Special Study: Agri-tourism as a Strategy for Farm Economic Development in New Jersey, USA: Opportunities and Cautions for Farmers

The expansion of agri-tourism has been a notable trend in the United States in recent decades. Inviting the public onto farms for recreational enjoyment offers the opportunity for farm economic development, particularly in the Northeastern region of the country where urban expansion and exurban growth pose significant challenges to farming. For many urban-influenced farms, agri-tourism synergizes with direct-to-consumer marketing of farm products and capitalizes on strong consumer interest in “local food”. At the same time, agri-tourism is often an entirely new business paradigm for traditional production-wholesale farms, and brings new business challenges and risks. This chapter summarizes recent statistics on the prevalence and significance of agri-tourism in the US, with a focus on this sector’s prominence in the Northeast region. Drawing from experiences in New Jersey, a leading agri-tourism state, important business risk factors associated with agri-tourism are discussed.