KnowledgeBase Collection
Agritourism
One way to support agricultural economic development efforts in rural areas is to promote the diversification of farm-related activities. This typically takes the form of permitting the pursuit of value-added, agriculturally related, accessory commercial uses on working farms. The terms agricultural tourism or agritourism are commonly used to describe any activity incidental to the operation of a farm that brings members of the public to the farm for educational, recreational, or retail purposes.
Because many local zoning codes prohibit all undefined uses and activities, it is important for communities to specifically address agritourism uses in their plans and ordinances — both to allow farmers to integrate such uses into their operations and to control the potential negative impacts to rural character and agricultural practices that may result.
From this page you can search for resources that provide background, policy guidance, and examples of local plan recommendations and zoning standards for agritourism from across the country. And you can filter these search results by various geographic and demographic characteristics.
APA Resource
Agritourism Zoning Down on the Farm
This Zoning Practice article discusses how planners can balance the need to preserve rural character and farming practices while allowing for agritourism enterprises in agricultural districts.
About Agritourism
Many challenges to traditional farming economies, including development pressures, rising costs, and falling prices, have forced farmers to explore a wide range of options to maintain financial viability. One of these options is diversifying into agricultural tourism activities, including the direct marketing of farm products. Other agritourism activities are those that involve visiting a working farm for enjoyment of, education about, or involvement in farming activities.
Direct marketing of farm products to consumers allows farmers to gain the full value of their products and can be accomplished through on-site produce stands as well as value-added agricultural product processing and retail facilities. Educational or recreational agritourism uses can include farm tours, farm classes, farm stays, corn mazes, harvest festivals, and other similar events. Use of farms for special private events, such as weddings, receptions, or private parties, may also be considered as an agritourism use.
Planning and Zoning for Agritourism
For communities that wish to support and promote their local agricultural sectors through agritourism, a good place to start is to incorporate goals, objectives, policies, or action items within the comprehensive plan identifying agritourism as an important approach to strengthening the farming sector. This is typically addressed in an agriculture element, though it can be reinforced within the economic development element. Agritourism strategies can also be incorporated into functional plans, such as farmland protection plans or agricultural economic development plans.
Counties and municipalities may adopt zoning regulations that encourage agritourism and its accompanying economic benefits by allowing for these activities without imposing undue burdens or costs on farmers. Typically, this is done is by defining agritourism uses within the code and permitting them as accessory uses to primary agricultural uses within the zoning ordinance. Some communities add the general term “agritourism” to use lists, with more specific definitions and standards listed in a supplemental standards section. Alternatively, ordinances can list out different specific agritourism enterprises as either by-right primary uses, permitted accessory uses, or special or conditional uses to retain more control over such development.
Most agritourism ordinances limit such enterprises to “authentic” accessory uses that support and promote working farms to avoid the commercial development of tourist or recreational facilities incompatible with rural character that may eventually undermine the viability of agricultural operations. Specific development standards seek to mitigate undue impacts on rural agricultural districts and working farmland. Such standards may address minimum parcel sizes and maximum facility sizes, setbacks, parking, signage, noise, nuisances, and hours of operation.
Special events, such as festivals, weddings, concerts, or art shows, are often specifically addressed, as they have the potential for greater negative impacts on rural character and working farm operations. Ordinances may allow a certain number of special events of a limited size by right, but require special use or special event permits for larger or more frequent events. Provisions may include performance or operational standards addressing minimum parcel size, amplified sound, outdoor lighting, and the maximum number of guests allowed at events.
Background Resources
Agritourism: Ideas and Resources
Though written for farmers, this briefing paper provides helpful background information on agritourism.
Consumer Demand for Agricultural and On-Farm Nature Tourism
This briefing paper examined demographic and psychographic characteristics of potential agritourism visitors as well as consumer motivations for farm and ranch visits and prospects for increased farm revenue.
Direct Farm Marketing as a Rural Development Tool
This article explores the prospects of direct farm marketing for bolstering farm income and promoting rural development.
Obstacles in the Agritourism Regulatory Process: Perspectives of Operators and Officials in Ten California Counties
This briefing paper examines local regulatory obstacles facing California farmers and ranchers interested in developing agritourism operations.
