Posted on 8th May 2010 @ 6:08 PM

                                         Down on the Farm with Agritourism

Many of today’s young people have no idea where our food supplies originate. They may believe that milk comes from the grocery store and have no idea that hamburger comes  from an animal, If that is the case in your family, or if you just desire to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, you may want to plan an agritourism vacation sometime soon.

What is Agritourism?

Agritourism is a world-wide trend in which any farm or land-based business opens up to the public for day visits or longer overnight stays. They are extremely popular in the U.S. and Canada, in Europe and even in exotic destinations such as India, Turkey and the Philippines. All of them offer authentic farm or rural experiences to their guests and many offer unique opportunities for educational experiences as well.

What’s Available?

The variety of Agritourism experiences is mind-boggling in its variety. There are dude ranches, animal farms, food production farms, markets, plant and garden farms, and many other types of back to the land destinations. Would you like to visit a llama farm or a pumpkin patch? How about a tour of wineries with an overnight stay at a Bed and Breakfast? Or would you enjoy seeing how rice, bananas, and coconuts are grown in Kerala, India?

Day Trip or Vacation?

The majority of the listings in the accompanying websites offer wonderful opportunities for a day trip into the country. You may want to access these during holiday times when you’re wanting to carve a pumpkin and go through a corn maze. Or perhaps you’ll want to visit a tree farm to find the perfect Christmas tree next winter. In the spring and summer you may want to take a day trip to gather some u-pick berries and have a pony ride afterward.  Or maybe you would enjoy a tour of a dairy farm from field to milk room. The children may enjoy a tractor or wagon ride and you’ll come home with some fresh- from-the-dairy milk or ice cream.

If you choose overnight destinations you can expect to find lodging in everything from farm homes to bunkhouses, cabins to country lodges. There will be gifts to purchase and activities offered in a wide variety of interests from fishing and bird watching to panning for gold or petting animals. There are distinctly adult vacations to plan or multi-generational ones in which the entire family can find plenty of fun.

Educational Opportunities

Many working farms will give you the opportunity to join right in with their family to slop the hogs and gather the eggs. You may learn about the eco-systems of the area, the flora and fauna and the unique geological attributes of the landscape. You’ll learn about the history of the family owning the land and about the planning and data keeping necessary to run a working farm in today’s economy. You’ll see how it used to be done and how modern farm equipment makes the tasks easier and faster. You’ll come away from your vacation with a renewed appreciation for the effort and dedication of those who choose to provide us with food and other life necessities.

Affordable Fun

In general Agritourism is a very affordable way to plan a vacation. You may need to be ready to “rough it” just a little, but that is balanced out by being in a fresh farm environment with friendly people and with simple comforts offered up in beautiful rural settings. If you choose to take the children they will begin to piece together the environmental food chain with edibles originating on the farm and ending up on the dinner table. And without a doubt they will have some fun experiences in natural and beautiful surroundings. Take a look at the following websites to begin planning your Farm Fresh Fun agritourism vacation.

http://www.agritourismworld.com/

http://www.reidsguides.com/bh/agritourism.html

http://homegrown.org/

http://www.ruralbounty.com/

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