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tourism opportunities > agritourism
Agritourism
Roger Merchant, Extension Educator
University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Dover-Foxcroft, Maine
Agritourism is travel away from home to visit rural areas and connect
with agricultural life, experiencing and appreciating rural people,
communities and farm life.
What is it about?
- Visiting farms and roadside stands
- Hay and sleigh rides, horseback riding
- On-farm tours and workshops
- Corn mazes, pick-your-own produce, fee fishing
- Music festivals, weddings and celebrations
- Participating in harvest festivals and county fairs
- On farm vacations with B&B or cabins
- Paying fees for agritourism experiences and products
Who
might like it?
People who
- are interested in rural life and agriculture
- local "natives" and visitors "from away"
- organized groups; youth and seniors
- families, children and grandchildren
- travelers who visit in the summer
- farmers who like meeting the public and want
to increase farm viability
How can a community-county participate
with this?
- Personal assessment: does agritourism fit farm and family?
- Assess farm assets and agritourism options
- Talk with others who have adopted agritourism
- Evaluate community-county-regional marketing support
- Set agritourism goals and objectives for the farm enterprise
- Develop a marketing plan, link to community-regional promotion
- Implement agritourism and farm enterprise plans
- Manage and evaluate for high quality, customer service
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