While agritourism only got its trendy eco-name after 2000, people have volunteered to help out at farms, wineries and ranches around the world for decades. Agritourism gives people the chance to breathe fresh air, learn about land, ride horses, milk cows and work up a sweat. Some types of agritourism include working on coffee plantations or in wineries, going on nursery or garden tours, picking fruits and vegetables or visiting petting zoos.
According to The Louisiana State University Agricultural Center (LSU AgCenter), the history of agritourism dates back to the late 1800s. In the United States, a surge of farm-related recreation and tourism developed when city dwellers escaped city heat and congestion to spend a weekend, or longer, on a relative's farm.
According to the Utah State University Cooperative Extension website, visiting family and friends' fields grew in popularity in the 1920s, after the invention of the automobile. Families drove into the country and enjoyed leaving behind the economic stresses of the city.
In the 1930s and 1940s, the Great Depression and World War II increased public interest in rural recreation. Escaping the stresses of the Great Depression and World War II, farmers offered housing in return for help on the farm or a small payment. In the Dust Bowl era, farmers took an extra blow and lost money when they had to end agritourism trips because of unplantable, arid land.
Agritourism took a shift in the 1960s and 1970s. Travelers not only picked apples or helped with the stables but got to ride horses and tend to petting zoos. In the 1980s and 1990s, bed and breakfasts and commercial farm tours became popular.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, based on a 2006 study in Colorado, researchers estimated that more than 13 million people participated in some form of agritourism in the state during the travel year, sustaining 14,000 jobs in different parts of the state. Agritourism in Colorado alone resulted in a total $2.2 billion economic profit.
According to the Agritourism World website, as of 2010 agriculture is the backbone of the Indian Economy. About 85 percent of the population is directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture, whereas 26 percent of GDP comes from agriculture. Agritourism creates additional income for farmers.
As of 2010, an increased interest in food production and organic practices brings travelers out to till the soil. Because working a farm offers volunteers an educational or adventurous experience, another name for agritourism is agri-entertainment.
