Agritourism

The Agritourism brief describes the unique challenges and opportunities related to agritourism, defined as activities that link agricultural production with tourism to attract visitors to a farm or other agricultural business for the purpose of entertainment and/or education, while generating income for the agricultural business.¹ The brief is one of 27 briefs created as part of the NH Food and Agriculture Strategic Plan.

View and download the pdf of this brief or read the content below.

What's at Stake?

Agritourism can offer valuable opportunities for farms and other agricultural businesses to generate diversified, multi-season income, while offering memorable and educational farm-based experiences for visitors. Through activities and entertainment, like farm stays, pick-your-own, corn mazes, and festivals, agritourism in New Hampshire provides residents and tourists meaningful opportunities to connect with the state’s rural heritage and learn about food sources, animal care, and other aspects of farm management.^2,3

Current Conditions

Agritourism is a relatively newly-defined industry; research, support networks, and knowledge of best practices are still emerging, but existing data reveals economic opportunities, as well as limitations. Since a wide variety of enterprises can be considered agritourism operations through varying contextual definitions, it can be difficult to quantify agritourism businesses and their economic and social impacts.⁴ The 2002 USDA Census of Agriculture was the first to include agritourism data. The most recent census in 2022 reported a modest increase in agritourism in New Hampshire, with 156 farms that collectively generated $4.54 million in agritourism income.⁵

Economic forecasts predict that visitor interest in agritourism will continue to grow in the next decade.^6,7 However, agritourism is not necessarily a clear or easy path for income generation in that it requires diversified knowledge spanning agriculture, finance, hospitality, marketing, visitor safety, and more.⁸ State and local laws and regulations may limit the feasibility and eligibility of some agritourism business plans.^9,10

With support and direction in navigating these realities, agritourism has the potential to provide a crucial additional revenue stream for New Hampshire farms, while increasing food and agricultural literacy for residents and tourists. However, while growth in New Hampshire’s agritourism industry could yield many positive benefits for farms and communities, it should be noted that in the broader context of the state’s food system, more farms engaging in agritourism could be an indicator that the farm’s primary agricultural activities are no longer economically sustainable on their own.

Assessing agritourism in New Hampshire begins with understanding how it is defined and regulated. “Agritourism” has varying definitions depending upon geography and context, which can have legal and/or operational implications.^11,12 In New Hampshire law, RSA 21:34-a addresses agritourism and defines it as a marketing activity to support agricultural and farming operations. Thus, agritourism activities must be “accessory uses to the primary farm operation.”¹³ Assuming accessory use only, RSA 674:32-d defines that a municipality cannot prohibit agritourism.¹⁴

However, agritourism, as defined in RSA 21:34-a, may be made subject to applicable special exceptions, building permits, site plan review, or other local land use board approvals in accordance with the provisions of RSA 674:32-c, II and III, and may be regulated to prevent traffic and parking from adversely impacting adjacent property, streets and sidewalks, or public safety. ¹⁵

Challenges

> Agritourism often takes farmers outside of their professional comfort zone, requiring knowledge of hospitality, new product development, and visitor management.¹⁶ Educational opportunities may be expensive, time consuming, and/or geographically prohibitive, and thus unfeasible for many farmers.

> Comprehensive business planning and community relations are integral to the successful execution of a farmer’s vision for their business. Business plans must take into account all stakeholders and potential impacts, as well as local and state ordinances and regulations.¹⁷

Opportunities

> New Hampshire’s physical and cultural landscapes are ever-changing, and consumer preferences do not stay static over time. The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct an agricultural census in 2027,¹⁸ which should provide useful comparison points when considered in tandem to other data sources, such as qualitative surveys of agritourism operators. These data points can help inform policies and programs and identify needed resources for agritourism operators.

> The older ages of most New Hampshire agritourism operators suggests that there is opportunity to expand sector engagement from young people, fostering the next generation of farmer-operators and bringing new ideas and perspectives to the industry.

