USDA Agritourism Resource Manual

Report Introduction: Agritourism represents a small but growing component of the U.S. agriculture sector. As such, it is an important pathway for agricultural producers to increase their income and enhance the sustainability of their operations. As reported in the 2022 Census of Agriculture, receipts from agritourism and recreational services (crop mazes, farm and winery tours, hay rides, petting zoos, hunting and fishing, etc.) reached around $1.3 billion (5.7 percent of farm-related income), while revenues from direct sales of food and value added food products to consumers (pick-your-own, farm stores, on-farm and road side stands, farmer’s markets, online sales, etc.) approached $3.3 billion (0.6 percent of total farm sales). All-in-all, in 2022, farms and ranches engaged in direct sales to consumers earned on average $27,981 and those engaged in agritourism and recreational services earned on average $44,004. These amounts do not include revenues from the sale of non-food products, such as cut-your-own flowers and Christmas trees or Christmas trimming (USDA, 2024). USDA and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) have long recognized the importance of agritourism for increasing conservation and the sustainability of farms and ranches. For example, in 1997, NRCS amended its recreation policy in its General Manual to include tourism activities. NRCS then developed and published in 2004 the Alternative Enterprises and Agritourism: Farming for Profit and Sustainability Resource Manual and funded and directed the development of a First Steps: A Farm and Ranch Alternative Enterprise and Agritourism Resource Evaluation Guide produced by the Southern Maryland Resource Conservation and Development Board, Inc. This manual is an update to the 2004 Resource Manual and represents a major revision with respect to content and purpose. Land Grant institutions and State governments have developed a large amount of information to assist agritourism operators in their States and which, in many cases, is useful for all agritourism operators wherever they are located. In addition, one of the chief needs identified by current agritourism advocates and participants is for more information on resources available to them from USDA. As a result, this update focuses on USDA programs and resources that could be utilized by those interested in developing an agritourism enterprise or existing agritourism operators, and includes USDA agency contacts.