make sure you have all of the proper city permits and are filing income from this venture correctly. This could be a great addition to your local fall festival or the perfect activity to center a new community event around.

Farm Based Recreation:

There are literally hundreds of ideas to choose from when considering farm-based recreation. Most farms offer something for visitor’s to see, experience or “do”, and something for them to purchase. Farm-based recreation usually involves some type of demonstration or learning experience; for example, a demonstration about how to milk a cow or a canning demonstration. The experience would be trying to milk the cow or making your own preserves. Popular activities for farm-based recreation include:

The possibilities here are quite limitless and can be rather varied depending on the type of farm or ranch offering the activities. One popular activity that has experienced success is a pick your own orchard or field where guests pay to help with the harvest. Guests pay to pick fruits or harvest vegetables and then can choose to purchase part of the harvest. It is a great way for smaller farms, vineyards and orchards to make money and get help with the harvest. Many farms and ranches offer special educational tours and activities for school-aged children during the week and then a special set of offerings for general travelers Friday through Sunday. Some of these farms and ranches also have onsite lodging available for guests. Offerings can vary seasonally and will largely depend on the individuals operating the farm or ranch and the size of the operation. If you are looking for a way to increase your income and own or operate a farm or ranch, consider adding farm based recreation to the list of ideas for supplementing income.

Fall Festivals:

Most of us have heard of a fall festival and have probably attended one or more at some time in our lives. Many schools, churches and other communities routinely host these types of events. Has your community thought about hosting a community wide fall festival and trying to attract attendees from outside the area to stimulate the local economy? Even a well-done haunted house is a big attraction during the month of October. Consider having a scary attraction for adults and another attraction for small children. Focus on ways to make your event memorable and ways to attract guests from areas outside of the community. If your event is occurring near or on Halloween, use the festival as a way to provide safe trick-or-treating activities for children. Many places are organizing “Trunk or Treat” activities where everyone decorates the trunk of their vehicle with decorations and passes candy out to trick-or-treaters in a large parking lot. Many organizations have seen great success with this activity as it provides a safer alternative to traditional house to house trick-or-treating. Additional activities at fall festivals include:

When done right, a fall festival provides a way for the community to come together and celebrate this unique time of year.







We encourage you to try out one of the ideas listed in this article, whether it is on the operational side or simply as a tourist wanting to experience something new and exciting. Find a fall festival in your area or take the time to visit a farmer’s market and try the fresh produce offered there. Take time to enjoy the changing seasons and get involved in your community. See if there are ways that you can help and get involved in local events that benefit everyone in the area. Happy Fall!

About the Author: Alyssa Webb is the Communications Coordinator for AdventGX, an economic development and tourism consulting firm located in College Station, Texas. She is currently pursuing her graduate degree at Texas A&M University in the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences with an emphasis on community event planning and tourism marketing. Alyssa can be reached via email at alyssawebb@adventgx.com.