As Agritourism Grows Locally, Nationally, Data Grows As Well

It is among the increasing harvest for agritourism operators and the communities they serve.   Data to help them better understand and recognize some of the trends in their industry.  Audrey Comerford of Oregon State University Extension notes of agritourism oriented information gleaned from USDA's 2022 Census of Agriculture.

“1.9 million U.S. farms were estimated to basically report and 1.5% reported themselves being engaged in some sort of agritourism and 6% of direct-to-consumer sales,” Comerford noted.

Another way to break down numbers in agritourism operations, she pointed out, they were reported in 57% of the nation's counties in the most recent census.  Perhaps a more telling trend in agritourism. 

“Total income generated from agritourism and recreational services grew from the 2017 census.” 

Agritourism Sales Continue To Grow

That $1.26 billion of income through agritourism services as a according to the 2022 Census of Ag, reflects an over 12% increase from the prior census in 2017.  Going back to that 57% of U.S. counties reporting agritourism in some form in the latest census, almost 50% of that total originated from counties in just four states, California, Texas, Colorado, and Hawaii.  And what they generated in income was over 1/4 of that $1.26 billion in agritourism sales in 2017.  

Data on agritourism trends is also being recorded on the Cooperative Extension level, both on a nationwide and a state or regional basis. Comerford discusses results of a national survey conducted in 2019 and 2020 by University of Vermont Extension. 

Agritourism In Oregon

“We're seeing a lot of these agritourism operations identifying as either woman-owned or woman-led,” Comerford said.  “This could be a place that could be a strong avenue for women in Ag to make their mark.” 

While an Oregon State Extension look at agritourism in the major population region of the Willamette Valley gathers insight on consumers that visit such businesses. 

“A lot of the agritourism customers, the majority of them were within 50 miles of the farm,” said Comerford.  “And then we're looking at the folks coming from farther away. 19% is coming from more than 50 miles and 15% are the overnight visits.” 

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