What is your first thought that comes to mind when you read the word farm? Maybe it’s cows, or maybe corn? Or perhaps the tune, ” Old McDonald had a farm” plays on repeat in your head after hearing that question. Our perception of farms as children was shaped by three things: a red barn, cows, and a farmer in overalls. In today’s farming, this is not the case, and hasn’t been for decades. Just as other businesses have been forced to evolve due to economic change, political change, & even cultural shifts, so have many agricultural businesses. This is where Agritourism has changed the game for many Florida Farmers.
According to the National Agricultural Law Center, “Agritourism is a form of commercial enterprise that links agricultural production and/or processing with tourism to attract visitors onto a farm, ranch, or other agricultural business for the purposes of entertaining or educating the visitors while generating income for the farm, ranch, or business owner.” Shockingly, agritourism wasn’t as well known or a used business method for many farms until 2013, when the Florida Legislature passed SB 1106, a bill that protects and strengthens agritourism opportunities for Florida’s farmers and ranchers. This legislature along with Florida Statute 570.85, has allowed farmers and ranchers to expand their operations to safely allow tourism and agriculture to join forces. With 142.9 million visitors to Florida in 2024, the opportunities to connect the public to agriculture are endless.
You may remember our previous blog from 2024, Momentum for Manatee County Agriculture, where the Agriculture Census numbers were broken down to show the many factors farms are facing just to continue to operate. To summarize, there has been a consistent increase in production costs, but the value of agriculture products farms are producing are decreasing. Higher costs and less money for their products puts many farms in a precarious position. In addition, land prices continue to rise (about 1 million dollar increase in the last 5 years) which certainly weighs on the position at hand. Sadly, sometimes the choice becomes, sell the farm or figure out a way to survive. That’s where agritourism has stepped in to keep many operations in business for the last decade. According to a 2017 study by Penn State, Florida has 4,069 farms that have some form of agritourism offered.
Out of those over 4,000 farms, Manatee County is blessed to have multiple agritourism operations. Hunsader Farms, Dakin Dairy, Fiorelli Winery, and most recently, Mindful Blooms are some of the largest and most active within the county. From educational tours, family friendly festivals, live music, classes, and more these operations and others are incredible assets to our community. Not only do they offer a place for families and friends to gather and connect with agriculture, but these experiences provide additional revenue that can significantly increase the economic viability of the farm. Which in turn, can assist in keeping the land in agriculture, as long as the tourists and locals are aware and advocate for day trips to these operations. Maybe you have some friends visiting for a late spring break. Sure, you can bring them to the beach, but don’t forget about the unique, one of a kind experiences that are offered at our local agritourism operations!
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-Written by Janyel & John Taylor
The Veranda View 