> A growing state reputation for agritourism may strengthen cross-promotional opportunities. Recent New Hampshire tourism marketing has heavily featured outdoor recreation and has created channels for agritourism promotion.¹⁹ There are opportunities for agritourism operators to collectively demonstrate the appeal and impact of agricultural traditions in the local economy and broader tourism market. Multi-organizational partnerships and events, such as fairs and festivals, could be effective tools for highlighting agritourism on a regional level.

Recommendations

Create an agritourism-focused university position to serve both current and future operators
Fund and hire one full-time equivalent (FTE) agritourism-focused teaching and research position. This could be a joint appointment within the University of New Hampshire’s College of Life Sciences and Agriculture that engages with UNH Extension’s Community & Economic Development and Food & Agriculture teams and can serve as a statewide point person.
Increase the marketing of agritourism to locals
Resident patronage of agritourism helps businesses position themselves as community assets, improving resilience to seasonal visitation fluctuations and helping mitigate town-level conflicts regarding agritourism business development or expansion. Tourism organizations, like the NH Department of Business and Economic Affairs’ Division of Travel and Tourism Development, Granite State Ambassadors, and regional tourism groups and chambers of commerce, can strategically generate campaigns and maps/guides to reach residents in addition to tourists.
Encourage knowledge sharing amongst agritourism operators
Support experience-based knowledge sharing and documentation through online and in-person forums for agritourism operators, leveraging the notion that operators can be collaborators in the continued development of agritourism in the state, rather than competitors. Such approaches can also help level the playing field of resources available to different sizes and types of operators.
Clarify state and local laws, ordinances, and definitions
Many New Hampshire agritourism operators and prospective operators have expressed that laws and guidelines could be more clearly articulated (for example, “accessory uses,” as stated in RSA 21:34-a) to avoid differing interpretations and legal gray areas. Clarifications may help reduce business inefficiencies and conflicts at the local level. Educational resources that explain the respective roles of state and local authorities in agritourism matters could contribute to easier business roadmaps.
Increase support for business planning and evaluation of agritourism activities
Organizations, such as the NH Farm Bureau, UNH Extension, and the Small Business Development Center, can work to expand business assistance resources for farms engaged in, or considering, agritourism throughout business development and life cycle stages. Engaging municipal and county leaders in education and awareness can position them to better support agritourism sector development in their regions. Tracking statewide participation levels and economic data can help inform strategies to engage people of color, young people, and others who have commonly been under-represented in agritourism management.

Organizations working on this issue

New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food

New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development

New Hampshire Farm Bureau Federation

New Hampshire Farms Network

NH Food Alliance

New Hampshire Travel Council

New Hampshire Municipal Association

Granite State Ambassadors

NH Made

NH Eats Local (a project of the NH Food Alliance)

UNH Extension

Sustainability Institute, University of New Hampshire

College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, University of New Hampshire

Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics (Hospitality Management), University of New Hampshire

Resources

Visit the Farm, Visit NH

Pick Your Own Directory, Visit NH

Hay Rides Directory, Visit NH

"7 Agritourism Ideas for Your Small Farm," Farm Bureau Financial Services

USDA Agritourism

Experience NH Farms, NH Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food

Agri-culture in New Hampshire, NH Municipal Association

Agritourism Fact Sheets for New Hampshire and Each of the 50 States

Shelburne Farms

"From Farm to Fame: Embracing Agritourism to Thrive in Maine’s Hospitality Industry," Sutherland Weston

Farm Visits & Agritourism in New England, Visit New England

Authors

Lead Author
Jada Lindblom, Ph.D., Community and Economic Development Field Specialist, UNH Extension

Contributing Authors
Gail McWilliam Jellie, Agricultural Program Assistant, UNH Extension
Meghan Kelley, Farm Manager, Coppal House Farm
Hannah Bendroth, Farm Manager, Coppal House Farm

This Agritourism brief was developed through a participatory process led by the NH Food Alliance, a program of the University of New Hampshire. The brief content is comprised of the opinions, perspectives, and information gathered by the authors and participants, and does not necessarily represent those of the NH Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food or the NH Food Alliance.

Head to the NH Food and Agriculture Strategic Plan main page to read more briefs, browse recommendations and learn how the strategic plan was created.