States’ Agritourism Statutes
This website offers links to the statutory texts of agritourism statutes for the more than half of U.S. states that have enacted such statutes.
The Demand for Agritourism in the United States
This article examines on-farm recreation, or agritourism, as a marketed amenity of farms, and estimates the market and nonmarket benefits of rural land to visitors.
Reports
Kentucky Agritourism Market Study: Executive Summary and Recommendations
This report offers an interesting look at factors needed for a successful agritourism program within a state.
Regulating the Farm: Improving Agriculture’s Viability in the Capitol Region
This report focuses on the need to go beyond farmland preservation efforts to promote and support the viability of farming operations and farmers in the region.
Report of the Center for Rural Virginia On the Expansion and Promotion of Farm Businesses and Rural Enterprises
This report examines strategies that expand and promote economic opportunities of the agriculture industry, particularly the expansion and promotion of farm businesses or rural enterprises.
Sowing the Seeds for Southtowns Agribusiness: An Assessment of Farms and a Plan for the Future
This report presents survey findings and outlines recommendations for strategic expansion of the area’s agritourism market.
The Opportunity for Agritourism Development in New Jersey
This report conveys the findings of a one-year study of the potential for agritourism development in New Jersey.
Articles
Characteristics of New Jersey Agritourism Farms
This article examines the characteristics of New Jersey farms engaging in agritourism using 2007 Census of Agriculture data.
Defining Agritourism: A Comparative Study of Stakeholders’ Perceptions in Missouri and North Carolina
This article seeks to identify preferred definitional elements and types of agritourism activities.
Direct Farm Marketing as a Rural Development Tool
This article explores the prospects of direct farm marketing for bolstering farm income and promoting rural development.
Perceived Impact of Agritourism on Farm Economic Standing, Sales and Profits
This article examines the economic gains of agritourism development on Missouri farms.
The Demand for Agritourism in the United States
This article examines on-farm recreation, or agritourism, as a marketed amenity of farms, and estimates the market and nonmarket benefits of rural land to visitors.
Guides
Facilitating Innovative Agricultural Enterprises: Considerations and Example Language for Vermont Municipalities
This guide and model was produced to help support and foster agricultural expansion through “agripreneurism,” or the diversification of on-farm businesses.
Lancaster County, PA, Agritourism Guidelines for the Promotion and Regulation of Farm-Based Tourism Enterprises
This guide offers model zoning language for agritourism uses.
Michigan Agricultural Tourism Local Zoning Guidebook and Model Zoning Ordinance Provisions
This guide offers model zoning ordinance provisions to help local governments address agricultural tourism.
Planning for Agritourism: A Guide for Local Governments and Indiana Farmers
This guide reinforces the importance of planning for agritourism activities as a way to help support existing farming enterprises, diversify local economies, and maintain rural character.
San Mateo County, CA, Agritourism Guidelines
These guidelines were developed to guide the review and establishment of commercial activities on agricultural land.
Briefing papers
Agritourism: Ideas and Resources
Though written for farmers, this briefing paper provides helpful background information on agritourism.
Consumer Demand for Agricultural and On-Farm Nature Tourism
This briefing paper examined demographic and psychographic characteristics of potential agritourism visitors as well as consumer motivations for farm and ranch visits and prospects for increased farm revenue.
Local Regulation of Agritourism and Agriculture
This paper examines the legal aspects of regulating agritourism, in particular how it is defined as an accessory use to agriculture.
Obstacles in the Agritourism Regulatory Process: Perspectives of Operators and Officials in Ten California Counties
This briefing paper examines local regulatory obstacles facing California farmers and ranchers interested in developing agritourism operations.
The Economic Contributions of Agritourism in New Jersey
This bulletin examines the economic contributions of agritourism in the state of New Jersey.
WEBSITES
Snohomish County, WA, Focus on Farming
This county website addresses agritourism as part of a wide range of resources for local agricultural producers.
States’ Agritourism Statutes
This website offers links to the statutory texts of agritourism statutes for the more than half of U.S. states that have enacted such statutes.
