Virginia’s agricultural producers and landowners are turning to agritourism to diversify their operations—creating new revenue streams while connecting the public with the sources of their food and fiber.
Over 50 operators learned about the latest trends, challenges and strategies at the annual Virginia Agritourism Conference, held in Virginia Beach on March 12, hosted by the Virginia Foundation for Agriculture, Innovation and Rural Sustainability. VA FAIRS is housed within Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, offering support for agritourism operators statewide.
“When you marry the top two industries in Virginia—agriculture and tourism—you get agritourism,” said Virginia Cooperative Extension agent Livvy Preisser of Isle of Wight County. “Agritourism is literally throughout the entire commonwealth and a huge economic booster. A bed-and-breakfast can be considered agritourism. So can trail rides, breweries and wineries, fall festivals, corn mazes, hayrides, you-pick or cut-your-own farms, stores and markets, and sometimes weddings depending on local zoning laws.”
She said some operators returned home to the farm with a different attitude and approach toward traditional production agriculture.
“They may not want to drive the tractor, they may not want to feed livestock, but they may want to invite kids out and tell them how to grow food or where their food comes from,” Preisser said. “That’s a big driver of why producers are turning to agritourism. It also allows you to market your farm products and to share your lifestyle!”
Ursula Tankard Deitch, Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services marketing specialist on the Eastern Shore, said most Americans are multiple generations removed from a farm.
“We need to educate everybody in our community on how important agriculture is, and agritourism is the step to do that with,” Deitch said.
She interviewed owners of diverse agritourism locations around the state to learn about the commodities tied to their business, what agritourism approaches have worked well and tough lessons learned.
“Even though you have different commodities, you still have a lot of the same successes and challenges in an agritourism business,” Deitch said. “Getting into agritourism, or any type of agriculture, you may want to go fast and go big. But it’s ideal to start small and work into it.”
Participants also learned about leveraging local tourism to reach more visitors, potential liabilities, agritourism-related legislative updates from the Virginia General Assembly, and information on how to access funding opportunities and other channels of support from VA FAIRS. The conference concluded with tours of nearby Cullipher Farms and Doodle Doo Farms.
Visit VA FAIRS and VCE’s agritourism websites for more information.
