Agritourism associations, resources and networks, and other related organizations can provide benefits for farmers and ranchers wishing to diversify their operations. Such associations often provide information and resources, and can prove helpful in three general ways. First, these associations can provide an advertising outlet for your business through websites, brochures, and other media. For example, many associations maintain websites that market attractions in a geographic area or map driving routes to participating farms, ranches, and other agritourism sites. Second, these groups can provide an opportunity to network, interact, and learn from others who are involved in similar businesses. This enables farmers/ranchers to build upon the experiences of others in similar ventures. Third, they provide information on trainings, conferences, trends, and recent research.
Following is a listing of some of the agritourism and related associations, networks, and websites specifically developed for agritourism businesses in order to directly meet identified needs related to marketing their businesses. In addition, there are governmental, non-governmental, and university organizations dedicated to assisting in the development and marketing of agritourism.
National
Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC)
Regional
Dude Ranchers Association of America
Associations By State
Alaska
Alaska Office of Tourism Development
Alabama
Arkansas
California
California Agricultural Tourism Online (UC California, Davis Small Farm Center)
Colorado
Colorado Deptartment of Agriculture
Delaware
Delaware Agritourism Association
Georgia
University of Georgia, Center for Agribusiness & Economic Development
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
University of Illinois Extension
Iowa
The Choose Iowa Program, Iowa Deptartment of Agriculture & Land Stewardship
North Dakota
North Dakota Ecotourism – state initiative
Oklahoma
Oregon
Oregon Farmers Market Association
Ohio
Farmland Information Center – Ohio
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Farm Vacation Association
Rhode Island
Farmland Information Center – Rhode Island
Tennessee
Tennessee Agritourism Association
Texas
Go Texan! Certified Farmers Markets
Texas Farmers Market Association
Vermont
Washington
Washington State Farmers Market Association
Kansas
Kansas Agritourism Advisory Council
Kentucky
Kentucky Agritourism – Kentucky Department of Agriculture
Maine
Maryland
Maryland Direct Farm Market Association
Massachusetts
Association of Roadside Stands and Pick Your Own
Michigan
Michigan Agritourism Association
Minnesota
Minnesota Farmers’ Market Association
Missouri
New Hampshire
New Hampshire Farmers Market Association
New Jersey
New Mexico
New Mexico Farmers’ Marketing Association
New York
North Carolina
Homegrown Handmade, Art Roads & Farm Trails of North Carolina
Wisconsin
Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association
Wyoming
Wyoming Farmers Marketing Association
Compiled October 2007 by Lisa Chase and Varna M. Ramaswamy, University of Vermont Extension; Steven W. Burr and Jascha Zeitlin, Utah State University Extension; Gary P. Green and Michael Dougherty, University of Wisconsin. Updated September 2, 2016 by Stephen Brueggerhoff, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
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