References

¹ United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). AgriTourism. National Agricultural Library. Accessed October 30, 2024. https://www.nal.usda.gov/human-nutrition-and-food-safety/local-foods-and-communities/agritourism

²New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food. Experience New Hampshire Agriculture. Agriculture.nh.gov. Accessed October 30, 2024. https://www.agriculture.nh.gov/divisions/agricultural development/experience.htmhttps://www.agriculture.nh.gov/divisions/agricultural-development/experience.htm

³New England Food System Planners Partnership. New England Feeding New England. Executive Summary: A Regional Approach to Food System Resilience. nefoodsystemplanners.orgPublished May 2023. Accessed October 30, 2024. https://nefoodsystemplanners.org/projects/report-components/

⁴Hollas, C. Schmidt, C. Tian, Z. Goetz, S. Chase, L. Insights and Oversights: Behind the data on agritourism and direct sales in the United States. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development. Published 2024. https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2024.134.005

⁵ USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. 2022 Census of Agriculture. Published 2022. Accessed October 30, 2024. https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2022/index.php#full_report

⁶Grand View Research. Agritourism market size, share, trends analysis report. Accessed October 30, 2024. https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/agritourism-market

⁷Wadhwani, P. Agritourism Market Size - By Activity (On-farm Sales, Recreation & Entertainment, Educational Tourism, Hospitality), By Sales Channel (Travel Agents, Direct Sales), By Visitor (Group, Individual), By Farm & Forecast. Published July 2024. Accessed October 30, 2024. https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/agritourism-market

⁸Chase, L. Wang, W. Bartlett, R. Conner, D. Hollas, C. Quella, L. Agritourism and on-farm direct sales survey: Results for the U.S. UVM Extension. Published June 30, 2021. https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Vermont-Agritourism-Collaborative/US_Survey_Report.pdf

⁹Lindblom, J. Agritourism development: Neighborhood and community considerations. UNH Extension. Published February 25, 2023. Accessed October 30, 2024. https://scholars.unh.edu/extension/1483.

¹⁰McWilliam, Jellie G. Cultivating farm experiences: Can agritourism add to your bottom line? UNH Extension. Published March 9, 2023. Accessed October 30, 2024. https://extension.unh.edu/resource/cultivating-farm-experiences-can-agritourism-add-your-bottom-line

¹¹ Hollas, C. Schmidt, C. Tian, Z. Goetz, S. Chase, L. Insights and oversights: Behind the data on agritourism and direct sales in the United States. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development. Published 2024. https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2024.134.005

¹²Lindblom, J. Agritourism development: Neighborhood and community considerations. UNH Extension. Published February 25, 2023. Accessed October 30, 2024. https://scholars.unh.edu/extension/1483.

¹³General Court of New Hampshire. RSA 21:34-a. Accessed October 30, 2024. https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/I/21/21-34-a.htm

¹⁴General Court of New Hampshire. RSA 674:32-d. Accessed October 30, 2024. https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/LXIV/674/674-32-d.htm

¹⁵Buckley, S. Legal Q&A: Local regulation of agriculture. New Hampshire Municipal Association. Accessed October 30, 2024. https://www.nhmunicipal.org/town-city-article/legal-qa-local-regulation-agriculture

¹⁶McWilliam, Jellie G. Cultivating farm experiences: Can agritourism add to your bottom line? UNH Extension. Published March 9, 2023. Accessed October 30, 2024. https://extension.unh.edu/resource/cultivating-farm-experiences-can-agritourism-add-your-bottom-line

¹⁷Hisham, A. Neighbors sue Vernon Family Farm in Newfields, seek to halt agritourism events. Portsmouth Herald. seacoastonline.com. Published October 29, 2024. Accessed October 30, 2024. https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/news/local/2024/10/29/neighbors-vernon-family-farm-newfields-nh-lawsuit-agritourism/75899786007/

¹⁸USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. USDA to kick off the National Agricultural Classification Survey. Published 2022. Accessed October 30, 2024. https://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2024/01-11-2024.php

¹⁹NH Department of Business and Economic Affairs, Division of Travel and Tourism Development. Agriculture in NH. Accessed October 30, 2024. https://www.visitnh.gov/agriculture