When many of Kentucky's early agritourism entrepreneurs began reaching out to their urban neighbors by opening up their farms for visits, there wasn't a name for the experience they were providing.
"Many of our early agritourism sites like Jackson Orchard (Bowling Green) and Evans Orchard (Georgetown) just wanted to make that connection to the consumer and were searching for a new marketing outlet for their products," explained Stephen Yates, the Kentucky agritourism director. "Little did they know that they would become the pioneers for Kentucky's agritourism industry."
The agritourism industry has gained in momentum over the last 20 years across the nation. Trails from wineries to orchards have been developed in states from New York to Washington.
In a Kentucky agritourism marketing study that was completed in 2005, there were 268 agritourism businesses identified in Kentucky. Since that study was completed, the industry has exploded, according to Yates.
"We currently have 220 agritourism businesses listed on the new Kentucky Farms Are Fun Web site," said Yates. "Yet according to lists created by extension agents, regional organizations, and previous studies, we estimate that there are up to 450 agritourism-related businesses in the state and probably another 30 potential businesses that will open in the next year."
The local connection
In Kentucky, as more and more individuals are removed from the agricultural experience, even in rural areas, it appears there is a desire to learn more about the agrarian lifestyle that is a rich part of the culture of Kentucky.
Another trend that has fueled the growth of agritourism in Kentucky has been the move in the consumer culture to purchase locally grown foods.
"We have customers that will buy from us at the farmers' market during the week, and still drive out to the farm on the weekend just for a visit," explained Jenny Evans of Evans Orchard in Scott County. "It is amazing to me how important it has become for people to make that connection between the food they buy and where it is grown. It wasn't like that when we began selling at the market 15 years ago."
The consumers' desire to "get to know" the individual producing the food their families consume has been a boost to many of the agritourism venues in Kentucky. Yet, it isn't just the Kentucky Proud food items that bring the people to the farm; it is the array of entertainment that these venues offer their customers.
Hay rides, educational tours and corn mazes are activities found at many agritourism venues in the state, but the fun doesn't stop there. On some farms, agritourism is really agri-adventure-tourism, as guests stay the night and work on the farm, feeding the animals or working in the fields. If you aren't up for the full agriculture experience, some farms offer a little less intense farm experience with trail rides and focused experiences, such as winemaker for a day.
"People are going to farms for an experience," explained Yates. "For some, it is just a chance to get fresh fruit and let their kids see where an apple comes from, while others are looking for a true on-farm adventure. The exciting thing for me is to see Kentucky's industry growing to provide these opportunities for consumers."
Kentucky farms are fun
To help promote the agritourism industry in the Bluegrass, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, in collaboration with the Kentucky Department of Tourism, launched the new "Kentucky Farms are Fun" web site at the first annual Kentucky Agritourism Summit in February.
"The site is going to be a great marketing tool for the Kentucky agritourism industry and for all agritourism businesses," said Yates. "We were excited to launch the site at the first annual Agritourism Summit where agribusinesses from across the state were on hand to see the industry's new marketing tool."
The new Web site will promote agritourism in Kentucky and provide an interactive search site to help consumers find agritourism venues across the state. The attractions search page will allow consumers to search by activity, region, or county to select the perfect agritourism adventure.
"The Web site looks great, and we are excited about the potential marketing the site will provide to our business," said John Hendricks, owner of Beech Springs Farm Market in Winchester. "I am also excited about the success of the Summit; the information presented was really relevant to our operation and will hopefully be beneficial to others. I believe this is the beginning of a great annual conference."
The daylong Summit focused on providing business and educational information for emerging and established agribusinesses. Speakers addressed issues such as media communications, signage information, business development, and introduced programs that compliment agritourism operations such as Kentucky Proud and Kentucky Market Maker. The Summit concluded with Carl Chaney, Chaney's Dairy Barn and Todd Allen, Maple Hill Manor B&B, telling about their experiences in developing an agritourism business.
"Agritourism is growing in Kentucky, and we are working to provide the industry the business and marketing support that is needed," said Yates. "The Summit and the web site are just the beginning of what the Department of Agriculture, Tourism, and the Agritourism Council can do to help our Agritourism industry grow and thrive in the Bluegrass."