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Farmers cultivate a lot of things, but tourism probably isn’t on the top of the list for most of them. But maybe it should be, according to an agrimarketing consultant from St. Louis, Mo.

"The people who have the most to gain from agritourism are the tourists," according to Jane Eckert of Eckert Agrimarketing. The sixth-generation fruit farmer operates an agrimarketing company that helps farmers develop other enterprises on their farms besides crop or livestock production. She presented "Cultivating Agritourism: How Farms and Tourism Professionals Plant Seeds for Profit" in late March in Darke County. The seminar was sponsored by Ohio’s Historic West, a collaboration of travel professionals in 10 western Ohio counties promoting cultural and heritage tourism in the area.

In her opening comments, Deanna York, director of the Darke County Visitors Bureau, said agritourism is a perfect mix between the first and third largest industries in Ohio – agriculture and tourism.

Statistics show that, since the events of Sept. 11, 2001, travelers are taking shorter trips, are increasingly using cars for transportation, are planning at the last minute, are looking for a new experience, and want that experience to strengthen their family relationships, Eckert said. "Those trends just naturally point to agritourism," she said. "We have it all."

Just what is "agritourism?"

"Everytime a car full of visitors comes to our farms – that’s agritourism," Eckert said. "The public enjoys seeing how we make things. It’s like show and tell." She said any type of farm would work as a tourist stop -- working farms and ranches, wineries, agricultural businesses and farmers markets.

Agritourism provides all the things many families are searching for – enjoyment, adventure, relaxation and education, Eckert said.

"It’s phenomenal what we are allowing people to do on our farms," she said. "And it’s amazing what people will pay to come to our farms and do – all things we take for granted."

She said farms bring back fond memories for people. "It’s nostalgic to go to a farm. When people come to the farm, they’re excited. They make a wonderful connection between the cow, the milk and where it all comes from – the farm," she said. And the experiences farms have to offer are so uniquely different for each person.

"We have to start thinking of agriculture in different ways," Eckert said. "I don’t think these (tourism trends) are fads. If we market to families with young children, we’ll always have a new audience."

Agritourism has a lot to offer the farmer, as well, Eckert said: It can increase revenue from on-farm activities, protect the farm against fluctuating markets, expand on-farm employment, improve business sustainability, diversify farm operations and preserve land.

And as an agritourism operator, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to entertain people. "You don’t have to start big," she said. "There’s no single model for success." Eckert defined three levels of agritourism.

• Level 1: Simple, sell what you grow, farm stand or tent, a few petting animals
• Level 2: Intermediate, add experience potential, pick your own, wagon rides, corn mazes, concession stand, farm products for sale, children’s activities, special events or festivals.
• Level 3: complex and sophisticated, major shopping facility, full-service restaurant, permanent restrooms, major special events, paved parking lot.

It used to be that successful farms were defined by the amount of land farmed, the bushels of crops produced or the head of livestock fed. Now, "success" is defined differently, and agritourism, an industry that was just defined 10 years ago, could figure into the equation.

"Agritourism could be a key (to having a successful operation)," she said. "You just have to be willing to put a different hat on, and think differently."

If you’d like more information on agritourism, visit the Ohio Farm Bureau’s Web site at www.ofbf.org and click on Featured Links.