A Look at Agritourism Across the U.S.
There are many ways to measure agritourism, and each method reveals some new information about why we observe agritourism in certain regions and not others.
Some contributing factors to keep in mind are:
- Local Demand/Preferences
- Types of Agriculture
- Proximity to Cities
- Transportation
- Infrastructure
- Scenic Attractions
- And Many Others!
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Counties with the highest shares of farms and ranches in the contiguous U.S. are found in western Texas, the Rocky Mountain States, and to some extent coastal counties and the Northeast. These seem to be mostly rural areas.
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Counties with high agritourism revenue in 2012, appear to be mostly located near large populations, however some are in highly rural areas like those in Wyoming, Montana, and parts of Texas. California’s Napa County brought in the most revenue at $23,723,000, largely driven by the wine industry.
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In 2007 most of the agritourism farms were located largely in Texas, the Pacific Coast, the Rocky Mountain States, and the Northeast. Exploring the reasons for these concentrations may help farmers and ranchers take advantage of market opportunities.
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In 2012, most of the agritourism farms/ranches lie in the same regions as in 2007, but the number of agritourism businesses becomes more concentrated in these regions. Seven of the top ten counties with the most agritourism are in California. Colorado and Montana follow California for the most agritourism establishments.