Farmers and policymakers discuss regulatory constraints and solutions

More Oregon farmers want to share their corn mazes, pumpkin patches and horseback rides with visitors to get a piece of the lucrative agritourism pie. Nationally, it’s a big business. The U.S. was home to 33,161 farms that earned about $704 million from agritourism in 2012.

So the OSU Extension Service organized the two-part Oregon Agritourism Summit to help farmers branch out. Nearly 160 people attended the first meeting on campus and learned about marketing, navigating regulations, reducing potential liabilities and creating a hospitable experience for visitors.

Three months later at the second meeting at OSU in 2013, policymakers, land-use planners and farmers discussed regulatory issues. They focused on lodging, food service, cross-county agritourism ventures and the use of farm buildings for agritourism businesses. Katy Coba, the director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture, gave the keynote address.

As a result of OSU Extension’s educational efforts, Oregon legislators are considering a bill regarding limited liability for agritourism businesses in Oregon.

Sources: U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service; OSU Extension Service small farms instructor Melissa Fery; USDA 2012 Census of Agriculture.

original post: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/bridges/osu-conference-helps-farmers-get-agritourism