Staff Reports
Acme, MI, Requested Zoning Ordinance Amendment 0XX – Addition of “Barn Functions” to “Uses Permitted by Special Use Permit” in the A‐1, Agricultural Zoning District
This series of staff reports and meeting minutes details discussions about a zoning amendment that added a wide range of “Agricultural Tourism” as uses permitted by right or by special permit to the agricultural district.
Forsyth County, NC, Public Hearing on Zoning Text Amendment to Amend Chapters A and B of the Unified Development Ordinances to Create Provisions for the “Agricultural Tourism” Use Classification (UDO)
This brief staff report recommends amending the county’s unified development ordinance to create provisions for an agricultural use classification within Voluntary Agricultural Districts.
Mariposa County, CA, Agriculture Advisory Committee Summary and Recommendations
This staff report recommends an agritourism and agri-nature tourism amendment to the county code for approval.
Sonoma County, CA, Agricultural Tourism
This staff report includes a draft of a white paper on policies and regulation of agricultural tourism.
Thurston County, WA, Amend Development Code to Create an Agri-Tourism Overlay District and Permit Wineries and Breweries in Specific Areas of Rural Thurston County
This staff report notes planning commission concerns about creating an agritourism overlay district within the county.
Models
Facilitating Innovative Agricultural Enterprises: Considerations and Example Language for Vermont Municipalities
This guide and model was produced to help support and foster agricultural expansion through “agripreneurism,” or the diversification of on-farm businesses.
Hunterdon County, NJ, Environmental Toolbox
This collection of model ordinances includes one that addresses on-farm markets and farm stands that directly market farm products to the public.
Lancaster County, PA, Agritourism Guidelines for the Promotion and Regulation of Farm-Based Tourism Enterprises
This guide offers model zoning language for agritourism uses.
Michigan Agricultural Tourism Local Zoning Guidebook and Model Zoning Ordinance Provisions
This guide offers model zoning ordinance provisions to help local governments address agricultural tourism.
Comprehensive Plans
Lake County, CA, General Plan
The county’s general plan addresses agricultural tourism in its Agricultural Resources element.
Sacramento County, CA, General Plan
The county’s general plan addresses agricultural tourism in the agricultural and economic development elements.
Sutter County, CA, General Plan
The county addresses agritourism in the Agricultural Resources chapter of its general plan.
Functional Plans
Broome County, NY, Agricultural Economic Development Plan
This agricultural economic development plan proposes an agricultural tourism initiative in concert with other economic development strategies to promote the county’s agricultural industry.
New River Valley, VA, Agriculture and Agritourism Strategic Plan
This agritourism strategic plan examines both agribusiness and agritourism.
St. Charles County, MO, Agri-Tourism Land Use Plan
This master plan amendment addresses agritourism uses in the southwestern portion of the county.
Regulations
Augusta County, VA, County Code
The county’s zoning ordinance addresses agritourism.
Butte County, CA, Zoning Ordinance
The county's zoning ordinance addresses agritourism and farmland protection and defines and provides standards for four tiers of solar utility uses.
Calaveras County, CA, Municipal Code
The county’s zoning code addresses agritourism and farmland protection through agricultural zoning.
Calvert County, MD, Zoning Ordinance
The county’s zoning ordinance addresses agritourism in a section on Agritourism, Ecotourism, and Heritage Tourism Uses and Definitions.
Cass County, NE, Zoning Regulations
The county’s zoning ordinance addresses agritourism through an agritourism overlay district applicable within the county’s agricultural districts.
Dinwiddie County, VA, Code of Ordinances
The county’s zoning ordinance addresses agritourism within an article on agricultural operations.
Related Collections
Farmland Protection
This collection catalogs numerous resources that provide background and policy guidance or demonstrate how localities and regional agencies are using plans, regulations, and programs to protect and preserve agricultural lands.
Food Systems
This collection catalogs resources that provide background, policy guidance, model ordinances, and examples of local and regional plan recommendations and development regulations for various types of activities and uses that promote food access or security from across the country.
Support for this collection was provided by the Growing Food Connections Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grant no. 2012-68004-19894 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.