American Farmers Turn To Profitable Agritourism, USDA Says

January 8, 2008 6:49 p.m. EST

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Some 52,000 U.S. farms earn income from farm-based recreation, or agritourism, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The South accounts for more than half of all farms receiving recreational income, followed by the Midwest, which accounts for about a quarter.

About 2.5 percent of total U.S. farms were engaged in agritourism, says the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS).

Agritourism includes hunting, fishing, horseback riding and other on-farm activities.

"It is more common in Europe and other parts of the world and might play a more important role in the U.S. economy in the future, both as an alternative source of farm income and as a way for rural communities to diversify and stimulate their economies," the ERS said.

To diversify and increase returns on their farm investments, more American farmers may consider moving into farm-based recreation, it said.

Farm operators were more likely to run a farm-based recreation business if they had a high net worth; worked fewer hours off the farm during the summer; and their property was a greater distance from a city of at least 10,000 in population.